Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

[technosaurus]

Thanks to amigo for the assist on this one...

This should remove about 20MB compressed of unneeded modules from your zdrv.... or during a remaster you can delete the contents of /lib/modules from your pupXXXsfs working directory and place the zdrv file in the iso directory ... thats about 1/5th the size of the iso

This is something I thought might be useful for the hardware specific distros to (pupeee, olpc etc...) and for low resource computers that still want to do a frugal install... or just the minimalist at heart

0.1 - just cutdown modules - still add all firmware(10-15MB)
0.2 - cutdown both modules and firmware(~5MB)
0.3 - removes initrd modules (~1MB)
TODO
#0.4 cover /lib/firmware (~2MB)
#0.5 cover xorg drivers (~4MB)
#0.6 patch woof to allow xorg drivers in zdrv
#0.7 patch remaster script to integrate this as option
#0.8 autobuild using /etc/modules/firmware.dep{,(uname -r)}
#0.9 bugfixes and GUI improvements
#1.0 Final release

#1.X main sfs support: stripping binaries (strip), removing manpages locales, DEV files and broken links; optimize images (optipng), symlink duplicate files (rdfind), compress large binaries (upx)

Development thread here:
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=51450

[technosaurus]

firmware is in tar.gz thus the loaded modules don't necessarily reference them, so the will need to be copied manually for now

example:
iwlwifi contains iwlwifi-3945... but the module name is iwl3945

iwlcore should get /lib/modules/all-firmware/iwlwifi.tar.gz

I added a couple lines that copy them all until we can figure out the cases (still cuts out 15MB)-

Does someone have a list of what module gets what firmware? rerwin? tempestuous?

[technosaurus]

beta 0.2 is now released (see initial post)

added firmware cutdown section using info from /etc/modules/firmware.dep - removes an additional 5MB compressed

a typical zdrv is now ~4.5 MB instead of 25 MB

[technosaurus]

beta 0.3 is now released

removes /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/initrd since it gets built at startup
added some dialogs giving opportunity to check before and after it is built
fixed some typos

[technosaurus]

you can do something similar with xorg drivers ~4MB

#this code tells you your xorg driver
grep -w card0driver /etc/X11/xorg.conf |cut -d "\"" -f 2

#files are located in /usr/X11R7/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/
#however some end in _drv.so and some just in .so
#but the ones without _drv are insignificantly small

There is no reason that these cannot go in the zdrv either AFAIK

[greengeek]

Does a smaller zdrv bring the benefit of a smaller RAM footprint and speed gains?

[technosaurus]

That depends on where the modules are originally located:
if they are in the pup*.sfs, you would need to remaster and it would reduce union/mount/decompression overhead and more with pfix=ram.
if they are already in a separate, larger zdrv.sfs, then it reduces the union/mount/decompression overhead.

Side note: after learning how modules are loaded (the entire module is memmapped first and then gets passed to init_module), I would guess that its possible to load the modules and then completely umount the zdrv.sfs

[moeppyfan]

Hello technosaurus,

I tried your zdrv_cutter-0.3.pet on huge-kernel-3.14.55 (Slacko 6) and it shrinks my zdrv from 30MB to 2.8MB! Nice. The new 2.8MB zdrv boots to desktop - and trackpad, keyboard, video, sound all work on my Dell Latitude D410.

To get it to recognize my wireless, I had to recreate /lib/firmware dir and re-add these files:

[Pelo]

Very usefull topic, 2016 most of us surf the web with at laptop at home. Wireless just needed for your firmware sure makes the Puppy Lighter.
I will try it with iwlwifi.
zdrv_vivid_6.5.sfs: 30 M
staging: 3735 K seems a place to study.. but all that is in english, and i am not a programer.

[jabu2]

Likewise not a programmer,
but TechnoS has once more come up with what looks like something really useful -if I'm understanding his concepts.

TechnoS identified it as "for low resource computers that still want to do a frugal install... or just the minimalist at heart ".

I think its also what is needed for a custom job, to use on a laptop/portable taken travelling - running on CD or USB.
Minimalist, but secure, and low risk of loss (if running on an oldie but goodie), uncluttered but doing the basics needed: =email, internet (top browser), file managing for whatever storage/dumping space the oldie has, etc, and easy wifi and internet connection?

Is that correct? Or are there better options for such a travelling OS?

Thanks TechnoSaurus for your efforts/initiative,
and to anyone who can give us an end-product using Google chrome and simple connectivity choices built-in.

ATVB (all the very best)
jabu2

[stemsee]

When will 1.0 be available?

[Sailor Enceladus]

[Pelo]

being tested with my X-Slim Slacko backi information;
however i must keep iwlwifi, which is one of the biggest so no many MBs to delete

[technosaurus]

I don't really use this method now since the kernel's introduction of allmodconfig and allyesconfig.
make allmodconfig rebuilds the kernel without support for unused modules.
make allyesconfig will then build those used modules into the kernel
(for the full effect you need to boot into the former before building the latter)

The down side is that you need the devx and kernel source (I normally do), so I can see how this may still be useful.

most of the modules.* files are either completely unnecessary or automatically rebuilt by other things like depmod and will end up just getting duplicated in the savefile, so putting it in the sfs would be wasteful and redundant.

I may be able to do something about keeping the appropriate firmware though.

I have to stress that this method is just a hack. If you are doing a commercial product, the above kernel build method is more appropriate (probably followed by iterations of make menuconfig for anticipated upgrades)