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Partial fix for JWM blurry wallpaper

January 12, 2025 — BarryK

The problem was reported by SteveS:

https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?t=13561

I do get this blurry-wallpaper problem at shutdown, when a window asks whether you want to save the session. That happens because ROX-Filer has exited and fallback is to the wallpaper provided by JWM. I have fixed that, so I get nice JWM wallpaper at shutdown:

https://github.com/bkauler/woofq/commit/25282aa1c898c876652d59f3cd6ef2a5c31aacdf

I don't get the blurry wallpaper in icon-free-desktop mode, but that is because my screen is 1920x1080, and the wallaper is the same size. JWM doesn't have to scale it down, as in SteveS' case.

So, a partial fix, only at shutdown and when JWM doesn't have to scale the image down.

This is really a bug in JWM, and should be reported to Joe.    

Tags: easy

PKGget install and uninstall fixes

January 12, 2025 — BarryK

Thanks to the guys who report issues, with both Scarthgap and Daedalus.

Fixed an install bug with PKGget, see commit:

https://github.com/bkauler/woofq/commit/e4a03c54a714f02ddf5a33c1bdf27fbe41927747

More serious, PKGget uninstall was broken. It was not completely uninstalling, such as leaving desktop icon behind. See commit:

https://github.com/bkauler/woofq/commit/989562f78295b0282af56832466719fc053cd414

I mentioned in Daedalus 6.5.4.1 release, that the orange-ball Avidemux menu entry should not be there. Fixed:

https://github.com/bkauler/woofq/commit/7621aef334e482bbe45b87d87c20915eebd1d04d    

Tags: easy

EasyOS Daedalus-series version 6.5.4.1 released

January 11, 2025 — BarryK

Version 6.5.4 was released a few days ago:

Two urgent fixes. Busybox was too old, updated to version 1.36.1. See forum discussion here. Also, appimages do not work running non-root; requires suid bit set on /usr/bin/fusermount

Download:

http://distro.ibiblio.org/easyos/amd64/releases/daedalus/2025/6.5.4.1/

Feedback welcome at the forum:

https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?p=139858#p139858

Note, the invalid menu entry for Avidemux (Multimedia category) not yet fixed.   

Tags: easy

Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED UX5304MA laptop

January 10, 2025 — BarryK

I bought one. This has a very recent kernel; Intel Core Ultra 7 155U, hence the 6.12.9 kernel compile posted about earlier today:

Already have four laptops, do I really need another? Two reasons for the purchase. Firstly, for testing EasyOS -- someone recently contacted me to report getting a black screen trying to bootup on this CPU. Secondly, for touring.

I have posted about the panniers on my custom trike:

Those panniers have an internal pouch. Just enough space to slide a 13 inch laptop. But, it needs to be thin, so that the plastic containers will also fit into the pannier.

Didn't want to spend much money, but want 32GB RAM and at least 1TB SSD. Discovered the Asus Zenbook S13 UX5304MA, that ticks all the boxes. Also, Officeworks here in Australia were offering it very cheaply. Well, "cheap" is a relative term.

The Asus Zenbook S 13 originally had a Ryzen CPU. Sometime in 2023 they changed to an Intel Core i7 CPU, model UX5304VA. Then in January 2024 introduced the UX5304MA, with Intel Core Ultra 7 155U CPU:

https://press.asus.com/news/press-releases/asus-zenbook-s-13-oled-2024-intel-core-ultra-7/

What caused me some confusion is the price. The Asus AU website has it at AU$2,999 (but out of stock):

https://au.store.asus.com/zenbook-s-13-oled-ux5304ma-nq039w.html

Same thing at The Good Guys, an AU chain store, also AU$2,999:

https://www.thegoodguys.com.au/asus-zenbook-s-13-133-inches-evo-core-ultra-7-32gb-1tb-laptop-ux5304ma-nq039w

However, Officeworks had the same thing, online orders only, for only AU$1,997. So, bought it from them. Looked at their website yesterday, and it is now AU$2,797!

So that AU$1,997 must have been a promotion price. Great that I managed to get one 1,000 dollars cheaper.

Very thin, though those ridges underneath do make it thicker than 1cm:

img1

The big question, though, is Linux compatibility. Did some online research before buying, and reports are that most Linux distributions do not like the Intel Ultra 7 CPU. One guy tested several distros and reported that only Manjaro worked -- both video and sound.

I downloaded the Manjaro ISO and booted from a USB-stick -- at first got a black screen, but that is only because Manjaro is very slow to bootup. After several minutes, got a working desktop, and sound works.

Booted Easy Scarthgap 6.5.4, with the 6.12.9 kernel and some Xe firmware. At first got a black screen, but after some fiddling in the Xorg Wizard, did manage to get a low-resolution desktop. The 'xe.ko' kernel video module was loaded. No sound.

So this is a new project, a work-in-progress. Intend to get Easy working nicely on this CPU. Well, have motivation, as now own one of these. Here is a YouTube video:

"Asus ZenBook S13 ( UX5304M ) Intel Core Ultra 7 155U review"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE26ZNVZzFE

Note that there are a lot of videos on YouTube for the superceeded UX5304VA, but I managed to only find one for the UX5304MA.

One thing that I am grumbling about is that this CPU is "AI-powered" with an Intel "AI-boost" NPU. As forum member Lobster commented, AI is "Augmented Incompetence".       

Tags: easy

Linux kernel 6.12.9 compiled in Scarthgap

January 10, 2025 — BarryK

Have compiled this kernel as want to get EasyOS working on a computer with Intel Core Ultra 7 CPU. Why? -- that's another story.

Started with the config file from the 6.6.67 kernel compile, updated the aufs patch, and off we go. Made these changes:

Device Drivers -> Graphic Support -> Direct Rendering Manager
    <m> Intel Xe graphics
        [*] Enable display support
        ()  Force probe xe for selected Intel hardware IDs

Device Drivers -> Sound card support -> Advanced Linux Sound Architecture -> ALSA for SoC audio support
    <m> Intel AVS driver

Device Drivers -> Pin controllers -> Intel pin controllers
    <m> Intel pinctrl and GPIO platform driver
    <m> Intel Meteor Lake pinctrl and GPIO driver

Also enabled some security "mitigations".

Running it now on my Lenovo desktop. Working OK. Huge kernel; 6.6.67 is 7,377KB, 6.12.9 is 8,869KB. Why has it grown by 1.5MB?!!! Is it because they have introduced rust code capability?    

Tags: easy

Easy Scarthgap-series version 6.5.4 released

January 08, 2025 — BarryK

Version 6.5.3 was released on December 28, 2024, see announcement:

Since then, some important fixes, see 6.5.4 highlights:

Download:

http://distro.ibiblio.org/easyos/amd64/releases/scarthgap/2025/6.5.4/

Feedback welcome at the forum:

https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?p=139572#p139572    

Tags: easy

EasyOS Daedalus-series version 6.5.4 released

January 08, 2025 — BarryK

Version 6.5.3 was released on December 28, 2024, see blog announcement:

There have been some important fixes since then. Highlights since 6.5.3:

Download:

http://distro.ibiblio.org/easyos/amd64/releases/daedalus/2025/6.5.4/

Feedback is welcome at the forum:

https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?p=139569#p139569    

Tags: easy

Avidemux compiled in Scarthgap

January 07, 2025 — BarryK

I have compiled Avidemux 2.8.1 video editor in Easy Scarthgap and created a PET package. It will be in the next release of Easy Scarthgap, install via PKGget, but it will also be an "orange-ball" entry in the menu, Multimedia category.

I haven't compiled it in Easy Daedalus, as got put off by all the dependencies required; for Scarthgap, all deps are already builtin. I see that it isn't in the Debian package repository, which is odd.

Avidemux homepage:

https://avidemux.sourceforge.net/   

Tags: easy