Quirky Werewolf 64-bit 7.4 released

[BarryK]

Quirky Werewolf 64-bit 7.4
December 10, 2015

Blog announcement and download links:
http://bkhome.org/news/?viewDetailed=00299

Forum feedback starts on page 11:
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... 263#876263

Quirky Werewolf 64-bit 7.3.3
Nov. 17, 2015

Blog announcement:
http://bkhome.org/news/?viewDetailed=00292

Forum feedback:
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... 2&start=75

Quirky Werewolf 64-bit 7.3.2
Nov. 16, 2015
This is another bugfix release of 7.3.

Blog announcement:
http://bkhome.org/news/?viewDetailed=00291

Forum feedback starts on page 5:
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... 698#872698

Quirky Werewolf 64-bit 7.3.1
Nov. 14, 2015
This is a bugfix release of 7.3.

Blog announcement:
http://bkhome.org/news/?viewDetailed=00289

Forum feedback starts here:
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... 410#872410

Quirky Werewolf64 7.3
Here it is, a brand new Quirky:

http://bkhome.org/news/?viewDetailed=00285

...see link for full announcement, download links and install instructions.

The big news is the improvement for live-CD and frugal installations.

There are some issues that have not yet been fixed. Version 7.2.3 is a beta release, and some bugs were posted here:
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... &start=180

Feedback is welcome!

[linuxcbon]

Quirky Werewolf 64-bit 7.3

- installquirky.x86 is missing.
- when installing to a partition with already syslinux in /boot/ , some files are immutable, so maybe propose to format the partition before installing ?

edit :
- /boot/syslinux doesn't work with ext2. Extlinux works instead.

[Ted Dog]

Sounds like a wonderful return to things I liked from your past efforts.. Is it CD only? Actually do not have a source for those still do have dvd and bluray disc.

[mavrothal]

Tried the live CD. Very nice.
The save option though it would appear too demanding space wise.
What about if only the contents of /initrd/q_rw was saved and loaded on the next boot from CD.
To avoid the laborious searching for puppy files and keep the init small and simple you could just have a boot argument to indicate the save partition (or folder? ) and boot afresh if missing.

[Billtoo]

I burned the iso to a DVD, ended up running the installer from the DVD
and installed to a 32gb SDHC card.

I installed applications with QPM (after updating it) including the
latest Firefox.

# report-video
VIDEO REPORT: Quirky Werewolf64, version 7.3

Chip description:
VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Xeon E3-1200 v2/3rd Gen Core processor Graphics Controller (rev 09)

Requested by /etc/X11/xorg.conf:
Resolution (widthxheight, in pixels): 1920x1080
Depth (bits, or planes): 24
Modules requested to be loaded: dbe

Probing Xorg startup log file (/var/log/Xorg.0.log):
Driver loaded (and currently in use): intel
Loaded modules: dbe dri2 extmod glx kbd mouse present

Actual rendering on monitor:
Resolution: 3840x1080 pixels (1013x285 millimeters)
Depth: 24 planes

...the above also recorded in /tmp/report-video
#
That's it so far, thanks.

[Sage]

Not only 'like it' but all defaults, sound, DHCP, video AND the v.11 flashplayer on BBC work O.o.t.B. as a liveCD. Danger maestro at work...

[BarryK]

Tried the live CD. Very nice.
The save option though it would appear too demanding space wise.
What about if only the contents of /initrd/q_rw was saved and loaded on the next boot from CD.
To avoid the laborious searching for puppy files and keep the init small and simple you could just have a boot argument to indicate the save partition (or folder? ) and boot afresh if missing.

You had me worried there for a second!

I just checked, /usr/local/install_quirky/install-funcs has this:

Code: Select all

mksquashfs /initrd/q_rw ${DESTMNTPT}/${BOOT_FOLDER}/s.sfs -ef /tmp/ss-excl-dirs

which gets called from /usr/sbin/savesession

So it does only save /initrd/q_rw

Also, the CD init script is hard-coded with the saved session partition and folder. If you click on file initrd.q, you can open it and view the init script -- it is only about 120 lines.

The init script is beautiful, so simple!

[BarryK]

I discovered a bug in the 'init' script!

Line 55 should have 1000000, not 1000:

Code: Select all

if [ $FREEK -lt 1000000 -a "$QPATH" != "" ];then #151106 low ram. 151111 change 1000 to 1000000

This bug means that the live-CD (and frugal) won't work so well on PCs with 1GB or less RAM.

After first bootup of live-CD, you save a session, and choose to move q.sfs (the Quirky files) to hard drive, at next bootup the above test is supposed to mount q.sfs where it is, rather than copy to RAM, which will save a lot of space in the RAM.

With a frugal installation, you can just click on 'initrd.q' which opens it up, then edit the init script, then click on initrd.q again to close it up. Fixed.

[BarryK]

Also, the CD init script is hard-coded with the saved session partition and folder. If you click on file initrd.q, you can open it and view the init script -- it is only about 120 lines.

Well, more correctly, there is a file 'BOOT_SPECS' that is remastered into the initrd.q of the CD, and that specifies boot partition and save folder. The init script reads this.

Or, the boot partition and save folder can be passed on the kernel commandline. See the init script how this is read.

[BarryK]

The werewolf on the wallpaper is public domain, see:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Werewolf.svg

His dentures have slipped!
Should we straighten them, or is that part of the "quirky" look?


[/img]

[BarryK]

I am experiencing SeaMonkey crashing, seemingly randomly.

linuxcbon also reported this with the Werewolf beta release.

Is this a problem with version 2.38?

I have usually found SeaMonkey to be pretty rock solid.

I will experiment, compile an older version.

[Sage]

SM not crashing here from liveCD.

... live-CD (and frugal) won't work so well on PCs with 1GB or less RAM.

Since this is a 64bit offering, expect most 64bit machines to have at least that amount. If you're planning a 32bit retro version, that would often be a problem. I only keep one 32bit PC on 2.5Gb, the remainder are ~768/512/384, although my last remaining K6-II is rather less.

[ally]

running from live cd on lenovo x201, it's fast, very FAST!

installed google chrome (--no-sandbox)

nice

[p310don]

Torrent available

Download & Seed

[ally]

links?

[BarryK]

I am experiencing SeaMonkey crashing, seemingly randomly.

linuxcbon also reported this with the Werewolf beta release.

Is this a problem with version 2.38?

I have usually found SeaMonkey to be pretty rock solid.

I will experiment, compile an older version.

I read on Linux From Scratch site, regarding SM 2.39, that --enable-system-cairo causes SM to be unstable.

Compiling SM 2.39 now, with --disable-system-cairo. Note, Q7.3 has SM 2.38.

[mavrothal]

You had me worried there for a second!

I did nor really go through the scripts but 1.7GB space required (pic) made me think otherwise.

[gcmartin]

Hello @BarryK.

@Mavrothal shows the screen for an initial save-session. I have read both of your descriptions of the process, but, this implementation screen in a little misleading and I ask clarification on the process.

Step1
Here we identify which of any partitions seen by the system we want the file to be saved and further what folder name on the partition is the session file to be saved in
Question
Can the folder name be a path OR does the boot process only search root level for the folder vs looking for it path to find the session file?

Step2
Here, this step begins by asserting that a REMASTER is required.
Question
Is this to be done before we initially use this SAVE desktop icon? Or is this announcing that the process to be performed is going to place a new system master on the media in one of the PC's magazine?

The understanding appears that we are to rewrite the CD/DVD media as well as write a file for system boot on the permanent media (HDD/USB). Is that correct?

Is this correct, too?
Is your save-process structure for Live use as follows?

• The initial (pristine) DVD is to remain without change, because it is general for most PCs to boot from. Thus, this remains constant.
• While the save-session file is specific and unique to one's booted PC; and applies to only this PC. Thus, this is variable by individual PC where its saved

Thanks in advance for any clarification on Live use

[James C]

Busy but enough time for a quick live test. No SeaMonkey crashes yet.All basics working on initial boot.

Code: Select all

-Computer-
Processor		: 6x AMD FX(tm)-6300 Six-Core Processor
Memory		: 8086MB (367MB used)
Machine Type		: Physical machine
Operating System		: Quirky Werewolf64
User Name		: root (root)
Date/Time		: Wed Nov 11 11:37:53 2015
-Display-
Resolution		: 1440x900 pixels
OpenGL Renderer		: Gallium 0.4 on NVA8
X11 Vendor		: The X.Org Foundation
-Audio Devices-
Audio Adapter		: HDA-Intel - HDA ATI SB
Audio Adapter		: HDA-Intel - HDA NVidia

Code: Select all

# report-video
VIDEO REPORT: Quirky Werewolf64, version 7.3

Chip description:
VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GT218 [GeForce 210] (rev a2)

Requested by /etc/X11/xorg.conf:
  Resolution (widthxheight, in pixels): 1024x768x16
  Depth (bits, or planes):              24
  Modules requested to be loaded:       dbe 

Probing Xorg startup log file (/var/log/Xorg.0.log):
  Driver loaded (and currently in use): nouveau
  Loaded modules: dbe dri2 exa extmod fb glx kbd mouse shadowfb

Actual rendering on monitor:
  Resolution:  1440x900 pixels (381x238 millimeters)
  Depth:       24 planes

...the above also recorded in /tmp/report-video

Code: Select all

# free
             total         used         free       shared      buffers
Mem:       8086400       945948      7140452       297592        84704
-/+ buffers:             861244      7225156
Swap:      8396796            0      8396796

[mavrothal]

Had a better look at the "boot from CD save to partition/folder" process.
The space requirement mentioned above is a leftover from full installs and thankfully does not block the process.
However, both q.sfs and s.sfs are saved, which does not make sense if you are going to be booting from the CD that has the q.sfs. You just want to save the s.sfs file I would think.

Regarding kernel command arguments, it would appear that they require a /BOOT_SPECS file at the root of the boot device and there is no obvious way to provide the BOOT_DEV, BOOT_FS and BOOT_FOLDER parameters from the command line other than just type them and this is not working as they are ignored.
It would also appear that you can not have the initrd.q and s.sfs in different devices, at least when running from the original CD.

...Or maybe some better instruction are needed.