Problem using Lenovo Wifi with old kernel Slacko 5.7.0

[giankun]

Good morning to everyone,

I recently received a new PC which I am trying to use with my collection of linux USB systems. I use and like a lot the old frugal install of Slacko 5.7.0 (with 3.10.32 kernel).

Problem is that Lenovo PC has a wifi card which requires one version of the iwlwifi-7265-ucode driver from intel. I successfully managed to add that driver to a slacko64 install I have, but the earliest kernel that driver is produced for is 3.19. I found out about project backports though:

https://backports.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/Main_Page

I tried to compile latest version (but it would not compile with an error). To be able to start the compile process I was forced to add kernel_sources-3.10.32-slacko_PAE.sfs to my system by the way, the devx sfs was not enough for reasons I don't understand. Anyway, then I realized the driver should work from the backports version 4.20:

https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel ... 7-1.tar.xz

The backports-4.20.17-1 version correctly compiled correctly with:

Code: Select all

make defconfig-iwlwifi
make
make install

I then also copied latest drivers (iwlwifi-7265-14.ucode and iwlwifi-7265D-14.ucode) to the /lib/firmware dir. This last step was maybe unnecessary or would not work, but what happened was worse. When I rebooted and tried to add any network module (including atheros modules for my other PC) those where not added with error I attach.

Dmesg says:

Code: Select all

[  741.296636] compat: Unknown symbol ktime_divns (err 0)

I guess something was wrong when I compiled (but no errors in the compile process). Did anyone try what I tried or knows how to solve?

My regards,

Gian

[Flash]

The simplest and quickest solution would be to switch to a newer version of Puppy that has a later kernel with the right drivers already in it. If you don't want to do that, then perhaps try replacing the kernel you have with a newer one.

[giankun]

The simplest and quickest solution would be to switch to a newer version of Puppy that has a later kernel with the right drivers already in it. If you don't want to do that, then perhaps try replacing the kernel you have with a newer one.

I actually have a slacko64 version which works (after adding the drivers), but I would really like to make the old version work too...at least the wifi. Especially if it's possible to do it, which I suspect it is.

[foxpup]

No, it may not be possible. Check here:
https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/en/use ... rs/iwlwifi

I am not sure if it is easy in this old slacko to change kernel. If it is, you could just switch kernel. Take the kernel of the newer slacko.

I had Tahr running that way on a newish lenovo laptop.

And welcome to Puppy!

[Mike Walsh]

@ giankun:-

Hallo, and to 'the kennels'!

If you really want to run Slacko 570 (or a derivative) might I suggest taking a look at Mikeslr's 'spin' on 570, called Slacko 5.7.2 CE (Community Edition)? It uses the 4.14.63 RT ('real-time') kernel, compiled by our very own rockedge, so should definitely support your wireless adapter.

Mike's basically 'updated' 5.7.0; he & I were both 570 nuts, but he's also updated many of the basic, built-in utilities/Puppy apps.....and if you have a previous install of 570, and want to use the save-file with it, it just needs renaming slightly.

You can find the details at the link below:-

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=115397

Hope that helps.

(EDIT:- Re; foxpup's comment above. Micko's original 570 doesn't have the 'z_drv' SFS module that makes swapping out kernels easier. Mikeslr's 'spin', however, does.....but it starts out with a 4-series kernel anyway, so..... The choice is yours.)

It's definitely worth a look.


Mike.

[giankun]

No, it may not be possible. Check here:
https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/en/use ... rs/iwlwifi

I am not sure if it is easy in this old slacko to change kernel. If it is, you could just switch kernel. Take the kernel of the newer slacko.

I had Tahr running that way on a newish lenovo laptop.

And welcome to Puppy!

I think switching kernel on an old version of Slacko would be difficult, but I did switch kernel on the newer slacko64. As for the driver page, I had checked it: in theory, the backports project would allow you to use newer drivers on a 3.10 kernel. Which is why it was my idea to use it.

Anyway I think the reason it did not work is more Backports problem than Puppy's problem? I will try to investigate that side too...

[giankun]

@ giankun:-

Hallo, and to 'the kennels'!

If you really want to run Slacko 570 (or a derivative) might I suggest taking a look at Mikeslr's 'spin' on 570, called Slacko 5.7.2 CE (Community Edition)? It uses the 4.14.63 RT ('real-time') kernel, compiled by our very own rockedge, so should definitely support your wireless adapter.

Mike's basically 'updated' 5.7.0; he & I were both 570 nuts, but he's also updated many of the basic, built-in utilities/Puppy apps.....and if you have a previous install of 570, and want to use the save-file with it, it just needs renaming slightly.

You can find the details at the link below:-

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=115397

Hope that helps.

(EDIT:- Re; foxpup's comment above. Micko's original 570 doesn't have the 'z_drv' SFS module that makes swapping out kernels easier. Mikeslr's 'spin', however, does.....but it starts out with a 4-series kernel anyway, so..... The choice is yours.)

It's definitely worth a look.


Mike.

This is extremely interesting! For some reason I am fond of that old slacko... I understand the work to change kernel and update apps must have been something. I did work a lot on this install, compiling some library updates, fixes, traditional vi for it to replace busybox (I know, I know...but Vim is heavy).

So much in fact that I will for sure try out your version of Slacko, and try to find a way to backport the drivers.

(I wonder why every time I start tinkering with my USB installs I end up with some more puppies, but I like this!).

[mikeslr]

Mike Walsh got to plug my Slacko 5.7.2CE before I could. But I could not have built it if it hadn't been for Sailor Enceladus' work.

It's impossible to swap a new kernel into an old Puppy. Using Slackware 14.0 binaries, 01micko published Slacko 5.7 in March of 2014. In or around October of that year, the team, lead by 01micko, working on Woof --the application used to build Puppies-- substantially re-arranged the components within each of the file systems which make up a Puppy: vmlinuz, Puppy_xxx.sfs and zdrv_puppy_xxx.sfs and modified initrd.gz to reflect those changes. As used here "old" means an original publication before October 2014.

In October of 2017, Sailor Enceladus used the then current Woof to built a new Slacko Puppy with Slackware 14.0 binaries. http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 794#976794. You can find several of his Slacko 5.7 and 5.8 Puppies here, https://www.mediafire.com/folder/kwhxksubf00ny/14.0 and --IIRC-- links to some remasters by others on Sailor Enceladus' thread. [5.8 also uses Slackware 14.0 binaries. A remaster is not a new build. Rather, it starts with an already built Puppy and adds or deletes applications, or both].

Trying to use an "old" Puppy one can run into several hurdles among which are (1) it may not have the drivers and firmware needed to interface with hardware manufactured after the publication of the kernel used by that Puppy; (2) it's kernel WILL NOT include modifications since found necessary to avoid exploitations by malware; and (3) it may not include the libraries (infra-structure) needed to support new versions of applications.

The advantage of "old" Puppies is that the applications created to run under them will need less RAM: New Applications are built with the expectation that the user has a new computer with many gigabytes of RAM and fast processors and consequently is able to handle 'user-friendly/bloated" applications with whatever 'Bells and Whistles' an application's publisher could think of to 'enhance' an old version.

In general, an 'old' version of an application will run as effectively and productively on a new binary-compatible 'Puppy' as on an old; but it will lack those new 'Bells and Whistles'. There are two exceptions: Web-browsers and security protocols. Many current Websites generate graphic rich content which old web-browsers are not capable of displaying. Moreover, because of security concerns even more current Websites will not even allow you to obtain access if your Web-browser does not provide up-to-date security.

Over the last 5 years many applications were built to run OOTB under Slacko 5.7. They can be used under any of Sailor Enceladus' builds; or my remaster.

Slacko 5.7.2CE is a remaster of one of Sailor Enceladus' builds. It started with that but changed its kernel with one of the Real-Time Kernels rockedge published, http://rockedge.org/kernels/. While providing patches against malware available when Rockedge created them, my experience was that these Real-Time Kernels appeared to be less RAM demanding and more responsive. After swapping kernels, I removed some applications, substituted others, but primarily I updated all "infrastructures" such as radky's improvements to the JWM desktop and rerwin's improvements to network modules.

If it matters, NO Slacko 5.7/5.8 can run any google-chrome (or clone) after version 48 which is now 3 years old and 20+ versions out-of-date. Slacko 5.7.2CE has built in all the infra-structure required by that latest firefox-quantum, firefox-esr, palemoon and Seamonkey.

Sailor's 5.7/5.8 should also be able to run those web-browsers. But I'm not certain whether you might have to first install the infra-structure the newest 'mozilla' web-browsers require. On the other hand, using one of Sailor Enceladus' Puppies may have an advantage. I don't compile, so I didn't take that into consideration. But I do know that in order to compile --such as creating a wifi driver-- an appropriate devx.sfs is required. You'll find any needed devx.sfs for each of Sailor Enceladus' Puppies on his repo. Associated with rockedge's kernels are "Kernel Sources".sfs. But I don't know if these include, or are sufficient, for compiling.

[Puppyt]

Thank you, mikeslr - on all counts above - but I especially appreciate your historical summaries such as your previous post that I just had to flag - encyclopaedic knowledge distilled into practical "can do" (or cautionary "here be dragons"). Another gem from you, cheers

[bigpup]

giankun you can use what you want to use for a Puppy OS.

However, if this a brand new computer.

To get the full features it offers you need to be using one of the newest Puppy versions using one of the newest Linux kernels.
Most of the kernel is hardware support.
Also, the newest Puppies are going to have the updated core files and programs.
These have had a lot of improvements since the ones that are in Slacko 5.7.0

[darry19662018]

If you want to tinker and change kernel in your old Puppy this is the thread:
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=60180

[mikeslr]

If you want to tinker and change kernel in your old Puppy this is the thread:
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=60180

.

Using the term "old" as defined in my prior post, the kernels of 'old puppies' are interchangeable. But you can't swap a new kernel into an 'old puppy.' See the discussion on that thread starting here, http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... 26#1012226 and especially mostly_lurking's post indicating the limitations of a 'Frankenpuppy'.

Before settling on Slacko 5.7 using Sailor Enceladus' new build, I first tried to 'update' Carolina; then precise. [Jrb's precise-light is a new build which didn't exist at that time]. Frankenpuppies are interesting curiosities. But hardly viable as an operating system for general use.