Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

[emil]

INFO: There is a new version of this software available - read here
-------------
I made a new version of my Sage Pupplet, based on the brand new Sage 4.6 release and shinobars Quickset edition release.




Sage aims to be a viable open source and free alternative to Mathematica, Matlab, Maple, Magma etc....

Download ISO image
http://boxen.math.washington.edu/home/emil/sagelive/sagelive-511-46-r3.iso
md5sum-r3.txt
readme.txt


The core of sage is based on the "python-family" libraries, like numpy, sympy, scipy but it allows for fast execution using compiled code with "cython". Other free packages are included over special interfaces, e.g. R, Maxima, Pari.

Beside sage I included also the sage html documentation (incl. Tutorial and FAQ) in the iso, and also the jsmathfonts for nice rendering of formulas. I choose seamonkey browser buy default and removed midori (althoug you can load other browser over quickpet anytime). The sage software was downloaded as Ubuntu binaries and just unzipped into Lupq quickset edition - a good example of the power of woof.

Some problems with previous version should be fixed:
Easier set up and country/keyboard Wizard at startup
Partial localisation (english, french, german, spanish, japanese?) due to the excellent effort of shinobar and others.
Compatibility with older processors should be better (Compiled with FAT_BINARIES option)

I removed Latex, Octave, Lyx and Tecmax. This makes the iso smaller.

I tested it in my dual core desktop with 1GB RAM, and in a virtual machine with 768 MB RAM.

of course:
Credits Sage W. Stein and the community.
Credits puppy linux to BarryK, playdayz, micko01, shinobar and the community!

emil


---------------------- Previous Version, March 2010 --------------------------


Hi,
I spent some time with mathematic software recently. Beside others I came across the Sage Project. It's mission goal is to provide a complete open source alternative to the "big players" in that field, i.e. Mathematica, Matlab, Maple, Magma.

It glues together various existing open source packages, as a result is a rather heavy heap of software (uncompressed over 1 GB).

I figured that Puppy Linux would be a very good technology platform to carry this big package and still keep it at a reasonable size (and speed). A usable Live CD - the current Ubuntu version is really minimalistic - or a working USB version would make this ambitious project much more easily distributable. The Iso contains:

Puppy Linux 431
Sage
Sage Documentation & Tutorial
Latex & Lyx Editor
Octave
Gnuplot

Download Mirrors
Alternative:
Download SageLive


I think the end result runs with acceptable performance. I have no comparisons of the hardware requirements of other installations, but I think that this version will run fine on "low end" equipment. I could test it with 1 GB RAM and 1,6GHz. It might be possible to go as low as 512 MB Ram - but then surly some Swap space is required.

This project was an interesting learning experience for me (Wallpapers, Menu, Desktopicons, initrd.gz, Memory issues, Swapspace). If anybody likes it I would be happy.

Emil

PS: I came about this interesting personal history of the Sage project (from W. Stein, main creator of the project)

PPS: to make setting up swapspace easier I wrote a swapwizard script to assist user in creating swapspace. It is localised in the /etc/rc.d directory. Currently it is not called automatically, but the idea is to include that later.

Screenshot appended

[emil]

The Sage team made this Puplet available from their official mirrors

http://www.sagemath.org/download-livecd.html

[Roy]

emil,

Which keyboard configuration is loaded by default in SageLivePup? I haven't really had the time to play with this as much as I'ld like yet.

-Roy

[emil]

Roy,

if booted for the first time, it should ask you for the keyboard as well as the screenresolution like a normal puppy - If not it is a bug .

My keyboard is a german "quertz" setup, so if y and z are swapped on your keyboard there is a screw up in the iso. Please tell if it is working correctly or not...

-emil

[Roy]

emil,

No setup questions apart from the Xorgwiyard ßß and zes, mz kezboard is not correct. Using an old Dell )centrino= with a U.S. kezbaord and 2GB of RAM.

Md5sum checked good on downloaded iso.

ßRoz

[Roy]

AFTER USING Setup:Configure Puppz for zour countrz: Choose kezboard lazout for zour countrz, I get this.

Mazbe I have to restart JWM_ I am running in LiveCD mode.

ßRoz

EDITED LATER: Emil, I did choose the U.S. keyboard during this attempt. Don't want you to think this post was only a partial test....

[Roy]

emil,

AFTER USING Setup>Change the mouse and keyboard>Advanced Xorg keyboard configuration>Keyboard model>Dell, everything is once again correct in my piece of the world. Restarting JWM or the Xserver was not necessary.

-Roy

EDIT: Emil, may I suggest that you set the background to Stretched Mode by default? The computer I am currently using has a 1024x768 screen (not a widescreen) and, well, first impressions and all.... might make a big difference to new users who don't already know how to manipulate the background.

[emil]

Hello Roy,

thank you for your feedback. I will try to correct those "showstopper" issues. Especially since the iso is already on the official sage servers for download.

I guess I have to remaster again, or is it somehow possible to
edit the pup431.sfs (maybe mount somewhere and then mksfs) ...

if you have some other suggestions, would be great!
emil

[jamesbond]

Hi Emil,

I saw somewhere in sage mailing list that you upload a SageLive_Full.iso, which I have already downloaded. What would be the difference between that and the one in Sage's download mirror (SageLivePupv02.iso)?

cheers!

[emil]

The first one was a alpha version which loads completley to ram using the original puppy initrd.gz. This could give Problems since the memory management is made for an OS around 100 MB and not for the 700 MB package.

e.g. if you have 1 GB Ram, then the "Full" version is completely loaded and partially unzipped. starting sage notebook caused crashes. This can be partially fixed by providing swap space manually (either swap partition or swap files), however this is a second rate solution and I didn't regard it acceptable for a Live CD which is targetted at first time users.

In the current SageLivev02.iso (I regard it as a beta version), I had changed the initrd.gz, so it is only loaded completely to RAM if more the 1.5 GB are found. However I had some feedback on the sage-support forum, that loading time for 700 MB is too long so I will probably go for a noram default in my final release.

There are already some known minor bugs, please refer to the thread in the sage-support google group. I would appreciate any feedback.

cheers
emil

[charlie6]

Hallo emil !
many thanks for the idea and this iso !
have downloaded it and checked the md5sum OK!
burned on a CD with burniso2cd...verified OK
aftrwds, booted from live cd on PIV 1,5MBRam 2,5GHz
BUT:
the setup does not even ask to set up the keyboard ; and as Roy reported it already, it seems default us keyboard configured. Trying to use keyboard/mouse setup wizard to another locale does not help.

Moreover, clicking on sage console icon let a rxvt terminal displayed one fourth of second and disappear.
Only sage doc icon opens seamonkey on the sage doc.

Thanks for any advice about this?
Cheers, Charlie

[emil]

Hi,

charly thanks for feedback.

the keyboard issue is known bug. Use Roys method or edit the textfile
/etc/keymap
I am not sure but I think this is a bug in Puppy I found something on
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=47563&start=180
page 13 bottom: /usr/lib/local is not cleaned while remastering.

Not sure about the sage console: this should work:
have you tried to open console (rxvt), then type sage?
It could be a memory issue - what does the "free" command" give for
RAM and Swap?

emil

[jfv]

Hi,

I am using a EEEPC 2G Surf with 512MB of RAM and I can boot into your puppy but sage doesn't run. I also have keyboard issues but I am sure those are easy to fix with the info on this thread.

[emil]

Hi jfv,

512 MB RAM is really small for sage, compressed into a sfs it is 400 MB and uncompressed approx. 1,5 GB.

Have you swapspace available? What does the command "free" give.

if you have 0 swapspace you could follow the brief instructions which show if you klick the help icon on the desktop.

in this thread I published a prototype of a shell script which should automatically create swap space.
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=52596&sid=31b92e0c9a4d5305be9cd20f6691cf21

I plan to include that script in my next release of the SagePup.

Anyway, I think that 512 MB is really minimal to run sage. please report your experiences! (Maybe you have the option to add some RAM?)


emil

[jfv]

Hi, emil,

Thanks for your reply. I also tried the ubuntu based sage live cd. An old one that they had works fine on my laptop but the newer one seems to have the same problem as yours, not enough RAM. I'll have to create a swap file in the SD card but that is not a great solution. This laptop is a very cheap one and the RAM is not upgradeable. I need to get a new laptop.

Thanks again.