(old)Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

Carolina Linux

Here are some of the details of the upcoming beta release of Carolina-001

We're shooting to release the initial beta version Friday, October 5th. Blemishes and all I'm currently checking into google-code/sourceforge for bug-tracking capability. Some people have expressed their desire for this capability for a puppy-distro, and our goal is to give you what you want (to a point – so many people want so many different things, at some point you just have to choose based on the given options...). We're currently approaching an ISO of 400 mb. Certainly small enough for a pen drive, but large by Puppy standards. However, it does include some features that make the size worth it for the Windows/Mac transient user.

Carolina is a fork of Saluki-023. Due to jemimah's absence, we felt this would be the best way to proceed with moving a fork of Saluki towards a release without modifying Saluki itself, in the advent of jemimah’s return. If jemimah does return, hopefully the two projects can collaborate. If not, then Carolina will forge ahead.

A special thanks to smokey01 needs to be mentioned, as he has been generous enough to provide Carolina with the necessary server space for the repository. Without people like smokey01, this probably wouldn't have been possible.

When the release does go forward, we will be creating a separate thread on the murga-linux forum, separate from Saluki. We feel this is a necessary thing to do, and a polite thing, certainly if jemimah decides to pick up where she left off at some point down the road. We have a great respect for jemimah, and we certainly don't want to hamper Saluki in any way.

It’s a bit bigger than originally stated - currently it's approaching 400mb. We’ve opted for usability over size. We reasoned that if size was an issue, there’s always Saluki. Or another Puppy distro. Or for the experienced user, Carolina with a customized adrive via the custom-builder (Carolina's base without the adrive is about 102 mbs). Regardless, it still fits on a thumb-drive, so relatively speaking, it’s still quite small. Like I said, if you're put off by the size, there's a plethora of other Puppy options for you to choose from. We won't be offended if you choose to go a different route. On the contrary, we hope you enjoy your Puppy experience.

Carolina’s goals will be to target newer computer features and to help ease the transition of users new to the Linux environment (ex Windows/Mac users). These goals are essentially the same as they were for Saluki. While it may not be complimentary, essentially we're creating a non-official Puppy that does for Puppy what Ubuntu does for Linux, except for the fact that we can offer the full benefits of Puppy/Saluki - frugal installation, easy customization via the custom-builder, and a more intuitive desktop/window manager via Xfce, with the added benefit of being packaged in a smaller space than most of the popular distributions. Ease of use/transition with new users in mind is paramount. If we succeed in introducing Windows/Mac users to the benefits Puppy Linux, then I guess that's a good thing irregardless if what we've developed is considered sacrilege to the hard-core Puppy Linux supporters. We happen to think there's a niche for this type of Puppy, and therefore we felt the need to fill it. If you don't agree, then so be it. Every one is entitled to their opinion, but we'd appreciate it if you'd keep that to yourself.

Included will be:
Xfce-4.10 for the desktop/window manager
Xfce-4.8.0 for the panel plugins (4.10 is lacking in this department as of now)
PAE 3.2.13 Linux kernel
Firefox-15.0.1 for the browser
built-in flash support for the browser
Thunderbird-15.0.1 for the email client
UMPlayer 0.97 for the media player (including 01mickos’s patch for YouTube fix)
Clementine 1.0.1 for the audio player
photo-0.8 for image viewing
Qt to support the previous three packages
The latest version of LibreOffice for your office needs/MS document compatibility
Java to support the LibreOffice database, and the browser
Enhanced custom-menu/extra menu category support not offered in Saluki
Enhanced Xfce options via GUI not offered in Saluki, or currently any other distro, Puppy or otherwise
Larger save-file resizing increments
Bug-fixes (moving forward from Saluki-023)
A more concise repository than Saluki's offered

NOTES:
* Our target desktop version is Xfce-4.10; however, Xfce-4.8.0 still needs to be included to support many of the panel plug-ins which currently are not available in Xfce-4.10. This is also the case with Saluki-023. Moving forward, when those plug-ins are available for the targeted version, we will migrate totally to Xfce-4.10.

* Carolina will be about 98% compatible with Saluki pets/sfs. The Saluki repository will not be offered in the package manager due to redundancy (many of the pets offered are the same). The Carolina repository will only include the latest versions of pets (in most cases). If an older version is required, it may be obtained at http://smokey01.com/saluki/pet_packages-saluki/. The Xfce pets and Saluki specific pets most likely aren't compatible with Carolina due to modifications that were necessary to implement Carolina. If you choose to use those packages from the Saluki repository, you are doing so at your own risk.

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We still have a long way to go, but our goal is to improve upon Saluki. In light of jemimah’s absence, we feel this is the most practical route to achieve those aims. Certainly, Geoffrey and I are not as talented or as experienced as jemimah, so please be patient. Your patience and your help would be most appreciated.

Here’s a screen-shot of the default Carolina Linux desktop with an empty adrive for a teaser...

Setting up a touchscreen in Saluki focuses on two things: finding your device's proper touchscreen module and careful editing of the xorg.conf

The most helpful document is tempestuous':

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?p=295651

In this tutorial, I'm setting up the touchscreen of a Lenovo S10-3t netvertible with a 10.1" touchscreen. While much of the setup is generic, your choice for touchscreen modules and certain numerical values for xorg.conf will be specific to your device.

First, find the right touchscreen module in /lib/modules/3.2.8-ski/kernel/drivers/ In this directory, there are two subdirectories to search: /lib/modules/3.2.8-ski/kernel/drivers/input/touchscreen and /lib/modules/3.2.8-ski/kernel/drivers/hid

Touchscreen users will have to google their current machine to identify the applicable module.

My device needs the hid-multitouch module in /lib/modules/3.2.8-ski/kernel/drivers/hid

So in console:

modprobe hid-multitouch
modprobe evdev

At this point, the touchscreen should work, but its lack of calibration will make it unusable.

Go to etc/rc.d/rc.local and paste those commands:

modprobe hid-multitouch (or module for your specific touchscreen)
modprobe evdev

[In earlier kernels, evtouch was the given driver. In Saluki, evdev replaces evtouch]

Save the rc.local file.

Now to the xorg.conf file. Before we edit, we need another piece of information: the event number of our device.

In console:

cat /proc/bus/input/devices

Scroll through the output and look for a reading of your touchscreen and its corresponding number. In the section for your touchscreen, look for something such as "Handlers=mouse1 event11" In this case, your event number, like mine, is 11.


Now edit the xorg.conf in several places:

1) Section "ServerLayout" --place this command at the section's end:

InputDevice "touchscreen" "SendCoreEvents"

2) Section "InputDevice" --this section contains several entries; after the Section InputDevice for Synaptics mouse, place this (then insert your own event number in Option "Device" "/dev/input/event*":

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "touchscreen"
Driver "evdev"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/event11"
Option "DeviceName" "touchscreen"
Option "MinX" "80"
Option "MinY" "80"
Option "MaxX" "4095"
Option "MaxY" "4095"
Option "ReportingMode" "Raw"
#Option "MaxTapTime" "220"
#Option "MaxTapMove" "220"
#Option "moving_action" "down"
#Option "moving_button" "1"
#Option "maybetapped_action" "click"
#Option "maybetapped_button" "3"
#Option "longtouched_action" "click"
#Option "longtouched_button" "3"
#Option "touched_action" "click"
#Option "touched_button" "1"
Option "Emulate3Buttons"
Option "Emulate3Timeout" "50"
Option "SendCoreEvents" "On"
EndSection

Save and reboot. Important: if applicable, disconnect your usb mouse--its presence can affect the touchscreen on boot. Reconnecting the mouse after X is started should not be a problem. Also, the commented-out lines pertain to simulated right clicks, etc., advanced stuff that should be played with only when your touchscreen has its basics in order.

These commands are for initial calibration for my device:

Option "MinX" "80"
Option "MinY" "80"
Option "MaxX" "4095"
Option "MaxY" "4095"

For your initial calibration, you'll have to google other flavors of linux that have successfully set up your devices' touchscreen and get the figures. For instance, I got mine from the meego forums. These numbers are important because the pointer needs to be vaguely calibrated before you can do fine calibation with this pet from the saluki repo:

xinput-calibrator-0.7.5-i486

Addendum:

1) There is no multi-touch screen capability yet. Utouch, and probably Ginn, need to be compiled into saluki's kernel

2) If you suddenly lose calibration, repeat the command cat /proc/bus/input/devices and recheck your event numbers. Occasionally, Puppy will choose a new event number for the touchscreen and you'll have to edit the xorg.conf accordingly

Jake

Whenever I open this GIF file in the image viewer of Saluki there'll be some error.
I had opened this GIF file in many OS and never find any problem.
I had viewed many images in Saluki and never find any error.
Is this a bug or something else?
Can anyone give me an explanation?

the last saviour,

That's strange, it seems to be a problem with Ristretto, I compiled the latest version and it still does it.

you can try the new version and see if it works for you.

Hi, I'm using Saluki 023 and I want to use it without a save file. When using my desktop, ACPI defaults to power save mode. Does anyone know what file to edit to change it to default to performance or turbo? Then I can just edit the sfs and don't have to keep changing modes at every boot. TIA

Hi r866,

Check this link out. It deals with precisely that subject
CPU scaling mod - Load previously used power mode at startup

cheers

elroy wrote:Hi r866,

Check this link out. It deals with precisely that subject
CPU scaling mod - Load previously used power mode at startup

cheers

Thanks elroy, just what I am looking for. Will this work without a save file?

hi Elroy

great news that you are continuing Saluki in the form of Carolina. Are there any plans to use a bug/feature tracker? This is something I think would move Puppy forward and help retain improvements from release to release?

BTW I've added your 'corner' to the PuppySite list-
http://puppylinux.org/wikka/PuppySites

rg66 wrote:Will this work without a save file?

No, the link I provided will not. However, it can be done by using the custom-builder and creating a new adrive.
During the process of creating a new adrive, you will presented with a thunar view of the directory layout of the new adrive. It will tell you that you can now make manual changes.
If you go to /root/Startup and edit the 9acpid file, you can accomplish it by doing the following:

[/b]

In this way, if using a laptop and you boot while using battery power, it'll use powersave by default. In any other case, it'll use turbo at all times.
Once you finish building the new adrive and create a new ISO, you can create a frugal or a live CD/DVD with it, and as long as you boot with AC power, the default power setting mode will always be turbo.

Hi darkcity,

great news that you are continuing Saluki in the form of Carolina. Are there any plans to use a bug/feature tracker? This is something I think would move Puppy forward and help retain improvements from release to release?

BTW I've added your 'corner' to the PuppySite list

I mentioned this to Geoffrey this morning, that we should start some kind of bug-tracking list. I think that would be a great idea. Hopefully we can implement something on that front.
Thanks for the 'air time' concerning my 'corner' There's not a whole lot there at present, but hopefully that'll change down the road.

The lastest news on Carolina Linux.

Code: Select all

#!/bin/bash

if [ -f /root/.acpid_on ] ; then 
	acpid
	which acpitool
	if [[ $? != 0 ]] ;then
		exit 
	fi
	
	acpitool -a |grep off-line
	if [[ $? == 0 ]] ; then
	       /etc/acpi/powersave.sh
	else
		/etc/acpi/turbo.sh
	fi
	exec ppower
fi

[/b]

In this way, if using a laptop and you boot while using battery power, it'll use powersave by default. In any other case, it'll use turbo at all times.
Once you finish building the new adrive and create a new ISO, you can create a frugal or a live CD/DVD with it, and as long as you boot with AC power, the default power setting mode will always be turbo.

Hmmm, that's the same as the original file except turbo instead of performance, but it still loads powersave on both of my desktops for some strange reason.

I am using a custom Saluki built with the custom builder, I'll have to try the original and see if it loads performance.

Edit:

Ok, even the original Saluki 023 defaults to powersave. It seems to think I'm on battery for some reason.

Well, if you want to live dangerously and ensure turbo is always started, you could edit 9acpid to be the following:

[/b]

In this way, even if you start with battery power, turbo mode will be used.

elroy wrote:Well, if you want to live dangerously and ensure turbo is always started, you could edit 9acpid to be the following:

Code: Select all

#!/bin/bash

/etc/acpi/turbo.sh
exec ppower

[/b]

In this way, even if you start with battery power, turbo mode will be used.

I use it only on my desktop so I might just do that. Turbo even sounds cool, I could call it SalukiTurbo!

Thanks for the help, but I still find it strange that ACPI thinks it's on battery. If I open power-tools, ACPID is enabled and is set to performance.

elroy wrote:Hi darkcity,

great news that you are continuing Saluki in the form of Carolina. Are there any plans to use a bug/feature tracker? This is something I think would move Puppy forward and help retain improvements from release to release?

BTW I've added your 'corner' to the PuppySite list

I mentioned this to Geoffrey this morning, that we should start some kind of bug-tracking list. I think that would be a great idea. Hopefully we can implement something on that front.

You might want to use googlecode and/or github or even sourceforge and keep track of the development process in association with bugs. Makes life easier both for developers and contributors.

elroy wrote:Hi r866,

Check this link out. It deals with precisely that subject
CPU scaling mod - Load previously used power mode at startup

cheers

Works great on my eeepc!
This tweak is a must have on any note/netbook and I think it deserves to be placed in the howto section of this forum.
Thank you, elroy!

I lost my icons off the desktop. The programs are still listed at:

/root/desktop.

I know there is a fix, but I can't seem to find it on the forum, and I can't remember how to do it.
Would someone steer me in the right direction, please?


Thanks,
Pete

PS
I am glad that Carolina is coming. I am really looking forward to it.

Hey Pete22, see if this helps.

open a terminal and enter the following:

[/b]

@Geoffrey

New final version of Sayonara 0.3 has been released.
Every known bug has been fixed. Thanks for patience

Cheers,

Lucio

LucioCarreras wrote:@Geoffrey

New final version of Sayonara 0.3 has been released.
Every known bug has been fixed. Thanks for patience

Cheers,

Lucio

Lucio,

I compiled and tested it, it works, but there are things that make it unusable as a default audio player, elroy ran a few test on it.

elroy wrote:*Sayonara lacks the ability to load media from the command-line; hence there is no way for it to play
media unless Sayonara is first opened and then manually loaded via the menu, or if a playlist has been
chosen to load from startup in the preferences. Without this ability, there is no way to handle the
audio mime-types.

If you could fix these issues, it could be used as the default player.

Geoffrey.