Puppy Greyhound

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playdayz
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Puppy Greyhound

#1 Post by playdayz »

Puppy Greyhound

Greyhound is a Puppy derivative (or puplet) but there is nothing to download--nothing except the information on this page. Information has a much smaller bandwidth than an ISO. What I mean is that these are the instructions to turn a regular Puppy into a Greyhound. They are easy to try and they are easy to undo if you don't like them.
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I have always admired BarryK's decision to make Puppy a single-user operating system that ran as root. I am sure he took some grief for that, as many of us probably have, because that violates a rule of Linux Orthodoxy; that Linux is a multi-user operating system. But, gee-whiz, what does my ancient p3 need with a multi-user OS. I would rather have the simplcity and convenience of running as root. So, all I have done in training my Greyhound is to ask some more questions about what is really necessary and what is not--because by eliminating what is not necessary I can get a return in quickness and speed.

Here are the Instructions. I hope you will read the explanation below if you don't already know each of these programs. Start Pprocess (Menu: System: Pprocess) and Kill whichever of these processes you choose. I kill them all. If you don't like the result, just reboot and you are back to normal with no harm done (on the basis of my knowledge and testing--don't do anything you are not comfortable with).

Code: Select all

/sbin/udevd -daemon
syslog m -0
klogd
/bin/sh /sbin/pup_event_frontend_d
absvolume -bg #DCDAD5
xload -nolable -bg #888888 -fg red -hl white
freememapplet
asapm - 4
blinky-bg #DCDAD5
/usr/bin/inotifywait -e modify --format % /tmp/pup_e
These are 10 programs that will not be needing cpu time. I notice a difference. In fact, I do not load pup_408.sfs into ram (which is now the default) even though that would make some things snappier, because they are snappy enough just from killing those 10 processes! I keep Rox running because it is quicker that way in opening a filer window (and it provides the desktop).

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Explanation.

First, I don't think the logs are necessary. I test programs and try to adapt them to Puppy and I almost never use the logs; in day to day usage, I never need them. If I need them I can turn them back on. Surely a server or a corporate network need the logs; I don't.

Similarly, I don't need xload, blinky, freememapplet, the battery monitor, or the volume control ( the volume control is a close call, but I can start it easily from the menu). If or when I need any of these they are easy to start, but 99% of the time I would rather have the memory and cpu cycles they take up. I do want the clock, but someone else might not.

Finally, the tough one. I have been watching BarryK's progress in creating a leaner, faster subsitute for hal and dbus. Once upon a time aI had made a lean and quick Arch linux system and then I put dbus and hal (which basically automount things as far as I can see). It was a noticable and shocking slowdown! I haven't liked them since or seen any need for them. But they are a superstitition; some programs won't even start without them though they don't really need them. So I was happy to see Barry try to replace them. But I realize now that I don't really need his pup_event system either. I can start Pmount whenever I need to mount something and it even thoughtfully opens a rox window after mounting. I can easily see that some people might be more comfortable with automounting in a transition from Windows.

I must say that I have tried and enjoyed numerous puplets but I do not remember any of them being quicker and more responsive than BarryK's original--he sets a high standard. The puplets add different personalities to Puppy, which is great fun because Puppy is such a wonderful basis for customization. Perhaps some of the other puplets could add some greyhound training too ;-)

Extra. You can download the Greyhound (which my wife and daughter insist is a Whippet) and make it your wallpaper by putting it into /usr/share/backgrounds and running Menu: Desktop: Wallpaper Setter.

http://www.diddywahdiddy.net/Puppy400/silver.jpg

If you want to make Greyhound permanent, then the xload, freememapplet, asapm, blinky, (and clock) are in .jwmrc-tray in your home /root) folder--just comment them out with a # at the beginning of each line.

pup_event_frontend_d and absvolume are in /root/.xinitrc and I comment them out the same way.

udevd, klogd, and syslog are somewhere you can find but I don't think udevd should be commented out--it has to run for hardware detection, but it can be stopped once X and your window manager are running. I write a little script named greyhound.sh that I put into /root/startup--so it runs when jwm starts--don't forget to change the permissions with Rox Right-Click on greyhound.sh Permissions

killall -9 klogd
killall -9 syslogd
killall -9 udevd

Finally--will anyone really read this far ;-) I personally would be appreciative if instead of making pets for me, people would sometimes write instructions. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the pets, but I would also like to know how to do it myself. Thank you.

davec51
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Missing items

#2 Post by davec51 »

MacPup Dingo doesn't seem to have most of the processes you list. Did the developer already take them out?

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Lobster
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#3 Post by Lobster »

Excellent.
This approach is also used by Ezpup (which adds IceWm themes) and some other functions to a standard Puppy.
I have added a link to Greyhound here:
http://tmxxine.com/wik/wikka.php?wakka= ... neUpgrades
Puppy Raspup 8.2Final 8)
Puppy Links Page http://www.smokey01.com/bruceb/puppy.html :D

otropogo

Re: Puppy Greyhound

#4 Post by otropogo »

playdayz wrote:Puppy Greyhound


freememapplet


These are 10 programs that will not be needing cpu time.

Finally--will anyone really read this far ;-) ...
I have read to the end, and question the lack of need for freememapplet.

Admittedly, after many months of watching it, I still don't really understand exactly how it works, or what it's warning me about. However, I know that when it goes red, and the count is at zero, bad things are happening.

This has happened to me several times, and usually while downloading a program.

Sometimes, the cause is obvious - I've directed the download into my 2fs save area (I'm running Puppy 4.0 from LiveCD). In this case, the download aborted, I've had to delete the partial download (I've found that moving it out to ordinary storage doesn't work with the resume function). What would happen without the applet? I assume Puppy would simply lock up, and I have no idea what the consequences would be on reboot of a completely full 2fs file.

At other times, the declining "memory" (again, down to zero) remains a mystery, but usually goes away on reboot.



Since you seem quite sure of the superfluity of the memapplet, I expect that you know the intricacies of its function, and would ask you to explain what it does, and why this is unnecessary.

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playdayz
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Freemem for me

#5 Post by playdayz »

@otropogo Here is one explanation of freememapplet, i remember another that, i think, added that the number is in some cases a combination of free ram and pup_sav. i can't find ttat one again though. All this seems plausible to me but I certainly do not know for sure. aj should know though.
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 26&t=18543
Thank you for reading all the way to the end. I am sure of the superfluity of the freememapplet for me. As I meant to suggest, different people will have different ideas about what is necessary. I have run it down to red myself. Downloading a file larger than the memory remaining in pup_sav.2fs would certainly do it. I ran it down by compiling, which eats up memory fast also. I now have a swap file active which I think helps, I also have a better idea of how memory is functioning and what pup_sav is doing, so Iknow the things (downloading and compiling and huge pets or many pets) that might cause problems and I try to allow for that. Finally, I make extensive use of /mnt/home (as you say, I think, regular memory). When I first set up, I make the sav file 768 M or 1G.

Actually i ran it down to red just the other night trying to compile vlc and it whacked my whole system and I lost it. This one was my own darn fault becuae it tried to compile in /root instead of in /mnt/home. I was just lazy and I deserved what I got ;-) Freememapllet wouldn't have saved me though because I started the compile and walked away for a while. Luckily I have several (from 4-8 ) different frugal installs sharing the same hard drive and I do the dangerous things on an expendable install. They only take about 1G each and they share /mnt/home and I can look at many of the official and unoffical Puppies.

I hope I didn't sound like a know it all telling everyone how to run their Puppies. I am much more of an anarchist than that I hope. i like to raise issues and have fun with a goal toward encouraging all of us to learn more about how our Puppies work (That's why I did Greyhound this way, with the instructions rather than making a "real" puplet on an ISO) and to investigate the theoretical (even philososphical side) of Puppy, linux and computing. I am very grateful to the Puppy community for the opportunity to do that. Stylistically I try to strike a balance between being overly tentative and overly authoritative. Probably it just sounds pedantic ;-) I did enjoy some of the careful subtleties of your message. Thanks again.

bugman

#6 Post by bugman »

thanks for this

i am going to take some time to figure out what in this applies to puppy 1.07

and apply it

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axiz
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#7 Post by axiz »

well, i tried and it's work very good!. Any way, HTOP, won't start in blackbox. I tried other things, like running a game in wine and it's work perfect!. Thanks, this is just what i was searching for my puppy...!

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jemimah
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#8 Post by jemimah »

Killing processes is a lame way to do it. Try Pstartup by afishe2000:

http://code.google.com/p/pmenu2/downloa ... t&can=2&q=

One could extend it to include services in /etc/init.d.
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Stripe
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#9 Post by Stripe »

Hi all

Thanks very much Playdayz I love posts like this that explain things, thats how I learn by reading and trying things.

Sorry I think your wife and daughter are right it does look like a whippet, (I have been breeding coursing/hunting dogs for the last 25 years)

Cheers
Stripe

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axiz
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#10 Post by axiz »

Mhmhmh... After some tests, when i reset puppy, to install a few more packages (LXPanel and other stuff), puppy won`t install anymore... :(.. I dont want to reinstall puppy because i alredy have my own compiled-by-me kernel, and it works great. Any idea of why packet manager won`t work?..
PD(1): Sorry for my terrible english... :(
PD(2): I want to deinstall JWM how can i do that?.... Otherway than delete manually files, and edit configs?.
Thanks. AxiZ

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#11 Post by abushcrafter »

How to comment in XML: XML Syntax.
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My Quote:"Humans are stupid, though some are clever but stupid." http://www.dependent.de/media/audio/mp3/System_Syn_Heres_to_You.zip http://www.systemsyn.com/

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