Barrys News — Posts tagged "easy"

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:

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:

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