Slacko RC

[otropogo]

Did you check the md5sum of the ISO to be sure you got a good download? I have had bad downloads happen.
Just curious. I am running from it right now from a frugal install and it seems to be working fine on my desktop PC.

Yes. Checked the md5sum of the downloaded iso, and again of the burned CD. No problems booting or running Slacko from the CD, only when trying with the freshly made ext3 2fs file.

[otropogo]

otropogo,

That's strange because it is in the pet.

It's just a small text file.

I've attached a copy with tar.gz which it isn't, the forum won't take txt files..

Just rename it to just COPYING

You've lost me. What are you referring to in your post?

[rcrsn51]

Webcam app? I would have it as essential.

The guvcview package from Lupu works, but only after tracking down some dependencies. I could throw together a PET, but it would probably be better if it was made from Slackware packages.

[tasmod]

otropogo,

You mentioned problems with Xfprot missing a file. It should have been in the downloaded pet.
I checked and it certainly is, that's why I was puzzled it is missing.

I posted a copy of that missing file with the extention tar.gz

It's not a tar.gz file, that was just a rename so it could be posted as the forum can only accept certain file types in the threads.

Download the file and then just rename it to COPYING that's it, nothing else.

Place the file in the /usr/local/share/xfprot directory.

If all else fails, see my post in the Additional Software / Security section of the forum where you can download the complete pet.

[tasmod]

otropogo and Mick,

Apologies for this but the pet in the Security section splits itself up to two Xfprot main directories that aren't in the original.

I don't know why the pet did this.

I've petted it again in a fresh frugal install of Slacko and now it installs to correct directories.

This probably wouldn't have hurt it anyway as it launched but complained of the missing text file.

The Additional Software/Security section has a correct pet now.

EDIT: Ahhh got it now. I had Xfprot-2.4 directory which I intended to pet using dir2pet BUT there was also a Xfprot-2.4-i486 directory which dir2pet picked up and included as well.

[otropogo]

otropogo,

You mentioned problems with Xfprot missing a file. It should have been in the downloaded pet.
I checked and it certainly is, that's why I was puzzled it is missing.

I posted a copy of that missing file with the extention tar.gz

It's not a tar.gz file, that was just a rename so it could be posted as the forum can only accept certain file types in the threads.

Download the file and then just rename it to COPYING that's it, nothing else.

Place the file in the /usr/local/share/xfprot directory.

OK. I follow you now - a brief quote would have saved a lot of typing...

However, that wasn't the only error message, and I rather doubt that not finding the GPL notice would have prevented x-fprot from going online to pick up the latest signature file.

I wonder whether the problem stems from the fact that I hadn't made a first save yet, and had no 2fs file? It wouldn't be the first time that inadequate documentation has crippled Puppy.

If all else fails, see my post in the Additional Software / Security section of the forum where you can download the complete pet.

OK. Thanks. Unfortunately, since trying to install and run x-fprot I've encountered a fatal problem with Slacko - the inability to reboot with a 2fs file. At this point I'm deliberating whether it's worth the effort to go several more rounds and maybe waste several more hours on this distro. So far the error messages I've posted haven't rung any bells, and I certainly can't make any sense of them.

I'll try booting from the CD once more this weekend with the USB3 machine, just to see whether Slacko includes a USB3 driver. If it does, I'll try to address the critical problem of not being able to save my configuration. And if that works, then I'll look at making x-fprot function.

[otropogo]

One thing I hoped to find in Slacko that definitely is missing in Puppy is support for DVD-RAM and the ability to write to a DVD as though it were a hard drive.

Has anyone tried this?

I mention it because SLAX is able to read and write to such discs formated in Windows7. Puppy, OTOH, can't even mount them.

[rcrsn51]

Unfortunately, since trying to install and run x-fprot I've encountered a fatal problem with Slacko - the inability to reboot with a 2fs file.

That's not true in general. I just did a frugal install with a vanilla slackosave.2fs file and it worked fine. Please describe your setup.

[otropogo]

Unfortunately, since trying to install and run x-fprot I've encountered a fatal problem with Slacko - the inability to reboot with a 2fs file.

That's not true in general. I just did a frugal install with a vanilla slackosave.2fs file and it worked fine.

I'm sure it did, but that's of no help to me.

Please describe your setup.

Nothing extraordinary. I'm running an Intel 865GLC MoBo with 2GB of RAM, a couple of 250GB WD hdds, and a couple of monitors on a 256MB ATI X15500 video card. All of the above work fine with lupu 5.2.8 and Puppy 4.3.1, after a bit of wrestling with the xorg wizard over resolution and refresh rates.

At shutdown I chose saving to a Vfat partition on sdb2 using a 512MB ext3 2fs file, no encryption. There was plenty of room for it on the partition.

There were no error messages, but on reboot, the system locked up trying to load, displaying the lines I cited. It's the first time I've used the ext3 format for a 2fs file, so maybe that has something to do with the failure to load. Or maybe 512MB wasn't enough space for adobe flash, fprot, xfprot, Gimp2.7, and the repository databases?

I did notice the lack of a pmount icon on the desktop, and the fact that one of the drive icons disappeared from the desktop just by right clicking on it once. I had no idea how to get it back, and I confess it made me a bit antsy...


Update: Have just gone two more round with Slacko. First I booted a third time with the 3fs file, and got third lockup with yet another set of lines displayed. This time "BUG" didn't appear, butI got:

[48.613336] NULL pointer deference at 00004e

a few lines before everything locked up.

I then rebooted clean, reconfigured the display, downloaded fprot and xfprot from ibiblios again, and installed (no missing dependencies, no errors), got the warning that "copy" is missing, clicked "agree" on the blank window that should contain the text of the GPL. Then tried to update fprot again, and got the same error message as previously:

/tmp/xterm_simulate_hold.sh:line 2:null:command not found.

and txfprot failed to go online to download the latest virus signatures.

Finally, I shut down, and this time selected saving to a 2fs file of 32MB. Again, no error messages. On reboot, I got a menu of both the 3fs file and the 2fs, and chose the latter. And got a fourth lockup, with yet a fourth set of final texts on the display, including:

[87.423861] Code: Bad EIP value

And that marks the end of my investment in Slacko. I don't have time for this.

I hope that these posts will be of some use to others, and that this exercise will not be a complete waste. This experience reinforces my long-held view that there is simply not enough coding capability available in the Puppy community to create and maintain several distinct versions concurrently.

This bounty of choices may be the delight of tinkerers and for those who just play around with their PCs, but for those of us who need a reliable platform to perform important tasks, it's making Puppy unusable.

[Lobster]

I hope that these posts will be of some use to others

All feedback is useful.

Our chief developer will be back in 3 days (apparently delayed) from his killing spree (gone fishing)
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 290#572290
and will be compiling from the latest woof released today.
http://bkhome.org/blog/?viewDetailed=02542

Micko writes:

Hopefully by tomorrow I can get out rc2, or if not final in a few days.

Developing a new version is not easy. I have been using Slacko Puppy 5.3 (known as Spot at the time) since May 2011. For the first two weeks I could get not even get to the desktop. So testing is frustrating.

Have you considered fishing? I am still running from those fisher men . . . that relieves the tension . . .
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 760#528798

[otropogo]

I hope that these posts will be of some use to others

All feedback is useful.

Not always welcome, alas...

[8-bit]

As per your statement of saving to an ext3 slacksave file, you keep calling it a 2fs file. If you saved it as a 3fs file it should have a 3fs extension and not a 2fs file extension.
I think that may be part of your problem if the slacosave file has the wrong extension.
I jumped through a few hoops getting slacko rc working for me. But it seems that if I can do it, you should also be able to.
If I was setting at your PC, I and most others here could most likely get it to work to.

As a for instance, you state creating a 32meg slacksave file.
32megs is not even an option for size of it.

You already stated you can boot from the CD to a desktop with all icons present and menu items present also.
But you just might be trying to install too many things before creating a save file.
Have you tried booting from the CD with "puppy pfix=ram" and setting up the bare minimums.
Do not at that time try to install flashplayer.
You can do that after a reboot.
There is an item in the menu to do that.
Also, do not go with less than a 512 meg save file.
Ext2 or ext3 is fine, but the save file should have a 3fs filename extension if you pick ext3 and a 2fs filename extension if you pick ext2.
Persevere, and you will succeed.

[01micko]

Not always welcome, alas...

Hmmm... says who?

The only suggestion I can offer is that the kernel doesn't agree with your hardware. It isn't much help for you since you are opting out of Slacko but there are 2 versions.. the k2.6.37.6-smp for reasonably modern machines and k2.6.39.4-PAE for more modern machines supporting up to 64G RAM.

As for fprot I took it at Rob's word to be working, I'll upload his latest pet.

Sorry for any inconvenience.

[James C]

Quick combined report. Three frugal installs (Athlon XP, P3 and P4 Windows 7 box) of the 2.6.37.6 version of Slacko RC.All on ext3 partitions.
Pretty simply....no problems at all.

[8-bit]

I am running Slacko RC 5.29.5 from a USB flash drive on a 10 year old Toshiba Laptop.
As this is the first time I have tried running it without the AC adapter/charger, I noticed a problem.
Although the battery was fully charged, the battery taskbar icon went quickly to 3% and then 0%.
I plugged in the AC adapter and no change was shown.
After a restart of X, it showed charging with a value of 23% and is slowly advancing.
But is the script for it written to detect if AC is added while running so as to show that change of status on the taskbar?

[01micko]

Hi 8-bit

It should show blue when AC is plugged, red when unplugged.. working ok here.

[charlie6]

Hi Mick,
I believe the following to bring some light on xorgwizard working !
Here me have had problems to get X starting ...and
.. keeping the faith one more time ... and digging to understand a bit more about xorgwizard's working, brought the following:
the current slacko5.29.5's xorgwizard (from line 1508) directs to and starts the /usr/sbin/SILICON script if a silicon video driver is detected.
The /usr/sbin/SILICON script starts the /usr/sbin/xorgwizard-automatic script.
If no silicon motion driver exists then the "classic" /usr/sbin/xorgwizard should run ... isn't?

So to see if a problem would come from the current xorgwizard script, let us do manualy and separately what it does.
To do this lets us replace the current xorgwizard by a more classic one: the one picked-up from wary 5.1.4 , or the one picked-up from slacko4.99.1.
Those do not have the script starting at line 1508 (SILICON detection.script)

this tested on
- a fresh slacko 5.29.5 savefile [*] + the later xf86-siliconmotion-1.7.5.pet installed
- added /etc/X11/xorg.con.d/keyboard.conf [***]
- DISTRO_XORG_AUTO='yes' in /etc/DISTRO_SPECS
- and, the current /usr/sbin/xorgwizard has been replaced by the one picked-up from wary 5.1.4 , or the one picked-up from slacko4.99.1.

Results: whatever the xorgwizard's origin (from wary 5.1.4 , or from slacko4.99.1):
1. testing SILICON manualy
- remove the current /etc/X11/xorg.conf
- Menu/exit to prompt
- # SILICON EDITED: here returns to prompt ...!!??
- # xorgwizard-automatic EDITED: here have to do it manualy...!?
- # xwin
then Xvesa starts (report-video reports driver=vesa)

2. testing xorgwizard manualy
- remove the current /etc/X11/xorg.conf
- Menu/exit to prompt
- # xorgwizard
- on the Puppy Video Wizard do <Choose> /then select [**] the siliconmotion Video driver and <OK>/
then select the monitor specification and <OK>/select video mode and <TEST>/<TEST_X_NOW>/
got the "Xorg Video Wizard: testing X ...." displayed , do Ctrl-Alt-BackSpace/
then got Xorg Video Wizard "Report on X test" box and <FINISHED>/at the prompt do
- # xwin
then X starts (report-video reports driver= smi)

[*] this savefile created by doing <Probe> at first bootup xorgwizard's run - then Xvesa starts.
[**] here Puppy Video Wizard displays the drivers-full list

Possible conclusion:
1. the problem is:
on first bootup slacko5.29.5 only starts on VESA by doing <Probe>.
Further attempts to get Xorg desktop working by selecting the siliconmotion driver results in a black screen, or system hang up.
2. what the above testing shows is that there could be something in the 5.29.5 xorgwizard that would bring the problem.

All this have been reproduced several times; as also on slacko 5.29.6.

Hope this could also bring some light
Charlie

[***] keyboard.conf

Code: Select all

Section InputDevice
Identfier     "Keyboard0"
Driver        "kbd"
Option         "XkbRules"   "xorg"
Option         "XkbMode1" "pc102" 
Option         "XkbLayout" "be" "#xkeymap0 

[Stripe]

hi all

everything looking good, here's a desktop

cheers

don

[otropogo]

As per your statement of saving to an ext3 slacksave file, you keep calling it a 2fs file. If you saved it as a 3fs file it should have a 3fs extension and not a 2fs file extension.
I think that may be part of your problem if the slacosave file has the wrong extension.

No, it's not part of the problem. I called it a 2fs file out of habit, and because I hadn't actually looked at the extension. How could a 3fs file get a 2fs extension unless one renamed it manually? In any case, now that I've looked at it (having created a second save file, this one a "2fs"), I can assure you that both have the original extension Slacko gave them. And both of them cause it to seize up on reboot, whereas there's no such problem booting with pfix=ram.

I jumped through a few hoops getting slacko rc working for me. But it seems that if I can do it, you should also be able to.
If I was setting at your PC, I and most others here could most likely get it to work to.

Such a long-winded way of gratuitously calling someone "stupid". Your reasoning is defective...

As a for instance, you state creating a 32meg slacksave file.
32megs is not even an option for size of it.

I'm looking at it (all 32MB of it) sitting right beside the original 512MB 3fs file on my hard drive.

You should really check your facts before handing out advice...Try booting Slacko 5.29.6 with pfix=ram yourself, and then go through the save menu when shutting down.

You already stated you can boot from the CD to a desktop with all icons present and menu items present also.
But you just might be trying to install too many things before creating a save file.

Have you tried booting from the CD with "puppy pfix=ram" and setting up the bare minimums.
Do not at that time try to install flashplayer.

Oh, you mean I should ignore the specific recommendation to do so?

You can do that after a reboot.
There is an item in the menu to do that.
Also, do not go with less than a 512 meg save file.
Ext2 or ext3 is fine, but the save file should have a 3fs filename extension if you pick ext3 and a 2fs filename extension if you pick ext2.
Persevere, and you will succeed.

I suggest you direct your suggestions to those (if they exist) who are handling the documentation for Slacko. As for your assurance that perseverance will end in success - it's both illogical and irrelevant. I'm not interested in testing my ability to work around basic functionality issues in a new OS, much less to prove that I'm as smart as you and "most others".

I tried Slacko for one reason, because it was suggested to me that it might provide native support for USB3. I assumed when I set out that it was already functional otherwise.

[tasmod]

Wow otropogo, you sure go out your way to make friends and influence people don't you !