EasyOS version 2.3.2, June 22, 2020

[BarryK]

I tried to use getflash to install flash, but it wasn't working. After a bit of digging around and looking in the Getflash forum I got it working after making the following 2 changes:

• 1. Changed VERSION_URL in getflash-conf from adobe.com/software/flash/about to get.adobe.com/flashplayer/about
  2. Added the --no-hsts option to the wget command for VERSION_URL

Attached are the altered files.

- Neal

Thanks very much for fixing it. I have updated the PET, now version 1.9:

https://bkhome.org/news/201911/getflash ... on-19.html

[ras]

Iv'e been playing around with containers and hope someone can provide some tips or workarounds to two difficulties I have run into. I am running easy as a frugal install to a m2 ssd inside my laptop.

The first involves getting a sfs package installed to a container. When I am online and able to access the sfs repo, sfs get will download and then offer to install, with what I assume is another script, maybe sfs package installer? When I am not online, (which is at home unfortunately), the lack of connectivity will not allow sfs get to bring up the package installer. (calling the gui returns an error because I am offline) and will not load. Is there a way to install a sfs manually in easy? Either fooling the gui or with a shell in a terminal? I am trying to use sfs's I have copied from other easy installs using sfs get, and also sfs's I create with dir2sfs.

the second involves using the Easy Container app. I am hoping to run palemoon portable.tar.gz, (uncompressed of course), in a container, but need to add it to the dropdown list inside the "Create" feature at the bottom of the Easy Container. Is there a configuration file for the dropdown, or a place to register palemoon, so that the dropdown is populated?
Thanks

[BarryK]

Ha ha, two weeks is long enough, new versions Pyro 1.2.8 and Buster 2.1.8:

https://bkhome.org/news/201911/easy-pyr ... eased.html

The same changes in both of these releases, see release notes.

The next release? I'm hanging out for the 5.4 kernel, to make use of the new "lockdown" security feature. Will probably aim for the next releases of Pyro and Buster when the 5.4.1 kernel is available.

[BarryK]

Iv'e been playing around with containers and hope someone can provide some tips or workarounds to two difficulties I have run into. I am running easy as a frugal install to a m2 ssd inside my laptop.

The first involves getting a sfs package installed to a container. When I am online and able to access the sfs repo, sfs get will download and then offer to install, with what I assume is another script, maybe sfs package installer? When I am not online, (which is at home unfortunately), the lack of connectivity will not allow sfs get to bring up the package installer. (calling the gui returns an error because I am offline) and will not load. Is there a way to install a sfs manually in easy? Either fooling the gui or with a shell in a terminal? I am trying to use sfs's I have copied from other easy installs using sfs get, and also sfs's I create with dir2sfs.

the second involves using the Easy Container app. I am hoping to run palemoon portable.tar.gz, (uncompressed of course), in a container, but need to add it to the dropdown list inside the "Create" feature at the bottom of the Easy Container. Is there a configuration file for the dropdown, or a place to register palemoon, so that the dropdown is populated?
Thanks

Yes, you have identified areas that need attention.

For a start, "sfsget" needs to work off-line, so for an already-downloaded SFS, you can choose to install it in a new container.

Secondly, that "Create" feature in Easy Containers needs to be expanded.

If you have a tarball that you want to install in a new container, the Create button could be expanded to handle that. Or, an SFS.

Note that SFSs need to be created by the 'dir2sfs' script. So, if you exoand the tarball to a folder named in format packagename_version_amd64, then you can run dir2sfs to convert it to a SFS.

But then, Easy Containers will still need to be expanded to recognise it. I have added this to the to-do list.

[rwishlaw]

Ha ha, two weeks is long enough, new versions Pyro 1.2.8 and Buster 2.1.8:

https://bkhome.org/news/201911/easy-pyr ... eased.html

The same changes in both of these releases, see release notes.

The next release? I'm hanging out for the 5.4 kernel, to make use of the new "lockdown" security feature. Will probably aim for the next releases of Pyro and Buster when the 5.4.1 kernel is available.

Radeon 580 Video card.

USB Buster 2.1.8 O.K.

USB and ISO Pyro 1.2.8 will not start X.

Same kernel? vmlinuz are different sizes on Buster and Pyro.

This problem is way above my pay scale.

[ras]

[belham2]

Hi Barry & everyone,

Have any of you got bluetooth working on Easy Buster 2.1.7?

I've a 4.0 bluetooth dongle from Knivio that I know works on Linux OSes like Ubuntu, Debian, Manjaro, MX-Linux and even slapped it into OpenSUSE & it was immediately recognized and synced to my fairly new (bought this past April from Amazon) bluetooth headset.

When I stick the 4.0 dongle into Easy Buster 2.1.7, Easy recognizes it and shows (using "rfkill list" in a terminal) that the bluetooth dongle is attached.

I then go to sync my headset, Easy says it syncs, but then this sync lasts for only a few moments as the headset then gets kicked-out & unpaired by Easy (even when it pairs for a few moments, I can get no sound out of the headset from, as an example, nor any sound from a mp4 file or watching a video nor a Youtube video in a browser).

What in heck am I doing wrong??? Easy says there are no dependencies missing for the bluetooth setup, but it sure seems like something is missing.

I've tried to manually force pairing to thus hopefully "stick & remain" the headset. I did this by entering the headset's MAC number into Easy's bluez via terminal. But that doesn't help either.

I can't figure it out......this bluetooth dongle and headset combo works across all previous mentioned Linux OSes (above) and also immediately works in Fatdog and Phil's Xenial/Bionic pups.

I even just tried the dongle+headset into Mistfire's pup I have on a USB, using his bluetooth p3bluetooth creation, and the dongle+headset were immediately recognized and synced. I was watching Netflix in a minute.

Can anyone give me hints what I am doing wrong in Easy Buster??

Thanks.



[FollowUp]

Well, I keep getting the "Device Added Successfully" popup, but then a few seconds later it is followed by another popup except it says: "Device Added Successfully but failed to connect. Input/Output Error".

So, in frustration I opened PPM, searched for "pulseaudio-module-bluetooth", found it, downloaded & installed it. Only problem, PPM tells me "libpulsecore-12.2.so" is missing, and at the moment, I've guess I've got to get into another Debian distro, find it, copy it, and bring it over to Easy to see if I can get this bluetooth+headset setup working.

[belham2]

Also wanted to note (while I'm fooling around with getting this bluetooth dongle-headset combo to work), for anyone interested Firefox 68.2.0esr is running well in Easy-2.1.7 after downloading and installing it in /opt. Debian is still stuck on Firefox 60.9.0, and probably will be for a little while.

Firefox 68.2.0 is a big jump from 60.9.0, bringing both functional improvement and especially security improvements.

[alfons]

Test Barry's new creation: EasyOS 1.2.8 / 2.1.8

My experiment and the questions:
- can EasyOS work with this Mac?
- can EasyOS work with such an old Hard Drive?
- can EasyOS boot from this old Hard Drive?
- the answer is: YES it can!

Test configuration:
- MacBook manufactured 2009
- Hard drive manufactured 2000
- Hard Drive connected via USB

[Rodney Byne]

To Barry,

Re Pyro 1.2.8.

Sea Monkey in container STILL crashes when "Preferences"
is clicked, as previously reported in 1.2.7.
Regards.

[wdt]

Barry: not to litter this thread, I had some ideas viz yr warping solar distiller,
but @contact has only paypal , no way to send ...

[don570]

I just read about warping problem with distiller design.HERE
I'm not an expert but I believe that the resin content of wood is an important consideration.
Cedar wood is cheap and has a high resin content.

John Harrison (the marine clock) was the world expert in wood working
and he used tropical wood from Asia
https://quillandpad.com/2019/02/16/rick ... tos-video/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Harrison

[drongo]

don570 and wdt,
same problem here. Barry's contact page has no details, unless he has artfully concealed them. In Harrison's day use of riven wood rather than sawn wood was more common. Riven wood doesn't split/crack so much but it will still expand/shrink when exposed to moisture.

[BarryK]

Barry: not to litter this thread, I had some ideas viz yr warping solar distiller,
but @contact has only paypal , no way to send ...

Something has gone wrong with the php contact me script!

Maybe my host has updated php or something like that.

Email me: bkaulerATgmailDOTcom

...slightly obfuscated email address

EDIT:
Got the Contact-me form to appear! In SeaMonkey, there is a bar at the top, with "Unblock" button. Click that, and the form appears.

There is now a warning about showing insecure information in an encrypted page. This problem has come about because I am now using https for bkhome.org

Could I create a .htaccess file in the contact folder to avoid this problem?

EDIT:
Ah I see, the problem is this in the contact-me page:

Code: Select all

   <iframe src="http://bkhome.org/contact/contact-form/"
              style="border:none;" width="400" height="540"></iframe> 

...it is a link to a http url, I probably just need to change that to https

EDIT:
OK, have fixed the contact-me page. Yes, some http: links needed to be changed to https:

[scsijon]

1- can't use the scribus_1.4.8_1_amd64 sfs as it's qt4. It seems although qt4 is installed /usr/lib/x86_64-gnu-linux is not in the lib path. However qt5 is installed, so maybe the package needs to be rebuilt and easyos pyro sfs'd instead. I take it back, apparently the qt4 is in the scribus sfs and loads when it does, I couldn't find a file like user-installed-packages for these loadable sfs'd either? Can one be added to the system as only the BootManager Configure Bootup shows them up?

2- sound wasn't working from the start, but was ok on reboot

3- starting with a video dvd, just brought repeated try to spin the dvd, but if started without the dvd in and then putting the dvd in after 1.2.8 had loaded, the dvd started and was loaded ok. (didn't we have this problem some time ago and you added a pause?time wait to fix that)?

4- it doesn't like the old 1024x768 4:3 screen either with a i915 intel driver, it's crushing it sideways, 1.2.5 was ok so somethings changed from then. other variations via xorgwizard don't fix this problem either, I tried them all.

and that will do for now..

[ras]

Hi Barry,

If you have a tarball that you want to install in a new container, the Create button could be expanded to handle that. Or, an SFS.
But then, Easy Containers will still need to be expanded to recognise it. I have added this to the to-do list.

"Expanded" as used above must mean a work in progress? Is there any way I could help?

Note that SFSs need to be created by the 'dir2sfs' script. So, if you exoand the tarball to a folder named in format packagename_version_amd64, then you can run dir2sfs to convert it to a SFS.

Expanded in this case means extracted? dir2sfs seems to run and create a palemoon sfs, but can that sfs be loaded and run in buster 2.1.7 at its present state of development? (if I create it correctly)

Thanks

[scsijon]

I installed it to a clean hard drive ok using yout Easy DD front end for dd ok, rebooted, added the devx and rebooted again ok.

Went to create a new container for urxvt following the method as is explained in https://easyos.org/tech/how-easy-works-part-2.html. It created it and I can see the directories and icon ok, however it won't start the container? And yes, I rebooted again in case that was the problem.

Deleted the newly created container.

Started again in Easy Container management and created the same thing a second time. However, this time it created it all again AND this time it worked when clicked on. It also shows in the /tmp/easy_containers/activewindows.log, something strange going on somewhere.

Tried it with another 'dummy' and it's not showing in /tmp/easy_containers/activewindows.log the first time, but is the second time, nothing in xerrs.log either.

Haven't tried on a stick yet, but I will later.

EDIT: Update: I played with this for a while and the problem seems to be that it will create the containers correctly as long as their set with the Absolute Minimum Security, otherwise they won't start, and even then if set tht way, it doesn't want to always start, so somethings wierd still.

[Sage]

2- sound wasn't working from the start, but was ok on reboot

- need sound default set ~90% at boot to hear it's woofwoof on any and all speaker systems. If it is working, dead easy to reduce it to required level!

4- it doesn't like the old 1024x768 4:3 screen either with a i915 intel driver, it's crushing it sideways, 1.2.5 was ok so something's changed from then. other variations via xorgwizard don't fix this problem either, I tried them all.

- there's a lot of 1024x768 screens, including 4:3. Seems they were produced during a period when reliability had peaked and are longer lasting than older and newer stuff.

[scsijon]

2- sound wasn't working from the start, but was ok on reboot

- need sound default set ~90% at boot to hear it's woofwoof on any and all speaker systems. If it is working, dead easy to reduce it to required level!

All I did was reboot and it came up and worked at a decent level, didn't have to play with anything. This was a fyi, not a request for a fix.

4- it doesn't like the old 1024x768 4:3 screen either with a i915 intel driver, it's crushing it sideways, 1.2.5 was ok so something's changed from then. other variations via xorgwizard don't fix this problem either, I tried them all.

- there's a lot of 1024x768 screens, including 4:3. Seems they were produced during a period when reliability had peaked and are longer lasting than older and newer stuff.

Works ok on an earlier version (pyro-1.2.5) without problems.

[Sage]

All I did was reboot and it came up and worked at a decent level, didn't have to play with anything. This was a fyi, not a request for a fix.

Sorry - misunderstanding, although the tenor of my comment still applies. It's very useful to know immediately whether sound is working or not. I think BK did offer to increase the default level to ~75%, but even this is not enough for those cr*p tiny in-monitor units and some laptop speakers. Since woofwoof exists and is intended to sound on initial boot to screen, might as well give sufficient blast that it serves its intended purpose however poor the HW sounder(s) are/is?!