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Run QEMU VM in EasyOS

June 09, 2023 — BarryK

I haven't had much to do with VMs in the past, but there is a lot of interest, so looking into it.

There are posts about getting VirtualBox and QEMU working in this forum thread:

https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?t=8844

...I have posted on page 3.

Running Easy 5.3.2, was able to run Easy 5.3.2 in a QEMU VM.

Then ran radky's Bookworm Pup64 in a QEMU VM, with saving.

The shortcomings are slightly slow, and audio is a bit choppy.   

Tags: easy

Various little fixes

June 07, 2023 — BarryK

Fix for EasyOS desktop icons when run in container:

https://github.com/bkauler/woofq/commit/4d1aa360429e66375cc3c5a2aadd81f994c9b856

Small chgrp fix:

https://github.com/bkauler/woofq/commit/4af54b20e3b9162d011172a56301d7bec1ca78bb

Preserve smartgit setup when rollback:

https://github.com/bkauler/woofq/commit/20b768704ec0cf246831299c346d2d3a600528d4  

Tags: easy

EasyOS Kirkstone-series version 5.3.2 released

June 05, 2023 — BarryK

Version 5.3.1 was released on May 24:

https://bkhome.org/news/202305/easyos-kirkstone-series-version-531.html

5.3.2 release notes:

http://distro.ibiblio.org/easyos/amd64/releases/kirkstone/2023/5.3.2/release-notes.htm

...if updating from an EasyOS installation prior to 5.3, please read the 5.2.4 release notes.

An extra note about the prior-5.3 update process:
After downloading the 5.3.2 difference-file, and subsequently reboot, there may be a dropout to the console early-bootup. Just type "exit" to continue the bootup.

Download link for 5.3.2:

http://distro.ibiblio.org/easyos/amd64/releases/kirkstone/2023/5.3.2/

Fast mirror in Europe, courtesy of NLUUG:

https://ftp.nluug.nl/os/Linux/distr/easyos/amd64/releases/kirkstone/2023/5.3.2/

Forum feedback welcome here:

https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?p=90895#p90895    

Tags: easy

Access encrypted folders on mounted ext4 partitions

June 04, 2023 — BarryK

With ext4 fscrypt v1, it was easier. Running Easy 5.3.*, with encrypted folders, if you plugin Easy 5.3.* on a USB-stick, if the bootup password is the same on the USB-stick, then the encrypted folders on the USB-stick are accessible.

Not so with fscrypt v2. The decryption password has to be applied to each filesystem.

To fix this, I have modified /usr/local/bin/drive_all. This script runs when you click on a partition icon on the desktop. The script now detects that the mounted partition may have encrypted folders, and pops up this window:

img1

So, as long as you know what password you used to boot that USB-stick, you can decrypt any encrypted folders. Fscrypt v2 only.

I can see where this might be handy. Maybe the USB-stick won't boot, so now you can copy any files off it. As long as it is not broken so much that the working-partition can't be mounted.   

Tags: easy

Toggle touchpad on or off

June 02, 2023 — BarryK

I have a problem with my latest laptop, the flSynclient synaptics GUI app does not work. I found that the touchpad does not use the synaptics protocol. Perhaps this is a sign of what to expect in modern laptops.

Input devices can be configured by the 'xinput' CLI utility. There is no decent standalone GUI frontend for 'xinput', so for now just implementing one function, a GUI to toggle the touchpad off or on.

The problem for me is I always use a USB mouse, but on a laptop sometimes a finger or some part of the hand accidentally touches the touchpad, causing unexpected action. So, want a quick way to turn off the touchpad, and remember at future bootups.

Created /usr/sbin/touchpad-toggle, here is the GUI:

img1

Simple, solves my problem. /root/.xinitrc reads /var/local/touchpad-off for future bootups.   

Tags: easy

OpenEmbedded version 4.0.10 revision-2 compile

June 01, 2023 — BarryK

I posted about Kirkstone 4.0.8 compile on March 23:

https://bkhome.org/news/202303/openembedded-version-408-revision-1-compile.html

In May this year, 4.0.10 was released, see OE/Yocto releases schedule:

https://wiki.yoctoproject.org/wiki/Releases

So downloaded 4.0.10 and did a complete OE recompile. Didn't time it this time, as was asleep when it finished, but it took roughly 1 day (24 hours) and 15 hours. Hardly worth the trouble, as not much has changed since 4.0.8:

apache2        2.4.55         2.4.57
chromium-x11 111.0.5563.147 112.0.5615.165
iso-codes 4.12.0 4.13.0
libmicrohttpd 0.9.75 0.9.76
libxpm 3.5.13 3.5.15
linux-firmware 20230210 20230404
mariadb 10.7.7 10.7.8
mbedtls 2.28.0 2.28.2
sudo 1.9.12p2 1.9.13p3
vim 9.0.1293 9.0.1429
xserver-xorg 21.1.7 21.1.8

The Chromium update is worthwhile, though that could have been compiled individually, without having to recompile everything. Anyway, it's done.   

Tags: easy

YouTube-DL Update button fixed

June 01, 2023 — BarryK

Alfons reported that the "Update" button in the YouTube downloader (see Internet menu), which downloads the latest 'youtube-dl' script, doesn't work.

Thanks for reporting that, it is fixed. It is a PET package, in the 'noarch' repository, now 'youtubedl-gui-0.4.3.pet', not yet uploaded. Anyway, it will be in the next release of Easy.  

Tags: easy