SRWare 'Iron' browser; 64-bit SFS & .pet packages

[Mike Walsh]

***58.0.3050.0 re-uploaded with newest PepperFlash***


Apologies to anyone who's downloaded the new version within the last 24 hours. Since Adobe released the newest version of PepperFlash just this afternoon, I figured it would make sense to re-package and re-upload, so everything's up-to-date at the same time..!

If you re-download, you'll be current with Pepper for the next few weeks at least.....

Sorry for the messing around.


Mike.

[orrin]

Part of the reason I switched to DuckDuckGo a while back, after years of using the big 'G's search engine.....

Hi Mike,
You might try Startpage! It's a search based on google with lots
of privacy built in.

https://startpage.com/

[Mike Walsh]

Part of the reason I switched to DuckDuckGo a while back, after years of using the big 'G's search engine.....

Hi Mike,
You might try Startpage! It's a search based on google with lots
of privacy built in.

https://startpage.com/

Hi, orrin.

Mm. I have heard of it. I'll give it a look at some point in the next couple of days; I'm heading up the 'wooden hill', mate....the SandMan is beckoning!

Thanks for the tip. Cheers.


Mike.

[sheldonisaac]

So; here are some SFS packages for the 64-bit Pups. The link is to the Iron folder in my MediaFire a/c; just help yourself to the one you need.
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/dq22re ... S_packages

Mike, I need help.

I put the sfs in the /mnt/home/ , and it does get loaded when I boot Slacko.
But there's no .config/iron directory?? Is it that, or something else, which prevents iron from running?

Code: Select all

/usr/lib/iron/chrome --user-data-dir=/$HOME/.config/iron "$@"

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# iron
/usr/bin/iron: line 3: /usr/lib/iron/chrome: No such file or directory
# ls -l /usr/lib/iron/chrome
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 126681328 May  8 19:30 /usr/lib/iron/chrome

This is in the Slacko64 Puppy 6.9.9.9

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 ls -lt| more
total 248648
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 171757568 Jun 13 03:12 puppy_slacko64_6.9.9.9.sfs
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   2359870 Jun 13 03:05 initrd.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  75071488 May 27 19:32 zdrv_slacko64_6.9.9.9.sfs
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   5155648 May 27 19:28 vmlinuz
# 

Would it help to add the adrv and the fdrv?
EDIT: I did, still iron doesn't start.

Oh, it's

Code: Select all

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  76947456 Jun 20 15:54 Iron-58.0.3050.0-amd64-s14.1.sfs

[roadkill13]

I put the sfs in the /mnt/home/ , and it does get loaded when I boot Slacko.
But there's no .config/iron directory?? Is it that, or something else, which prevents iron from running?

The /root/.config/ folder should be created when the browser loads for the first time.

[sheldonisaac]

I put the sfs in the /mnt/home/ , and it does get loaded when I boot Slacko.
But there's no .config/iron directory?? Is it that, or something else, which prevents iron from running?

The /root/.config/ folder should be created when the browser loads for the first time.

Thanks. To reiterate, the browser does not run; all that happens is the error message.

[roadkill13]

Code:

# iron
/usr/bin/iron: line 3: /usr/lib/iron/chrome: No such file or directory
# ls -l /usr/lib/iron/chrome
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 126681328 May 8 19:30 /usr/lib/iron/chrome

The error message is correct. /usr/lib/iron/chrome does not exist. The symlink at /usr/bin/iron should point to /opt/iron/chrome as that is where the iron folder is actually located in this case.

[sheldonisaac]

The error message is correct. /usr/lib/iron/chrome does not exist. The symlink at /usr/bin/iron should point to /opt/iron/chrome as that is where the iron folder is actually located in this case.

Oh, thanks, roadkill13.
I booted Slacko again, with pfix=ram, and did the sfs_load.
Iron is working!
Maybe it will still work after I boot with a new savefolder.

Sheldon

[Mike Walsh]

Hi, Sheldon.

Sorry for the late reply. I've been playing around with the Debian-based AntiX 16.1 for the last few days, and haven't really been keeping up with things, I'm afraid....!

Roadkill's advice is quite right. I know you've been using Oscar's 32-bit packages till recently, and Oscar builds his packages to sit in /usr/lib. I always build mine to sit in /opt, however, as it's a nice 'catch-all' directory, and in the 64-bit Pups, avoids the headaches associated with the fact that the various 64-bit Pups use different combinations of /usr/lib and /usr/lib64; some are sym-linked, others aren't. Saves me needing to build no end of different versions, y'see.

There is a /usr/lib entry in 64-bit Iron, but it's solely for the PepperFlash plugin. Instead of the PepperFlash directory residing within the Iron directory (like Chrome itself until recently, and SlimJet), SRWare have coded Iron to look in /usr/lib/adobe-flashplugin for Pepper. Since that's always sym-linked to /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins in Puppy, I put Pepper there in the Iron package, and Iron finds it because of the sym-link. Yes, Pepper shares a common location with Adobe Flash when you run Iron!

The /usr/bin entry is a sym-link to the 'chrome-wrapper' script that starts Iron, but is renamed simply to 'iron' for /usr/bin.

We don't all of us build our packages to function in exactly the same way. You obviously entered

Code: Select all

/usr/lib/iron/chrome

because you're used to browsers always being located in /usr/lib.....

Glad to hear it's working, anyway.


Mike.

[Mike Walsh]

***New Version: Iron 59.0.3100.0***

Evening, all.

The new release of Iron, 59.0.3100.0, is now available for download from the link in post #1. I've included the current version of PepperFlash, 26.0.0.131, which installs to /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins, as usual.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Chrome 'upgrades' have once again carried over to Iron, since it's based very closely on it.....including the 'white on black' tooltips, which I'm still not too sure about! And the lack of highlighting in the bookmarks listings...

NetFlix is working, thanks once again to following SRWare's advice to 'poach' the libwidevinecdm.so module from the current version of Chrome itself.

All in all, it's still a very good substitute for Chrome, if you're fed-up (as I am) with the Big G's all-encompassing 'nosiness'.....

Enjoy.


Mike.

[Mike Walsh]

***New Version: Iron 60.0.3150.1***

Evening, all.

The new release of Iron, 60.0.3150.1, is now available for download from the link in post #1. I've included the current version of PepperFlash, 26.0.0.151, which installs to /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins, as usual.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Chrome 'upgrades' have once again carried over to Iron, since it's based very closely on it.....including the 'white on black' tooltips, which I'm still not too sure about! And the lack of highlighting in the bookmarks listings...

NetFlix is working, thanks once again to following SRWare's advice to 'poach' the libwidevinecdm.so module from the current version of Chrome itself.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTICE

I'm going to be concentrating on the 64-bit packages of SlimJet and Iron from now on; my 'run' with the Chrome64 packages is coming to an end. The newest release of Chrome, 61, now requires the very newest version of Network Security Services (libnss.so.3), which Tahr 64 doesn't support, since the new libnss has to have a newer version of the glibc.

I've tried XenialPup64 on the big Compaq, and it just will not run correctly. Unless I can find another suitable 64-bit Pup, which isn't based on Tahr, that's it. Slacko64 is out, since Chrome hasn't run properly on there for a while now. And to the best of my knowledge, all 64-bit Pups are based on one or the other. My deepest apologies to any Chrome fans.

So; enjoy Iron, instead!


Mike.

[orrin]

Hi Mike,

Iron 60.0.3150.1 does not start in Slacko 64-6.3.2.

Maybe a missing library?

It seems that anything based on Chrome 60 or above, loads but will not start!

[Mike Walsh]

Hi Mike,

Iron 60.0.3150.1 does not start in Slacko 64-6.3.2.

Maybe a missing library?

It seems that anything based on Chrome 60 or above, loads but will not start!

Hi, orrin.

Mm. Tell me about it. I don't know what they're doing over at the Chromium Project, but these last few releases have just been throwing up one problem after another. Partly, I believe it's to do with the fact that Puppy's essentially a lightweight distro, so doesn't tend to have all the stuff automatically downloaded & installed from the repos, the way it is for the big, mainstream distros...

What's the output from starting it via the terminal?

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/usr/bin/iron

It's a good way to check for problems; usually gives you an indication of why it won't run. NSS, by any chance?


Mike.

[orrin]

What's the output from starting it via the terminal?

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/usr/bin/iron

It's a good way to check for problems; usually gives you an indication of why it won't run. NSS, by any chance?

Yes, Gtk 3 is loaded and appears in /usr/lib64
Maybe the attached screen image will give you a clue as to the problem.

[battleshooter]

That looks like a clash in GTK3 versions in my unexpert opinion

[Mike Walsh]

***New Version: Iron 61.0.3200.0***

Evening, all.

The new release of Iron, 61.0.3200.0, is now available for download from the link in post #1. I've included the current version of PepperFlash, 27.0.0.130, which installs to /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins, as usual.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Chrome 'upgrades' have once again carried over to Iron, since it's based very closely on it.....including the 'white on black' tooltips, which I'm still not too sure about! And the lack of highlighting in the bookmarks listings...

NetFlix is working, thanks once again to following SRWare's advice to 'poach' the libwidevinecdm.so module from the current version of Chrome itself.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The biggest change is that of Iron having moved to Chromium 61, thus the identical problems from Chrome 61 have reared their head. I have, therefore, made use of battleshooter's expert tuition again, and incorporated the same 'fix' he figured out for t'other browser.....due to Chromium requiring the very newest Network Security Services libraries. So far, it seems to be working.....

I've also added the 'silent-launch' feature to /root/Startup, which certain individuals have been raving about..!

Enjoy it while you can...


Mike.

[step]

Iron-61.0.3200.0-amd64-slacko.sfs

This update appears to run in Fatdog64 after installing package gtk3 from the package manager and linking libpcre.so.3 with this command:

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ln -s /usr/lib64/libpcre.so.{1.2.6,3}

Then start iron from a terminal as user spot:

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run-as-spot iron &

A few error messages that aren't fatal:

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/opt/iron/nacl_helper: error while loading shared libraries: libnss3.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory
[1:1:1005/213535.094326:ERROR:nacl_fork_delegate_linux.cc(316)] Bad NaCl helper startup ack (0 bytes)
Fontconfig error: Cannot load default config file

Tab bar and menus use a fixed-size font. I don't know if that's the intended iron style, but it looks good for a change.

Thanks Mike!

[Mike Walsh]

Hi, step.

Mm-hm; it's not at all a bad browser, TBH. Like all the Chromium-based browsers, it's getting more & more temperemental as its parent evolves. Don't get me wrong; I fully understand the desire of the guys over at the Chromium Project to make their browser as safe and secure as it's possible to make it.....but, boy! is it giving us problems here in Puppyland.

Oscar, peebee, myself, and those few others on the current 'roster' who develop these browsers into usable Puppy packages will, of course, try to keep doing so for as long as we can.....but if the last few releases have been anything to go by, I'm not even going to try & make any sort of guarantee. As the final line in my previous post says.....enjoy it while you can.

If it works for you.....that's great. These browsers are very 'noisy' in the terminal, and have always entailed workarounds of one sort or another to run with Pup's root model, but.....we keep managing it. (Somehow..!)

Enjoy.


Mike.

[redandwhitestripes]

Hi Mike,
Iron 61 turns the font into something resembling the old ZX Spectrum font. Now I love the old Speccy but on my widescreen TV it's not very readable. Any way to fix it? If not it's no real problem, I'll just keep using version 60. I'm just happy to have a Chromium based browser on puppy that doesn't crash one me.

[Mike Walsh]

Hi Mike,
Iron 61 turns the font into something resembling the old ZX Spectrum font. Now I love the old Speccy but on my widescreen TV it's not very readable. Any way to fix it? If not it's no real problem, I'll just keep using version 60. I'm just happy to have a Chromium based browser on puppy that doesn't crash one me.

Ah, tell me about it..!

Have you by any chance been adding/removing any fonts to Puppy? I had a spell of trying out different fonts a little while ago, and I've got the same problem in both Precise 571 and Racy 5.5. I run Chrome, Chromium, SlimJet and Iron in 571.....and Chrome, SlimJet and PaleMoon in 5.5.

In Precise, I have the 'pixellated' fonts problem in Chrome/Chromium.....but SlimJet and Iron are fine. (Slimmie's fonts aren't quite what I want, but I refuse to 'mess' with it!)

In Racy (courtesy of battleshooter's glibc-220 'workaround' he produced a few years back), the problem is there in Chrome & Chromium, too. PaleMoon's fine, though.....and QtWeb, which I also use there, is problem-free too.

I have tried till I'm dizzy to sort the problem out, but.....it persists. I really haven't got any advice to offer, I'm afraid.....but if I ever do manage to fix it, I'll let you know what the solution is. OK?


Mike.