roar-ng and Subito GNU/Linux 0.9.5 Beta

Under development: PCMCIA, wireless, etc.
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MinHundHettePerro
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#81 Post by MinHundHettePerro »

Hello, Iguleder :)!

As of the initrd skeleton in roar-ng-003, the only possible SAVE_FILE_FS is ext2. As you'd know, easy enough to also allow reiserfs, while only calling busybox built-ins in initrd, by changing the case of the force parameter in initrd/sbin/create_save_file (already implemented in my 32-bit build, don't ask me why, there's no reason, really - just one of the things I try to do with save-files, be it subito or puppy ........).
Of course, since rootfs.sfs is already mounted at this point, it would, self-evidently, be relatively easy to include any other FS available (provided mkfs.whatever exists) as a SAVE_FILE_FS choice - with minor tinkering, thus catering to e.g. the ext3/4 crowd ......

Any thoughts on this? Or are you going the route of save-partitions?

Myself, I like both save-files and save-partitions, depending on where and why.

Babbling on, while testing out this useful tool :).

Thanks for roar-ng, I'm really having fun using it :)/ MHHP
[color=green]Celeron 2.8 GHz, 1 GB, i82845, many ptns, modes 12, 13
Dual Xeon 3.2 GHz, 1 GB, nvidia quadro nvs 285[/color]
Slackos & 214X, ... and Q6xx
[color=darkred]Nämen, vaf....[/color] [color=green]ln -s /dev/null MHHP[/color]

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Iguleder
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#82 Post by Iguleder »

I changed the save files mechanism a 'lil bit. In roar-ng 003, you need to specify a home partition (e.g home=sdb1) and a save file is created automatically.

In 004 (which will be uploaded this weekend, hopefully), there's another parameter - "boot_mode", which can be either "live" or "frugal", with a future "full" option. "Live" means a live session (the default), "frugal" means a save file located under the "home partition" and "full" means an entire partition instead of a save file.

Regarding the save files file system - it can be anything, as long as you can create it from the initramfs. I think I could change this so save files are created at shutdown (so you don't have to put big packages in the initramfs) ... any thoughts? :roll:
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peebee
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#83 Post by peebee »

Iguleder wrote:specify a home partition (e.g home=sdb1) and a save file is created automatically.
Not created for me I'm afraid Iguleder - I just get the error message that /mnt/sdb1 cannot be found and the boot crashes.....
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nooby
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#84 Post by nooby »

Subito being based on Slackware repository?
and Slax like OS also using Slackware repository
I come to think of Porteus OS or Nimblex or CDLinux
or .... They all of them allow for slax.dat save files
and them work on same partition that one boot from.

Easy to handle even by noobs like Nooby they work even
for live and frugal so that would be something I live. But you are the Boss!
Porteus OS http://porteus.org/

example of grub4dos menu.lst on how to save changes to a .dat file.


title Porteus w/changes
root (hd0,1)
kernel (hd0,1)/porteusboot/vmlinuz from_dir=porteus/ ramsize=60% root=/dev/ram0 rw fsck lxde kmap=se changes=/mnt/sda2/porteus12rc.dat // copy2ram toroot nocd noeject noswap
initrd (hd0,1)/porteusboot/initrd.xz
boot

I would delete some of the (hd0,1) one would not need all of them :)
But this is the code they gave me in their forum for the latest RC1 .

changes=/mnt/sda2/porteus12rc.dat sda2 being the only partition I use
for Linux. The OS itself has a program that make such dat files but
seems it has a bug in it??? Older Slax had already made slax.dat files
that one could extract ready made.
I use Google Search on Puppy Forum
not an ideal solution though

2byte
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#85 Post by 2byte »

@peebee

Maybe your system hasn't had time to recognize the usb stick? This is an issue with other distros. You could try home=sdb1 sleep=10, or whatever number seems best.

Just a thought.

Edit: Nevermind. Sorry. If your initrd.gz is on the stick then of course it's already recognized.

I need more coffee.
.


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Iguleder
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#86 Post by Iguleder »

Wrong - actually, it isn't recognized. You need that sleep to let the kernel recognize the device.

It's the boot loader that loads the initramfs and the kernel - remember? :wink:
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nooby
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#87 Post by nooby »

Iguleder should know such but to support it
I just mention that Barry put such delays in
his puppy too so it is a known thing.

Igu have you tested if 5 seconds is enough or
does one need more? okay depends on hardware?
I use Google Search on Puppy Forum
not an ideal solution though

2byte
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#88 Post by 2byte »

AHH, I do remember now, Iguleder. Thanks again. I still need more coffee

You know, it would really be helpful to have a step by step overview of how linux boots to a desktop. I'll bet there's some of those on the net, he thinks.

Subito is advancing and I'm still at 001 but even so managed to build a 64 bit slackware 13.37 based subito with icewm that actually works on my kit.

:D ridiculously pleased about that :oops:


aragon
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#89 Post by aragon »

2byte wrote:You know, it would really be helpful to have a step by step overview of how linux boots to a desktop. I'll bet there's some of those on the net, he thinks.
Maybe start here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_startup_process

aragon

nooby
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#90 Post by nooby »

aragon wrote:
2byte wrote:You know, it would really be helpful to have a step by step overview of how linux boots to a desktop. I'll bet there's some of those on the net, he thinks.
Maybe start here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_startup_process

aragon


That is how it works for a standard full install Linux and not a Live CD or
a Live or Frugal install of Puppy or Subito?

There are "well established" protocol for setting up a restricted
"Live Session User" in Linux? And Puppy and maybe Subito
change that protocol for allowing creating a save file which
the standard protocol most likely don't allow for a "Live Session User"
in Linux?

Another way to say this is that The Dev decide what protocol to use. :)
I use Google Search on Puppy Forum
not an ideal solution though

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peebee
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#91 Post by peebee »

Iguleder wrote:Wrong - actually, it isn't recognized. You need that sleep to let the kernel recognize the device.

It's the boot loader that loads the initramfs and the kernel - remember? :wink:
Hi

I can confirm that sleep=10 in menu.lst was sufficient to get a savefile to create.....

however, since creation the boot sequence gets all the way to the login prompt (only error message shown which might be significant just after "Loading save file ... done" it says:
ln: /mnt/union/mnt/home/sdb1: Operation not permitted
)

I type root and a lot of error messages flash up (unreadable) and then the screen blanks to grey and the laptop is dead.

I don't seem to be doing too well with this usb stick install ....

Cheers
peebee
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2byte
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#92 Post by 2byte »

peebee

Just for the heck of it try moving the files out of /subito to /


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MinHundHettePerro
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#93 Post by MinHundHettePerro »

Iguleder wrote:Regarding the save files file system - it can be anything, as long as you can create it from the initramfs. I think I could change this so save files are created at shutdown (so you don't have to put big packages in the initramfs) ... any thoughts? :roll:
Thoughts - mostly along the lines of ; MHHP, read (all of) the relevant scripts once more, before posting half-witted replies :oops:! Yes, of course, it's all there - create_save_file is just an auxiliary script to create a default-FS save-file, unless one is pre-created :oops:.

However, I wonder a bit about this line in init

Code: Select all

[ -n "$home_partition" ] && ln -s $home_partition /mnt/union/mnt/home
Thanks again for this wonderful build-tool :)/ MHHP
[color=green]Celeron 2.8 GHz, 1 GB, i82845, many ptns, modes 12, 13
Dual Xeon 3.2 GHz, 1 GB, nvidia quadro nvs 285[/color]
Slackos & 214X, ... and Q6xx
[color=darkred]Nämen, vaf....[/color] [color=green]ln -s /dev/null MHHP[/color]

2byte
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#94 Post by 2byte »

@aragon, thanks for the link, that was very helpful! See below.
nooby wrote: That is how it works for a standard full install Linux and not a Live CD or
a Live or Frugal install of Puppy or Subito?
Subito seems to follow it closely with only minor variations.

Following aragon’s tip, I put this together. Maybe someone else will find it useful?

Code: Select all

 
Outline of the Subito boot process

isolinux‭ (or other ‬boot loader‭)
	#‎


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Iguleder
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#95 Post by Iguleder »

Very nice explanation! /etc/profile should be executed by the login shell, as far as I know.

Regarding /mnt/home - it's there as a handy symlink to the save partition, for two reasons:
- You don't want every script to guess which partition is used for persistency.
- You don't have to remember its name.

There are many new features and improvements to roar-ng, most notably:
- Hybrid ISO image - you can write them directly to USB drives and there you have live-USB sticks!
- The long-anticipated user manual
- Bug fix for the D-Bus pidfile issue
- /mnt/home is now removed by the init script, since it is kept in the save file and causes a small error
- /etc/rc.update takes a few seconds on the first run, but doesn't slow down the boot process anymore on consequent runs

For all those who use roar-ng at the moment:
- I updated some packages and removed the old ones - we don't like legacy stuff!
- I removed hnb and Yad, since the former isn't very useful (after all, we've got Xpad and TuDu) and the latter isn't used by roar-ng, so it's a waste of space.
- I'm currently testing version 004, which seems pretty good now. I think I'll wait with implementing "full" mode (e.g saving to a partition) and upload it today, in its stable form.
- I added Geany to the repository :D

EDIT: updated the kernel from version 3.0.22 to version 3.0.23. I really like this approach, of sticking to the most recent long-term support kernel version - we get "free" security and stability updates every week or so! :)

Also, I implemented "full" mode in about 5 lines of code, untested. I'll do some basic testing ... then it's time to upload the latest and greatest roar-ng 004.

EDIT 2: roar-ng is now hosted in GitHub.
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2byte
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hpm-install

#96 Post by 2byte »

iguleder,

In hpm-install isn't PKG_DATA_DIR undefined here?

Code: Select all

# make sure the package is not installed already
if [ -f "$PKG_DATA_DIR/$2" ]
then
	echo "Error: the package is already installed."
	exit 1
fi 

# include the configuration file
. /etc/hpmrc 


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Iguleder
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#97 Post by Iguleder »

Fixed. Thanks for the report! :)
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eldersprig
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#98 Post by eldersprig »

Great work!!

I see you've added Arch linux support in the git.

You can add ARM support easily now.

http://www.armedslack.org/

http://archlinuxarm.org/

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#99 Post by Lobster »

Igu the Rasberrians (Raspberry Pi)
http://www.metro.co.uk/news/892140-prog ... the-future
now have an ARM Arch base
http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads

Mentioned your project - see below 8)

Can you compile for an architecture you don't yet have access to?
You did buy a couple of ARM devices . . .
- roar-ng and Subito GNU/Linux working on them?

Keep an eye on PARM
http://puppylinux.org/wikka/PARM

Message to raspberrians:
Bravo Arch
Arch did good.
The more penguins, The more options. The more learning.

Puppy Linux can use woof2 to build from Arch. Though our early
versions are likely to make use of Debian Puppy scripts.
Some Puppy Linux radical plans are based around Arch.
http://bit.ly/AdpMr9

We will be smaller, faster, leaner.
The raspberrians are promising me a series A board by the end of the week
- heard that before . . . :roll:
Anyway I tried your ISO as a potential build base but my Geforce graphics card is not supported by your default boot?

May have to use plan B (stripped down Debian to start with)
Puppy Raspup 8.2Final 8)
Puppy Links Page http://www.smokey01.com/bruceb/puppy.html :D

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Iguleder
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#100 Post by Iguleder »

In fact, you can build for another architecture, but in order to compile packages using roar-ng, you'll need to run it on that architecture, through any distro.

EDIT: Nouveau is included in the Subito kernel, so GeForce cards are OK'ish.

Regarding a Debian base - it doesn't matter on which distro you run roar-ng - packages built using it are cross-compiled within the distro you build anyway.
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