Ubuntu: Firefox DEB removed
Hmmm. Rodney sent me an email about being unable to download files. At first I didn't understand and asked for more information. Rodney sent a snapshot that showed the problem.This is something that I did not anticipate. The Ubuntu package repo has, for example, Firefox 11.0 DEB which I think was the version in the first release of Ubuntu Precise Pangolin 12.04.
However, Ubuntu later released an upgrade, 12.04.1, which had Firefox 14.0.
However, Ubuntu has now removed that DEB and replaced it with version 16.0. The original 11.0 is still there:
http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/main/f/firefox/
This is a nuisance. It makes be think that I should have kept Precise Puppy at the original v12.04. If packages are going to disappear from the Ubuntu repo, then PPM is going to fail to download sometimes.
The PPM does have a database update feature in the Configuration window.
This is a very awkward situation. I am going to have to sync with the latest repo when I build Precise Puppy 5.4-final, but in time some packages will be dropped from the repo, and a database update will be required.
The user will only know something is wrong when a package fails to download.
I had expected, reasonably I think, that when they announced 12.04.1, that all the DEBs for that release would stay put in the repo.
Posted on 17 Oct 2012, 12:24 - Category: Puppy - 4 Comments
rediATM failure
Most, perhaps all, credit unions in Australia, and at least one bank, use the rediATM network of automatic teller machines.I am a member of a credit union and have used rediATMs without any problem for years. Until about a month ago...
I tried to draw $900 from a rediATM, but got a "network timeout" message, followed by a "transaction cancelled" message.
I then tried another nearby rediATM and tried to draw $300, same problem.
I then used a Commonwealth Bank ATM to draw from my credit union account, successfully.
About a week later, the periodic statement arrived in the mail from the credit union, and it showed both transactions as having succeeded!
In other words, the amount of $1200 was deducted from my account, although the rediATMs had failed to give me the money.
I filled in a complaint form, which was investigated promptly and my account corrected.
However, this has left me with a deep worry about rediATMs. The communication protocol between ATM and server should be such that the server only recognises the cash has been dispensed when the ATM advises successful dispensing. This is such basic common sense, which leads me to think that the people who have programmed the rediATM communications protocol are incompetent.
I have suffered a loss of confidence, and from now on will use Commonwealth Bank ATMs to draw from my credit union account, despite the $2 fee.
Posted on 17 Oct 2012, 5:14 - Category: General - 7 Comments
Woof commit for Precise RC1
This is the version of Woof used to build Precise Puppy RC1. That is, it is the latest Woof.http://bkhome.org/fossil/woof2.cgi/info/5a3bff2e07
Posted on 17 Oct 2012, 3:15 - Category: Woof - No comments
Precise Puppy RC1
Nearly there! This is the 5.4 Release Candidate 1. Here is the announcement for the previous release, beta7:http://bkhome.org/blog/?viewDetailed=03000
RC1 has been given version number 5.3.96, and can be downloaded from here:
http://distro.ibiblio.org/quirky/test/precise-5.3.96-rc1/
The theme that I chose is interesting? Good? Bad? Anyway, this is it:
JWM: stark-blueish
GTK: stark-blueish
Desk icons: Neon
Wallpaper: precise-futwerk-1b
At this stage of course, we only want to make essential bug fixes. I will probably remove hcfpcimodem and hsfmodem drivers from the final -- probably we need to provide documentation to let people know that PETs are available, for those who have those (and other) modems.
Another thing, I have yet to write the Release Notes.
Whether there is an RC2 depends on what we discover with testing RC1. It may be possible to go straight to the final release.
Note, there is no non-PAE build for RC1. I have been thinking of simplifying things. A non-PAE build of Precise Puppy can be done by the Puppy community, along with other modifications.
There are not that many computers (as a percentage) that have i686-class CPUs that are not PAE-capable, so I might not bother with them. People could of course use Wary.
Regarding Wary, I am also thinking of dropping Racy. But, again, someone in the community can build a Racy Puppy if they want.
Posted on 16 Oct 2012, 8:58 - Category: Puppy - 15 Comments
grub4dos 0.4.4.v1.8.0
Shinobar has two versions of grub4dos:http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=51697
The 'common' repo had v1.7.2, and I have now added v1.8.0 (183KB):
http://distro.ibiblio.org/quirky/pet_packages-common/grub4dos-0.4.4.v1.8.0.pet
I added "+linux_kernel&ge3.0" in the dependency field of v1.8.0, so that when building in Woof the right 'grub4dos' PET will get chosen.
Posted on 15 Oct 2012, 20:09 - Category: Puppy - 1 Comment
Screeny screen capture
01micko created a very nice screen and window capture application, named Screeny:http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=76204
I have been stuck on the very simple but basic mtPaint capture capability for a long time, I even resisted some nicer-looking GUIs for it.
But, Screeny is very nice, particularly as it easily captures windows, something that I need frequently.
Screeny needs a small utility, 'xwd', and I have modified the xorg_base* templates in Woof to include 'xwd', so it will be in all future puppies.
I also added 'screeny' to the package-lists of most of the build flavours, including Precise Puppy.
PET uploaded (3KB):
http://distro.ibiblio.org/quirky/pet_packages-noarch/screeny-0.7-noarch.pet
Racy/Wary (and anyone else without 'xwd') will need this PET (11KB):
http://distro.ibiblio.org/quirky/pet_packages-wary5/xwd-1.0.2-racy-i486.pet
Woof commit:
http://bkhome.org/fossil/woof2.cgi/info/b53071effd
Posted on 15 Oct 2012, 19:28 - Category: Puppy - 3 Comments
Precise: Chromium browser
Forum member peebee has created PETs and SFSs for Chromium, for both Slacko and Precise:http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=81351
I added 'libpn14' dependency into the 'pet.specs' file, and applied the modified 'chromium' script to allow older Flash player, and have uploaded the PET (42MB):
http://distro.ibiblio.org/quirky/pet_packages-precise/chromium-22.0.1210.0-i686.pet
The dependency (75KB):
http://distro.ibiblio.org/quirky/pet_packages-precise/libpng14-14-slackware.pet
Posted on 15 Oct 2012, 12:37 - Category: Puppy - 3 Comments
Precise: rerwin: 536/537 modem drivers
Rerwin has compiled kernel modules for the 3.2.29 kernel in Precise Puppy:http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=76961&start=720
I have uploaded these to the 'common' repo. These are for people to experiment with, I don't intend to put them into the next release of Precise Puppy (417KB, 1.4MB):
http://distro.ibiblio.org/quirky/pet_packages-common/linux_module_intel536ep-20120710-k3.2.29-smp.pet
http://distro.ibiblio.org/quirky/pet_packages-common/linux_module_intel537ep-20120710-k3.2.29-smp.pet
They require (6KB, 7KB):
http://distro.ibiblio.org/quirky/pet_packages-common/firmware_linux_module_intel536-20121007.pet
http://distro.ibiblio.org/quirky/pet_packages-common/firmware_linux_module_intel537-20121007.pet
Notes for rerwin:
1.
In 'pinstall.sh':
[ "`pwd`" = "/" ] && depmod
...so that depmod will not execute if the PET is builtin when building a puppy in Woof.
2.
I have fleshed out the pet.specs files:
linux_module_intel536ep-20120710-k3.2.29-smp|linux_module_intel536ep|20120710-k3.2.29-smp||BuildingBlock|1087K||linux_module_intel536ep-20120710-k3.2.29-smp.pet|+linux_kernel&eq3.2.29,+firmware_linux_module_intel536|Intel 536 modem SMP driver|ubuntu|precise||
linux_module_intel537ep-20120710-k3.2.29-smp|linux_module_intel537ep|20120710-k3.2.29-smp||BuildingBlock|3975K||linux_module_intel537ep-20120710-k3.2.29-smp.pet|+linux_kernel&eq3.2.29,+firmware_linux_module_intel537|Intel 537EP modem SMP driver|ubuntu|precise||
Note, I have also done this to the other modem driver PETs.
Posted on 15 Oct 2012, 11:17 - Category: Puppy - No comments
rerwin: modem firmware PETs
Rerwin has moved more modem firmware out of Woof into PETs. He has also updated some firmware PETs that I uploaded previously. See 'modem_firmware_packages-complete set-20121007.tar.gz' posted to Forum:http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=76961&start=720
The PETs have been uploaded to the 'noarch' and 'common' repos.
Woof commit:
http://bkhome.org/fossil/woof2.cgi/info/c489357b11
Posted on 15 Oct 2012, 10:47 - Category: Woof - No comments
01micko: delete params on Exec line
The script /usr/local/petget/installpkg.sh has code to delete extra parameters prefixed with "%" on the "Exec=" line in .desktop files.For example "Exec=gimp %U" will have the "%U" deleted.
It seems that Billtoo has reported a problem with this, and 01micko has proposed alternate code:
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=76961&start=720
...which is a bit of a problem for me, as I can't see anything wrong with my code, and I don't have the explicit example of when it "goes wrong".
However, I have implemented 01micko's change. It will be in the next upload of Woof.
01micko posted a useful reference on these extra parameters:
http://standards.freedesktop.org/desktop-entry-spec/latest/ar01s06.html
Posted on 15 Oct 2012, 9:15 - Category: Woof - 6 Comments