Puppy Squeeze Reborn 4.9.9.1 Alpha 2

[James C]

Squeeze 4.9.9.1 live pfix=ram on an old dual-core.Everything (display and internet) working on initial boot,sound was initially muted.Looks pretty good here.

VIDEO REPORT: Puppy Squeeze, version 4.9.9.1
Chip description:
oem: NVIDIA
product: MCP61 - mcp61-86 Chip Rev

Driver used by Xorg:
nv

Video mode used by Xorg:
Resolution: Depth 24 Depth: "Display"

...the above also recorded in /tmp/report-video

-Computer-
Processor : 2x AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 5200+
Memory : 3374MB (235MB used)
Operating System : Unknown distribution
User Name : root (root)
Date/Time : Wed 03 Aug 2011 01:52:13 AM CDT
-Display-
Resolution : 1440x900 pixels
OpenGL Renderer : Unknown
X11 Vendor : The X.Org Foundation
-Multimedia-
Audio Adapter : (null)

Audio device : nVidia Corporation MCP61 High Definition Audio
VGA compatible controller : nVidia Corporation C61 [GeForce 7025 / nForce 630a]

# free
total used free shared buffers
Mem: 3374988 473312 2901676 0 49240
Swap: 4198396 0 4198396
Total: 7573384 473312 7100072

[pemasu]

Iguleder. If you have energy and motivation, please modify Puppizard to create Puppy style menu entries.

It takes time to modify them one by one.

[edoc]

And something I wanted to ask - I can fix Puppizard to make all its packages Puppy-optimized (e.g Puppy's different menu entries) and not just ultra-stripped vanilla packages. This could take some time to do, but the result is the ability to install a browser directly from Puppizard as an alternative to the browser installer, as long as the browser is downloaded from binary packages. That's the case with Opera - I can write similar build scripts for Firefox, Seamonkey and Chrome and there we have a complete browser solution.
Opinions?

Given the variety of applications and opinions a menu of browser, E-mail, and other app alternatives - external to the distro - seems to be an excellent plan!

Any chance of breaking out of the Firefox, Seamonkey, Opera, and Chrome box with Iceweasel or one of the others? BTW: Whatever happened to the neat little Dillo browser?

[gjuhasz]

Opinions?

From a previous discussion, I sadly understand that ISA bus is not supported in your compiled kernel anymore. But if this is the case, why the ISA bus sound drivers, e.g., my lovely snd_opl3sa2, are included in the sfs?

[Iguleder]

I'm truly sorry to tell you this ... my kernel builds do contain ISA drivers.

It's Barry's and pemasus (not sure about the latter ) that decided to remove them in their 2.6.39.x kernels.

[upnorth]

Hi:
mplayer works for audio fine, but no video. It gives "illegal instruction". Does anyone else have this problem?

Code: Select all

~#=> mplayer /usr/share/examples/video/ts.mpg
MPlayer2 85f0577 (C) 2000-2011 MPlayer Team

Playing /usr/share/examples/video/ts.mpg.
Detected file format: mpegvideo (libavformat)
[mpegvideo @ 0x85916a4]Estimating duration from bitrate, this may be inaccurate
[lavf] stream 0: video (mpeg1video), -vid 0
VIDEO:  [mpg1]  352x240  0bpp  30.000 fps  104857.2 kbps (12800.0 kbyte/s)
Load subtitles in /usr/share/examples/video/
[ass] auto-open
=============================================================
Opening video decoder: [ffmpeg] FFmpeg's libavcodec codec family
Selected video codec: [ffmpeg1] vfm: ffmpeg (FFmpeg MPEG-1)
=============================================================
Audio: no sound
Starting playback...
Movie-Aspect is 1.47:1 - prescaling to correct movie aspect.
VO: [xv] 352x240 => 352x240 Planar YV12
Illegal instruction% ??% ??,?% 0 0

from /proc/cpuinfo:
flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pse36 mmx fxsr up

For a test, I install ffmpeg and its deps from w5 repo, then ffplay handles vid files fine and vid streams fine via mmsh://url

I think is probably because of a lacking instruction set extension on my processor vs the included mplayer.

[pemasu]

I have recompiled my kernel weeks ago. It has also ISA bus enabled and ISA sound cards supported. Not sure of course if they actually work.
Barry Kauler also enabled ISA support in his 2.6.39-3 kernel which is pae enabled ( not any benefit for older comps, only 20 Mb more ram usage and possible instability in older comps).
My kernel does not have pae, but support for cpus ad 8.

[Jim1911]

I reported a problem on pemasu's thread concerning a CUPS error produced using E17, see image-1. I used WM switcher to switch to JWM and managed to install my printer since the problem doesn't occur in JWM.

I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about and using your E17 implementation. Looking forward to your further enhancements especially the 64-bit version.

Thanks,
Jim

[James C]

Squeeze 4.9.9.1 live pfix=ram on yet another old box.Once again, everything working on initial boot.

VIDEO REPORT: Puppy Squeeze, version 4.9.9.1

Chip description:
Intel Corporation 82865G Integrated Graphics Controller

Driver used by Xorg:
intel

Video mode used by Xorg:
Resolution: Depth 24 Depth: "Display"

...the above also recorded in /tmp/report-video

-Computer-
Processor : Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.80GHz
Memory : 513MB (207MB used)
Operating System : Unknown distribution
User Name : root (root)
Date/Time : Wed 03 Aug 2011 06:02:00 PM CDT
-Display-
Resolution : 1024x768 pixels
OpenGL Renderer : Unknown
X11 Vendor : The X.Org Foundation
-Multimedia-
Audio Adapter : ICH4 - Intel ICH5

VGA compatible controller : Intel Corporation 82865G Integrated Graphics Controller
Ethernet controller : Intel Corporation 82562EZ 10/100 Ethernet Controller

[Iguleder]

Ummm ... it's problematic.

I want to spend this weekend improving Puppizard - I need to set up the build script repository and make it build Puppy-style packages out of the box.

I also want to add my famous splitpkg script, which splits packages to EXE, DEV, DOC and NLS automatically - it could make life easier

And for those who already build puplets - don't rush too much. In this early stage building puplets only harms the progress towards beta. And pemasu - can you give your puplet a distinct name? I don't want confusion - people report bugs in its thread and it's kind of selfish to steal all the attention

[pemasu]

Iguleder. I will give now distinctive name to my puplet. I have referenced to 5.0.0 because I have used that version core specs. I would like to try to reference someway what your specs I am using.

If I give throughly distinctive name without reference it this early stage, it causes that you wont know from name what core specs are used.

And I know that you have ability to make big changes if needed.

But I have been thinking the same all the time. I just havent used time to think it through.

Today I will....

I think I have solved some more bugs. I will post tight list what I have done in the near future.

[pemasu]

Stu90 posted the problem with Rox. I can reproduce the shown bug. I get hanging Rox also. I got even before hanging Rox also yesterday during woof process. Same time for example Sfs load refused to launch. I couldnt load devx sfs and so woof build stripping phase failed.

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 111#550111

[pemasu]

Xorg.conf problems. Squeeze belongs to this new xorg generation which can autoconfigure almost everything and so there is mechanism that only very short xorg.conf will be generated.

It has caused problems. Beem havent got belgium be keyboard. I think there was another xorg problem also posted in my thread.

It seems that certain graphics drivers lead to this short xorg.conf. I get with intel driver normal xorg.conf, synaptics is loaded and no problem to change keyboard layout.

But....when I select my discrete ati graphics and load radeon or my compiled ati 11.7 fglrx, I get X ok, but only that very short xorg.conf. Now using intel driver with fresh frugal so cant attach copy of it. Anyway, I have default us keyboard, no way to change to finnish keyboard. Also synaptics is not loaded.

I created /etc/default/keyboard and added specs which should work and loaded it with udevadm with command I found from the net which should activate the new keyboard definition. No luck.

Then I checked the new udev rules xorg location which should be listened, /usr/share/x11/xorg.conf.d and tried to get existing synaptics file to be recognized. Restarted X many times with different spesifications. No luck.
I struggled couple of hours and searched the net for advice.
It feels like /etc/default location is not listened and that /usr/share/x11/xorg.conf.d rules also does not have affect.

Then I tried to copy working normal xorg.conf and changed radeon driver into it (xorg.conf file generated when using intel). Restart X deletes that xorg.conf and creates that short one instead.

These new xorg features seems tricky. I have read that 01micko with slacko and Barry Kauled with Drake have fighted with it also.

I have no solution to offer, just many ways tested which does not work.

[Iguleder]

Beta is delayed, many problems popped out. Don't know if I'll have the time to release it, that's why we have talented people like pemasu and stu90

I'm improving Puppizard and tomorrow I intend to recompile both E17 and the kernel, this time with the kernel sources and headers.

[gjuhasz]

I'm truly sorry to tell you this ... my kernel builds do contain ISA drivers.

It's Barry's and pemasus (not sure about the latter ) that decided to remove them in their 2.6.39.x kernels.

Yes, the build does contain ISA sound drivers but they (at least snd-opl3sa2) do not work. Neither Volumeicon/Aumix in squeeze, nor Retrovol in Drake can be activated. Alsa wizard hangs in squeeze - reports segfault in Drake. No sound problems with Wary/Slacko/Lupu - yeah, they have older kernels 2.6.32... 2.6.37.

My 256 MB P2 Toshiba Tecra 8000 laptop smoothly plays videos and movie streams in full screen mode and your puppies with 2.6.39 kernel provide nice speed, - why to drop it in the trash can? I do hope I will hear sound in the next version, too.

Just one note: In most cases, ISA bus sound chips are integrated in laptops' motherboards. Maybe there are separate ISA sound cards (including amplifier) still in use for desktops, too. I have a few industrial computers (mostly with Intel P3 but also P4) that have mixed ISA/PCI slots. I use them in "fanless" mode (means "less fans" - bare motherboard hanging on the wall behind my desk, 758 MB of memory, no HDD, Puppy loaded from USB, fan disconnected within the power supply.)

[Iguleder]

Working on a minimalistic build with no applications, just the new Puppizard and a basic desktop.

I'm trying to see how lightweight I can get it. The new kernel (2.6.39.4) is ready and I'm recompiling E17 at the moment.

There are build scripts for LibreOffice, Opera and all the applications, so it's very similar to the Quickpet concept. Now I want to add build scripts for Seamonkey and Firefox, so I can make a truly barebones dpup with a sufficient choice of browsers

[DaveS]

Working on a minimalistic build with no applications, just the new Puppizard and a basic desktop.

I'm trying to see how lightweight I can get it. The new kernel (2.6.39.4) is ready and I'm recompiling E17 at the moment.

There are build scripts for LibreOffice, Opera and all the applications, so it's very similar to the Quickpet concept. Now I want to add build scripts for Seamonkey and Firefox, so I can make a truly barebones dpup with a sufficient choice of browsers

Looking forward to that, but if it is to be REALLY minimal, why Enlightenment (presumably as well as JWM)?

[Iguleder]

I want it to have JWM or Fluxbox, E17 is something extra

By the way, I also want to disable the pinboard. I want to make it menu-driven.

[stu90]

Cool - i bet you can get it down to under 70mb
Im at 77mb now with some extras added, im sure more could be stripped out of my own build i just don't know enough about what does what so leave it in to be on the safe side.

I also like the idea of disabling the rox pinboard - this is the route i have gone with D-Lite and used feh image viewer for setting the wallpaper and mygtkmenu instead of desktop icons and pmount/ymount for drive management.

cheers.

[cowboy]

Looking forward to that, but if it is to be REALLY minimal, why Enlightenment (presumably as well as JWM)?

Iguleder,

And I'm asking this because I truly want to know, want to learn something, and not at all to be critical. But I'm in DaveS' frame of mind when it comes to Enlightenment. I agree, it's cool, but it doesn't seem to fit the spartan parameters you are outlining for Squeeze. It seems to be, well, pretty bling-ish compared to the other Puppy window managers. But again, I don't know a damn thing about the actual parameters of Enlightenment vs JWM vs Openbox. Is Enlightenment, well, lighter?

I found the news yesterday interesting about Torvald - apparently he is using XFCE instead of Gnome 3. Any thought to XFCE? or Openbox? or perhaps you intend these just be added through PPM. Again, I truly am trying to learn something here, and intend no criticism.