BETA - Mean Puppy - 50Mb build BETA released.

[JohnMurga]

There is an early beta of my 50Mb build at :

http://my-plan.org/meanPuppy/

I can't find the details of my mirror at MU's site

The ".tar.gz" contains a "pack" that builds this "Mean Puppy" if unpacked alongside an "Unleashed" install (CAUTION - IT CHANGES YOUR UNLEASHED FILES).

Anyway, this is an early test build, it doesn't contain many of my tweaks but does fit (160k to spare) on a 50Mb CD and works VERY well on my 128Mb machine (Puppy2 and Opera ).

Real release notes will come with the final release, but here is a heads up :

• Very extensive compression using the new UPX 2.01 and a script of mine.
  InkScape, GNumeric and XOrg had to go, Mozilla is replaced by Opera.
  Euronews RealVideo is viewable through Opera, as well as the BBC News 24 TV link in gxXine TV thanks to a complete set of Real codecs.
  Busybox VI is now completely un-usable, so it's been replaced with VIM.
  RXVT tweaks, background tweaks, etc.

About the compression, just take a look at the patched "createpuppy" and search for "JohnM", you have have to be careful whith what you use UPX on ... My changes seem to work so far and buy me over 2.5Mb over 50Mb

I haven't added or changed the splash at all yet, so at first this even looks the same when booting up ... I have some cool stuff I am going to putting into this over the next few days (including incorporating a personal project I've been working on that'll make the DammSmall guys a little jealous).

Cheers
JohnM

[MU]

Code: Select all

I can't find the details of my mirror at MU's site

do you mean how to upload? - ok, sent you new message.
Or a link to your mirror? I will add one. - done.
Here is the link to your old iso:
http://dotpups.de/murga/


I stop hosting Isos, as the server is running out of space
But if you want, we can delete the old one, and upload the new?
Or is Puppy 105 still important?

I will not say "strictly no" to host new Isos, but must manage the final space now
Mark

[raffy]

Am not very used to unleashed, but will be willing to co-host the 50 MB ISO when it is ready.

Hope the looks will appeal to kids, too. Here's an example my daughter made.

[JohnMurga]

Am not very used to unleashed, but will be willing to co-host the 50 MB ISO when it is ready.

Hope the looks will appeal to kids, too. Here's an example my daughter made.

I like it ... I think I'll add it as an option

Cheers
JohnM

[Lobster]

Well I am posting from the Mean Beta (could not resist trying it)

During the startup - you are asked for type of keyboard and then straight into a low res desktop - with xvesa choice (can that interface be simplified?)
(automate that and we are into Puppy Desktop with NO setup (hooray - coming soon I hope)

The first thing that comes to mind is the firewall should be turned on by default and the wizard should turn it off (that is a general security point for all Puppy versions)
Also auto DHCP would be good (Barry mentions some possibility - I think on the developers forum . . .)

For those on dialup that want Opera, this might well be a better choice than the official Opera Puppy 2. It is 20 meg less and that is a lot. You lose Inkscape but can always install it or the new xaralx from grafpup. You have no spreadsheet BUT Gaim is kept in and that means Puppy support is just a button click away . . . (unless IRC in Opera is autoconfigured). I vote for Gaim. Do we have .pups for spreadsheets - seems gnumeric is a pupget - so that is easily installed.

I am able to watch BBC news and click on line thanks to the real audio/video codecs


This is just the beta
Are we gonna have XDG menus?
Give John some feedback.
I say woof woof

This is good stuff.

[JohnMurga]

Well I am posting from the Mean Beta (could not resist trying it)

During the startup - you are asked for type of keyboard and then straight into a low res desktop - with xvesa choice (can that interface be simplified?)
(automate that and we are into Puppy Desktop with NO setup (hooray - coming soon I hope)

The first thing that comes to mind is the firewall should be turned on by default and the wizard should turn it off (that is a general security point for all Puppy versions)
Also auto DHCP would be good (Barry mentions some possibility - I think on the developers forum . . .)

For those on dialup that want Opera, this might well be a better choice than the official Opera Puppy 2. It is 20 meg less and that is a lot. You lose Inkscape but can always install it or the new xaralx from grafpup. You have no spreadsheet BUT Gaim is kept in and that means Puppy support is just a button click away . . . (unless IRC in Opera is autoconfigured). I vote for Gaim. Do we have .pups for spreadsheets - seems gnumeric is a pupget - so that is easily installed.

I am able to watch BBC news and click on line thanks to the real audio/video codecs

This is just the beta
Are we gonna have XDG menus?
Give John some feedback.
I say woof woof

This is good stuff.

Thanks for the feedback, you may see most of your suggestions in the build next week.

Could you add this to the Wikki news page please ?

Cheers
JohnM

[Lobster]

Happy to. It is important that we offer feedback (one of the ways to help developers) and we say what works and what does not.

We now have a set of sizes for lower download speeds - from
29 Meg (OneBone) (this is specialised and not suitable for most people in my opinion)
39 meg (Barebones)
Mean Puppy 50 meg,
through to 70 meg

[Ted Dog]

John, I'll be able to host the final version. I have been away camping and many new 2.0 custom versions are popping up. Looks like I should update puptrix.org soon.
Ted Dog

[Sage]

Definitely the way to progress. The competition has already set the yardstick at 50M. Still too big for DUN so it'll be a few weeks before I can access a D/L. There is always stuff that can be left out. 99% of users have absolutely no interest in coding languages which bloats so many distros. One working dialler should be adequate. & co.

[mouldy]

Definitely the way to progress. The competition has already set the yardstick at 50M. Still too big for DUN so it'll be a few weeks before I can access a D/L. There is always stuff that can be left out. 99% of users have absolutely no interest in coding languages which bloats so many distros. One working dialler should be adequate. & co.

Since you are making Opera version and thus need to include Qt anyway, might consider QtWvDialer frontend for wvdial. Its a dotpup already. I kinda like it. Has pretty good manners and nice looking with benefits of wvdial under the hood so to speak.

[JohnMurga]

Since you are making Opera version and thus need to include Qt anyway, might consider QtWvDialer frontend for wvdial. Its a dotpup already. I kinda like it. Has pretty good manners and nice looking with benefits of wvdial under the hood so to speak.

Barry uses the shared version of Opera, however for the 50Mb CD I use the staticly compiled version because I can get it compressed to a substancially smaller size overall.

BTW - Final release will NOT be this week, I am trying to find time to migrate the forum and what I've added since the last beta needs some testing ...

Lobster will be happy with the result though

Cheers
JohnM