Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

[mikeslr]

Maybe it's what you're used to. But as I've posted several times I have LinuxMint on my computer and almost never boot into it. If you need an application someone hasn't already created for Puppy maybe the package manager of a major distro will make life easier than Puppy Package Manager. [I don't have sufficient experience with scottman's pkg-cli to compare it]. In all other respects, I don't think major distros offer any advantage to newbies.

LinuxMint is a highly rated and unquestionably solid distro which is why I chose it. But yesterday I decided to boot into it and bring it up to speed. It does provide an module notifying you that there are upgrades available. Nice feature. A new, and recommended, kernel upgrade was available. Under Puppies, I can manually change kernels in less than five minutes; and newer Puppies can use an app, LinuxMint took over 20 minutes, during which I sat around twiddling my thumbs as I didn't want to do anything that might interfere with the process. Of course, just in case something went wrong, before doing any upgrade I wanted to 'backup' my functioning system. Under Puppy's modular system changing kernels doesn't alter the rest of your system so a backup isn't necessary. But when a backup is prudent, that means backing up my SaveFile/Folder. Puppies backup applications can do that in a minute or two. LinuxMint has 'time-shift' which, if I understand it correctly, creates an image of your current system. If you haven't done that in a while during which there have been many changes --upgrades to applications or their components, etc.-- expect to twiddle your thumbs for quite a while.

If something went wrong under Puppy, you can boot 'pfix=ram", remove the bk-xxxx ending from the backup-SaveFile's name and reboot into your functioning system. I've yet to figure out what to do with the time-shifts I've created under LinuxMint.

The upgrade manager told me that about 10 other upgrades were available. Then it wasn't able to access the repos which supposedly had them (or the needed components were missing from my default repos). So I had to use synaptic to change my default repos. More time wasted.

Maybe all that is second nature if you're used to how a major distro works. But if your coming from Windows I think learning how to do things under recent Puppies would actually be easier.

Perhaps Puppies only other disadvantage are their use of rox. Rox has some unique ways of managing files. However, AFAIK, xfe can be installed into any Puppy, series 5 or above. It has little overhead and provides a stylish, easily understood file-manager. [Not that there's anything wrong with rox other than its learning curve. It's all I use].

[Colonel Panic]

I've just installed the latest version of Devuan, 2.1. The software is a bit behind the curve (it has LibreOffice 5.2.7.2, for example, and Palemoon needs to be the Debian 9 version in order to be able to install on it), but it still works well.

Devuan 2.1 offers you a choice of init system, either sysvinit or Open RC, when you install it. Worth considering for older computers in particular, or for anyone who wants to avoid using systemd.

[EDIT: one quirk it has though is that when it's booting up, the screen goes blank for at least a minute before displaying the login screen. The first time this happened, I switched the computer off because I was convinced something had gone wrong.]

[Colonel Panic]

Another good one for older computers; there's a new beta of the forthcoming edition of ELive, 3.8.1, which is free in the 32-bit version (though you have to wait two hours for a download link, which is emailed to you) and which I'm posting from now. I'm using it live because at the moment I don't have any space left on my hard drive to install it.

It uses the E16 version of Enlightenment for its window manager, and looks good for a distro designed to work on older computers though I had some difficulty getting it to find a suitable driver for my video card and had to make do with the "open" one (which seems to work well enough). There are some random clicks and noises whenever you move the cursor to certain areas of the desktop, which I find a bit disconcerting although there's probably a way to turn them off, and also a puffing sound whenever you click on the menus (which I quite like).

In summary, it's definitely worth a look if you've got an older computer and are willing to try something a bit different; it's clear that a lot of thought, time and effort have gone into it. There is also a 64-bit version, but you need to give a donation to get the download link for that one.

[Billtoo]

I've been running PCLinuxOS XFCE4 on my HP desktop pc.

Computer
Processor 4x Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-6100T CPU @ 3.20GHz
Memory 3898MB (609MB used)
Operating System PCLinuxOS

Display
Resolution 1920x1080 pixels
OpenGL Renderer Mesa DRI Intel(R) HD Graphics 530 (Skylake GT2)
X11 Vendor The X.Org Foundation

Version
Kernel Linux 5.4.6-pclos1 (x86_64)
Compiled #1 SMP Sat Dec 21 05:08:30 CST 2019

Updates are available for downloading frequently, latest kernel today.
No problems so far.

[darry19662018]

Welcome back Billtoo - been a while:)

[Colonel Panic]

There's a new release of AntiX, 19.1, out now just in time for Christmas. I'm posting from it now and it's working well so far although I haven't installed it yet.

[belham2]

Well, I finally took the plunge.

For $228 I bought the latest Ipad 7th generation, 10.2 inch (not the Ipad Pro). Also bought the new Apple case that has their built-in keyboard, which unfolds and becomes an instant desktop PC.

Reasons I bought the Ipad: namely, the release of IpadOS and version 13.3. Specifically, both bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless keyboards and mice, plus connecting USB drives and such, they all connect to the IpadOS without any problem. That surprised me. Along with the changing nature of the IpadOS look, feel and structure (I've been using an Iphone since summer 2007).

Setting the Ipad 7th Generation up like a desktop (I decided to connect via Ethernet), I was blown away. Apple has a real---excuse the pun--desktop killer here. Sure, this won't occur for us Puppy/Linux diehards, but for 99.99% of the world's consumers, it becomes an interesting standard.

Most everything of what my family does on the web (music, browsing, video watching, secure-financial doings, calling, etc) all are handled easily within the IpadOS. And it all follows them around the house. Aided by the incredible ecosystems of apps that all companies have put into the Apple Store since the birth of the Iphone back 13 years ago, well, lookout everyone else.

And as far as things like gaming go, it's foolish to think for one second that tablets aren't (if not almost already there) going to be able to handle even the most demanding games. To think that thought is to not have lived thru the 90s and 2000s incredible technological leaps in computing. Yes, the IpadOS is not an Xbox and/or high-end PC competitor, but like I said, ignore technological change at our own peril. Using IpadOS feels like being in on the ground floor when I first had an Iphone back in the summer of 2007. Things are going to change radically over the next few years.

I know this may be heresy, but I believe the whole Linux Universe needs to stop focusing on desktops and start attacking tablets (and, of course, phone worlds). No wonder Ubuntu/Debian and Fedora/OpenSUSE have been having this conversation more frequently every year, themselves not ever sure how to proceed.

Apple is landing & has landed squarely on Linux' beach (not to mention Microsoft's---now the Surface & SurfacePro push over the past 2 years by Microsoft makes perfect sense). Here's a glimpse: I can carry this new desktop Ipad to any HDTV in the house, and immediately start streaming (or connect via HDMI) & start watching all of the content we subscribe to. I can carry it and take a video (or picture) anywhere. And, yet, still, the desktop OS of IpadOS is still in my hands everywhere I go. I walk back to my desk, the Ipad with IpadOS immediately becomes a desktop PC again, handling nearly 99.99% of everything I do on a desktop OS. Furthermore, this can happen anywhere in the world I happen to be at the moment.

Yes, this is a game-changer........

[mavrothal]

[belham2]

[8Geee]

Belham2:

This can be set up as LAN?!?!
How is that done... no reference to a jack... lightning connector?

Curious
8Geee

[belham2]

[belham2]

[followup# from previous post]

For anyone interested, things like this dock (Amazon link below) already exist and exemplify what will continue to come down the pike for the Apple IpadOS (and will extend to phones soon) & Apple devices:

https://www.amazon.com/Docking-Baseus-Aluminum-Charging-Headphone/dp/B07TWG4F56/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=ipad+usb-c+hub&qid=1577700561&sr=8-6 (this works on both Ipad Pro with its USB-C port, and also with regular Ipads via a small USB-C to Lightning adapter. This is another option rather than just using the Lightning-to-USB3 Adapter cable I currently am using on my new 7th Generation Ipad cum Desktop OS Replacement (UPDATE: Firefox and DuckDuckGo browsers fly on IpadOS, have tested both, and they are excellent alternative to Safari. Chrome browser is just as fast too. Wow, Apple & the IpadOS is changing how I think about everything).


The IpadOS desktop, powerful, sleek, follows you anywhere, no longer need a dedicated computer desk/station (anywhere) in the house and/or travelling.

[ras]

Hi Belham

[belham2]

[rockedge]

Apple operating systems are hacked and modified Linux.

Apple and "security" is like saying Elon Musk is alone behind StarLink or the NSA doesn't know your name.

How many servers run OSx or OSi.... in business or the Internet?