(old)Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

Did some PAE tests with Slacko 5.6 today.
System boots well on my system and ran smoothly (it better had, lol).

I can confirm that with PAE I was able to access my entire 32gb ram. It was however significantly slower than on x86_64, but that's to be expected. Otherwise it ran well.

One thing I noticed, it only sees 8 of my 24 cores. I'm assuming that the kernel is limited to that? Honestly, there's no point for more on a 32bit system, but I figured it was worth asking.

System runs well, I think it's what going to be installed on my netbook this weekend.
Thanks for another great release!

HardInfo = http://q5sys.info/pae/memtests/hardinfo_report.html

I did a manual frugal install of Slacko 5.6 non-pae to the hard drive
of a Gateway desktop pc.
video-info-glx 1.5.3 Thu 22 Aug 2013 on Slacko Puppy 5.6 Linux 3.4.52 i686
0.0 VGA compatible controller:nVidia Corporation GF108 [GeForceGT430](rev a1)
oem: NVIDIA
product: GF108 Board - 1071v1p1 Chip Rev
X Server: Xorg Driver: nvidia
X.Org version: 1.12.4
dimensions: 1920x1080 pixels (513x292 millimeters)
depth of root window: 24 planes
direct rendering: Yes
server glx vendor string: NVIDIA Corporation
server glx version string: 1.4
OpenGL vendor string: NVIDIA Corporation
OpenGL renderer string: GeForce GT 430/PCIe/SSE2/3DNOW!
OpenGL version string: 4.3.0 NVIDIA 325.15
AMD Phenom(tm) II X4 810 Processor
Core 0: @2592 1: @2592 2: @2592 3: @2592 MHz

I customized it a little by removing ffmpeg with remove builtin
packages utility and then installed an older version + VLC-2.0.8 which
I compiled in Slacko 5.5.
Movie DVD's play well with GnomeMplayer,Xine,and VLC.
Tas still works too.
Linksys WUSB54GC 802.11g Adapter [ralink rt73]
Memory 3633MB (232MB used)

my main machine (lenovo T500) failed to play the DVD in question using slacko 5.3.3, slacko 5.6, precise 5.7.1 (+ retro), fatdog64-621 and lina 7

so looks like a iffy drive on this machine, however, slacko 5.6 wouldn't play on an IBM T21 where an installed precise 5.7.1 retro did (same disc)

will have a go on other machines when I get a moment and report my finding

ally wrote: slacko 5.6 wouldn't play on an IBM T21 where an installed precise 5.7.1 retro did (same disc)

Did you try the Slacko 5.6 nonPAE version on this computer?

Had a task to perform, so the first recent version of Puppy I reached for was Slacko 5.3.1. Couldn't get to desktop because of video driver issue. Found a copy of Slacko 5.4, same thing. This attempt included manual uninstall of Nvidia Noveu / install of NV driver, which failed. Burned a copy of Slacko 5.6 PAE, and had problems, finally resolved with some sort of modesetting driver. Finally made it to desktop, but probably with hobbled video capability. From what I read in this thread, I should probably be using NON-PAE. Noticed Gnome mplayer in the menu tree, so tried a command with mencoder, not found. So I searched for mencoder with PPM, not there in any repo. Searched for mplayer, too confusing. This is a very standard Dell Dimension 3100 2.8 GHz w HT 2GB ram desktop using onboard Intel 82915 G/GV/910GL Integrated graphics controller. I probably won't use Slacko with any regularity if I can't install VLC.

Thanks, bigpup, that worked, but only exactly as was recommended: I first tried the custom boot without pfix=ram, and it didn't boot. Maybe I'll drop back to version 5.5, especially if someone got VLC to work, cuz Gnome Mplayer is not playing much in 5.6 PAE.

nubc,

There is info in the release notes that may deal with your problems.
http://slacko.01micko.com/notes.html

I have an IBM P4 3.0 GHz box that I assumed would be i686-compatible. When running Slacko 5.6 PAE, neither Gnome-MPlayer nor MPlayer could play a DVD movie.

However, everything worked with Slacko 5.6 non-PAE.

As a test, I took /usr/bin/mplayer from non-PAE and dropped it into PAE. Peasy DVD Player worked fine, as did other MPlayer functions.

I'm using a newer version of xine than what's in the Slacko repository but I find that xine works very well in 5.6 non-pae.

LiveCD test of Slacko 5.6 non-PAE on my HP/Compaq Presario 2200 laptop
1.3Ghz Celeron M (non-PAE) 1 GB ram 1.GB swap

Ran Firefox over wired connection, tested FLV and MP4 vids, MP3 music, and a DVD. The only problem I noticed was that video brightness and saturation were wacky until I changed Gnome MPlayer's "video output" setting to "gl", then everything was fine. (Slacko 5.5 had this same problem).

Nice job, micko! I'm currently running Precise 5.4.93 on this machine, but this might tempt me to make the switch to Slacko.

One rather obscure technical issue: I use microEmacs 4.00 as my programming editor. It depends on libtermcap.so.2. On my Wary and Precise Puppy systems, this library isn't standard issue, but creating a symlink to libncurses.so solves the problem. In Slacko, libtermcap.so.2 *is* standard issue, but microEmacs fails, complaining that it can't open the termcap file. (I had noticed this problem in Slack 5.5 too.)

In Slacko 5.6, libtermcap.so.2 is a symlink to libtermcap.so.2.0.8. Borrowing the trick I use on Wary and Precise Puppy, I changed the symlink to point to libncurses.so instead -- and bingo, microEmacs works.

Of course this isn't acceptable as a permanent fix, since it might break other stuff that depends on the OOTB symlink. If I decide to install Slacko 5.6 permanently, I plan to create the symlink that microEmacs needs and put it in my personal lib directory, then use a shell script to run microEmacs with a customized LD_LIBRARY_PATH so that my symlink gets picked up instead of the standard symlink.

rcrsn51 wrote:I have an IBM P4 3.0 GHz box that I assumed would be i686-compatible. When running Slacko 5.6 PAE, neither Gnome-MPlayer nor MPlayer could play a DVD movie.

Interesting. I'll give that a shot on work's Dell Optiplex GX270s (yes, really). Three have 3.0GHz single-core P4 with Hyperthreading and 1GB RAM, One has a 2.1 (IIRC) GHz CPU. Will report back on Tuesday if I have time to test them.

Q5sys's machine has more CPU cores and RAM than all of the machines I am maintaining at work combined! Please tell me it's doing something hardcore!

Jades wrote:Q5sys's machine has more CPU cores and RAM than all of the machines I am maintaining at work combined! Please tell me it's doing something hardcore!

It runs 4 to 5 VMs 24 hours a day on top of my normal daily activities.

@bigpup

5.6-non-pae did not work with the (same) disc, more to follow.......

Re: "Machine check error".
mobo=Asrock H61M-S with 4MB of RAM.

1.I'm getting this warning...
Aparently at random...
When attempting to boot a CD-RW of "Slacko-5.5.91" [is this PAE or not?]...
I've previously edited to "isolinux.cfg->pmedia=ataflash", from pmedia=cd.
It goes into a cyclic reboot attempt that never succeeds, but instead gives the above warning.

2. I normally then go into the BIOS Setup...
[No BIOS changes saved]
Swap in a CD-RW of "Precise-5.6.1-ataflash", which boots OK.
Then when I go back to attempting to boot "Slacko-5.5.91-ataflash", the attempt succeeds.

Any ideas?

Manual frugal install to 16gb SDHC card, computer is an Acer Aspire
One netbook (11.6" screen) connected to an external lcd monitor with a
vga cable.
video-info-glx 1.5.3 Sat 24 Aug 2013 on Slacko Puppy 5.6 Linux 3.4.52 i686
5.0 VGA compatible controller:
ATI Technologies Inc M880G [Mobility Radeon HD 4200]
oem: ATI ATOMBIOS
product: RS880M 01.00
X Server: Xorg Driver: fglrx
X.Org version: 1.12.4
dimensions: 2464x902 pixels (651x238 millimeters)
depth of root window: 24 planes
direct rendering: Yes
server glx vendor string: ATI
server glx version string: 1.4
OpenGL vendor string: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
OpenGL renderer string: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4200 Series
OpenGL version string: 3.3.11672 Compatibility Profile Context
AMD Athlon(tm) II Neo K125 Processor
Core 0: @1695 MHz
Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM43225 802.11b/g/n (rev 01)
Working well so far.

So glad to see Puppy growing.

About Gnome-mplayer issues.

Noticed the one in Slacko 5.6 PAE is version 1.0.8b
On Gnome-mplayer web site that is a test release. (with release date Feb 17)
The release version is 1.0.8 (with release date Mar1)

Wonder if the people with problems are using a DVD disk, that needs a codec that is not installed in Slacko 5.6?
I have read some problems, posted on web sites, where a needed codec was missing. Adding the needed codecs solved the play problem for that DVD.

Just some ideas

http://01micko.com/packages/xine/

Here we can try Xine, you only need xine-lib-1.2.3-i686.pet (~3M) and xine-ui-0.99.7-i686-s14.0.pet (~1.4M) , you also need vcdimager (optional , seems it's a xine-lib build time dependency only, try it without) from PPM. (it's in Slacky and Salix, either is ok).

It installs and adds a defaultdvdplayer script to /usr/local/bin so when you click the dvd/cd icon after the dvd is recognised it should start the dvd. Let me know if it works ok on older systems or if I missed any deps.

01micko wrote:http://01micko.com/packages/xine/

Here we can try Xine, you only need xine-lib-1.2.3-i686.pet (~3M) and xine-ui-0.99.7-i686-s14.0.pet (~1.4M) , you also need vcdimager (optional , seems it's a xine-lib build time dependency only, try it without) from PPM. (it's in Slacky and Salix, either is ok).

It installs and adds a defaultdvdplayer script to /usr/local/bin so when you click the dvd/cd icon after the dvd is recognised it should start the dvd. Let me know if it works ok on older systems or if I missed any deps.

Interestingly, all I get on my trusty Athlon XP box is dvd playback in a series of still frames and a little message (see screenshot).Did launch when the dvd was clicked and it tried to play.....

FWIW, I play dvd's on this thing all the time.....no problem.

Fresh manual frugal install to a 4gb lexar jd firefly flash drive, pc
is an EEEpc 701 sd netbook which is connect to a 19" external lcd
monitor and is using a Sony usb dvd drive.
Installed the new xine pets and clicked on the dvd and it fired up,
put in the settings,saved them and exited.
I clicked on the dvd again and it plays perfectly both regular and
fullscreen.
This netbook isn't exactly a powerhouse but xine works great on it

video-info-glx 1.5.1 Mon 26 Aug 2013 on Slacko Puppy 5.6 Linux 3.4.52 i686
2.0 VGA compatible controller:
Intel Corporation Mobile 915GM/GMS/910GML Express Graphics Controller(rev 04)
oem: Intel(r)915GM/910ML/915MS Graphics Chip Accelerated VGA BIOS
product: Intel(r)915GM/910ML/915MS Graphics Controller Hardware Version 0.0
X Server: Xorg Driver: intel
X.Org version: 1.12.4
dimensions: 1440x900 pixels (380x238 millimeters)
depth of root window: 24 planes
direct rendering: Yes
server glx vendor string: SGI
server glx version string: 1.4
OpenGL vendor string: Tungsten Graphics, Inc
OpenGL renderer string: Mesa DRI Intel(R) 915GM x86/MMX/SSE2
OpenGL version string: 1.4 Mesa 8.0.4
Intel(R) Celeron(R) M processor 900MHz
Core 0: @Intel(R) 1: @630 MHz

EDIT:works if the dvd has a menu too.

James C wrote: Interestingly, all I get on my trusty Athlon XP box is dvd playback in a series of still frames and a little message (see screenshot).Did launch when the dvd was clicked and it tried to play.....

FWIW, I play dvd's on this thing all the time.....no problem.

Interesting... I have an athlon 1900+ with an old ati card (rage, courtesy of Sage) and it's working beautifully. So it must be video card related? IIRC your athlon has an mx440? Was it working fine in slacko with gnome-mplayer? I wonder what the problem is with ally, et-al? I'll try xine later with the onboard SiS graphics. I normally don't stuff with this machine much as it's the LAN server.

This little experiment has taken me back a bit. My first linux install was Mandrake-8.1 and I had to compile dvdread, ogle and ogle_gui (having just come from win98) and it all worked! I was amazed at how good it was. But then Mandrake-9.0 came out and Xine was the big thing.. of course it was a "package" (non-free I think, licencing BS) but for dvd support you had to jump through some hoops but oh boy it was worth it, made all the fancy windows progs look like the crap that they were. Power-DVD, Cyber-DVD, couple of others I can't recall .
Anyway, Ogle is pretty much dead now, it wont build against dvdread-4.20. I remember patching it against 4.13 and Barry was quite happy about that (search the blog, circa 2010). The last Ogle release was in 2006. It bemuses me somewhat that no one has made a DVD gui based on ffmpeg, or at least ffplay (it does play DVD's, well some of them).

If you think testing is fun then try and build a distro. ;