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Kernels and Firmware

Posted: Tue 09 Apr 2019, 09:19
by nic007
Does the Huge Kernels available for download from ibiblio include all the firmware for the specific kernel version? BTW - Can someone please upload a huge kernel for Bionic 32-bit.

Posted: Tue 09 Apr 2019, 09:49
by ozsouth
Firmware isn't generally kernel specific, except some has a minimum kernel it will work with. iwlwifi is a case in point, newest needing at least 4.14 kernel. Some people package firmware with kernels, but Peebee doesn't & I don't usually. There are fdrv .sfs available in any of Peebee's pups, which can be used by simply renaming to version to be used. Some people leave firmware in the main .sfs, but I think that makes it harder to change. Bionic's firmware as an fdrv is here: http://ge.tt/4Pm7XAu2

Posted: Tue 09 Apr 2019, 10:09
by nic007
Thanks for the information. So I take it these huge kernels do not include firmware? Also as confirmation what you are saying, is that (generally speaking) it would not be necesary to also change the firmware when doing a kernel swop?

Posted: Tue 09 Apr 2019, 10:15
by ozsouth
As for a kernel for bionic 32bit - this one would do:
https://archive.org/download/Puppy_Linu ... bb.tar.bz2
It already has some firmware in it. You would need to expand it in an empty folder [tar -jxvf],
then rename files to same as bionic's (kernel-modules = zdrv).

Posted: Tue 09 Apr 2019, 10:42
by watchdog
The most complete firmware set is provided by gyro at:

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 573#820573

Download the sfs and rename it as fdrv for your puppy. Or just extract the firmware you need in /lib/firmware.

Posted: Tue 09 Apr 2019, 10:56
by nic007
watchdog wrote:The most complete firmware set is provided by gyro at:

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 573#820573

Download the sfs and rename it as fdrv for your puppy. Or just extract the firmware you need in /lib/firmware.
Thanks. When is it necessary to change/update the firmware. Only if new hardware does not work properly?

Re: Kernels and Firmware

Posted: Tue 09 Apr 2019, 11:26
by peebee
nic007 wrote:Does the Huge Kernels available for download from ibiblio include all the firmware for the specific kernel version? BTW - Can someone please upload a huge kernel for Bionic 32-bit.
http://distro.ibiblio.org/puppylinux/huge_kernels/
see all items huge-4.9.163
including fdrv firmware

Firmware changes much less frequently than the kernel....

Posted: Tue 09 Apr 2019, 12:53
by watchdog
nic007 wrote: Thanks. When is it necessary to change/update the firmware. Only if new hardware does not work properly?
I used gyro's firmware sfs to install in tahrpup the firmware htc_7010_1.4.0.fw for a laptop's wireless. The entire sfs is heavy: you can extract only the missing firmware.

Posted: Wed 10 Apr 2019, 07:17
by nic007
watchdog wrote:
nic007 wrote: Thanks. When is it necessary to change/update the firmware. Only if new hardware does not work properly?
I used gyro's firmware sfs to install in tahrpup the firmware htc_7010_1.4.0.fw for a laptop's wireless. The entire sfs is heavy: you can extract only the missing firmware.
Thanks. Now you gave me an idea. It will be useful if someone could upload the contents of that firmware set uncompressed to a site like archive.org. Users can then just download specific modules they need. Same can be done for kernels (drivers). Ally are you there?

Posted: Wed 10 Apr 2019, 07:54
by nic007
ozsouth wrote:As for a kernel for bionic 32bit - this one would do:
https://archive.org/download/Puppy_Linu ... bb.tar.bz2
It already has some firmware in it. You would need to expand it in an empty folder [tar -jxvf],
then rename files to same as bionic's (kernel-modules = zdrv).
There is a kernel file (an sfs it seems) and a vmlinuz in the download. I want to use this kernel in Precise 571. Please explain the best way now, ie. what to rename and what to rename it to, which initrd.gz and vmlinuz to use, etc. Thanks.

Okay got it going but Xorg won't start. Probably need additional firmware.

Posted: Wed 10 Apr 2019, 09:41
by ozsouth
At the end of the kernel line in the boot cfg, try adding i915.modeset=0

Posted: Wed 10 Apr 2019, 09:57
by nic007
ozsouth wrote:At the end of the kernel line in the boot cfg, try adding i915.modeset=0
That's a massive config file, I have no idea what you are talking about. Which kernel line, where? Also - I'm not sure I'm doing this right. I need to use the vmlinuz wich is included, the initrd.gz doesn't really matter. Is that correct?

Posted: Wed 10 Apr 2019, 12:22
by ozsouth
The initrd.gz should be the original. Kernel line in grub.cfg would look similar to this:
linux /boot/vmlinuz pmedia=usbflash pfix=fsck root=/dev/sdb1 ro i915.modeset=0

Posted: Wed 10 Apr 2019, 17:40
by nic007
I'm using grub4dos. Anyways, I got it going although taking about 5 minutes to eventually get to desktop. But it works.

Posted: Wed 10 Apr 2019, 18:24
by rockedge
I think any of these kernels will work for you here ->https://rockedge.org/kernels/

you can try this script to make kernel swapping easy..see if it will work on Precise...see if it exists on your system or download it

remove the false "gz"

Posted: Wed 10 Apr 2019, 18:57
by perdido
nic007 wrote: It will be useful if someone could upload the contents of that firmware set uncompressed to a site like archive.org. Users can then just download specific modules they need. Same can be done for kernels (drivers). Ally are you there?
In gyro's first post the uncompressed firmwares are available at http://www.fishprogs.software/puppy/firmware/

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