MX Linux

[dancytron]

edit: 1-20-24 Don't try to follow the instructions for eliminating the password for pkexec in this thread. I'll post files for people to copy and paste in a separate thread soon.

---

I decided to give MX Linux a try. https://mxlinux.org/current-release-features/

It's basically a heavyweight Debian Bookworm version of anti-X. The iso is a little over 2 gig. I installed the xfce version.

It has a dizzying array of installation options, even compared to Puppy, but "frugal persist root" seems the closest to Pupmode 13/DD save on exit.

I made one attempt at a manual frugal install and then put it on a usb stick and followed the instructions to make a hard drive frugal install which is enabled by the "persist_root" in grub2. It's using a compressed file for save instead of a folder. I didn't find an option to use a save folder instead of a save file on my 1st time through, but that doesn't mean there isn't one.

It generated the following grub2 entry from the install program.

menuentry "MX 23.1 (Libretto) Frugal Install" {
insmod part_msdos
insmod part_gpt
insmod ext2
search --no-floppy --set=root --fs-uuid 2618304c-b5be-4cdc-bcc4-5eee052fdsada
linux /antiX-Frugal-6.1.0-13-amd64/vmlinuz bdir=antiX-Frugal-6.1.0-13-amd64 buuid=2618304c-b5be-4cdc-bcc4-5eeesafda quiet splasht nosplash lang=en_US kbd=us tz=America/Chicago persist_root
initrd /antiX-Frugal-6.1.0-13-amd64/initrd.gz
}

It's co-existing fine with other puppy, dog, and Windows install.

It defaults to a regular user "demo", but it doesn't keep you from logging in and running as root. Obviously the typing your password in over and over is unacceptable and has to go one way or another.

I was able to get it up and running, install chrome and some other stuff, uninstall firefox and thunderbird, remaster it and install the remastered version to a usb key on the 1st time through just by following the prompts. IMHO, the install program on the usb key that sets the timezone and install options from the usb key boot menu and the remaster program are both worth looking at for puppy dev's.

Not for old Windows 7 or 8 era machines, but it runs okay on my cheap W 10 era laptop (although obviously not as fast as Puppy and various dogs).

It doesn't have a save on demand button like Puppy in Pupmode 13, but you can choose from ask to save on exit, auto save on exit, or you are on your own. It asks you, checks for space, and then asks you again. I might ask on their forum about streamlining that.

Totally stable so far on crappy hardware and very professionally done.

edit: to get rid of the annoying xfce collapsing scroll bars, add

Code: Select all

 GTK_OVERLAY_SCROLLING=0

to etc/environment. MX has created themes specifically to add thicker borders to windows so you can actually drag to resize them, which is good. Adding them do xfce based kennel pups might be nice.

edit again: had to add

Code: Select all

 [global]
client min protocol = NT1

to smb.conf file to get it to see my apparently obsolete samba shares.

https://forum.mxlinux.org/viewtopic.php ... 57#p756557 explains all the different modes.

edit again: to complete the removal of the need to type you password over and over again, change "pkexec" to "sudo" for custom actions like "open root thunar here" in thunar.

[wizard]

@dancytron

Have MX 21.3 installed on a couple of old Thinkpad 11e Chromebooks. Works well and recognizes all the hardware without any tweaking (so does BookworkPup64). MX is a frugal install and have spent quite a bit of time configuring trying to get it to be as good as Puppy . PITA to enter your password all the time, and when running as root, many programs will not run.

My install is set to ask to save on exit, but here's a script I use to save changes on demand.

Agree with your assessment

wizard

[dancytron]

I tried the way Fred recommended for Debian Dog to kill the password when logged in as a regular user and it didn't work.

edit: there was no wheel group so I tried using the sudo group and the demo group.

[dcung]

@dancytron Thanks for posting this.

I thought I visited the link, and have a browse.
I found this.
https://forum.mxlinux.org/viewtopic.php?t=77832

So, it gets my interest.

I have Dell D630 that I can only install upto DDOG Buster whenever I have to use nvidia driver (reliably).
From Bullseye onward, lots of tinkering and unstable. So, I used noeveau instead which is good enough.

I just downloaded and tested installing MX 23 with nvidia driver from their repo, and it was working with no tinkering needed. I dunno how stable/reliable, but nice to know I have 'option' should I need to use the driver on the D630.

I did full install since I don't know how to install MX frugal yet. Hopefully, learn about it soon...

Screenshot_2023-12-28_15-12-15.jpg (84.94 KiB) Viewed 1265 times

[Geek3579]

Its a very reliable distro, and has been number 1 on the Distro Watch list for ages, and for good reasons. The devs are very helpful. The package manager is excellent. Its very fast and the whisker menu is enjoyable to use.

But its nowhere as good as Puppy Linux for flexibility. I would recommend installation on a virtual drive under QEMU for evaluation purposes, and/or for running packages not operational in Puppy Linux.

I have found the frugal install option too slow and hard to see the value of. Maybe I missed something...

[wiak]

I tried the way Fred recommended for Debian Dog to kill the password when logged in as a regular user and it didn't work.

edit: there was no wheel group so I tried using the sudo group and the demo group.

The following link describes how I also have done similar things in the past: https://gcore.com/learning/how-to-disab ... o-command/

[dancytron]

I tried the way Fred recommended for Debian Dog to kill the password when logged in as a regular user and it didn't work.

edit: there was no wheel group so I tried using the sudo group and the demo group.

The following link describes how I also have done similar things in the past: https://gcore.com/learning/how-to-disab ... o-command/

That worked. Thanks.

[dancytron]

@dancytron Thanks for posting this.

I<snip>

I did full install since I don't know how to install MX frugal yet. Hopefully, learn about it soon...
Screenshot_2023-12-28_15-12-15.jpg

It's under "advanced options" in the boot menu of the bootable usb. There are many choices.

[dcung]

It's under "advanced options" in the boot menu of the bootable usb. There are many choices.

I see it now. Need to switch to 'grub loader' menu to show this 'advanced options'.
Will try later if I feel like doing it.

Thanks dancytron .

[dancytron]

What I think I"m going to do with it.

The MX people seem to have put a lot of thought into everything, including online security, so I think I'm going to set it up as my "on public wifi" distro with a host file and strongish password. Then I can use it, mostly without mounting any drives or saving to disk when I'm not behind my router running my homemade Debian Dog with no firewall and samba shares of everything with anonymous write access. As a bonus, not much setup other than that because everything just works.

And they've built custom themes to deal with the obnoxious xfce tiny window borders.

[dancytron]

I tried the way Fred recommended for Debian Dog to kill the password when logged in as a regular user and it didn't work.

edit: there was no wheel group so I tried using the sudo group and the demo group.

The following link describes how I also have done similar things in the past: https://gcore.com/learning/how-to-disab ... o-command/

There's a few places to change "pkexec" to "sudo" to totally eliminate it. eg the "open root thunar here" custom action in thunar.

[dancytron]

You can't totally eliminate the passwords. In at least some of the utilities made by MX, they give you a "must be a regular user" error when you would get the password if you are running as sudo. I think what they've done is written the scripts so you only get the password when you hit the "apply" button or otherwise write your changes not when you open the program.

It's not that bad...

edit:
To add "sudo " to the exec line of a bunch of .desktop files, run the following from a terminal in that folder. I'll test later to make sure it works with Puppy. If not, there are 15 other ways to do the same thing here and at the linked page. #see https://stackoverflow.com/questions/113 ... mmand-line

Code: Select all

demo@mx1:~/Documents/SudoLaunchers
$ find ./ -type f -exec sed -i 's/Exec=/Exec=sudo /gI' {} \;

In Debian based distros, you can just paste the ones you want to run with sudo by default into /home/username/.local/shared/applications and they'll take priority over ones with the same name in /usr/shared/applications. I did almost everything that didn't start with "mx" or was an xfce setting.

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root@mx1:/home/demo/.local/share/applications# ls
 appimagekit-gimp.desktop				   org.bluesabre.Mugshot.desktop
 calibre-ebook-edit.desktop				   org.gnome.seahorse.Application.desktop
 calibre-ebook-viewer.desktop				   Py-Loader.desktop
 calibre-gui.desktop					   python3.11.desktop
 calibre-lrfviewer.desktop				   qpdfview.desktop
 chrome-agimnkijcaahngcdmfeangaknmldooml-Default.desktop   Quick_System_Info.desktop
 chrome-kajebgjangihfbkjfejcanhanjmmbcfd-Default.desktop   rox-filer.desktop
 compton-conf.desktop					   simple-scan.desktop
 compton.desktop					   synaptic.desktop
 defaults.list						   thunar-bulk-rename.desktop
 disk-manager.desktop					  'thunar (copy 1).desktop'
 geany.desktop						   thunar.desktop
 google-chrome.desktop					   thunar.desktop.dpkg-dist
 hardinfo.desktop					   thunar-settings.desktop
 htop.desktop						   thunar-volman-settings.desktop
 libreoffice-base.desktop				   xdg-desktop-portal-gtk.desktop
 libreoffice-calc.desktop				   xfburn.desktop
 libreoffice-draw.desktop				   xfce4-file-manager.desktop
 libreoffice-impress.desktop				   xfce4-run.desktop
 libreoffice-math.desktop				   xfce4-screenshooter.desktop
 libreoffice-startcenter.desktop			   xfce4-sensors.desktop
 libreoffice-writer.desktop				   xfce4-taskmanager.desktop
 libreoffice-xsltfilter.desktop				   xfce4-terminal.desktop
 mc.desktop						   xfce4-terminal-emulator.desktop
 mcedit.desktop						   xfce4-terminal-settings.desktop
 mimeapps.list						   yad-icon-browser.desktop
 mimeinfo.cache						   yelp.desktop
 nano.desktop

Then add:

Code: Select all

username ALL=(ALL:ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL

to the /etc/sudoers file as wiak's link recommends. (you could/should use groups or the separate file but it's good enough for now).

Testing in MX.

edit again: after a short amount of testing, a lot more thought needs to go into what runs as sudo by default and what doesn't.

[dancytron]

@dancytron

Have MX 21.3 installed on a couple of old Thinkpad 11e Chromebooks. Works well and recognizes all the hardware without any tweaking (so does BookworkPup64). MX is a frugal install and have spent quite a bit of time configuring trying to get it to be as good as Puppy . PITA to enter your password all the time, and when running as root, many programs will not run.

My install is set to ask to save on exit, but here's a script I use to save changes on demand.

Agree with your assessment

wizard

I just looked up the 11e. $50 reburb'd with a warranty. Are you booting it off of usb or installing to the little 16 gig internal whatever it is?

edit: apparently there are multiple generations of them.

[wizard]

@dancytron

Have done both, interestingly, if you have MX installed on both USB and internal, it defaults to USB. My USB dual boots MX and BookwormPup64.
I got two of the 11e's, both off Ebay for $25ea US w/ac adapter delivered. You can still find them for that, but may not have the AC adapter included. I don't think I'd pay $50 for a "refurb" one. Look for quad core CPU's, N2930 or N2940 w/4gb ram.

I like them for the sturdy build quality, especially the AC connector. You will have to remove the write protect screw under the bottom cover in order to flash a new bios from mrchromebox. Youtube has videos on that.

Let me know if you get one and need advice.

wizard

[dancytron]

Is it 5 volts or 12 volts or...? I think I might want to keep it in the car so I'll want to plug it into the cigarette lighter, one way or the other.

[wizard]

@dancytron

Neither, the adapter output is 20v, 2.25amp which is 45watt. You might consider one of the small car inverters rated for 70-100watt.

wizard

[dancytron]

Thanks.

I already have a couple of inverters.

[wizard]

@dancytron

Here's a spec PDF you may find useful:

wizard

[wizard]

@dancytron

If you're in the U.S, .take a look at this one, includes AC adapter and has N3160 quad core.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/325808460532?e ... Sw7wdlA2TZ

wizard

[dancytron]

It's not clear from MrChromebook.tech if I can boot usb boot it without taking it apart and removing the write protect screw.

I need to watch the video of that. I've broken laptops trying to take them apart before.

edit: apparently the answer from mr. chromebox himself is no.

[wizard]

@dancytron

apparently the answer from mr. chromebox himself is no.

Originally you could (one of my 11e's is setup that way), but the developer made the decision to stop that method for any Chromebook that has reached end of Google support.

wizard