Sage Live - 511 -53

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hayden
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lout -- a tiny alternative to LaTeX

#76 Post by hayden »

This might be of interest for your smallest Sage Live and maybe even for the larger one.
Lout is similar in function to LaTeX and troff. Indeed, it borrows ideas, techniques and conventions from these typesetting systems. . For simple documents, Lout, LaTeX and troff offer much the same functionality, with different syntax..

Lout makes it easy to mix text and graphics. You can draw lines, arrows and boxes, scale and rotate objects, use color commands. While many of these things are possible in LaTeX by including Postscript files generated by utility programs such as xfig, you have to specify the size of each included figure, losing a lot of Lout's flexibility.

The Lout distribution is very easy to compile and maintain, which certainly is not the case of many TeX distributions. The Lout distribution is much smaller (it fits onto a floppy disk) than LaTeX, and doesn't require storing tfm and pk font outlines (since Postscript fonts are used).

On the other hand, LaTeX is much more widely used than Lout (TeX has been around since the late 1970s, Lout only since 1991). It will be easier to find a local TeXpert than a Louter, and there are many more user-contributed packages for LaTeX than for Lout. Many academic journals request (or require) that papers be submitted in LaTeX. Lout uses more memory than TeX, up to 10MB to compile large documents.

Last but not least, Lout comes with very comprehensive and comprehensible documentation. The user's guide contains all you need to know for using Lout effectively - something that is hard to find in the LaTeX world because LaTeX consists of so many different packages (which sometimes don't get along all that well).
A bit of history. Back in the 1970s mainframes offered vi and emacs to edit text and the roff family and Scribe to format text for printing. Many early home computer word processors combined stripped-down versions of Emacs and Scribe. These included Mince and Perfect Writer for CP/M and later Perfect Writer, Final Word, and Borland Sprint for DOS.

TeX originated as a typesetting language. LaTeX is a set of TeX macros that add Scribe-like document creation features to TeX. (The syntax for the added features is very similar to Scribe.) Lout, OTOH, is descended more directly from Scribe, with some features (math. equations) similar to LaTeX.

Anyway, something that fits on a floppy and has a single comprehensive user manual might be appearling to students -- or to creators of light scientific Linux distros;-)


Quote edited from

http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/l ... ?title=FAQ

emil
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#77 Post by emil »

Hi hayden - I dind't knew "Lout" - nice find. Anyway I will stick with LaTeX, Libreoffice, Geany and mg. My main goal is not the size, but it should have some practical value. I think it is better to let Students use LaTeX, than to let them learn an even more "obscure" Typesetting language. Of course if the Prof. uses it, things are different ...

regarding the texlive size - with a halfway decent hardware the use of these sfs is no problem. I would even recommend to use the FULLAPP or TETEX package, because the are comprehensive and beginners shouldn't have problems with missing components.

ICPUG
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#78 Post by ICPUG »

My internet download speed is back up again.

I went to download the sagelite-serverb1.iso and this is only available from the one source which is a slower download speed. I can download the full version from mydrive quicker than the lite version!

Any chance of putting the lite versions somewhere else as well, e.g. mydrive.ch?

emil
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#79 Post by emil »

Hi,
hmm - I can pull the light version to mydrive - however I want to apply an important bugfix first. It might need a few days, because I am a bit busy atm. cheers
emil

ICPUG
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#80 Post by ICPUG »

No problems.

I can pull the latest full version until you are less busy

emil
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Sage Lite Server2

#81 Post by emil »

Ok I applied the bugfix :D .
The iso is on http://mydrive.ch (user download@sagelive, pwd mathematics) (its just below 400 MB)

I have also updated the files on the alternativ download server in seattle/washington.
sage-lite2.iso
sage-lite2.ova

some release notes

I made those versions as a showcase for several technical possibilities:
1) make a usable sage program with small size (latest sage installs with over 1.5 GB)
2) make a preconfigured multiuser server, so it is easy to setup in a small network (e.g. in a school) which can be accessed through the net with the browser.
3) make it secure on puppy - I guess there are still loopholes, but especially when run as virtual machine under Virtual Box this should give an appropriate testbed ("sandboxed")

Just some notes on the server functionality:
the sage server is run under user "sageadmin". It listens and sends its output on port 8000. To allow multiple users to log in and work at the same time, there are also users 1, 2, 3 .. 29. If you log in with https://IP:8000, sageadmin has to ssh into one of those helper accounts - so it is possible to create "unlimited" user accounts, but only 29 can be logged in at the same time.

To make the logging in possible, there is a set of ssh keys generated at "firstrun". Those keys are stored in the savefile, so they are persistent. (There is the possibility to run the script fix-ssh-keys.sh from command line to generate a new set of keys). The ssh daemon is started at the same time with the sage server, so it is off by default. It can be started with the full path (only): /usr/sbin/sshd

security considerations
It is also possible to ssh into the server, but to do so you will have to change passwords as described in the release notes. Maybe also change the hostname (/etc/hostname). I avoided to have ssh daemon running by default with known passwords and ssh keys included into the iso for security considerations.

During the creation and testing I run into various permission issues with such a "multi-user" setup. e.g. permissions of /tmp, /dev/tty, busybox and other system files. I am glad to say that I checked, and 01micko has most of those sorted out in slacko. I hope those don't creep in again ... Maybe the light version is reduced a bit to aggressively to use it as standard desktop distro. Many of the usual puppy programs are stripped out (for some I removed the menu entries, but they are still there). But it will be possible to apply those techniques to full versions.

I will see, I probably put this into my "VirtualBox- Windows installer", then I will have christmas-break ...

cheers 8)
emil

vanchutr
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Joined: Sat 05 Aug 2006, 12:04

Bug in TeXLive 2011

#82 Post by vanchutr »

Load texlive-2011-FULLAPP.sfs in squeeze_5.X.9 but ... this error:

# latex bachai
This is pdfTeX, Version 3.1415926-2.3-1.40.12 (TeX Live 2011)
restricted \write18 enabled.

kpathsea: Running mktexfmt latex.fmt
/usr/local/texlive/2011/bin/i386-linux/mktexfmt: line 395: /texlive/texmf/texconfig/tcfmgr: No such file or directory
fmtutil: config file `fmtutil.cnf' not found.
I can't find the format file `latex.fmt'!

Please repack yours .sfs

emil
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#83 Post by emil »

Hi vanchutr,

can you post the "bachai" file?
thanks
emil

vanchutr
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#84 Post by vanchutr »

bachai.tex was typed in vietnamese chars but you can compile in LaTeX to see result.
I want to know what happen with "fmtutils". TeXLive did'nt made an latex.fmt -> Can't build anything
This is source file in tar.gz
Cheer
Attachments
bachai.tar.gz
(2.86 KiB) Downloaded 510 times

emil
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#85 Post by emil »

Hi vanchutr,

I am sorry, I cannot reproduce the error in my Sage Live setup.
(loaded FULL_APP on the fly). I get the following (see Attachement - it's a pdf, so please rename it. The pdf extension is not allowed :roll: )

I thought the packages are mostly "puppy independent" so I'd like to find out what the problem is. Should we move this discussion to Additional Software Documents or Projects?

cheers
emil
Attachments
bachai1.zip
(58.43 KiB) Downloaded 377 times

emil
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#86 Post by emil »

vanchutr, I tested the texlive-2011-FULLAPP.sfs in Dpup exprimo and in the new slacko 5.3.1 - It worked for both.

emil
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#87 Post by emil »

kpathsea: Running mktexfmt latex.fmt
/usr/local/texlive/2011/bin/i386-linux/mktexfmt: line 395: /texlive/texmf/texconfig/tcfmgr: No such file or directory
I spottet that there is an incomplete path after "line 395"
it should be /usr/local/texlive/texmf/texconfig/tcfmgr

please try

Code: Select all

kpsewhich --var-value=TEXMFMAIN
in terminal. It should give the full path!
md5sum ok?

Take care
emil

vanchutr
Posts: 438
Joined: Sat 05 Aug 2006, 12:04

TeXLive SFS

#88 Post by vanchutr »

To Emil,
Please read (follow) this thread
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 023#590023
Thanks

emil
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#89 Post by emil »

Ok, I am glad we moved the TeX discussion to an appropriate section.

I worked on a version of Sage Live which will automatically install itself in a virtual Machine under windows. This includes the installation of Virtual Box OSE (Gpl2). The virtual machine includes the multi user sage server (sage-lite2.ova), so this should make the setup of a small sage server in a windows-LAN easy.

http://boxen.math.washington.edu/home/e ... taller.exe

some screenshots/guide:
Image
http://boxen.math.washington.edu/home/e ... aller.html

sources of the installer are in:
http://boxen.math.washington.edu/home/e ... tBuildDir/

ICPUG
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#90 Post by ICPUG »

What versions of Windows does this work with - Windows XP AND Windows 7?

emil
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#91 Post by emil »

It works with win 7, I am pretty sure it also works with XP and vista.
I wouldn't be surprised if Win 2000 would work.

The Windows Virtual Box installer is for both 32/64 bit.
During installation it detects which version has to be installed.

I have posted a more detailed "howto create your own Virtual Box exe installer"
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=73921
It just came to my mind that a similar setup could be used like the venerable "qemu puppy".

emil
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Update: Sage Live 511-53

#92 Post by emil »

I am working on a new version which should have some improved functionality:
Download sagelive-511-53.iso

Changelog sagelive-511-53.iso
+ updated sage version to 5.3
+ added Gnutls (for server certificate)
+ added GNU less (replace busybox less, which misses a feature and breaks sage inline help in console mode)
+ added new Personalize settings (from shinobar, replace Countrywizard: cut down the number of pop-up-windows though)
+ updated and fixed system file permissions so this lupu511 version can handle users (in console mode) - still no multiuser puppy
+ included ssh Daemon, so you can log in over the net
+ included preconfigured sage server (with 20 Worker accounts - potential simultanious users over the network)
+ new theme and worked to sort the menus&Desktop (JWM)
- removed Abiword and some Puppy applications (some are still there but not in the menu like gparted)

I dropped Abiword because everytime I need a word processor I ended up installing Libre Office or something (I have an sfs mirrored here).

Most work has gone into the setup of the preconfigured server.
In principle it should be possible to start it and then connect from other computers to the running sage server (with the browser and the IP adress of the server on port 8080).

The Sage server runs as an unprivileged user. It is preconfigured to support a maximum number of 30 simultanious users (using "worker accounts"). For multi user setups it might be necessary to edit the file /home/sageadmin/start_server.sage.

passwords:
Default password for the sage notebook admin account is mathematic.
If you start the sage server it will prompt you for a new password.
Default system passwords are not published (not necessary, because there is autologin)
However it is recommended that you change passwords, especially before you start the ssh daemon (server).
1) open console (as root), type passwd
2) in console (as root) , type passwd sageadmin

hostname
If you missed to set an unique hostname during firstboot:
change hostname in file /etc/hostname (needs reboot)

change ssh keys
you might feel it appropriate to change keys from time to time.
There is an automated script: fix-ssh-keys.sh (run it from terminal)

ICPUG
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#93 Post by ICPUG »

Nearly two years on and this superb specalist puplet is still an active project.

Do you have any feedback from the Sage community, Emil? Is Sage Live used a lot?

emil
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#94 Post by emil »

Hi ICPUG,

thanks for feedback from an old time follower of this thread.

I have access to the google analytics page of the sage mirrors and there were around 500 downloads of the live cd last month.

I had responses from one university course in Austria, where the Live CD was used as "last stop solution", when students failed to get sage installed otherways.

That was also the reason why I hid some system tools in the current release (like gparted), because not every teacher and sysadmin mightbe happy with handing out those tools. still you can start them from commandline. And it is not the primary scope of this pupplet.

Sage Live CD was used even more, especially there was a time when no good Windows Solution was available for sage. There was a lot of struggle with a port to Cygwin, but ultimatly it was settled that a virtual machine is good enough. With the server you can work in the browser of Windows the same as nativly in Windows. And for programming you can use a ssh shell and work in in the vm directly. Speed loss is not an issue (around 5%). The official sage VM is now based on Fedora and is rather big. I took part in that discussion and I think that is the right solution for sage on Windows (or other exotic OSes).

I am happy that I can manage to sustain the support for this pupplet, maybe I will have also a release next year with an up to date sage version. However probably I will have to update my heavily customized Lupu 511 base then, if time allows ...

I would be very happy to have some feedback if the sage server works - I have not really a big enough LAN to test that properly. It would be even possible to attach the Iso to VirtualBox or so (maybe it is necessary to change network settings to "bridged adapter")

kind regards ,
emil

known bugs:
menu entry for mg (editor) fails. works from comandline

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saintless
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#95 Post by saintless »

Hi, Emil,

just some information for people with old computers like mine :)
(Tested on Gateway E-1400, 600 Mhz, 256Mb RAM).
If you can't start sage console from the start menu or from the desktop icon and when you type sage in urxtv you get this message:

Code: Select all

root@sagepc:~ $sage
----------------------------------------------------------------------
| Sage Version 5.3, Release Date: 2012-09-08                         |
| Type "notebook()" for the browser-based notebook interface.        |
| Type "help()" for help.                                            |
----------------------------------------------------------------------

**********************************************************************
WARNING!  This Sage install was built on a machine that supports
instructions that are not available on this computer.  Sage will
likely fail with ILLEGAL INSTRUCTION errors! The following processor
flags were on the build machine but are not on this computer:

sse2 

Email http://groups.google.com/group/sage-support for help.
To remove this warning and make Sage start, just delete
     /sage/local/lib/sage-flags.txt
**********************************************************************
root@sagepc:~ $
this is what you have to do:
Open /sage/local/lib/sage-flags.txt and delete sse2.
Then start sage console.

Thank you for your work with sage and puppy, Emil!
Bets regards!

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