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Kodi flatpak does not work

December 01, 2024 — BarryK

Balasubramaniam sent me an email, reporting that the Kodi flatpak will not start. Yes, I have confirmed:

# kodi
bwrap: Can't make symlink at /run: File exists

There has been online discussion about this for years, for example:

https://github.com/flatpak/flatpak/issues/5255

I don't know if updating EasyOS to a later version of flatpak will help; however, there is a quick hack that fixes Kodi:

# mkdir -p /media
# mv -f /tmp/run /runNEW
# rm -f /run
# mv -f /runNEW /run
# kodi

Folder /run is a symlink to /tmp/run, which confuses flatpak, so the above changes /run to an actual folder. That could be made into a script.

However, I'm not sure what will happen after a reboot; perhaps it would be best to shutdown without saving the session.

This needs to be fixed properly, but will have to be postponed for awhile.   

Tags: easy

EasyOS Kirkstone-series maintenance release 5.8.5

December 01, 2024 — BarryK

Maintenance release 5.8.4 was on August 14, 2024:

Version 5.8.5 is another maintenance release. Many fixes applied to EasyOS Scarthgap-series 6.4.5 are applied here also. Some "noarch" PET packages updated.

Download:

https://distro.ibiblio.org/easyos/amd64/releases/kirkstone/2024/5.8.5/

NOTICE:
The latest EasyOS is the Scarthap-series, version numbers 6.x. Minor fixes of the Kirkstone-series will be continued in 2024 and likely into 2025.


If you have Kirkstone-series installed, it can be transitioned to the Scarthgap-series as explained here:

https://bkhome.org/news/202406/how-to-update-kirkstone-to-scarthgap-60.html

The latest version in Scarthgap-series is 6.4.5:

...note that Easy Scarthgap version 6.5 is expected to be released before the end of 2024.

Monitor Barry's blog for announcements of later 6.x releases.

Questions about 5.8.5 may be posted to the forum here; however, as this is a superceded series, there may or may not be any support:

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

Tags: easy

Keyboard layout fix in Xephyr server

November 30, 2024 — BarryK

Forum member Caramel proposed a fix here:

https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?p=136739#p136739

I have implemented that, see github commit:

https://github.com/bkauler/woofq/commit/c066880c18335979bd4f393dcb7af1b01532a699

Caramel also reported a problem with a slow computer, switching into a container:

https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?p=136796#p136796

Github commit:

https://github.com/bkauler/woofq/commit/b3c80896f997d7da7104be96945d3101f495ff35    

Tags: easy

xrdb fixed in container

November 30, 2024 — BarryK

Alfons reported that pClock (in the Personal menu category) does not work in the daedalus container.

The reason is that /usr/bin/pclock script runs "xrdb -query", which returns nothing, and pclock aborts with a syntax error. This is what xrdb is supposed to return:

img1

...pclock wants that "Xft.dpi" parameter.

When the daedalus container is running, if you look in /mnt/wkg/containers/daedalus/container, you will find these:

.control/ec-run
.control/daedalus
usr/bin/desk-delayedrun

When the container is first started, those three scripts are executed, in that order. The 'daedalus' script has this line:

if [ -f ${HOME}/.Xresources ];then xrdb -merge -nocpp ${HOME}/.Xresources; fi

...that is supposed to load /root/.Xresources, but it doesn't. The Xephyr server should be running at that point in time, so I don't know why xrdb isn't working. What I did as a quick fix is repeat running xrdb at the end of 'desk-delayedrun'; then xrdb works, and pclock works.

Bit of a hack fix, but anyway, it works. Github commit:

https://github.com/bkauler/woofq/commit/0077417e01e33d61483ce3ff6f71232d22717bd1    

Tags: easy

Easy Scarthgap print setup broken

November 29, 2024 — BarryK

EDIT: Fixed

This came as a surprise. My daily workhorse PC has a Brother HL2040 laser printer connected via USB. Printing works, but I have not for quite some time tested setting up a new printer.  I have just updated the Easy Scarthgap installation on the PC, with an already-setup CUPS connection with the printer.

Until today. Running the CUPS web interface on a pristine EasyOS Scarthgap 6.4.5, choosing to add a printer, and it is listed:

img1

So far OK. Click on "Continue" and this is what is supposed to be the next window:

img2

However, this is what appears:

img3

...that window should not be appearing, as a local printer was selected by radiobutton.

I booted Easy Daedalus 6.4.1, and printer setup works. Hmmm.

So, I tested older versions of Easy Scarthgap, pristine installs to USB-stick. Tried 6.3.1; fail. Then 6.2; fail.

Then Easy Scarthgap 6.0.4; success.

Right now, I have no idea what is causing the problem. It isn't kernel version, have eliminated that.

How does that saying go; "It never rains but it pours"

Oh well, will try and track down the cause. Maybe a hint: see the above photos, the window that works shows CUPS 2.4.7, the bad one is 2.4.10.

EDIT 2024-11-30:
Yes, the problem is cups 2.4.10. I tested 2.4.9, still fail. Then 2.4.7, works.

Cups 2.4.7 is in Easy Scarthgap 6.0.4. Later on, cups got bumped to 2.4.9, then 2.4.10 (r2 and r3 builds in OE).

I don't know why, but right now just want printing to work, so have rolled back to cups 2.4.7. A wild stab in the dark is that cups is configured in my OE recipe to not use libusb, which might be a deprecated choice -- that goes a long way back, cannot recall the details.      

Tags: easy

Linux kernel 6.6.61 compiled

November 29, 2024 — BarryK

The latest is 6.6.63; however, the aufs patch fails, as reported here:

https://github.com/sfjro/aufs-standalone/issues/48

I examined the kernel changelog, and it looks like 6.6.61 is ok, and yes, the "6.6.54" aufs patch works. So, have compiled the kernel 6.6.61.

Forum discussion about aufs is here:

https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?t=643

Unfortunate, also have a problem with compiling latest Chromium, as reported yesterday, here.  

Tags: easy

Chromium 130.0.6723.91 compiled in OpenEmbedded

November 28, 2024 — BarryK

I attempted to compile 131.0.6778.85 in OE; however, fail. I sent a report to Max, scroll down this page:

https://github.com/MaxIhlenfeldt/meta-browser/commit/7c0a4e42698da69de504799038417a375777b1dd

Max explained that the Scarthgap version of OE has rust 1.75, but Chromium 131.x now requires at least version 1.78; discussion here:

https://github.com/OSSystems/meta-browser/pull/852#issuecomment-2490746158

Back when compiling OE Kirkstone, I did bump the rust version, but now on Scarthgap, will wait for these guys to get it sorted.

Compiled Chromium 130.0.6723.91, which is likely to be in the next release of EasyOS.     

Tags: easy