Lots of utilities compiled for EasyOS Kirkstone

Forum member Flash posted about the 'tree' utility:

https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?p=118592#p118592

I compiled it in OpenEmbedded/Yocto, then a lot more, 25 in total:

atop       "Monitor for system resources and process activity" https://www.atoptool.nl
cmark      "CommonMark parsing and rendering library and program in C" https://github.com/commonmark/cmark
daemonize  "A tool to run a command as a daemon" http://software.clapper.org/daemonize/
devmem2    "Simple program to readwrite fromto any location in memory" 
dfu-util   "Device firmware upgrade" https://dfu-util.sourceforge.net
dhex       "dhex is a hex editor that includes a diff mode" http://www.dettus.net/dhex/
eject      "Eject CD/DVD" https://eject.sourceforge.net/
gengetopt  "skeleton main.c generator" https://www.gnu.org/software/gengetopt/gengetopt.html
gpm        "Console mouse driver" https://www.nico.schottelius.org/software/gpm
hstr       "bash and zsh shell history suggest box - easily view navigate search and manage your command history." http://dvorka.github.io/hstr/
joe        "Console text editor with good functionality good choice for vi-haters" https://joe-editor.sourceforge.net/
links      "Text-mode web browser" http://links.twibright.com/
logwarn    "A utility for finding interesting messages in log files" https://github.com/archiecobbs/logwarn/wiki
monit      "Manage and monitor Unix systems" https://mmonit.com/monit/
nano       "Small and friendly console text editor" https://www.nano-editor.org/
nmon       "Performance monitor" https://nmon.sourceforge.io/pmwiki.php
picocom    "Lightweight and minimal dumb-terminal emulation program" https://github.com/npat-efault/picocom
pv         "Terminal-based tool for monitoring the progress of data through a pipeline" http://www.ivarch.com/programs/pv.shtml
rdfind     "Rdfind is a program that finds duplicate files" https://rdfind.pauldreik.se/
rsnapshot  "A filesystem snapshot utility based on rsync" https://rsnapshot.org/
rtc-tools  "Useful programs to test rtc drivers" 
satyr      "Automatic problem management" https://github.com/abrt/satyr
synergy    "Synergy - control multiple computers with one keyboard and mouse" https://symless.com/synergy
toscoterm  "A very small and simple terminal emulator" 
tree       "A recursive directory listing command" http://mama.indstate.edu/users/ice/tree/
xmlstarlet "Command line XML toolkit" https://xmlstar.sourceforge.net/

These have been uploaded and are available in the repository, via PKGget.    

Tags: easy

QV version 240506 pre-alpha released

This is basically the same as the previous release, 240425:

https://bkhome.org/news/202404/qv-version-240425-pre-alpha-released.html

Except have reverted the pam/shadow change, as it caused some breakage, reported by Caramel:

https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?p=117978#p117978

Download from here:

http://distro.ibiblio.org/easyos/amd64/releases/void/

Note, as I am typing this blog post, 'qv-240506-amd64.img' is still uploading. The Internet connection has become very slow.   

Tags: quirky

Gittyup GUI Git client

I have been using SmartGit for years. It is a commercial product, with a free license for non-commercial use. It is a great product; however, sometimes there are inconveniences. It "phones home" at every startup, and frequently insists on perfoming an update. A few times, I had to re-validate the free license. Recently, at startup it reports downloading "git", but I already have git, and I hit "Exit" then restart SmartGit and then it doesn't try and download git. Weird.

Anyway, I want to get away from it. The last few years, many free Git GUIs have emerged. There is one, "GitAhead", that was a commercial product; however, a couple of years ago (not sure exactly) it became free open-source. The homepage states that it is no longer being developed, just bug fixes:

https://gitahead.github.io/gitahead.com/

However, looking at the commits, still fairly active:

https://github.com/gitahead/gitahead

GitAhead rates well in reviews. For example at slant.co:

https://www.slant.co/options/18757/~gitahead-review

Slant.co has rated it number 10 in GUI Git clients, all platforms:

https://www.slant.co/topics/4985/~visual-git-guis

...SmartGit comes in as number-1.

There are YouTube videos on GitAhead, such as this:

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

Then I found "Gittyup", which is a continuation of the GitAhead project:

https://github.com/Murmele/Gittyup

...yes, very active.

I have compiled Gittyup, created a PET, and it will be in EasyOS Kirkstone-series devx SFS from now on. For the record, here is how I compiled it:

# git clone https://github.com/Murmele/Gittyup.git gittyup-1.3.0
# cd gittyup-1.3.0
# git submodule init
# git submodule update --depth 1

# cd ..
# dir2tgz gittyup-1.3.0
# sync
# cd gittyup-1.3.0

# cd dep/openssl/openssl
# ./config -fPIC
# make

# cd ../../../
# mkdir -p build/gittyup-1.3.0
# cd build/gittyup-1.3.0
# cmake -G Ninja -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr -DCMAKE_INSTALL_SYSCONFDIR=/etc \
  -DCMAKE_INSTALL_LOCALSTATEDIR=/var -DENABLE_UPDATE_OVER_GUI=OFF -DUSE_SYSTEM_OPENSSL=OFF \
  -DUSE_SYSTEM_QT=ON -DUSE_SYSTEM_LUA=ON -DUSE_SYSTEM_HUNSPELL=ON -DUSE_SYSTEM_LIBGIT2=OFF \
  -DUSE_SYSTEM_GIT=ON -DUSE_SYSTEM_CMARK=OFF -DENABLE_TESTS=ON  ../..
# ninja
# new2dir ninja install

It requires openssl 1.1.x, whereas Kirkstone has 3.x, so configured for builtin. Also builtin libgit2, as the Kirkstone libgit2 caused scintilla compile fail. Haven't tested it yet; just started it, but took it no further.   

Tags: easy

EasyOS Kirkstone-series version 5.8.1 released

Version 5.8 was withdrawn a day after release, due to a black screen with the 5.15.157 kernel:

https://bkhome.org/news/202404/easyos-kirkstone-series-version-58-released.html

https://bkhome.org/news/202405/kernel-515150-disaster-for-amd-gpu.html

Easy 5.8.1 has the 5.15.149 kernel.

Download:

http://distro.ibiblio.org/easyos/amd64/releases/kirkstone/2024/5.8.1/

If you are new to EasyOS, please read the 5.7 announcement; it has more details:

https://bkhome.org/news/202402/easyos-kirkstone-series-version-57-released.html

Feedback welcome at the forum:

https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?t=11398    

Tags: easy

Kernel 5.15.150 disaster for AMD GPU

In the release announcvement for EasyOS 5.8, I posted a withdrawal, due to getting a black screen on my Acer Aspire3 laptop:

https://bkhome.org/news/202404/easyos-kirkstone-series-version-58-released.html

Seems that get the black screen and dead system as soon as the 'amdgpu' kernel module loads. Here are the GPU details:

# lspci | grep VGA
05:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Picasso/Raven 2 [Radeon Vega Series / Radeon Vega Mobile Series] (rev c2)
05:00.7 Non-VGA unclassified device: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Raven/Raven2/Renoir Non-Sensor Fusion Hub KMDF driver

# lspci -n -k
...
05:00.0 0300: 1002:15d8 (rev c2)
	Subsystem: 1025:1456
	Kernel driver in use: amdgpu
	Kernel modules: amdgpu

I perused the kernel changelog, nothing jumped out as the obvious culprit. So, a painfully slow method, but I compiled and tested earlier kernels. Already know that kernels up until 5.15.148 work, and .148 is in Easy 5.7.

I tested .153: black screen. Tested .150: black screen. .149: works!

I intend to release Easy 5.8.1 with the 5.15.149 kernel.

Then, need to try and determine what patch in the .150 kernel has caused the problem. Might contact the kernel developers first.

Note, my black-screen problem does not affect all AMD GPUs. Forum member 'gcav' reported his "AMD Ryzen Mobile 3700U" is OK:

https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?p=118550#p118550   

Tags: easy

EasyOS Kirkstone-series version 5.8 released

WITHDRAWN
The Linux 5.15.157 kernel causes a black screen with at least one AMD GPU. The 5.15.148 kernel, as used in Easy 5.7, is OK. Have to find out latest kernel can roll back to. Might take a day or two. See forum report: https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?p=118455#p118455

Version 5.7 was released on February 4, 2024. If you are new to EasyOS, it is recommended to read the 5.7 announcement:

https://bkhome.org/news/202402/easyos-kirkstone-series-version-57-released.html

Recently, my attention has been on another experimental Linux distribution, named "QV". Now back onto developing Easy. Various fixes and improvements have accumulated. Also, I have done a complete recompile, based on OpenEmbedded Kirkstone release 4.0.17. Also, compiled the 5.15.157 Linux kernel.

See more detailed release notes here:

http://distro.ibiblio.org/easyos/amd64/releases/kirkstone/2024/5.8/release-notes.htm

Download the drive-image file from here, courtesy of ibiblio:

http://distro.ibiblio.org/easyos/amd64/releases/kirkstone/2024/5.8/

If you live in Europe, a fast mirror courtesy of NLUUG:

https://ftp.nluug.nl/os/Linux/distr/easyos/amd64/releases/kirkstone/2024/

Firefox 125.0.2 is builtin; however, if you want to keep up-to-date with the latest version, there is a menu entry to update:

...click on "Download latest Firefox", it will detect 125.0.2 already installed:

...which I have done, running 125.0.3 right now.

The same applies to Chrome and Vivaldi; you can install, then at any time in the future, click on the "Download latest..." button to update. Updating from within these browsers is disabled; you have to do it from the menu.

EasyApps and the menu have some entries with "orange ball" icons. This is a convenience thing; the app is not installed, but click on the menu entry and it will be installed. These are native apps, installable via PKGget; however, users might not be aware of their existence, hence putting them up-front in the menu.

Easy 5.7 has some, such as OBS-Studio. I have now added VLC media player and VYM mind mapper. For example:

Right now, I'm running Easy installed on my Lenovo desktop, and successfully updated from 5.7. Normally, an update is a fairly small "difference file"; however, in this case, the difference-file 5.7 to 5.8 is 687MB, almost as big as the full 'easy-5.8-amd64.img' drive-image file (857MB). This is due to the complete recompile of packages in OE, as well as the kernel version bump.

Feedback is welcome at the forum, here:

https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?t=11398

Have fun!   

Tags: easy

Kernel task_delayacct fix for ioptop-py

Iotop monitors input/output activity. In EasyOS and QV you will find it in the System menu. I wrote about it in 2023:

https://bkhome.org/news/202310/iotop-py-compiled-in-oe.html

This is what it looks like:

...see the message along the bottom of the window. "CONFIG_TASK_DELAY_ACCT" is actually enabled in the kernel; however, disabled by default, and has to be turned on, either on the kernel commandline or by 'sysctl' after bootup. The reason for disabling it by default is that it imposes a i/o performance hit.

I have modified the wrapper, /usr/bin/iotop-wrapper:

#!/bin/ash
if [ -e usr/bin/iotop-py ];then
 IOTOPEXE='iotop-py'
else
 IOTOPEXE='iotop'
fi
sysctl kernel.task_delayacct=1
urxvt -bg '#f0f0f0' -fg black -name iotop -fn 'xft:Roboto Mono:style=Regular:pixelsize=14' -fb 'xft:Roboto Mono:style=Bold:pixelsize=14' -e ${IOTOPEXE} -o -a
sysctl kernel.task_delayacct=0

Now, iotop-py displays all information. Here is the project homepage:

http://guichaz.free.fr/iotop/

This fix applies to both EasyOS and QV.  

Tags: easy

EasyOS Kirkstone-series will continue

I posted to the forum in response to questions about this, as people are seeing work on QV and wondering if I have forgotten about EasyOS:

https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?t=11373

I have just completed a recompile in OpenEmbedded/Yocto, based on the Kirkstone 4.0.17 release. The new build is "revision-7" and all the binary packages have "-r7" in their name.

Easy 5.7 was built from OE Kirkstone release 4.0.14, and here are the version changes from then to 4.0.17:

apache2         2.4.57   2.4.58
busybox-static  1.34.1   1.36.1
cpio            2.13     2.14
dnsmasq         2.87     2.90
firefox         120.0.1  125.0.2
libstd-rs       1.73.0   1.75.0
linux-firmware  20230804 20240220
mbedtls         2.28.5 2.28.7
mdview          20160622 2023.12.12
openssl         3.0.12   3.0.13
perl            5.34.1   5.34.3
python3-aiohttp 3.8.5    3.8.6
python3-jinja2  3.1.1    3.1.3
python3-pyqt5   5.15.1   5.15.7
python3-urllib3 1.26.17  1.26.18
sudo-sh         1.2      1.3
tzdata          2023c    2024a
vim             9.0.2068 9.0.2190
new: xml2       0.5

Right now, the 5.15.157 kernel is compiling. There was a hiccup with the aufs patch; fixed, see:

https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?p=118179#p118179

Easy 5.8 shouldn't be too far away. There is a small to-do list, which hopefully will take a couple of days only. That's if I don't get distracted.   

Tags: easy