EasyOS version 2.3.2, June 22, 2020

[Caneri]

@lp-dolittl

Nope. This is for EasyOS not Easypup.

[BarryK]

@ Barry

Hi Barry,

since this thread seems to have become the preferred EasyOS as well as EasyPup forum, I mention an EasyPup-related Comment here.

Running EasyPup-2.2.14 on a laptop with an internal drive (sda1) from an external IDE-HD onto which I dumped the easypup-2.2.14-en.iso, I was faced with the following phenomenon:
EasyPup-2.2.14 correctly discovers an already existing Easypup save file in sda1 and offers to either upgrade this file (by pressing ‹Enter›) or to boot into RAM exclusively (by pressing any ‹printable character›). Choosing the second option results in the expected quick-setup screen, but surprisingly sda1 proves to be mounted simultaneously and cannot be unmounted!

If there are 2 (I think more than one) Easypup save files available in sda1, booting exclusively into RAM works fine, provided the ‹0 option› is selected in the spontaneously appearing list.


Kind regards

Well, you really should post EasyPup questions in the EasyPup thread:

http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=118021

The code in the initrd is old circa-21012-2013. I have made some changes to it recently, but if there is strange behaviour, it would be the old code. I will see if I can reproduce that behaviour.

[lp-dolittle]

@ Barry
@ caneri

Hi Barry and caneri,

sorry, I misinterpreted a remark in Barry's release notes.

I will place the post in the EasyPup forum and add some illustrating screenshots

apologies

[lvds]

Also, I would like to know if the SFS and PET I have in Puppy BionicPup64 8.0 can be used in EasyOs ?

No, those used in EasyOS have a special format. Note, they are created by the 'dir2sfs' utility.

Ok, and can i use the SFS and PET I have in Puppy BionicPup64 8.0 into EasyPup ? Are EasyPup packages the same as puppy ones or the same as EasyOs ones ?

[lvds]

How to upgrade
Replace the three files vmlinuz, initrd and easy.sfs in the boot-partition, with those of the new version.
Click on initrd to automatically "fix" the BOOT_SPECS file inside it.
Reboot, and you have upgraded.

I did it all. Initrd thing went fine. I told myself "now reboot", the cpu went near 99%, I told myself "let it work", it worked all night long, then 10 hours later or so, it was still running at 99% speed and the computer never stopped. I finally decided to press the stop button to shutdown the computer. I tried to boot my pendrive again but it is stuck on the syslinux blue screen. I guess I need to re-format my pendrive ?

Laurent

Please post the content of the "fixed" BOOT_SPECS file, and the result of running 'blkid' on the boot and working partitions of the pendrive.

Running some other Easy, you can click on the 'initrd' file of the "broken" pendrive and open it up to retrieve the BOOT_SPECS file.

Code: Select all

# blkid
/dev/sdc2: LABEL="easy2" UUID="05cf44aa-2783-11ea-a192-c025e90feb00" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/sdc1: UUID="31E2-8B64" TYPE="vfat"
/dev/sdb2: LABEL="easy2" UUID="9caa00b8-6fbd-11ea-96a0-a4ae11162368" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/sdb1: UUID="2B78-55C1" TYPE="vfat"
/dev/sda2: UUID="E0687C8D687C6466" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/sda1: LABEL="Réservé au système" UUID="30B65A53B65A1A24" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/loop0: TYPE="squashfs"
# 

I have windows 10 in /dev/sda laptop, i've built a brand new EasyOs 2.2.14 into a new pendrive in /dev/sdb, and the old pendrive with the broken EasyOs 2.2.12 is in /dev/sdc

When I open the initrd it is opened into ~/initrd-expanded and there is no BOOT_SPECS file inside. There are only two files: ask-country-x and ask-pw-x

* About something else, I found another "problem" (that is not one, but difficult to handle). When running chromium inside EasyOs: if i download a file, i can't move it outside of the container and therefore i can't use it. Example when you'd like to download a puppy iso and burn it

Because of the confinment, pendemic and such, i need to work at home like many other people, and so i absolutely need chromium (because of some modules), thunderbird (because of work email archives) and teamviewer (because of remote internet work with enterprises), that's why i was talking about having all the things office tools and browser, emails, into various SFS files people would load as they wish. Then I found something more, I remember when I built eXpand puplet, I had placed a lot of tools as link that open a browser window, something like they did later into peppermint distribution with the ICE tool-concept. And this weight nearly as nothing in a distribution ! example, you just need a .desktop file to open a browser window loading the google write tool, or the google sheet tool, or google draw tool... The idea is this method could be the default office tools delivered into the distribution and the users could chose to load a SFS file if they want more. The result would be a very light distribution as we can find nowadays nearly all office tools online. Even more, you can do it for google office suite and for online microsoft office suite 365, as did some other distributions (but i can't remember which one by now, sorry).

I will have a look at EasyPup if i can find some time, as i discovered it only recently, i couldn't understand the differences with EasyOs and gone straight into EasyOs

Laurent

[BarryK]

I have windows 10 in /dev/sda laptop, i've built a brand new EasyOs 2.2.14 into a new pendrive in /dev/sdb, and the old pendrive with the broken EasyOs 2.2.12 is in /dev/sdc

When I open the initrd it is opened into ~/initrd-expanded and there is no BOOT_SPECS file inside. There are only two files: ask-country-x and ask-pw-x

Then initrd is very badly broken. I can't help, I have no idea how it could be so broken. Unless the USB-stick is faulty.

[BarryK]

SFSget has been significantly improved:

https://bkhome.org/news/202003/sfsget-n ... aster.html

If anyone does want to create their own SFS repo, there are various things to know...

You must use the 'dir2sfs' script in EasyOS to convert a folder to an SFS. The above blog post has links to how to use dir2sfs. You can also read the script.

You will need the two updated 'sfsget' and 'filterpkgs' scripts. These will be in the next release.

[lvds]

SFSget has been significantly improved:

https://bkhome.org/news/202003/sfsget-n ... aster.html

If anyone does want to create their own SFS repo, there are various things to know...

You must use the 'dir2sfs' script in EasyOS to convert a folder to an SFS. The above blog post has links to how to use dir2sfs. You can also read the script.

You will need the two updated 'sfsget' and 'filterpkgs' scripts. These will be in the next release.

Hi Barry, I'm sorry to ask but there is something i can't understand in the process: from the documentation I can build an SFS when i download source code and compile it, it's ok. There is written:

PET packages are the native package format used in Puppy and Easy, though other formats such as Debian and Ubuntu DEB packages are also handled by the PETget package manager (also known as the "PPM").

I can't understand how to manage .DEB files to create a SFS ? If i download an ubuntu software into a .DEB, it is pre-compiled, how can I be sure all dependencies will be resolved and have all the needed files into the SFS ?

Maybe can we have a tool to convert .DEB files to SFS and put inside all the dependencies they need ? Just simple ?

Kind regards

[lvds]

I just need to tell everyone,

I just discovered how much the EasyOs logo with the happy guy is related to EasyOs because of the containers technology, just like the vault-boy is to the fallout game because of the vaults !

Barry, YOU ARE LEGEND !

Now, I BEG YOU to make it look like a pipboy tool with a green theme (and brown amber, and greys alternatives) !

edit: previous image was not accurate, sorry

[lvds]

I was reading some old documentation and found this, it was a great tool
https://www.unixmen.com/suse-studio-cre ... tribution/

nowadays this tool has been replaced by something i found to be much less convienent, but do you think we could have such a builder for EasyOS ? Maybe not as a website, but just as an application ?

Kind regards

[BarryK]

I then installed the latest Firefox-ESR-68.4.0.

Firefox-ESR installed easily and runs great.

I then rebooted (always do this after installing something).

I then go to EasyOS Main Menu, click-->Filesystem-->EasyContainerManagement, and select "Simple".

I wanted to create a 'Container' for this Firefox-ESR install.

But, nowhere under the "Simple" Easy Container Management" menu, is the selection for Firefox even available.

In EasyOS 2.2.14, is it still not possible to put something, or in fact, anything???, in a Container after it has been installed via PETget Package Manager??

I have fixed it:

https://bkhome.org/news/202004/firefox- ... ainer.html

The fix will be in the next release.

[lvds]

Hi Barry, I have posted a long detailed list elsewhere in the forum, see
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 58#1054458 if want to enhance EasyOS, EasyPup too, it would be great

Many thanks

[linux28]

The latest stable version of the Linux kernel is: 5.6.2

[BarryK]

EasyOS 2.2.16 is out!

Blog announcement:

https://bkhome.org/news/202004/easyos-v ... eased.html

[rerwin]

This would seem to distress new users: at first boot-up my wired ethernet device is not found, even though it was working before I booted up EasyOS the first time after installation to the USB flash drive. There was no network icon in the tray. (This is not new misbehaviour.)

I added a trace (set -x) to rc.network_eth_nm to verify that the device is detected, then did several reboots. Sometimes the ethernet connection was made, but other times the tray icon reports that eth is connected but shows the red X (and SM does not find URLs). That behaviour appears to be random. The trace always shows that rc.network_eth_nm is successful (rc.network_eth_nm: ip link set eth0 up), but that may not include the initial boot.

I attach my hardware summary in case it matters.

My guess is that the network manager does not wait long enough to complete the connection. I hope you can determine the causes, so as to avoid putting off potential users at first use of EasyOS.

EDIT: I retried the installation and on bootup saw: "... You don't seem to be connected to a network...". Upon rebooting I saw the grey box with the message that ethernet connected to "wired connection 1", but the tray icon showed the red X. After using the icon menu to disconnect then connect to wired connection 1, the connection became established.

Thanks, Dry Falls, for the workaround (in next message).

[Dry Falls]

This would seem to distress new users: at first boot-up my wired ethernet device is not found, even though it was working before I booted up EasyOS the first time after installation to the USB flash drive. There was no network icon in the tray. (This is not new misbehaviour.)

I had similar issues when I added nm to lighthouse. Added this to rc.local:

Code: Select all

/etc/rc.d/rc.networkmanager restart

df

[Sage]

...first boot-up my wired Ethernet device is not found, ... (This is not new misbehaviour.) .

I reported this again recently, it certainly isn't new. As I remember, many years ago, it was recommended to restart SNS or re-start X or reboot and it'll come up - it did, usually. In fact I remember a message coming up sometimes recommending restarting SNS? Maybe it came up in the Forum, too?
Strange that BK hasn't fixed it.?
Haven't been using Puppies on wired connection with those test machines recently; haven't seen it with wifi which can also be tricky, but not with Dougal's method, although the new 'easier connection' utility has never worked for me! Probably a function of my 'older' machinery most of which is ancient, at least 6mnths old..

[rwishlaw]

DevX for EasyOS version 2.2.16 is where ????

[belham2]

Thank you for this latest Easy update, Barry. Good stuff!!

Also, I've got to say I am perplexed by these remarks about booting up and network recognition problems.

Past year now, I have installed Easy numerous times on very old equipment, (both desktop PCs and laptops), some nearly two decades old, and also installed it on very new equipment (again, both laptops & desktops), some with AMD chips others with Intel chips, and I have never once seen the problem being described here.

Seems strange I would never have seen this once, not with the sheer number & range of machines I've installed Easy to. The Network is always immediately recognized and the tray icon fires right up showing this.


I've heard of chasing ghosts....but might this hardware-specific, a one-off type of thing??

[Rodney Byne]

To Barry,
This is a new one and a serious one.
Never had this before. What a mess.

dd ok.
But during mid bootup & file-writing 2.2.16 to usb (tried a 4Gb then a 16Gb),
on both occasions it failed to write files twice, before advising
to press and hold down the laptop on/off button to abort.
So couldn't give an overall quality report as Easy never reached desktop.
Too obvious to miss, how come you didn't pick this up?
Regards.