DSL v3.2 RC2Forum: Release Candidates Topic: DSL v3.2 RC2 started by: roberts Posted by roberts on Dec. 27 2006,02:58
DSL v3.2RC2 is now ready for testing.Cumulative Change Log: * Added wpasupplicant. * New Mouse Config Lua GUI. * Added default tone generator for XMMS. * Improved MyDSL download via the Lua GUI. * Moved powerdown to use standard rc scripts. * New dsl-dpkg.unc and adjustments to core. * dsl-pendrive.bat for Qemu to detect booted pendrive. * dsl2unc converter * Updated madwifi-ng modules. * Updated busybox with >2GB file support. * New Cron - A perl cron, with new boot option 'cron' and toggle from control panel. * New boot option "checkfs". Usage: dsl 2 checkfs - for frugals: dsl 2 toram checkfs * Simplified MyDSL structure using the level 1 default autoscanned /mydsl directory or user specified level one directory which contains extensions, and optionally the 'optional' subdirectory and/or a 'modules' subdirectory. Dropped now unneeded 'modules' boot time option and support for extensions at level 1. * New mkmydsl - Simplified Custom iso maker now even easier than before and supports new MyDSL layout and works for both isolinux and syslinux CD versions. Also supports booting with toram or not. On low resource machines boot with: dsl base norestore mydsl{=hdXY{/dirname}} * Updated MyDSL to support direct downloading to all supported and mounted drives/directories. * Added volume setting to persist via .umix * Added default Netscape to call Firefox * Added a default .desktop to /etc/skel for better hard drive support. * Updated xsetup.sh to add .xserverrc to /etc/skel for better hard drive support. * Fixed bad default X & Y for Aterm.lnk * Fixed hard drive install permmision problem on /opt/.mydsl_dir * For hard drive installs, perform regenerate ld.so.cache and modules.dep only upon first boot. * Updated "Getting Started" with the new MyDSL simplified directory structure. * Updated Qemu to 0.8.2 - dropped 60MB virtual hard drive - read the new readme.txt Robert Posted by roberts on Dec. 27 2006,03:00
Updated files that are likely in your backup..xinitrc .fluxbox/menu .jwmrc Posted by Selim on Dec. 28 2006,10:40
I've made a custom iso with mkmydsl, DSL v3.2RC2 and some unc extensions. When using this live-CD (with toram), I can't eject the CD or even umount it. Is it normal? Any workarounds?
Posted by cdr on Dec. 28 2006,14:44
Without the 60 MB virtual disk how can users use MyDSL?
Posted by anam on Dec. 28 2006,16:04
Possible problem with the dsl-dpkg.dslthe symlink is created in /var/lib pointing at /KNOPPIX/var/lib, there is nothing there. So dpkg fails. any attempt to create the directory results in "read only file system" I'm guessing this is a mounting error that has crept in somewhere Posted by roberts on Dec. 28 2006,16:11
Selim, Having unc type extensions on the custom cdrom, means that the cdrom is going to remain mounted and therefore you cannot remove it. This would be the same for uci type extensions. Use alternate persistent storage for any of the mounted style extensions.
Posted by roberts on Dec. 28 2006,16:36
cdr, You can decide how you want to implement Qemu. There have been so many changes with the Qemu project that not all can be pre-setup. The smallish size of 60MB and the fact that it was a virtual hard drive, caused so many questions and mis-understandings, from how to access the real drives, to how can a natively booted DSL access the virtual drive. And requiring users to download basically an empty 60 additional MB. However, if you can still choose to make one and use if you so desired. This may even be preferable if you only use Qemu/DSL, i.e., always from within Windows.Qemu v0.8.2 does have easy read access to real physical drives. So when booting natively, it is very easy to use and save MyDSL extensions. And when booting via Qemu and the pendrive.bat all of your backup and MyDSL extensions are read from the physical drive and load properly as would be expected. The Qemu sites reports as of 11/25/06 to have write capability. While waiting for feature to be generally available via the binary downloads, I find using smbclient quite easy. 1. In Windows "share" your pendrive 2. In Windows note your machine's IP number (ipconfig) 3, Start Qemu/DSL via the pendrive.bat Use normally - download extensions into /cdrom/mydsl BEFORE YOU SHUTDOWN !!! 4. Click DSLpanel, click Backup/Restore, click Backup 5. From DSL menu Apps->Net->SMBclient Enter info and click connect button You will have an smb prompt smb:\> lcd /cdrom smb:\> put backup.tar.gz smb:\> lcd mydsl smb:\> put just_downloaded_extension (repeat as needed) smb:\> quit Now you have stored your Qemu virtual session backup and extenions to the physical drive. This is just one option. Like I said, if you prefer virtual drives, you can. Some users prefer to email these files, and other use webdata, and others grab the Samba/LinNeighborhood to have a graphical version of the above. While we are waiting on the Qemu project, perhaps someone who has a full Windows Development System will step forward and offer to compile the latest sources of Qemu and then we should have direct write access. Then things will be quite simple. Posted by roberts on Dec. 28 2006,16:46
anam, Sorry I cannot reproduce your issue. I just loaded dsl-dpkg.dsl without any problems. So too with dsl-dpkg.unc. If you are talking about dsl-dpkg.unc then it requires that you be running dsl-v3.2RC2 or better otherwise you will have such a situation.
Posted by anam on Dec. 29 2006,10:38
Further details I'm running 3.2rc2 on a usb stick if I boot natively or run under qemu neither the unc or dsl of dsl-dpkg works. I've not tried using any extra boot options (eg:- toram) for the native boot, if I get chance a little later I'll report on that If however I try the "enable apt" link in the tools menu it works fine. Posted by Selim on Dec. 29 2006,12:55
That's what i've thought, thanks for confirming it, roberts.Btw, why .desktop is in /home/dsl? (Because of that when using the desktop=jwm cheatcode with a previous backup, it doesn't work as expected) Posted by mikshaw on Dec. 29 2006,15:43
Unless Robert wants to account for that in dsl-config or .xinitrc, you can change the desktop check in /home/dsl/.xinitrc yourself.Instead of
Note: I've never used getknoppixparam.lua, but it looks like it is appropriate here. Posted by fischli75 on Dec. 29 2006,15:57
Hi,I have downloaded and tried "DSL3.2rc2". Whenever I try to load a myDSL-Extension (skype, Openoffice), X closed automaticaly to console and you can`t restart X. There is no possibility. (There is the same with 3.2rc1.) With current DSL3.1 there are no problems. (I start DSL with "dsl toram lang=de restore=hda2 nousb nopcmcia noswap". I use 768 MB Ram.) regards, Jens Posted by KeatonTech on Dec. 30 2006,06:42
Wow, that just solved my network problems (my LAN card wasn't working so I had to plug my laptop into ethernet, which wasn't real usefull). Posting this from my unteathered laptop now. THIS RULES!
Posted by roberts on Dec. 30 2006,16:10
anam, I have still been unable to reproduce your concern.However, you stated that "Enable Apt" works for you. This would suggest that "apt-get update" may be your issue. When loading the dsl-dpkg.unc or dsl-dpkg.dsl you must issue the command: apt-get update before any apt-get install will work. Posted by roberts on Dec. 30 2006,16:22
Selim & mikshaw,Re: desktop=jwm It has always been the case that a users backup trumps any boot code. For it typically requires an action by the user to setup his environment and such is maintained by the backup. There is always the .xfiletool.lst to exclude any file that the user wishes. But using .xfiletool.lst would mean with no action (boot code), fluxbox. Using code in .xinitrc as suggested by mikshaw, to have a boot code trump the backup value, would break the ability of switching desktops as provided with menu items currently in both fluxbox and jwm, To enable certain boot codes that would trump backup values should only be done once at boot up but after restore. This would maintain the desktop switching option. This is the approach that I have taken and will be in the next RC. Posted by roberts on Dec. 30 2006,16:30
fischli75, Since you stated that it worked in the past, I will avoid my concerns with your 'toram' and 'noswap' options. There was a thread about certain extensions that contained empty base directories that caused havoc with new(er) versions of DSL. But by original standards these base directories should not be in the extensions. Please let me know precisely which extensions are causing you grief, not just the generic name, openoffice. Since extensions are created by the community, this will be a process to find problematic extensions.
Posted by fischli75 on Dec. 30 2006,19:32
roberts,i use the following extensions in current DSL3.1 with myDSL-Browser without problems: skype 1.2.0.18 (http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/damnsmall/mydsl/net/skype-1.2.0.18.dsl) Openoffice 1.1 (http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/damnsmall/mydsl/apps/openoffice.tar.gz) In 3.2rc1 and 3.2rc2 is it not possible. fischli75 Posted by roberts on Dec. 30 2006,20:59
fischli75, Thanks for the details. It appears that it was skype that was not in compliance. I have fixed skype and have reposted it. I noted the change in the info file. Both of these extensions now load without issue for me.
Posted by fischli75 on Dec. 31 2006,08:46
roberts, thanks - now it works with both extensions.
Posted by Selim on Dec. 31 2006,10:20
Thanks roberts for all your work!Btw, dsl2unc have successfully converted to unc the following dsl (It can even convert some problematic extensions in working unc): - amsn-tcltk-0.95-ver5.dsl - netcat.dsl - ntpdate_4.1.0-8_i386.dsl - rar.dsl - tkdvd.dsl (The one in System) - xine.dsl Posted by ^thehatsrule^ on Dec. 31 2006,18:04
idea for qemu: for the virtual harddisk, place it in another zip. And/Or place some scripts to recreate them.Although I know there are many things that make using qemu somewhat confusing to new users, the virtual harddisk was more reliable. (and you wouldn't have to set up samba, etc on the host machine) Posted by roberts on Dec. 31 2006,18:22
What I am thinking of doing is to keep the original dsl-windows.bat file, which is setup for the virtual disk and possibly add the qemu-img.exe into the zip. Then have the readme contain basic virtual disk creation instructions. The virtual disk size is something the user will need to create based on size of pendrive and/or storage requirements. Still this is all basic qemu stuff and not DSL. Then, on the otherhand, I think that maybe I should only provide the bat files and readme, and not being redistributing Qemu, like the way I handle Vmplayer. Only the .vmx configuration file specific to DSL is being distributed.FYI. The smbclient is easy to script. I have mine in qemu-save.sh. Posted by ripcrd6 on Jan. 04 2007,15:35
Thanks for all your hard work Robert S. Just catching up on this topic.If you could release a howto or detailed readme for creating our own qemu image or virtual disk that would be great and helpful. I'm trying to wrap my brain around some virtual machine stuff for work and messing with the already working DSL and its small footprint is most helpful. DSL is the only QEMU image I've gotten to work yet and it was a breeze. For some reason I couldn't get qemu that was installed to my linux box to launch and open a dsl iso, but by copying your dsl embedded .zip to my drive, unzipping and running your precanned QEMU, DSL and everything it worked. Good to know that you used and supplied a tested QEMU config w/ DSL. Docs and packaging of tools have been better here than many places I've been and I definitely dig the community effort. Keep it up. One other comment. Have you and John thought of setting up an RSS feed for the released versions and RCs of DSL and DSL-N? I've just started setting up a feedreader and would like to add DSL alongside Kubuntu and Mepis. Posted by Juanito on Jan. 05 2007,16:15
Just so as I am clear on this - If no "mydsl=" boot option is used, 3.2 RC2 now expects to find the folders:/mydsl/ (packages to be loaded on boot) /mydsl/optional/ (packages to appear as optional extensions) /mydsl/modules/ (modules to be loaded on boot) Is this correct (it seems to work)? Posted by Juanito on Jan. 05 2007,16:30
If, after loading the new dsl-dpkg.unc, I do:# apt-get update I get the following errors: Err < http://ftp.us.debian.org > oldstable/main Packages 404 Not Found [IP: 35.9.37.225 80] Ign < http://ftp.us.debian.org > oldstable/main Release Err < http://ftp.us.debian.org > oldstable/non-free Packages 404 Not Found [IP: 35.9.37.225 80] Ign < http://ftp.us.debian.org > oldstable/non-free Release Err < http://ftp.us.debian.org > oldstable/contrib Packages 404 Not Found [IP: 35.9.37.225 80] Ign < http://ftp.us.debian.org > oldstable/contrib Release Failed to fetch < http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian....ages.gz > 404 Not Found [IP: 35.9.37.225 80] Failed to fetch < http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian....ages.gz > 404 Not Found [IP: 35.9.37.225 80] Failed to fetch < http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian....ages.gz > 404 Not Found [IP: 35.9.37.225 80] Reading Package Lists... Done E: Some index files failed to download, they have been ignored, or old ones used instead. If I change /etc/apt/sources.list to point to stable instead of oldstable, things work without errors... Posted by roberts on Jan. 05 2007,16:33
Yes, that is correct. That is the new simplified structure and it is what I call the mydsl search path. Either specified with the boot option mydsl=xyz or auto searched without. Posted by Martin1mest on Jan. 06 2007,08:24
Y founded next bug in 3.2 RC2In DSL 3.1 my logitech usb mouse worked but in 3.2RC2 not...(when dsl was booting, system found it) Y reinstalled 3.1 and my usb mouse worked in there well good... Posted by Juanito on Jan. 06 2007,13:34
Just a suggestion but...Could the dsl2unc script delete its working directories (by default in /home/dsl) once it has finished? I was converting some dsl to unc and then discovered my backup had expanded to 15MB... Posted by roberts on Jan. 06 2007,14:59
The dsl2unc script was user contributed so at least initially, I try to avoid "touching" everything. But I agree and will make that change.Also, please post the name of your sucessful extenion conversions so that I may run the script on the server side. This will help me greatly and allow other to enjoy these unc type extensions. Thanks, Robert Posted by Nym1 on Jan. 06 2007,21:38
Hello, robertsWhile testing DSL3.2RC2 I noticed that the "Processes" window of the "System Stats" panel was blank. The "processes" section of the stats.txt file was accurate, though. My boot codes were "dsl base norestore toram minimal". However, if "ax" were deleted from line 92 of /KNOPPIX/usr/local/bin/stats.lua the list of processes would be displayed. Thank you for all the work you're doing to develop this bulwark against bloatware, and I apologize if this has already been reported or due to an error on my part. Posted by roberts on Jan. 06 2007,21:54
Yes, you are correct. It is fixed in RC3 which will be out very soon. Thanks for reporting. Posted by ^thehatsrule^ on Jan. 07 2007,07:00
My guess it should be "ps -ax"?
Posted by meo on Jan. 07 2007,14:45
Hello Robert!I think I've encountered a bug in DSL 3.2RC2. When doubleclicking on a picture-file (.jpg) in emelfm as root, this message comes up: "sh: line 1: xv: command not found". I guess that it isn't supposed to be that way. In the "normal" emelfm it shows the picture and it used to be so in superuser mode also. Hope this is of some help. Thanks a lot for all the work you put in to this wonderful distro! As always have fun, meo Posted by roberts on Jan. 07 2007,15:10
meo,The xv comes from a default of emelfm. Here is the situation: ok as user dsl ok when right click and run emelfm as superuser But, if you shell out and become user root, then you have root's home dir and root's own bashrc profile etc. Now DSL as a liveCD or frugal is not multiuser, ie, /etc/skel is not setup for user root. Therefore when running in this mode, you start with a completely empty home for user root, i.e., /root Now if you run emelfm you will get the default .emelfm and its associative filetypes, which equate jpg with xv I suppose I could setup the /etc/skel into /root directory, but DSL's target is very small machines and all those files and inodes could be a quite a impact for say the 32MB users, when in fact, it is never recommended to run your system as root. If one insists on this, then an easy approach would be to copy /etc/skel into /root which could be done in /opt/bootlocal.sh If the demand from the community is there, I will presetup this. It is just that I am very sensitive when it comes to using ramdisk, and inodes, and a strong aversion from running everyhting as user root. Posted by meo on Jan. 07 2007,15:35
Hi again Robert!What I did was to open emelfm as super-user from the menu and then trying to view a picture by doubleclicking on it. The thing is that to save pictures or whatewer somewhere you have to be root if you are using emelfm. Even as in my case using a virtual hd on a CF-card. So if you have saved some pictures and want to make sure you copy the right one doubleclicking on them won't help you. So if you don't want to use the command-line you have to switch from emelfm as superuser and as user dsl. It worked in DSL 3.1 so as it is not mentioned as a change in the log I just assumed it would work the same way in the 3.2 series as in 3.1. Keep up the good work! Have fun, meo Posted by roberts on Jan. 07 2007,15:41
Thanks for more clarification. Those two access methods should be the same, i.e., via icon or the menu selection. I will fix the menu item to work the same as the icon. Thanks for all the details, meo.
Posted by doobit on Jan. 08 2007,17:51
This RC doesn't recognize my onboard Nvidia ethernet cards. It seems that 3.1 did. Also the CD doesn't eject on shutdown. \My Logitech marble USB mouse is recognized and works. I think someone earlier said theirs didn't work. |