Pup214R v1.00 - Puppy Linux 2.14 Revisited, is now available

[prehistoric]

Tested the .pet to fix frugal install on a machine with no previous install. All files now get copied where intended, but the grub install produces an incorrect entry in menu.lst. I installed all files into hda3 which was formatted ext2 and empty, except for lost+found. Here is the original menu entry.

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title Linux (on hda3)
root (hd0,2)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda3 vga=normal ro

Note that there is no initial ram disk, and the kernel is assumed to be in the /boot directory.
(This is as remembered, I am now on another machine.)
To get this to boot I modified it, as follows.

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title Puppy Linux 2.14R  frugal (on hda3)
root (hd0,2)
kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/ram0 vga=normal ro PMEDIA=idehd
initrd /initrd.gz

After this everything worked as expected. I'll test an install on a partition which already has another Linux system next. We're almost there, just a little grubby work and it's done.

prehistoric

[swarnick]

The CPU is an AMD K6 3D with 384 MB RAM
Lots of IDE disk drives, lots of partitions.
I will try using pfix=debug

[Dougal]

- only one USB device (f1) is detected by probepart (ie, there is another USB device inserted there).
- pmount, hotplug and MUT all fail mounting USB devices.
- the extra line generated by probepart (at the top) is noticeable.

You should try booting with "blacklist=ub" (HairyWill has already reported a problem with the ub module).
If it still doesn't work, you should send me the output of disktype for that device.

The blank line at the top is irrelevant.

[Dougal]

Here is the original menu entry.

Code: Select all

title Linux (on hda3)
root (hd0,2)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda3 vga=normal ro

Am I assuming correctly that Grub wasn't already installed? That entry seems like what the grub-installer adds, so it's probably a problem with that (which is more of a pain to fix! hmm).

[swarnick]

I downloaded the latest Pup 2.14 iso and did a frugal install (by hand) then booted with linld using pfix=debug. To my chagrin puppy came up flawlessy. I did notice that the messages around "loading kernel modules" have changed. It looks like the USB module load has been split out among other things.

Now (after apologizing to everyone for the false alarm) I have to admit that I am just confused. Did the changes to save memory when loading modules really happen in going from 2.13 forward? I think I saw something about this in earlier posts. I will read the whole long thread again.

I like 2.14R a lot and I have decided to make it my most-of-the-time desktop. I did see a niggle and I have a request.

1. Request: The petget installer should be on the desktop. I couldn't find it in the menus either and ending up typing petget at a command prompt to get it.
2. Niggle: I tried downloading and installing Firefox 1.5 using petget and got errors from the install when it attempted the download. I downloaded it from dotpups.de and it worked fine.

[Dougal]

Whilst I was in .jwmrc-tray I noticed that the panel button declaration had got messed up. This was because I had used the jwm configurator to edit the buttons. I hadn't actually changed anything but I don't think the editor can cope with the comments round the TrayButtons. (this need fixing in puppy trunk as well)

I haven't looked much at that part of jwm-config -- will have a look and see if I can fix it.

Also man rxvt got me a 404

I don't like the idea of having links to webpages... I actually have added many man pages to 214R, so I'll just add the one for rxvt.

[Dougal]

Whilst I was in .jwmrc-tray I noticed that the panel button declaration had got messed up. This was because I had used the jwm configurator to edit the buttons. I hadn't actually changed anything but I don't think the editor can cope with the comments round the TrayButtons.

I tried it and all I could see is that it removed blank lines (which we don't care about). If you want to keep the blank lines, just add a tab or two into each.

[gerry]

Two problems with 214R.

Is it possible to use a non-listed printer driver with XPDQ? It isn't obvious how to insert a non-listed driver..

I downloaded the unrpm_undeb pup, but it won't unzip. I get a message window that says:

MD5SUM error:undeb.pup
Package may be corrupted
Not enough space to unzip?

There's loads of empty ram, I've tried the download several times, and this pup is alive and well on my 3.01 Puppy. What's wrong?

Gerry

[HairyWill]

I tried it and all I could see is that it removed blank lines (which we don't care about). If you want to keep the blank lines, just add a tab or two into each.

Apologies I should have been clearer in my report. Scenario:
I am a naive user, I click
Menu - Desktop - JWM Configuration - OK - Panel Buttons - (the edit button is checked) - OK
I just wanted to see what it did. There are XML comments in some of the fields. I don't want to break anything so I don't change any of the text and just keep clicking the OK buttons. I should be alright because I didn't change anything. The problem is the configurator tries to write back the xml comments into the file. Somewhere in the conversion from xml -> gtkdialog -> xml it gets screwed up.

There is no Cancel, if I try and be a bit clever I use the window manager decoration to close the window but that doesn't help.

here's the start of the resulting .jwmrc-tray

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<JWM>
        <Tray  autohide="false" insert="right" x="0" y="-1" border="0" height="26" >
                <!-- Additional TrayButton attribute: label -->
                <TrayButton label="Menu" icon="mini-dog.xpm">root:3</TrayButton>
<TrayButton popup="<!-- BK showdesktop incompatible with rox 2.5... -->" icon=""><!-- BK showdesktop incompatible with rox 2.5... --></TrayButton>
<TrayButton popup="<!-- Dougal: fixed by selecting" icon=""><!-- in Rox --></TrayButton>
<TrayButton popup="Show desktop" icon="showdesk16.xpm">showdesktop</TrayButton>
<TrayButton popup="<!-- Open terminal" icon="mini-sh.xpm"><!-- exec:rxvt --></TrayButton>
<TrayButton popup="<!-- Open text editor" icon="mini-edit.xpm"><!-- exec:defaulttexteditor --></TrayButton>
        <!--    <TrayButton popup="Open text editor" icon="mini-edit.xpm">exec:defaulttexteditor</TrayButton> -->
                <!-- Additional Pager attributes; width, height -->
                <Pager/>

I think the problem is caused because ....jwmconfig/panel-buttons assumes that every line after the menu button declaration is a valid panel button until it hits the pager declaration. A good example of why editing xml without a proper parser is dangerous! I'm not pointing the finger, I would do the some thing for simplicity.

[SantaClause]

i would like to say, this puppy 2.14R is a great idea. i would like to see this continue.

i will be trying this version as soon as i get access to a cd-rw drive (about 2-3 days).

i am curious how well does this version do a "full install" now? i ask because i like puppy so much, i tend to do a full install as it is about twice as fast on this pc as running the livecd.

also, is there .pet support? .pup? anything that needs to be known by someone used to 3.0* or even 2.16+?

also, there needs to be an updated iso for all the fixes that have happened so far.

one other thing, for future reference, is there a way to "update" each new version of 2.14R from a full install? i ask because if someone does a full install, and you release a new version and they want to upgrade... is there a thing in place to do this? is it planned?

[muggins]

Hi santa,

sorry, but I can't answer your specifics, as I haven't tried as yet, but I'm sure that, like most pupversions 83.6666666% of .pets will work with it easily. How did I arrive at 83.6666666? Just made it up for xmas!

[Dougal]

Is it possible to use a non-listed printer driver with XPDQ? It isn't obvious how to insert a non-listed driver..

We haven't done anything to pdq, so it should work like with the normal Puppies from that time -- you should search the forum.

I downloaded the unrpm_undeb pup, but it won't unzip. I get a message window that says:

MD5SUM error:undeb.pup
Package may be corrupted
Not enough space to unzip?

But the same dotpup works for you in a newer Puppy? Strange... maybe something has changed in the dotpup handler.

What do you need undeb and unrpm for, anyway? Is it for MUs PSI? I think there might be already some unrpm Busybox extension and, besides, any .deb or .rpm you click on should open up in Xarchiver.

[Dougal]

I think the problem is caused because ....jwmconfig/panel-buttons assumes that every line after the menu button declaration is a valid panel button until it hits the pager declaration. A good example of why editing xml without a proper parser is dangerous! I'm not pointing the finger, I would do the some thing for simplicity.

Ahh, now I understand. That entire script is a little sketchy... I added some "exits" to it a while ago, since I also noticed the lack of cancel options... I guess it needs a bit of going over.
Strange that it actually adds everything as buttons...
You don't necessarily need to use a proper parser (though it's obviously better -- that's why I didn't write that script myself in Bash, but asked Jason if PuppyBasic might be better for it...).

[Dougal]

i am curious how well does this version do a "full install" now?

I posted on this thread an updated installer that should get the full install fixed.

also, is there .pet support? .pup? anything that needs to be known by someone used to 3.0* or even 2.16+?

Yes.

also, there needs to be an updated iso for all the fixes that have happened so far.

Pakt has set the date for the first update to the 15th.

one other thing, for future reference, is there a way to "update" each new version of 2.14R from a full install?

We will have "service packs" that can be used instead to apply the changes.

[wingruntled]

Before I backstep? to 2.14R. Does it have win-modem support like 2.17 & 3.01 does.

[pdrito]

I try Puppy Linux 2.14 Revisited on a Live CD, multisession.

First boot, all went OK. Nice load, and set-up of network and xorg went Ok , withouth problem.

Then save all the stuf to CD, All process OK.

Second boot.
Start normal till reach this point:

Coping /pup_214R.sfs to tmpfs ....mounting on (/initrd)/pup_ro2....done

Mounting 20017-12-01-16-41 on /pup_rw .... failed

That must be a problem with the multisession code... I modified it but it never got tested. I'll have a look into it.

Hi Dougal,

This is just to remember you to not forget this multisession issue.

Do you have and idea for when will release v2 of 2.14R (or another update name) ? I am a little anxius to use this distro

pdrito.

[SantaClause]

i am curious how well does this version do a "full install" now?

I posted on this thread an updated installer that should get the full install fixed.

also, is there .pet support? .pup? anything that needs to be known by someone used to 3.0* or even 2.16+?

Yes.

also, there needs to be an updated iso for all the fixes that have happened so far.

Pakt has set the date for the first update to the 15th.

one other thing, for future reference, is there a way to "update" each new version of 2.14R from a full install?

We will have "service packs" that can be used instead to apply the changes.

sweet. Around the 15th is about the time i will be able to test out this version so that works out perfect. as for "service packs", excellent idea. i assume these "service packs" will be a .pet with all packages that need updating within it with a script to install each so that the package manager will notice the updates?

cant wait to try it

[rerwin]

dougal, thanks for including the "dubious Toshiba HW" fix. However, one of the models that uses the MagicGraph video adapter has a screen size of 800x600, but does not indicate that in its ddcprobe output. (The larger-screen models appear to also support 800x600 but omit the "timing:" statement.)

In one of my early versions of the fix I added a line to append a "timing: 800x600..." statement to the ddcprobe.txt file, but only if one was not already present. That was because the Trident adapters do include that line, so no need to duplicate it.
Richard

[Dougal]

Before I backstep? to 2.14R. Does it have win-modem support like 2.17 & 3.01 does.

I'm afraid not...

[Dougal]

This is just to remember you to not forget this multisession issue.

I haven't forgotten, I thought you did...

It would help me if you could get me some more information:
- try booting with "pfix=debug" and see what kind of messages you get before it stops.
- maybe try mounting that cd and see what's on it -- maybe the saved foler has a bad name.