Picscale package removed

I posted about failure to cross-compile 'picscale':

https://bkhome.org/news/202208/bacon-dependency-removed-from-oe.html

I experimented with an older version of bacon in OE, picscale compiled ok, but there is a segmentation fault when try to use it.

I looked where 'picscale' is used, it is in three scripts:

3buildeasydistro (in woofQ)
/usr/local/easy_containers/easy-containers
/usr/local/sfsget/dir2sfs

I changed the code to use 'ffmpeg' instead. Yes, 'ffmpeg' can be used as a CLI utility to resize image files, and convert to a different format. Works with xpm, jpg and png, but not svg. Use it like this:

# ffmpeg -i input.png -s 48x48 output.png >/dev/null 2>&1

In the scripts, in case of svg image, have used 'rsvg-convert' instead.

An alternative would be to use the 'convert' utility in 'imagemagick' or 'graphicsmagick' packages. Easy Dunfell-series does have 'imagemagick' in the repository, but not installed by default.    

Tags: easy

EasyOS Dunfell-series 64-bit version 4.3.3

Very similar to version 4.3, that was released on July 30, 2022:

https://bkhome.org/news/202207/easyos-dunfell-series-version-43-released.html

Small improvements, see release notes:

https://distro.ibiblio.org/easyos/amd64/releases/dunfell/2022/4.3.3/release-notes.htm

The main reason I have brought out this release, is have bumped Limine to 3.14.2, and want to test it on a Fujitsu laptop, that has proved to be difficult, it seems, due to having 32-bit UEFI:

https://bkhome.org/news/202208/problem-with-limine-on-fujitsu-laptop-may-be-fixed.html

Download English, French and German builds:

https://distro.ibiblio.org/easyos/amd64/releases/dunfell/2022/4.3.3/

if you need help how to write an image file to a USB-stick:

https://easyos.org/install/how-to-install-easyos-on-a-new-ssd.html

Feedback is welcome at the forum:

https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewforum.php?f=63   

Tags: easy

Package bumps and extra b43 firmware

Getting ready to build the next 64-bit release of EasyOS, have been working on a few things and not documenting. So, had better report some of it...

Rick has a problem with missing b43 wi-fi firmware. There is a bug in the kernel driver, it seems to go into a loop, trying to load 'ucode30_mimo.fw'.
Anyway, the firmware is in 'firmware_linux_b43-extra' PET, so have added that to the package-list.

I have bumped 'jwm' from 2.4.1 to 2.4.2, required a fix:

https://github.com/joewing/jwm/commit/607fc3d4e3127b79f79cfd602e24523dfcf2a29d

Limine is now version 3.14.2.   

Tags: easy

BaCon dependency removed from OE

Many years ago, I was keen on BaCon. It converts traditional BASIC language to C and then calls gcc to create an executable. The problem I have is that it is cross-compiler-unfriendly.

Host x86_64 and target x86_64, compiled in OE, it would generated executables, but some simply didn't work. Host x86_64, target i686, compiling in OE is broken.

I have previously rewritten some in C, however, there still remained picscale', 'popup', 'pup_event_ipc', 'find_cat' and 'debdb2pupdb'.

Those last two were rewritten in C back in 2015, by iguleder (dimkr), for woof-CE. Iguleder has improved them also, much faster. Thanks very much for doing that, have copied those into the 'pup-tools' package, replacing the previous BaCon ones.

A big job to rewrite 'picscale', 'popup' and 'pup_event_ipc', so I cheated. BaCon generates C code, which it then compiles. I have taken that intermediate C code and created new source packages. They can be found online:

https://distro.ibiblio.org/easyos/source/alphabetical/p/

'picscale' was written in BaCon by vovchik, and I used his version 0.1c. The source converted to C is now 'picscale-20180622.tar.gz'.

EDIT 2022-08-08:
Oh dear, I tested 'picscale' and got a segmentation fault. I recall now, Easy is built with a picscale PET that was compiled in the old Easy Pyro-series. The Dunfell-series has a later version of BaCon.

This has been a problem, later versions of BaCon breaking the executable, even if it still compiles. For now, going back to using that old PET. Total removal of BaCon dependency is postponed.     

Tags: easy

EasyOS 32-bit Dunfell-series version 4.3.2

Version 4.3.1.1 was announced on August 2, 2022:

https://bkhome.org/news/202208/easyos-32-bit-dunfell-series-version-431.html

For 4.3.2, I have added SeaMonkey, version 2.53.13, and bumped Limine to 3.14.1.

Download English, French and German builds:

https://distro.ibiblio.org/easyos/x86/releases/dunfell/2022/4.3.2/

In all other respects, the same as 4.3.1.1.

This is for pre-2012 legacy-BIOS 32-bit x86 (i686 class) computers only.

"Minimal support" only.

Feedback welcome:

https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?t=6483   

Tags: easy

Problem with Limine on Fujitsu laptop may be fixed

There has been a gazillion emails back and forth between me and Reynaldo trying to fix this. Lots of posts also here:

https://github.com/limine-bootloader/limine/issues/185

Finally, knowing that it is 32-bit UEFI, good chance it is fixed.

The laptop is a Fujitsu Futro MA574, and I read somewhere that it has 32-bit Windows. From other reading, it seems that 32-bit Windows must have 32-bit UEFI.

Unlike Linux, that can run 64-bit Linux on a 32-bit UEFI, as long as the kernel has "CONFIG_EFI_MIXED" set.

Anyway, the next release of EasyOS will have Limine 3.14.1   

Tags: easy

More tutorial pages updated

Getting stuck into it, two more:

https://easyos.org/install/how-to-write-easyos-to-a-flash-drive.html

https://easyos.org/install/install-to-pc-with-existing-refind-boot-manager.html 

Tags: easy