Precise Puppy 5.5 Release Candidate

[anikin]

Sage,
When it comes to sound devices, there's a little bit more, than meets the eye. From an audiophile's perspective, the best board for audio would be the one, that doesn't have audio at all. For serious listening, integrated audio is bad. What's considered to be good is a usb output, where you connect an external DAC or usb sound card. The problem is, that all lap/desk/tops come with integrated audio. Hence, the issue of multiple sound devices. It's just unavoidable and as such, needs to be dealt with.

[Hogweed]

Sage,

At the low end £1.50 including P&P (approx $2) gets you this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/220806006085? ... 1423.l2649

USB External 3D 5.1 Channel Audio PC Sound Card Adapter

Real USB Plug & Play
Drive 2CH speakers Directly
Supports 3D sound (Ac-3) Stereo 5.1-channel sound track Virtual speaker shifter
Use USB port power Directly
No need external power adapter
Digital Class-B power Amplifier inside
Leading Digital Technology in the world
100% Brand New

Combined webcam/mics, VIOIP Phones, telephone modems (for voice channel input/output) and various other USB devices can and do show up as additional sound cards (They are supposed to). They are far more common than you seem to think.

I can easily think of several people using additional USB sound cards on laptops including me.

[Sage]

None of the above dissenters gets it right, although anikin is almost correct. The PC box is awash with stray signals over the entire spectrum (short of x-ray!). The best sound has nothing to do with PCs; personally, I run a true and synthesised quadraphonic studio amp driving four self-built speaker enclosures, the rear pair being corner reflexes with 15" units + midi + tw. For lesser mortals using a convenient PC, the shorter the path the better and a signal straight off the ISA bus, although still analogue, is about as good as you'll get. Pulling the sound signal out of a USB port isn't too smart. As for a laptop port - ill-advised.
Mr Hogweed still doesn't get it - if it's a webcam, etc. it isn't a sound device. If you want to use SIP, then input your microphone direct to the little pink jack socket labelled 'MIC'. A lack of decent SW to deal with these situations cannot be blamed on the HW or misuse of same.

[Hogweed]

Mr Hogweed still doesn't get it - if it's a webcam, etc. it isn't a sound device. If you want to use SIP, then input your microphone direct to the little pink jack socket labelled 'MIC'. A lack of decent SW to deal with these situations cannot be blamed on the HW or misuse of same.

If it is a combined webcam/mic (with only USB and no audio jack) designed to provide a soundcard interface to the OS then it shows up as a soundard. That's what it is designed to do.

But just for a simple USB soundcard, for instance I have an old laptop (with only two channel stereo out inbuilt) pretty much dedicated to running Skype (and other VOIP) . On it I use Skype with the USB soundcard selected for Skype audio but leave (On Windows) all other sound I/O on the onboard soundcard. Example under Windows at http://www.von-phone.com/audio-settings-USB-Phone.php

Occasional DJ mixing can be done with an old laptop and the preview/cue headphone channel set to the the USB card,

I also know someone with an old laptop connected to an oldish widescreen tv. The onboard sound card has developed a fault and sound is heavily distorted but is perfect with a $2 external USB soundcard dongle. Cheaper than a new laptop.

Instead of trying to tell everyone that we "don't get it". Can't you just accept that others have needs differing from your own?

[zigbert]

Some years in this forum has made me callous. Quite a few posters don't get my attention. Are we creating or are we nagging?

[rameshiyer]

I would like to inform you that I was able to install Network cum Photostat printer in Precise Puppy 5.9.1 without any problem. However, in Slacko, even after so may experiments, I am unable to take any printout. I feel, Precise Puppy is properly integrated with CUPS?. Thanks Barry Sir.

[vicmz]

I've seen this in Precise (the alpha version too), both in JWM and Openbox: when I right-click a file from ROX and select either Copy, Rename, or Move (several times, the one I use more frequently is Copy), the screen turns black, showing only the taskbar, then if I try to use other programs the taskbar disappears and all is finally black. I restart X and keep doing things as usual, then after many times copying files from ROX right-click menu I get the black screen again.

vicmz,
With ROX, I just drag a file, then when I release the left-button a menu pops up asking whether want to copy, move or link.
Does this way work OK for you?

Yes, it does. I usually copy that way, and use the right-click menu when it's a single file. Renaming a file, however, doesn't have a second option (not one that doesn't imply a second application, at least), yet the bug is so weird you can't tell when the screen will turn black after clicking the Rename option. I think I'll post again about this when I get some specific information, maybe it's something I installed.

I could get a clue of why my desktop becomes black when I use ROX-Filer contextual menu when I copy or rename a file. The last time it happened, I tried setting my wallpaper back, and after applying it I got the warning dialog shown in the attached picture, stating that no pinboard was active. The wallpaper was successfully applied, but when I tried to copy or rename a file the screen turned black again. I restarted X and I could copy and rename files, after several times the screen became black again.

[BarryK]

Hello BarryK

I see from your blog that you a planning to compile 3.8 with an updated configuration.

If possible could you also configure CPUID and MSR kernel modules in your DOTconfig, please?

Thanks.

CONFIG_X86_CPUID seems ok, but isn't CONFIG_X86_MSR dangerous? -- user can kill CPU and system.

[BarryK]

Barry. 3.8 kernel. For enabling brcmsmac driver you need to add bcma support as module and also under wireless, the bcma support for broadcom, then you will see brcmsmac as tickable option.
Proprietary wl.ko though is the only supporting driver for many chips. brcmsmac and brcmfmac does not cover them all.

New wireless realtek driver rtl8723ae.ko was in your 3.8 rc kernel. It needs 2 supporting firmwares. I cant show modinfo for the driver (not in 3.8 kernel puppy now), but the attached firmwares should be the right ones.
They can be placed to the all-firmware/rtlwifi folder....if you wish. And according firmware.dep editing. There are already in linux world posts about need for that driver and questions how to get it to work with chips which needs it. So...seems reasonable to include the firmwares also.

Thanks, added to Woof:
http://bkhome.org/blog2/?viewDetailed=00135

[BarryK]

3.8 kernel woes continues. rtl8192de.ko module has needed firmware included but firmware.dep misses the definition.
With above new rtl8723ae.ko firmware included the row changes from:
rtlwifi:rtl8192ce.ko,rtl8192cu.ko,rtl8192se.ko,r8712u.ko
to:
rtlwifi:rtl8192ce.ko,rtl8192cu.ko,rtl8192de.ko,rtl8192se.ko,r8712u.ko,rtl8723ae.ko

Thanks, Woof updated again:
http://bkhome.org/blog2/?viewDetailed=00135

[linuxcbon]

Precise puppy 5.4.90 :

- Open seamonkey from console. Open a webpage with flash-animation, for example murga forum. # seamonkey
Failed to open VDPAU backend libvdpau_r600.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

- # lprsetup.sh
/usr/local/lib/ghostscript must be writable to create filter directory
/usr/local/lib/ghostscript/ is missing for ghostscript ?

- /usr/local/bin/defaultchat: line 2: exec: pidgin: not found

- PERL bugs ?
- # dirsplit
Can't locate List/Util.pm in @INC
- # foomatic-compiledb
Can't locate Encode.pm in @INC
- # foomatic-configure
Can't locate Encode.pm in @INC
- # foomatic-datafile
Can't locate Encode.pm in @INC
- Same for other foomatic****
- # md5pass
Can't locate Crypt/PasswdMD5.pm in @INC
- # perlbug
Warning: failed to load Config_git.pl, something strange about this perl...
Can't locate Sys/Hostname.pm in @INC

- why is there a /selinux directory ?

[BarryK]

pMusic 3.2.0 with basic libav support - ffmpeg is still the recommended choice.

Libav will not return stream info as bitrate, samplerate, channels...


Sigmund

Updated:
http://bkhome.org/blog2/?viewDetailed=00136

[BarryK]

It's not very important but will report anyway. I've been translating report-video and noticed this thing. I have two videocards - one of them is built-in and this one shown in the report but the other one is in use and it's driver is shown:

Code: Select all

 # LANG=C report-video
VIDEO REPORT: Precise Puppy, version 5.4.90

Chip description:
 Intel Corporation 82810 DC-100 (GMCH) Graphics Memory Controller Hub
 Intel Corporation 82810 DC-100 (CGC) Chipset Graphics Controller

Requested by /etc/X11/xorg.conf:
  Resolution (widthxheight, in pixels): 1024x768
  Depth (bits, or planes):              24
  Modules requested to be loaded:       dbe 

Probing Xorg startup log file (/var/log/Xorg.0.log):
  Driver loaded (and currently in use): savage
  Loaded modules: dbe ddc dri dri2 extmod fb glx i2c int10 kbd mouse ramdac record vbe vgahw xaa

Actual rendering on monitor:
  Resolution:  1024x768 pixels (283x212 millimeters)
  Depth:       24 planes

...the above also recorded in /tmp/report-video
# lspci | grep VGA
00:01.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 82810 DC-100 (CGC) Chipset Graphics Controller (rev 03)
01:04.0 VGA compatible controller: S3 Inc. Savage 4 (rev 04)

Are you using the latest 'report-video' out of Woof (latest modify was 15th Feb.)?

Because, I don't see how you can be getting that result from latest script.

[LateAdopter]

Hello BarryK

Thanks for the reply.

CONFIG_X86_CPUID seems ok, but isn't CONFIG_X86_MSR dangerous? -- user can kill CPU and system.

MSR is in Lucid Puppy 528 and Ubuntu Precise and Fatdog64. I don't think anyone who didn't know what it was would unwittingly damage anything.

I use TurionPowerControl, which needs it to set the P-state voltages and it has sanity checks on the configuration.

The default voltage on my Athlon II X2 is much too high at 1.4V. I have run it for more that 2 Years, without problem, at 1.1V which halves the power consumption from the ATX 12V line and cuts the PSU fan noise dramatically.

[BarryK]

Precise puppy 5.4.90 :

- Open seamonkey from console. Open a webpage with flash-animation, for example murga forum. # seamonkey
Failed to open VDPAU backend libvdpau_r600.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

- # lprsetup.sh
/usr/local/lib/ghostscript must be writable to create filter directory
/usr/local/lib/ghostscript/ is missing for ghostscript ?

- /usr/local/bin/defaultchat: line 2: exec: pidgin: not found

- PERL bugs ?
- # dirsplit
Can't locate List/Util.pm in @INC
- # foomatic-compiledb
Can't locate Encode.pm in @INC
- # foomatic-configure
Can't locate Encode.pm in @INC
- # foomatic-datafile
Can't locate Encode.pm in @INC
- Same for other foomatic****
- # md5pass
Can't locate Crypt/PasswdMD5.pm in @INC
- # perlbug
Warning: failed to load Config_git.pl, something strange about this perl...
Can't locate Sys/Hostname.pm in @INC

- why is there a /selinux directory ?

Delving into the innards of a Puppy based on Debian or Ubuntu packages is going to turn up many broken or unused scripts, executables, assorted files and directories.

This is because Puppy is very cut-down.

The thing to do is ask whether the particular function works in Puppy. Does ghostscript and foomatic work? If so, forget about some extra crud that came with the package -- in the case of foomatic, there is another foomatic-database package that is not in Puppy, so even if the missing perl modules were there (which they are if the 'devx' sfs is loaded), the foomatic-* perl scripts won't work.

'defaultchat' has been fixed, see an earlier post.

'md5pass' is a script in syslinux, we don't use it.

'selinux' -- some stuff is there, but Puppy doesn't use it. Some selinux stuff is needed to satisfy some packages dependencies.
'perlbug' -- again, what is this for, does Puppy use it for anything?

Woof tries to filter out unneeded and broken files, but various things get through, and some just have to be there for other apps to work.

It is not 100% satisfactory, but as long as Puppy works.

[Bruce_n_Duane]

Did frugal install of Precise Puppy 5.4.91 nopae on Toshiba Satellite A205
with 2 GB of ram 2GB pupsave file using Grub4Dos that has started 50+ puppies over the years.

Most everything works with few error messages in the /tmp logs

Cups scheduler does not start: logged error is child exited with error 127

Trying to add a printer from menu==>system==>Cups Manager
browser opens with URL=localhost:631

===============================
Did a frugal install of Precise Puppy Alpha1 5.4.90 with 512MB pupsave
Nothing added. /tmp log files say cups scheduler started
browser opens with URL=localhost:631/admin

Was able to add my HP PhotoSmart 5200 printer

So only Cups broken in nopae version
==================================
both versions report that "logger invalid option --- "i" all 3 /tmp logs

===========================================
nopae Missing dependencies in nopae additional pets

Installed software in this order via PPM
Source:Ubuntu repositorie
mc_4.8.1 + mc_data_4.8.1 no missing dependencies
llk-linux_2.3 no missing dependencies
guvcview-1.5.3 missing libasound21.0.24.1 & libxcursor11.1.2
firefox_18.0.2 missing lsb_release_4.0 & python2.8
gnucash_2.4.10-1 missing guile-1.8 added from Ubuntu via PPM
also missing libmime-base64-perl & libnet-perl
& upstart-job

Via Browser and muga-linux forum for Additional Software
pwidgets-2.4.1
wbar-2.3.0
sys-info-1.5.1 by TaZoc
PupControl & Pupmates (PupApps, PupShutdown, PupClock)
wallpaper-0.6.2 (Nathan's wallpaper)
Via SFS Files
LibraOffice_3.4.4_Lucid

All seem to work great even with missing dependencies

==============================
about missing dependencies What I have found via Google search

libasound21.0.24.1 only mention is Barry's list of dosbox_0.74-2 depends
and now here in this message

libxcursor11.1.2 the highest version I found is libXcursor1.1.13

lsb-release-4.0 does not exist

Python2.8 Firefox says it needs it but seems to work without it.

guile-1.8 I loaded this using PPM from Ubuntu 12.04 repository
Gnucash would not start without it

libmime-base64-perl does not exist
libnet-perl does not exist
upstart-job does exist but I am not loading 60+ megabytes and the
complete gnome environment for this

I do not know where the PPM gets it's list of dependencies.
My guess is the libxcursor is a typo and should be libXcursor1.1.12
==================================
Great Puppy!!! Barry, you and your team have built a great OS hear
when the first Alpha release with minor (itsy bitsy tiny) bugs. Most
Alpha versions are ant's nests of bugs and often the final release is
still an ant's nest of bugs.

I look forward to the next releases of pae and nopae Precise Puppy.

My first puppy was Chubby Puppy 1.06
I switched from Ubuntu Hardy to Puppies as my main OS because
puppy booted in 15 seconds and Ubuntu in 3 minutes.

I marvel at how well all the puppies and derivatives just WORK!!
Download the iso. Open it in ROX and take out 3-4 files.
Point the GRUB menu.lst to start it and it works!!

Thank you all for the great OS.
-Bruce.

[rcrsn51]

Did frugal install of Precise Puppy 5.4.91 nopae ...Cups scheduler does not start: logged error is child exited with error 127

I checked this and CUPS started OK for me. Maybe it was a timing issue. Run

Code: Select all

/etc/init.d/cups start

[rodin.s]

Latest report-video works good. The second card is detected.

Code: Select all

# ./report-video 
VIDEO REPORT: Precise Puppy, version 5.4.2

Chip description:
Host bridge: Intel Corporation 82810 DC-100 (GMCH) Graphics Memory Controller Hub (rev 03)
VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 82810 DC-100 (CGC) Chipset Graphics Controller (rev 03)
VGA compatible controller: S3 Inc. Savage 4 (rev 04)

Requested by /etc/X11/xorg.conf:
  Resolution (widthxheight, in pixels): 1024x768
  Depth (bits, or planes):              24
  Modules requested to be loaded:       dbe 

Probing Xorg startup log file (/var/log/Xorg.0.log):
  Driver loaded (and currently in use): savage
  Loaded modules: dbe ddc dri dri2 extmod fb glx i2c int10 kbd mouse ramdac record vbe vgahw xaa

Actual rendering on monitor:
  Resolution:  1024x768 pixels (283x212 millimeters)
  Depth:       24 planes

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

[Bruce_n_Duane]

I tried your suggestion

# /etc/init.d/cups start
cupsd: Child exited with status 127!
cups: unable to start scheduler.
#

The checksum on the iso matched the one provided.

I tested cups before loading any additional software.
I got the same results as above.

What would you like me to try next?

-Bruce.

[rcrsn51]

What would you like me to try next?

rm -rf /var/spool/cups /var/run/cups /var/cache/cups
/etc/init.d/cups start