Tray power-applet now beeps when low

Someone requested this recently, and I was reminded when my laptop suddenly died today.

The battery level indicator in the tray does start to flash when very low; however, I didn't notice it. The sudden death is not graceful; my Zenbook loses its date setting and I have to reset it. Logging into gmail, have to revalidate with a message to my phone.

So, have modified the source of 'powerapplet_tray' in woofQ2, so that now it beeps every 15 seconds. The file is /usr/share/audio/error.wav. The new source is:

https://distro.ibiblio.org/easyos/source/alphabetical/p/powerapplet_tray-3.1.tar.gz

That one has been on the back-burner for a very long time.    

Tags: easy

EasyClone copy user-installed kernel modules

EasyClone was discussed somewhere in the forum. Ah, yes, recall, it was in relation to the graphical installer:

https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?t=17171

If the person has booted up Easy from a usb-stick, got it all setup nicely, used it for awhile, then decides would like to install to internal drive of the computer, EasyClone is optionally used to copy selectively the setup of the currently-running Easy to the new installation. Like for example, browser configuration, history, bookmarks.

The EasyClone GUI has a checkbox to select the kernel modules setup. The "Kernel modules (blacklist, etc.)" checkbox can be seen here:

https://easyos.org/install/how-to-clone-a-easyos-installation.html

However, one thing is missed. The person may have installed the Broadcom wifi wl.ko module, which is available as a PET package. if that particular checkbox is ticked, then any user-installed kernel modules should also be cloned.

I have added a lines to /usr/local/easy_install/easyclone script:

if [ "$EXC8" == "true" ];then #kernel modules
 mkdir -p /mnt/${WKG_DEV}/EASYCLONE/.session/session1/etc/rc.d
 cp -a -f /mnt/wkg/.session/session1/etc/modprobe.d* /mnt/${WKG_DEV}/EASYCLONE/.session/session1/etc/ 2>/dev/null
 cp -a -f /mnt/wkg/.session/session1/etc/rc.d/MODULESCONFIG /mnt/${WKG_DEV}/EASYCLONE/.session/session1/etc/rc.d/ 2>/dev/null
 #20260725 user may have installed the broadcom wl.ko pet package...
 if [ -d /mnt/${WKG_DEV}/${WKG_DIR}.session/session1/usr/lib/modules/${KERNVER} ];then
  cd /mnt/${WKG_DEV}/${WKG_DIR}.session/session1
  find usr/lib/modules/${KERNVER} -mindepth 2 -type f -name '*.ko' -exec cp --parents {} /mnt/${WKG_DEV}/EASYCLONE/.session/session1/ \;
  cd /
 fi
fi

Note, the Broadcom module is provided as a PET package, not builtin to 'easy.sfs', as it is a proprietary closed source driver, and conflicts with the open-source drivers provided with the kernel; these are bcma, b43, brcmsmac, ssb -- these may have to be blacklisted to be able to use the Broadcom wl.ko module. The wl module is preferred by some people as has superior performance.       

Tags: easy

YouTube EasyOS Part22 installer continued

The latest post is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKZHwp_Qqgg

This introduces installing to an entire drive.   

Tags: easy

OpenShot video editor issues

As I am now creating videos for YouTube, need to learn how to use a video editor. YouTube has an online editor, that allows some very limited operations on a video after it has been uploaded. For example, can cut out sections. It is not allowed to edit the uploaded video offline then re-upload.

The first major problem with OpenShot is that videos I am recording on my Zenbook laptop are 1728x1080 pixels. Searching online, there are instructions that there is a button to set a custom video resolution; however, it doesn't exist. Maybe that was in an earlier version of OpenShot?

Eventually, found that had to create a file in the home folder. In my case, as running OpenShot as user "openshot", the path to the file is /home/openshot/.openshot_qt/profiles and I named the file 'custom_1728x1080' with this content:

description=Custom 1728x1080
frame_rate_num=24
frame_rate_den=1
width=1728
height=1080
progressive=1
sample_aspect_num=1
sample_aspect_den=1
display_aspect_num=1
display_aspect_den=1
colorspace=709

It then showed up in the list of resolutions in OpenShot.

I have had a brief look at ShotCut, and I would like to comment that ShotCut has a big tick, as has a simple setting, to set the project to same resolution as the imported video.

Then, the next issue is that the video is distorted in the preview window:

But, worse to come, when exported, just got a black window with audio only. My video has stock-standard h264 video and aac audio, so that shouldn't be a problem. After some online searching, found advice to update to a later version. I was using the OpenShot package from the Debian repository, version 3.1.1.

So, downloaded the latest AppImage, version 3.5.1, and now exports video and audio OK. Also, correct video resolution, despite the distortion in the preview window.

I have updated Appi, the AppImage package manager in EasyOS, to OpenShot 3.5.1.

If you want to read more about OpenShot:

https://www.openshot.org/

So, what do I reckon about OpenShot. Chose it because Google AI stated that it is the easiest to use. Yes, the user interface is nice. However, have played with ShotCut briefly, well, only 10-15 minutes, and have the impression it is a step-up from OpenShot. next up, going to have a good look at ShotCut.  

Tags: easy

Easy Installer first test

I posted about a new graphical installer:

https://bkhome.org/news/202607/started-work-on-easyos-graphical-installer.html

A lot of work since then. Really "went down a rabbit hole"; many nights "burning the midnight oil".

Here is the latest snapshot of the main window:

A video has been created:

"EasyOS Part21: Graphical installer"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfYoNK8XYGY

More testing required before can release it.   

Tags: easy

ethtool utility missing

See here:

https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?p=174022#p174022

Now added builtin.   

Tags: easy

Handle mailto mime in xdg-open

In response to question about /usr/sbin/mailto.sh in Easy:

https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?p=174000#p174000

I cannot recall how mailto.sh was used, anyway have removed it.

/usr/bin/xdg-open has handling for an email address.
An application can call xdg-open, passing an email address, and it is then supposed to open in the appropriate email client app.
The line that does this in xdg-open:

 *@*.*)
  exec rox -U "mailto:${1}"
 ;;

...which does nothing.

I have created /etc/xdg/rox.sourceforge.net/URI/mailto:

#!/bin/sh
#20260718

if type -p mozmail >/dev/null;then
 exec mozmail -compose "to='${1}'"
elif type -p claws-mail >/dev/null;then
 exec claws-mail --compose "$1"
elif type -p claws >/dev/null;then
 exec claws --compose "$1"
elif type -p sylpheed >/dev/null;then
 exec sylpheed --compose "$1"
fi

I'm not 100% sure about this mechanism, but it is a step in the right direction.   

Tags: easy

Fix round brackets in URI

A URI to a local video file, for the chromium-based VIDplay media player, aborted as the filename had round brackets:

https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?p=173964#p173964

The fix has been applied to /usr/sbin/vidplay in woofQ2.    

Tags: easy