Other Distros

[wiak]

https://voidlinux.org/

I'm preparing to install this one for test run. I like the idea of it being an independent build with it's own repo but with easy to create new package recipes.

[musher0]

Hi, all.

Has anybody tried MIYO, a Devuan derivative?

TIA.

Hi musher,

Yes, briefly about a year ago. It looked good but I wasn't able to set up internet access on it, so I didn't stick with it for long.

No go, then.

Thanks, Col. Panic.

[darry19662018]

Hi, all.

Has anybody tried MIYO, a Devuan derivative?

TIA.

Yes I have Musher and it is a great distro with openbox and awesome desktops available for 32bit machines and there maybe 64 bit editions.

Devuan community is a rather nice https://dev1galaxy.org/

You will probably have to install .deb for your wireless otherwise a great building block. I have ASCII Awesome version installed on a hard drive which I use with my Dell D620.

[wiak]

Finally...

I installed void linux to a 8GB usb stick using their lxde iso (using on my 2008 core-2 duo HP Elitebook 2530P 2GB RAM machine):

https://a-hel-fi.m.voidlinux.org/live/c ... 1-lxde.iso

After downloading above, wrote it (as root user) to my usb stick (which was being recognised as device /dev/sdb) via command. IMPORTANT to note well if you do this that you use the correct /dev/sdx location of your own usb stick...:

Code: Select all

dd bs=4M if=void-live-x86_64-20170220-lxde.iso  of=/dev/sdb  && sync

That included code to boot the usb stick onto usb stick itself (will work on grub4dos via my hard-disk menu.lst later). So I then booted that live version of void linux from my usb.

Next problem was that I use wifi from my laptop to internet (no ethernet cable), so had to work out how to connect the running live voidlinux to my wifi... Anyway, no user-friendly network manager by default (though choice of three such network managers becomes available for download once properly installed), but dhcpcd and wpa_supplicant programs are available for commandline use. So initial connection of wifi (when using as live distro) not so easy for those not familiar with commandline (and more), but proved okay once I read up on required commands.

Voidlinux does not use systemd nor standard sysvinit, but instead uses 'runit', but that was interesting... Basically, I just followed the many instructions/commands required for setting wifi connection up as given on voidlinux Wiki page here:

https://wiki.voidlinux.org/Network_Conf ... .28DHCP.29

for dhcpcd stuff for my wifi interface (named wls1), followed by wpa_supplicant stuff, here:

https://wiki.voidlinux.org/Network_Conf ... default.29

for the case of my wifi connection which uses WPA-PSK:

https://wiki.voidlinux.org/Network_Conf ... ersonal.29

Just to increase the chance I understood what I was doing, I also read up on runit here (but didn't really need to do that):

https://wiki.voidlinux.org/Runit

So, yeah, at this stage, getting it working directly from the usb live install was not for the faint of heart...

But here I am posting from Void Linux LXDE x86_64 live iso, via wifi connection, following the above... and I have to say that is extremely interesting/impressive distribution with an equally impressive/interesting package manager (XBPS) that I'm planning to learn more about now (though not a lot of apps pre-installed - Firefox, pcmanfm, lxterminal and more are though; iso size is medium big, but that seems to me to be cos lots of firmware included and iso contents maybe could be squashed more vigorously for download purposes - no big deal there):

https://wiki.voidlinux.org/XBPS
https://wiki.voidlinux.org/Rosetta_stone
@sc0ttman: I imagine you might be interested in taking a look at the above too (because of its pkgmanager) if you haven't already done so.

I could see me adopting Void Linux, for my own future linux dev plaything/interest distro (whilst keeping Pups and Dogs for the rest of my family distributions).

By the way, I installed scrot from void package repositories for making attached screenshot. The commands I used were (first one to sync the repository database to local machine I think...). I found that the scrot dependencies (e.g. giblib1) were automatically fetched... yeah...:

Code: Select all

sudo xbps-install -S
sudo xbps-install scrot

I also installed mtpaint to quickly scale the screenshot.

Code: Select all

sudo xbps-install mtpaint

Whist still using this as a frugal usb install, I intend installing by void instructions to own partition - I guess that is a full install. I have no idea at this stage how to get persistence of changes for frugal live installs anyway, which doesn't imply it couldn't be done - I just don't know enough.

Anyway, been using this all day. Solid as a rock; more solid than anything else I've been using recently actually, so I'm going to work with this one a lot more now. My advice is not to be put off by initial difficulties or not being your usual frugal install experience - Void Linux has a lot going for it above all that - especially, I feel, that XBPS package manager and its amazing flexibility.

wiak

EDIT: See my post below for continuation to full hard drive install:

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 26#1023126

[Colonel Panic]

I've just installed the latest version of ELive, a Debian-based distro which uses Enlightenment 17 as its window manager. I was disappointed to find that it didn't load Enlightenment properly when I booted it up, but I installed Openbox and it's working fine now with that instead.

The software is quite old (Firefox 52 and LibreOffice 4.3.3.2), but I like Terminator, Enlightenment's terminal with its neon flashing cursor, and the distro seems quite economical on resources. It also uses zsh as its shell, which is a refreshing change from the near-ubiquitous bash.

[jd7654]

Tried out the Crostini project Linux apps (Beta) for Chrome OS, on my Acer R11 Chromebook. Using the default Debian 9 Stretch container. It's a good start. Once turned on, you get the terminal, and then you apt-get install any debian package you want. The gui apps get an icon just like other Chrome apps, so you can just launch them alongside your other Chrome windows/apps.

Some work fine like CLI apps and mtpaint. Others which more directly access the hardware not so good. Like VLC, very choppy video and no sound yet in Linux beta. And Wifi tool LinSSID fails to launch. By comparison, the much more mature Android on Chrome OS works very well. MX Player plays HD video and sound just fine, and Wifi Analyzer shows all APs in the area. You can see them in the screenshot happily running alongside Linux apps on Chrome OS. Even runs my Android smart home IoT apps.

Previously, you had to use the crouton chroot to get more complete Linux experience on Chromebook. Or install Linux on another partition. I actually have all of them installed on this R11 at the same time: Linux Apps, crouton Xubuntu, and dual boot to Gallium OS partition.(Ubuntu).

Once they get the hardware support and bugs more worked out, the Linux on Chrome OS will make this platform a complete computer for casual user and developer alike. Already, the Gallium OS future and development is in doubt. And while great, the kind of buggy and insecure crouton (in dev mode) can be avoided in the future. Solid full desktop Chrome browser, Android apps and Linux apps all on one PC. And you also get Google assistant built in to boot, for easy voice control of your smart home apps.(or big brother Google spying on you...)

One thing about Chrome OS on a Chromebook is this thing is fast. Not just responsiveness but also lightning fast startup and resume. I didn't yet get Puppy or Fatdog working on this R11, but they both work on my other Chromebook C740. But really they can't compete with the native Chrome OS for speed and ease of use, or even Gallium OS. For me, the Linux desktop has arrived a long time ago, and it is a Chromebook. Now with containers and better security.

[Colonel Panic]

Hi, all.

Has anybody tried MIYO, a Devuan derivative?

TIA.

Hi musher,

Yes, briefly about a year ago. It looked good but I wasn't able to set up internet access on it, so I didn't stick with it for long.

No go, then.

Thanks, Col. Panic.

You're welcome musher, please bear in mind though that I'm just one person with an old (and ailing) computer Just because I couldn't use the internet in Miyo with my computer doesn't mean that no one else will be able to with theirs.

[wiak]

Following on from my post using Void Linux live usb here:

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 51#1022151

Well, I've finally taken the plunge and installed LXDE version of Void Linux to my harddrive ext4 partition /dev/sda7... Had a lot of trouble getting void-installer to do the install though (something I didn't understand about when to press OK and when to press Change). Anyway, it installed and boots nicely - but a problem... owing to my not understanding when to press OK and when to press Change I somehow have installed grub2 over my Windows 7 boot loader (it seems). I have previously always had Win7 bootloader chain loading grub4dos and everything else booted from there, but now I've lost that so can only currently boot grub2!!!

Oh dear, cos I know nothing about grub2 and actually know nothing much about Win7 booting either - I don't know if I'll ever be able to get Win7 dual booting, which is a pain though I never generally use it anyway... I will have to find out how to make grub2 boot my XenialDog64 frugal install though since that has all the main tools I use in it - I will have to ask Fred if he knows how (i.e. grub2 config for XenialDog64).

Meanwhile I'm stuck with Linux Void which may be a good thing since it forces me to work/learn with something new for a wee while at least (but poor old Win7 - how do I also get that back!!!).

EDIT: Fixed for xenialdog64 at least in my post below:

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 30#1023130

and in my post immediately after that link.

wiak

[backi]

Will not booting Puppy on a Stick from Usb Port and applying Grub4Dos to your Harddrive restore the possibility to boot again on your Hardrive ?

Not quite sure ... can not remember exactly .......once i had similar Problem but remember weak... i somehow applied Grub4Dos while booting a Puppy on a Stick from Usb Port to my non booting Windows Harddrive ....and so restored the Boot .
Please correct me someone one if i am wrong ..........
........just an Idea .
Regards !

[wiak]

Will not booting Puppy on a Stick from Usb Port and applying Grub4Dos to your Harddrive restore the possibility to boot again on your Hardrive ?

I've no idea - I don't think I had grub4dos on mbr though, I think it was Win7 bootloader which then loaded grub4dos (wee or something).

Anyway, I have XenialDog64 back now (tho not Win7 as yet...), by some luck trial and error (I don't know if I need insmod ext2 below - I just copied that line from elsewhere, and I originally had hd0,4 but for some reason needed hd0, msdos5. Truth is, I have no idea where msdos5 is defined or why hd0,4 didn't work):

Code: Select all

menuentry 'XenialDog64 on /dev/sda5' {
    insmod ext2
    set root='hd0,msdos5'
    linux /xenial64/casper/vmlinuz from=/xenial64/ noauto changes=EXIT:/xenial64/casper
    initrd /xenial64/casper/initrd1.xz
}

Anyway, it works...

EDIT: Yeah, didn't need the insmod ext2 line, still works... So I have XenialDog64 on /dev/sda5 and Void Linux as a full install on /dev/sda7, where the /boot/grub.cfg is. Now to think about if Win7 can also be 'woken up' - no big deal if it can't tho.

wiak

[wiak]

From my above post...

Oh well, oops... I just discovered that on installing Void Linux, my 250MB /dev/sda1 partition was auto-reformatted so there goes the boot stuff for my Windows 7 install on this machine (that's what was in there sigh). Oh well. I do have another machine with similar Win 7 arrangement... maybe I can copy files across to /dev/sda1 and fix things somehow, but I really doubt it.

If I was really desperate I do have a complete back up of the original Win7 partition scheme and all on an external drive which I could get back with recovery disc (I've done it once long ago, but can no longer remember the ins and outs of it). More likely I won't bother and just free up even more space by deleting what's left of Win7 which I really never use nowadays.

Just shows you though - sometimes you got to be careful...

At least I've got XenialDog64 and Void Linux dual booting via grub2 now though (despite not understanding grub2 at all). I more than expect I could trick it into loading Pups now too, though I really should read up now on how grub2 works...

wiak

[Keef]

I had a full install of Void for while - until the HDD died a death.
Got a smaller SSD now, so haven't re-installed. I managed to skip the grub2 bit, and was able to use grub4dos. But I have had problems with over-zealous installers before now, so tend to be really careful about partitioning and bootloaders. If I can't fully control either, I just cancel.
scsijon was having a dabble with xbps. Maybe have a read of this:
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... 231#993231

[wiak]

I had a full install of Void for while - until the HDD died a death.
Got a smaller SSD now, so haven't re-installed. I managed to skip the grub2 bit, and was able to use grub4dos. But I have had problems with over-zealous installers before now, so tend to be really careful about partitioning and bootloaders. If I can't fully control either, I just cancel.
scsijon was having a dabble with xbps. Maybe have a read of this:
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... 231#993231

Thanks for that link, Keef, I didn't realise scsijon had been planning to use xbps and maybe runit with quirky. Surprised to hear about the legal issues and earlier troubles with void linux; I suspect these matters are sorted out. I'll certainly make a git copy.

What I'm really looking-for/thinking-about is not a quirky or puppy version using void, but rather a 'doggified-void'. So real void using xbps but with all the Dog functionality, which includes a lot of Puppy utils too (via gtkwialog so can work when dash being used as shell in void) and something like Porteus boot so can alternatively use as live frugal distribution too.

I'm not too bothered, as it turns out, to have at least temporarily wrecked my Win7 boot on my system; all my other stuff boots okay using grub2 instead of grub4dos so I'm fine with that. As a matter of interest do you have the grub4dos menu.lst you used to use with void? Do you know the kernel command arguments that can be used with it at boot time?

So void linux full install working nicely for me (with frugal xenialdog64 on other partition that I can boot into for various maintenance tools I'm used to). Of course there are things I don't like about full installs - mainly if I break it I don't generally have the simple squashed frugal files to easily reinstall a base version. However... what I've done now void going so nicely for me (and I utterly love xbps package manager, and runit boot mechanism), is to boot into my xenialdog64 system and created a squashfs backup of my full void install (simply using mksquashfs); I used to do similar in the past with other Linux full installed distro but using compression with tar.

voidlinx.org forum didn't seem to be working a few days ago when I looked, but seems to be fine now (forum link on voidlinux.org takes you to reddit section) - I'm reading stroke posting to that forum now.

I took several attempts to use void-installer to successfully make full install from LXDE live usb to harddrive with LXDE coming up correctly at boot time. I have no idea what steps I did different but maybe the unexpected warnings in following old but great notes about void contain the answer (?):

http://www.troubleshooters.com/linux/void/quickinst.htm

wiak

NOTE: I'm finding my full install of Void Linux speedy. Might just be a first impression though - I haven't tried any performance benchmarks.

https://www.daveeddy.com/2018/09/15/usi ... ly-driver/

What I first want to now do is prepare a void package for gtkwialog so I can start adding Dog and Pup util apps. Using gtkwialog rather than gtkdialog means these util apps will still work whether underlying system shell being used is dash or ash or bash or whatever.

But... will I move to Void Linux for my daily OS? I doubt it. Reason is that I find XenialDog64 just too good - with my own additions, it contains pretty much everything I need (including great utilities). Would take forever getting my Void install up to that standard (and would take up a lot of space on my drive since its a full install, and I only have an 80GB harddrive on my computer so every GB counts. But I'll keep Void for playing with - I really like xbps pkg manager, as I said; very interested if a Void Dog or a Void Pup were made but that could be a LOT of work...

[Keef]

wiak

I just added "root=/dev/sdaX" to the kernel line.
Don't think I tried any other additional arguments.
The menu.lst is backed up somewhere, but it was probably:

title Void Linux (full install)
uuid xxxxxxxxx
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sdaX

vmlinuz was a symlink as they are usually named vmlinux-x.xx.xx-blahblah

I might have another play with it soon, but will stick it on an external drive

[wiak]

If you really want to know what Void Linux is and how it differs from other small (or big) distro offerings, I recommend reading this article from one of Void 'Team' players:

https://michaelwashere.net/post/2017-09 ... -the-void/

Bottom line is that Void is much more popular in reality than any DistroWatch ranking would suggest.

wiak

[gychang]

have been on Bionicpup64 for 2 weeks and Quirky Beaver64, both pups not a true separate OS...

Both on HD install, only quirk!! on Beaver64 is I was only able to install on a whole HD (120G SSD), would have preferred to install to 20G partition but could not do this. Trying to install Bionpicpup64 on the same HD on a separate partition with Grub4Dos bootloader failed to boot....

anyone have a suggestion on how to install both in one HD?

[Colonel Panic]

Hi gychang,

I've had a similar problem with Puppy not recognising my save files when I booted it up. What I did was reserve the first partition of my hard drive for Puppy and then do a frugal install, with whatever save files you make going in that partition. Each Puppy live disk will recognise its own save file and boot that one, ignoring the others on the same partition.

(I've only used IDE and SCSI hard drives so far; I assume it's the same for SSDs.)

[Colonel Panic]

I've just installed the latest version of Pardus, 17.5 (deepin edition). This is the first distro I've used with deepin as the desktop manager and so far I'm impressed; it looks a lot like Gnome but uses fewer system resources to run, and Pardus itself is a stable and competent distro with little to criticise apart from perhaps the rather dark colour theme (though you get used to that).

[wiak]

I'm just trying Slitaz64 and TinyCore64 again (following my own install instructions given elsewhere on this thread). However, I'm disappointed neither of them has kernel using overlayfs or aufs; there is so much I could do with Slitaz in particular if it did come with one of those. Of course could use specially compiled kernel etc, but I'm not interested in so much effort for a rolling release. I'm not surprised tinycore doesn't have either but thought Slitaz maybe used one or the other, but apparently not - was going to add persistence with it rather than currently having to continually remaster rootfs.gz in Slitaz... Maybe I can find an alternative but I had a plan if only it had worked with overlayfs... oh well.

I know about TazPup and TazDog for that matter, of course, but I wanted to modify pristine Slitaz directly rather than piggyback load them with alternative system/kernel.

EDIT: Having checked out Slitaz site, now seems to me that loram build will include either aufs or overlayfs module inclusion. I will check further.

wiak

[wiak]

I'm giving up on Slitaz now - just doesn't seem to be getting developed much and so-called rolling version comes with ancient kernel and components. Slitaz Next seems to have problems and so on... Lo-ram versions do come with aufs I think, but I have no great interest until and unless its developement accelerates from its current apparent standstill. Continuing with Void Linux along with Xenial or Bionic Dog as my main installs - intending making my own live Void version for frugal install/persistence and sfs handling, but don't know when or if I'd publish that. Void is very good as a full install though aside from the fact its grub2 erased my previous windoze boot loader etc... but I'm glad now since erasing windoze has freed up much needed dev space on my machine and I'm finally getting used to grub2 instead of grub4dos (proving easy to translate from my old menu.lst into grub2 formats thankfully... and no more wee bootloader errors to worry about is good too...).

wiak