Minisys-Linux Muppy 008.3 F (July, 12th, 2008)

[gw]

Hello,

Here is the Muppy-FR083.pet for the localization of Muppy-083 in french.
To try it :
Run Muppy from a CD with the boot option puppy pfix=ram to avoid an alteration of your existing msy_save2.fs file
Download the pack Muppy-FR083.pet from :
http://www.softenpoche.com/sep/Muppy-FR083.pet
Install the .pet and don't forget to restart X after installation.
Note :
You will see that the translation of the GtkBasic menu is not complete and only obtained after a modification of a .desktop file or after installing of a .pet file. I don't know why and what I've missed. If you have any idea....

A+
--
gw

[MU]

Today, I spent some hours to get an Nvidia geforce 7000m working.
See "conclusion" further down for a maybe working quick instruction.

The system was an Acer inspire 7250 Notebook.

First, it was just possible to get a Desktop by choosing Xvesa (1024x768).

With Xorg, a black screen appeared, but it was not frozen - I could switch to textmode with CTRL-ALT-F2.

Google told me, there were often problems with it.
I then ran xorgwizard again, chose 1024x768.
When I got the black screen, hit CTRL-ALT-BACKSPACE.
Typed:
mp /etc/X11/xorg.conf

replaced
driver "nvidia"
with:
driver "vesa"

Now xorg works, but just 1024x768
Using "nv" did not work.

I then wanted to run Muppys Nvidia-installer.
/usr/local/install-nvidia-m008/install-nvidia
But it expects the line
driver "nv"
If that is not found, it exits.
So I added that while I were in X.
I also found a bug in that script from my tests:
one line contains "sis", that must be replaced with "nv".

From a consolewindow I now ran:
/usr/local/install-nvidia-m008/install-nvidia

It did not work though, again, I got a black screen.

I then ran the latest original nvidia installer downloaded from nvidia.com.
I used development.sfs, so it could compile a new Kernel-module.
Again black screen.
Then, frustrated, I deleted xorg.conf and ran "nvidia-xconfig".
It created a new xorg.conf with new frequency-settings for the LCD-display, this now worked!

Maybe I would not have needed the new installer, I should have tried this with Muppys installer, first (deleting xorg.conf).
But as I did all by trial and error, I had tried the new.
Then I ran out of time, to test it with Muppys installer.

However, the odyssee did not end yet.
After a reboot, X refused to start.
modprobe nvidia
told me about unresolved symbols.
After a while I found out, this is an error due to unionfs (again - aargh).
This could be seen by error-messages from "dmesg".
I ran the installation again, and then looked in /initrd/pup_rw , what files were new.
Copied them to a temporary folder, and created a nvidia.tar.gz
Extracted this in "/" then.
Now unionfs accepted the files.
After a reboot, I got the nvidia-logo, and fantastic 1440x900 pixel.

To run the antinspect demo from 3DCC I had to modify the demo-script, because it wrongly detected, that no OpenGL was installed.
The Demo then ran with 50 fps.
Dreamchess runs extreme fast.

I really need a modern computer with recent Nvidia/Ati cards for tests.
Writing installers or pre-packaged files without the ability to test them "live" is too erratic.

----------------------
Conclusion:
With a new testsystem, I would try this:
Start Puppy with Xvesa.
extract:
/usr/local/Xorgbackup/nvidia.tar.gz
in:
/usr/X11R7/
This extracts Nvidias OpenGL-libraries.

Then exit X.
then type:
rm -f /etc/X11/xorg.conf
nvidia-xconfig
xwin

Now it might work already.
If not, you had to follow my longer odyssee described above.
Mark

[MU]

Download the pack Muppy-FR083.pet from :
http://www.softenpoche.com/claroline/do ... cument.php (in the Muppy-FR repository).

Salut Guy,
This is password-protected.
Mark

[cthisbear]

MU:

I downloaded the newer Muppy...revision.
Goes great just like the last...one month ago.

Automount doesn't suit my needs...
if I need to recover damaged hard drives etc.
But all the same for most users...especially newbies from
XP and Vista this would be welcome.
I do like that it asks you whether you wish to unmount, when closing
the file manager.

Anyway this release - like the other is super smooth, fast
and looks good..
Well thought out and obviously hours of work.

Steve may want you to help code Windows 7?
when he's finished his scrambled eggs in Hungary.

One question though..is firewall on by default?

Again my compliments and regards...........Chris.

[gw]

Hello Mark,

Here is the correct link to Muppy-FR083.pet (localization of Muppy in french)
http://www.softenpoche.com/sep/Muppy-FR083.pet

gw

[cthisbear]

I got wireless working in Muppy on an Acer laptop -
Acer Aspire 3624WXCi.
Just so easy...first time that I've tried out wireless in Puppy.

No doubt this has worked in other Puppies and Puplets
of recent times.....but I have to say it was really good.
Always nice when you don't expect success and all goes well.

Is Firewall on by default remains to be answered though, please MU.

Can anyone tell me how Wine can be made to work...simplistically
or a link. I have set it up as XP on the Muppy Wine tool..
Do I just add a program link or what?....in Muppy.

I also like the SFS file being a different name, and therefore
not being overridden.

Once again MU...thanks....Chris.

[Barburo]

Hi Mark,
I was unable to install any version of puppy prior to version 3.xx on my HP Pavilion tx1000 notebook which has an nVidia GeForce Go 6150 card. The tx1000 has a reputation for being a bit difficult (according to Barry's posts).

When puppy's xorgwizard runs, it creates this section:

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "X.org Configured"
Screen 0 "Screen0" 0 0
Screen 1 "Screen1" RightOf "Screen0"
...

allowing for two screens but the wizard only only defines screen0:

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Card0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1280x800"
EndSubSection
EndSection

The xorgwizard always fails for me (blank screen for test even though I choose 1200x800 and it returns null values for resolution).
If I then directly tweak xorg.conf by copying the screen0 definition to create an extra Section "Screen" with zeros changed to ones:

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen1"
Device "Card1"
Monitor "Monitor1"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1280x800"
EndSubSection
EndSection

then saving and exiting, the xorgwizard then works, and I get the correct 1200x800 screen resolution.
When I apply nvidia (as in Muppy 008.3) my external monitor (at 1440x900) is recognized by my nvidia card and it also displays correctly!

Hope this helps the nvidia discussion, and others who may have similar problems.

One note - installing Muppy standard allows this technique to work.
Muppy mini however doesn't allow this fix to work (not sure why - maybe because the nvidia components are in the addon .sfs files).

One other small thing - when rebooting or powering off the confirmation box "OK" button only responds to a mouse click.
Enter or tab + enter should work but doesn't.

[MU]

Thanks for the instructions to use 2 screens.
I encontered this too, on one system, and could not sort out yet, how to fix it.
I should try to write a script, that checks that issue.

The Nvidia-drivers (and propriatary Ati, and free DRI modules) are in addons.sfs for the Mini, so that must be added in the bootmanager.
Most cards run without it (but then not accellerated).
If a card completely fails, and so you get no chance to add addons.sfs, then you must use the Standard-Iso, where everything is included in the main sfs.

Mark

[tlchost]

I want to "slim-down the standard version a bit to allow me to install
some ham radio programs. http://www.w1hkj.com/emcpup.html

I use a lot of the standard distribution(some of which I understand) but don't play games at all.

Can I simply delete the games applications from my Live-CD and then remaster it?

I'm not sure with a Live-CD if I can really add in the sfs files
to the mini version to get the standard less the games.

Thanks in advance

[MU]

Important info for all Muppy users

The first message talks about bugs concerning Firefox and other applications due to unionfs.
Result is a "freeze" of those applications.

I think I found a very simple solution now.
Barry once added the alternative to unionfs, "aufs".
I think it was default in one version of Puppy 2, but then Barry switched to unionfs again.
Since yesterday I use aufs, and have no more freezes!
Aufs is very popular, it is used by Knoppix and Slax.
So it seems to be reliable.

To use aufs, simply do this:
1.) If you start from CD, type at the short 5 second bootprompt:
puppy layerfs=aufs

2.) If you run Muppy using Grub, add to the line with the Kernel:
layerfs=aufs

Like this such a line looks on my system:

Code: Select all

  title Muppy 0083 Standard AUFS
  root (hd0,0)
  kernel /muppy0083/vmlinuz acpi=force layerfs=aufs pmedia=idehd pdev1=hda5 psubdir=muppy0083
  initrd /muppy0083/initrd.gz

You CAN use your old savefile with this change!

I made a test running on a Pentium 700 with 256 MB Ram using Muppy-Standard:
OpenOffice Firefox Seamonkey Opera Gimp Internet Explorer Xfe, all at the same time.
I had NO crash even after 1 hour.
Only Internet-Explorer caused 99% CPU-usage after I closed it, but that must be a different issue.

We will check aufs using a Minisys brute force penetration, and if no new problems appear, upgrade to 008.3E this weekend (with only change that aufs will be added everywhere as default, like in Universal installer, initrd.gz and so on).

Please report the results youu get, if you already check it on your own as described above.

Mark

[MU]

Can I simply delete the games applications from my Live-CD and then remaster it?

I did not try that yet, as I use the buildsystem to add stuff to Muppy.
But you could try Sunburnts new "mksfs", to add files to msy_083.sfs:
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=29839

Different to SFS-Combiner, it does not need a temporary Linuxdrive to create a SFS.
Mark

[tlchost]

Can I simply delete the games applications from my Live-CD and then remaster it?

I did not try that yet, as I use the buildsystem to add stuff to Muppy.
But you could try Sunburnts new "mksfs", to add files to msy_083.sfs:
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=29839

I tried it, and before I saw you fix, it didn't work (g).

I manually made an sfs file of the programs in /root/Windows/Windows-C/Programs ... I got it to load, but the programs wouldn't run. Should I have made an sfs of /root/Windows instead ?

Since the standard version of .083d with some of my addtions works on both the desktop and laptop, I was hoping to create an sfs of windows programs that I need now and again.

Thom

[Sage]

Interesting. I raised the issue of unionfs vs. aufs with Barry on his blog a week or so back.
Do we understand that the extra bootcode is all that is required? Or does it depend on a lot more things?
http://puppylinux.com/blog/?viewDetailed=00126

[MU]

tlchost
/root/Windows/Windows-C
This is just a symlink to:
/root/.wine/drive_c

If you install a program in Wine, it will add several modifications to the Wine (Windows) files, like the registry.
So to add them to the SFS, the best will be, to add the whole folder:
/root/.wine/drive_c
or maybe even better:
/root/.wine/

Mark

[MU]

Interesting. I raised the issue of unionfs vs. aufs with Barry on his blog a week or so back.
Do we understand that the extra bootcode is all that is required?

yessss
And thanks for raising that issue in the blog, it was the clue for me, to search the forum for the few buried aufs-messages, that finally helped me.

Mark

[tlchost]

If you install a program in Wine, it will add several modifications to the Wine (Windows) files, like the registry.
So to add them to the SFS, the best will be, to add the whole folder:
/root/.wine/drive_c
or maybe even better:
/root/.wine/

ThanksI should have mentioned that all of the applications are portable, that is they do NOT make registry entries, and thus, don;t have to be installed.

Thom

[kirk]

nteresting. I raised the issue of unionfs vs. aufs with Barry on his blog a week or so back.
Do we understand that the extra bootcode is all that is required? Or does it depend on a lot more things?
http://puppylinux.com/blog/?viewDetailed=00126

This does not apply to Puppy4, it does not include AUFS. Though Puppy4 has a very different version of Unionfs. I haven't had any lockup problems, but I only used Puppy3 for a month or so.

[Sage]

yessss

Well, that is a tremendous help for all of using FULL installations, Mark, when the bootcode can be permanently written into menu.lst . Maybe GXine will behave?
Yesterday, at the nth attempt(!), I succeeded in Frugally installing 3.01 onto a 425Mb drive and Fully installing to a 525Mb drive. There are millions of these things still circulating. Sometimes, the bell-curve for mass-produced kit can work in your favour. The survivors, even if only 1%, could last forever - the sample of early failures has long since passed through the system. Data and settings can be written to another old drive or directly to CD/DVD-RW and swap space on an old 200Mb drive. This is real planet-saving stuff.

[MU]

yessss

Well, that is a tremendous help for all of using FULL installations, ...

I don't think so.
Full installations do not use unionfs.
As they write to real partitions.
Unionfs is just required, if (write-protected) squashfs files are used.
Unionfs merges their file-structure with a writable filestructure, so that files in the SFS can be "virtually" deleted.

In full installations, this is not the case, so no unionfs is used,and no aufs is required as a replacement.

Mark

[Sage]

Thanks again, Mark - I try to learn something new every day! Hadn't realised that unionfs/aufs was only associated with compression. Funny how these elementary misconceptions creep under the radar for us non-IT people.