Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

Fishy · Joined: 26 Jan 2006 Posts: 195

I had no problems with the install of the intital Newyearspup but RC1 Maxi will not install properly. I tried changing the files from RC1 into my Muppy411 folder but then the mouse would only move vertically on the screen and it appeared to be moving rapidly non-stop from screen one to two.

Booting from dvd with pfix=ram created the same problem. Md5sum checked out properly. Writing this from the original Newyearspup live CD. which I will re-install frugally.

A full install of mini RC1 worked but insisted on saying / was already installed but otherwise seemed to work. Replaced it with NOP 412 but will keep Newyearspup on another partition and keep plugging away.

I would like to get the desktop cleared of a lot of the applets/programs as it is a bit too busy for my liking.

E2180 processor, 4 gig memory, 8800 series video card.

Thanks MU Very Happy

davesurrey · Joined: 05 Aug 2008 Posts: 1201 Location: UK

Hi Mu,
You asked for feedback on RC1 so here goes:

This is a Full install on a K7S5A mobo, SiS chipset, Athlon 1900XP,
1GB ram, 2x PATA HDDs, nvidia GeForce4 MX440 graphics, broadcom 4306 wifi. Using openbox+ cairo.

1. on booting still get "Waiting for modules to complete loading" and it counts to 10. After rebooting if the x server has crashed it now goes to 15.

2.still get the “/ is used already…refusing to mount on it" message on rebooting but seems to cause no issues.

3.Cairo dock icon now seems to refresh the desktop. Didn't work for me previously.

4.Thanks for giving a choice of cursors.

5. won't recognise my wifi pci.

6. the fat penguin (application starter) and the 2 CPU and RAM "battery" icons are badly positioned on start up. Or is it that Conky and the lowest app icon are set too low. Also the clocks are on top of each other.

7. changing icon set just seemed to be very hit and miss as to what it did. What is "Reload desktop" doing? Is it resetting the x server or the desktop?

8. I noticed Enlightenment is no longer on the choice of desktops.

9. there are several icons missing from the menu. eg nothing for Adobe under Accessories.

10. the menu structure seems to need some rationalisation. For example Network Wizard is in Administration using the Penguin, but under Preferences, not even Network, using the top left corner panel icon.

11. I'd love to learn how to declutter the desktop. still getting to grips with how this is structured.

12. The "battery" type icons for CPU nd RAM still have what I view as illogcal colours ie red for okay, green for nearing danger. can't see how to change them.

13. still recognises my LAN as eth1 not eth0. As a result can't use Netspeed on Cairo. It says "eth0 does not exist"

14. can't get compiz to work (it works under several other distros on this same PC). I think this and perhaps other issues are to do with setting up the graphics drivers which seems to be the area I am having most trouble with. Perhaps it's my fault as I am still not too sure how to use "Select Graficsdriver" for my particular board.

Again Mark, thank you and Wow for all your hard work for this exceptional distro. I hope the above may help you make some small improvements.

Dave

MU · Posted: Sun 01 Feb 2009, 15:02 Post subject:

davesurrey · Joined: 05 Aug 2008 Posts: 1201 Location: UK

Hello Mark,
Once more thank you for your efforts in responding to what I have reported so far.
I know your time will now be very limited whilst you are on your course and I know that several of my points are not “killers” and I am sure I will be able to work around them. Whatever you can do in the time you have available will be most appreciated.

I have the following comments:

1. I installed your service pack 1 and can confirm Enlightenment is now back. Many thanks.

2. Still can’t get compiz working. I attache the xorg log file and also see from the nvidia-installer-log file that it seems to have installed the 96.43.09 driver. See line 141.

3. I am aware that the nv driver won’t give 3D and I did use “select older driver” for this card in the “grafics driver” window.

By the way I did install the beta of this driver (with ubuntu 8.10) on the same PC a few weeks ago and it lost the “windows decoration” around some applications (Opera , Google-earth, K3b). This was a known problem at the time. The fix that worked for me was:
In /etc/X11/xorg.conf add to the Device section:
Option “RenderAccel” “0”

4. It sets the screen resolution at 1280x 1024 which is too small for me and also gives some screen flicker, but when I changed this to 1024x768 it loses the Cairo dock at the bottom of the screen. Is there a simple way of moving Cairo back?

5. You asked about my desire to de-clutter the desktop. I know that I can right click some of the icons to delete them but when I first did this to one of the central icons (rxvt) it deleted ALL of the icons on that central group. I have done a reinstall and since then I can delete icons individually. So it seems that this is fixed.

6. I then tried to select alternative themes for Cairo and unfortunately the clock applet got much larger. I have right clicked to “Configure this applet” and reduced the icon width and height but even after a reboot the clock size persists? It’s things like this that are concerning me.

7. Also I have tried to change the icon set by Preferences>MU-Gtk_Themechooser and selecting “Iconset” for example to change to MacUltimate then it seems to go to the LXDE desktop with a totally different set of icons.. If I repeat this operation (or if I left click on the desktop) then it reverts back to OpenBox but nowwith the Mac icons. It’s difficult to explain this as each time I attempt to change icons I get a slightly different result.

8. Also if I use the Fat Penguin (is this GMenu?) and Preferences>Desktop Icon switcher to change icon-set it offers me a slightly different group of icons; eg no MacUltimate. Then if I select that horrible FlatOrange set I get the “PuppyIconSwitcher window on which I click Ok. I then try to restart the DE or even the x server for example with xwin from the Run window but nothing happens. If I then reboot (I know I shouldn’t have to do this) then I get the
“graficsdriver” window again. The icons do change but don’t see why I have to reboot to get this. What am I doing wrong?

9. I was going to send you a list of all the missing menu icons but I realised that they seem to be theme/icon dependant (for example there is an icon for Abode using MacUltimate icon-set but not for MadShinyBlack) so the list would have been very long and perhaps confusing. Again, it’s not life threatening and I can easily live with. I’ll try to find out how to add them myself.

Anyway Mark, I am still loving this Puppy and am really grateful for your help and hard work.

Dave

tlchost · Posted: Sun 01 Feb 2009, 19:47 Post subject: Problems

This release has been a huge source of frustration for me.

It appears that the remastering script will NOT work with an ntfs partition, but that's easily solved by using a fat partitition on an external USB drive.

It now appears that you can save to the dvd drive two times...after that, you are not presented with you you want to save and get a session not saved message.

If you create a bootable USB drive from the remaster that will no longer save, the USB version will not ask you to save a session.

What I haven't tried, but will is to create a bootable USB version and if it continues to save at the end of a session.

I wonder if anyone else has attempted remastering a DVD or making a bootable USB version.

Looking forward to a solution.

Thom

MU · Posted: Sun 01 Feb 2009, 19:51 Post subject:

Dave,
the log looks ok so far.
Maybe this older driver needs some more options to run compiz.
You could do this:
exit X.
Type:
mp /usr/sbin/xorgwizard

This opens in the console-editor the script, that installs the drivers.
There is such a part at line 169:

tlchost · Posted: Mon 02 Feb 2009, 10:44 Post subject: Remaster - Bootable USB

Bootable USB seems to work fine....followed these steps:

Created Live-CD from RC1 iso
Booted Live-CD and set only the video and locale parameters
Used this Live-CD to create bootable USB

Rebooted system to use bootable USB
Made changes and saved to 1 gig save file
Rebooted and made three more sets of changes, saved each set(total of
4 saves)

Each reboot showed the changes made.

Using original LiveCD, made changes, system would not save to cd at all

Rebooted USB version and created and iso from that version. Note: as previously reported, can not save to ntfs drive, must use vfat partition.

Rebooted system and created LiveCD from iso created with USB version

Rebooted system with new LiveCD and it appeared as USB version appears, etc.

Rebooted system and the new LiveCD did not ask if I wanted to save anything and reported sessio not saved.

Just for grins, I copied the bootable usb drive to another one and the copy functions correctly.

Hope this information is of assistance.

Thom

davesurrey · Joined: 05 Aug 2008 Posts: 1201 Location: UK

Hello Mark,

(I hope you are enjoying your course. Not expecting a reply this week but posting so I don't forget and also in case anyone else can help out.)

1. Tried your suggestion as above but it didn't work. So compiz still refusing to work.

2. Regarding the “/ is used already…refusing to mount on it" message I just noticed that it doesn't appear after a reboot if I don't select "Automount drives when computer starts" option. But if I select to automount then after the next boot the message comes back. Maybe this will give a clue?

3. I managed to force running at 1280x768 resolution after a boot by simply deleting the higher resolution lines (1600x1200 etc) in/etc/X11/xorg.conf Display mode line. Is this okay or a crude way of doing it? If the latter then what's the correct way?

4. Clock sizing seems to have magically fixed itself. May have been my fault???

Learning as I go along.
Cheers
Dave

iscraigh · Joined: 03 Sep 2006 Posts: 276

Tried out midi with an nvidia card

desktop booted but my mouse did not work
I only had vertical movement not horizontal
also it appeared as if the right click was stuck.

I tried xorg nvidia old, nvidia etc

same result

rebooted into the standard unamed pup not problem with mouse.

Craig

MU · Posted: Tue 03 Feb 2009, 04:39 Post subject:

Dave,

MU · Posted: Tue 03 Feb 2009, 05:31 Post subject:

concerning the mouse:
please choose first xorgwizard (1), so that a xorg.conf is created by Puppys inbuilt hardwaredetection.
Then afterwards, choose one of the Nvidia drivers. It will modify the existing xorg.conf then, and not build one from scratch.
If you just use the Nvidia-drivers without xorgwizard, there will miss a section for the mouse I think, so xorg uses its own detection, that might differ from Puppys.
Must check that later at home, this is just a guess at moment.
Mark

iscraigh · Joined: 03 Sep 2006 Posts: 276

I will try this evening

Craig

MU · Posted: Tue 03 Feb 2009, 12:46 Post subject:

I'm at home.
xorg.conf generated by Puppys original xorgwizard:

davesurrey · Joined: 05 Aug 2008 Posts: 1201 Location: UK

Getting every frustrated and about to give up.

Fitted a different board, an nvidia GeForce FX 5200, which Ubuntu is happy with (recognises the driver necessary and compiz works) and tells me it prefers the 173 driver.

Tried it then with NYPup-rc1 but nada. In fact a lot of crashing and banging using the desktop switcher.

MU, it would help if I knew what the various xorgwizard options do.
Do they install a diff driver eg 96, 173 etc.

In which case what does what. At the very least which one should I use for the new board.

Thanks
Dave