new KLU-jamXFCEbase 1.1 (620MiB) Ubuntu Jammy-based

[wiak]

and the timezone selector is a bit of a PITA, have to scroll endlessly to get to "Europe/Amsterdam" , but no big deal for me though, I can just type it, but for newcomers it can be a pain.

Thanks for the updated deb scripts Fred. Yes, the timezone selector was a quickie with limitation you mention. It's actually same issue in most Puppy distributions, but that's no excuse! However, you can use PgDn to very quickly move through the list at least, though a newbie would almost certainly not guess that (I didn't at first either...). The root filesystem purposively doesn't store any downloaded dpkg deb copies into var, nor does it accept man pages; I believe that is what the permission warnings you mention are about and if so they are harmless.

[wiak]

KLU-jam-rc4 now released; download links on first post of this thread per usual

Smaller base version, which doesn't include internet browser - so you can add your own browser to save persistence (or via portable app) without update bloat:

548 MiB download size

OR same except with Firefox (currently version 109.0.1) pre-installed:

611 MiB download size

So even KLU-jamFE-rc4.iso is pretty small considering full Firefox browser included. However, base without Firefox has the advantage that upgrades to Firefox will overwrite old Firefox files in upper_changes rather than use addional space to that of any iso-internal version. Nevetheless, for the the likes of Virtual Machine use the browser-included release saves needing browser installation to save persistence.

CHANGES:
1. Removed xfce4-screensaver since gives major issue with lock screen on sleep when user password will fail (I believe since no display manager like lightdm included). Was going to try light-locker, but have read online it would likely have similar issues since no lightdm. Screen will still go to sleep but just no login required to get back to desktop.
2. save2flash fix from fredx181, and tzupdate package installed, and default timezone now UTC. For simple timezone setting use StartMenu -> Settings -> Timezone. NOTE: For fast scrolling down the list provided use PgDn!!!
3. Includes test initrd to show bootfrom partition in Thunar side panel.
4. Further size reduction via removal on snapd package. You can re-install with apt if ever needed.
5. Autologin as root to XFCE desktop.
6. Save on demand icon (top panel and available in System Menu.
7. Polished up a lot. Has xfce4: whisker menu, power-manager, clipboard and more
8. Ability to run as normal user instead. For example, to make an autologin as spot to desktop:

[wiak]

Note regarding the above KL4-jam base (Internet browser free) and FE (Firefox Edition) version rc4 releases. They both contain 'wex' Multimedia recorder. In case you didn't know this, wex isn't just a screencast capture program (including option to put small webcam window in the bottom corner of capture) it can also simply record video and audio from the webcam. That's just a matter of clicking checkbuttons for audio and webcam only, and leaving X11 checkbox, which is for X windows screen capture blank (just fixed size as far as I remember). The 'scale' configuration is for the X11 screencast size (can make it a tiny fraction of full screen for mini screencasts if you wish... and optionally can make any screencast or webcam video into a gif via button in config window that calls up fredx181 gifenc-sel program). The only issue with wex is that pause doesn't work (or maybe with audio, but probably not reliably). Good for quick high quality screencasts or webcam audio/video use though.

In a few years time, when no doubt we all finally move to Wayland, none of these X-based programs likely to work though (and currently not XFCE desktop either). Alternatives will need to be made then...

I'll be sorry to see wex finally go. Assuming system has ffmpeg installed, wex is one of the tiniest AV and screencast apps out there (just a gtkdialog script of size 56KiB). Wex simple plugin support actually inspired aspects of FirstRib design.

[wiak]

Well I've been sitting on new rc4 release, booted from Ventoy using save on demand RAM2 mode back to Ventoy disk 'Sessions' folder all night (just testing how it is working with Ventoy - Clarity would be happy to know), and on spot user desktop as it happens...

Actually I wasn't doing any computing, was just relaxing watching some amusing chess games on youtube. I admit, it was the beautiful Anna Cramling made me forget about further distro developments - though sometimes was Anna with her grandmaster mother showing how to really play the game... Oh no, now I've encouraged you to go look at youtube rather than providing feedback on KLU-jam...

[Clarity]

... booted from Ventoy using save on demand RAM2 mode back to Ventoy disk 'Sessions' folder

You have been the inspiration to continue the testing projects I have done over the years. YOur work here has been of great importance and maturing improvements seen over the recent years.

We are so lucky to have developers like you and particularly the developers cooperating together in the distro projects in this area of the forum.

For people like me (and probably many others too) it has been a time reduction to test the distros created here and in other forum PUPs and DOGs. It only takes moments to go from ISO to desktop, non-stop, while also having all the features expected by the PUP/DOG persistence architectures when doing so.

For getting the distros to this point where is has become all too easy for every user to 'step' into a forum distro without effort, I again, applaud each.

Thanks and enjoy the beauty of chest.

OOPS! I mean "chess"

[Sofiya]

I like
missing xfce4-screenshooter-plugin

[wiak]

I like
missing xfce4-screenshooter-plugin

Yes, an accidental omission from KLU-jam-base, which I'll probably remedy in future release. It is included already in KLU-jamFE (Firefox Edition) iso I think though.

[wiak]

Before I forget, since working on other matters, I decided to quickly re-upload the no-browser base KLU-jam-rc4.iso to include the accidentally omitted xfce4-screenshooter. Kept same revision name for simplicity since no other change. Download link for it is revised in first post of this thread. No change to KLU-jamFe-rc4.iso.

[gabtech]

Hi @wiak love this little guy KLU-jam. Currently posting from it using portable ungoogled Chromium which I launched using the terminal.

Here are some questions:

1. Why don't portables launch jst by clicking the LAUNCH script?
2. My touchpad works jst fine for scrolling but doen't work for clicking. I use the two buttons on the touchpad for clicking.

**KLU-jamFE frugally installed on ext3 partition on a Dell LATITUDE E6440.

[wiak]

Hi @wiak love this little guy KLU-jam. Currently posting from it using portable ungoogled Chromium which I launched using the terminal.

Here are some questions:

1. Why don't portables launch jst by clicking the LAUNCH script?
2. My touchpad works jst fine for scrolling but doen't work for clicking. I use the two buttons on the touchpad for clicking.

**KLU-jamFE frugally installed on ext3 partition on a Dell LATITUDE E6440.

Hmmm, off the top of my head, I don't know the answer to either of your questions. I haven't been trying portables really. I think Mikewalsh made some of his portables work on early KLV releases, but I don't know the ins and outs of that. I might try sometime and will report back anything I find, but maybe someone else who knows more about such matters can help you?
What type of portable? AppImage? Roxapp? The latter might need rox filer installed?

I'm not in KLU-jam right now, but I 'think' my touchpad works fine (I'll check and EDIT quick report). If so, then maybe simple a firmware issue. As I said in KLU-jam release I just provided it with the kernel/modules/firmware from a upup release so I don't know what limitations the firmware supplied with that have. You could add more firmware to the upper_changes/usr/lib/firmware folder. That being an uncompressed read/write directory on the top layer means any firmware you put in there will take precedence over any in the supplied 01firmwareXXX.sfs. EDIT: Simple answer (on my machine anyway) given in next post below.

[wiak]

2. My touchpad works jst fine for scrolling but doen't work for clicking. I use the two buttons on the touchpad for clicking.

Okay, I think I was wrong about firmware being a possible issue (hopefully wrong anyway).

My touchpad also worked fine for scrolling and physical key clicks on it worked, but not tapping to click.
However, that's a simple XFCE setting change required:

Start Menu -> Settings -> Mouse and Touchpad

Go to Touchpad tab and check the box: Tap touchpad to click.

Hope that works on your machine too.

[gabtech]

Hey @wiak, thanks for the tip. Toggling the button "on" did the trick. I can now click using my touchpad.

[gabtech]

Hey @wiak , Could you please add mtp devices functionality to this little guy.

[rockedge]

Should be only a matter of adding a few packages to the root_fs.

[mikeslr]

I think there's a scribner's error in the URL link in the OP, https://www.forum.puppylinux.com/viewto ... 399#p79399 to the latest KLU-jam.

This "md5sum 1930c08e66f2016cab6dd30265eaa5 ... FE-rc4.iso[/b]
md5sum bc0ad3824adbcc881231716d6c03423b KLU-jamFE-rc4.iso"
only leads to "The requested page could not be found."

[gabtech]

How do I launch xfce4-screenshooter?

** KLU-JamFE frugally installed on ext3 partition on a Dell LATITUDE E6440.

[mikeslr]

The OP still does not provide a download link. Thanks to ally , the ISO can be found here:

https://archive.org/details/Puppy_Linux_KLU-jam

[wiak]

The OP still does not provide a download link. Thanks to ally , the ISO can be found here:

https://archive.org/details/Puppy_Linux_KLU-jam

That's an old iso so will have omissions and issues that were addressed in later releases so I don't advise using it, though up to yourself.

Though I have a new permanent oncloud storage site, my first attempt to move the old (but current) KLU-jam rc4 isos across failed yesterday early on when I tried it and had to much to deal with to try again.

I do have a KLU-jam-rc4.iso still sitting on mega, but I'm not sure if that is the original rc4 or one of my experiments. This is its download link it you want to try it, but I haven't re-downloaded it myself so can't check its md5sum sorry.

https://mega.nz/file/iyoRQKga#3E0BpJVVm ... LrQPHtYjzY

It is probably the correct original rc4 that would match the one I have on my Ventoy disk - but I made so many experimental versions for myself I can't be 100% sure.

I have a growing backlog of KL-related iso newest to complete so expect some delays - this kind of work tends to take many solid days, sometimes per iso - the above is just a possible stop-gap for those wanting to try it.

[Sofiya]

KLU-jam-calendar

Installation via terminal : dpkg -i KLU-jam-calendar_2.5-3_amd64.deb

You can also install the program to install deb packages.to start by updating the system apt-get update && apt-get upgrade Then
apt-get install gdebi . simple tool to view and install deb files

[wiak]

Left maybe the best till last... here it is:

KLU-jam-XFCEbase-1.0

For some media, such as Ventoy, QEMU, and SG2D, you can also use savefolder, but you need to label partitions appropriately sometimes. For details about boot media label requirements for iso booting, see this recent post: viewtopic.php?p=79395#p79395
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEW: Has new FR initrd.gz ver 7.0.1 rc1 released 09Mar2023; includes /mnt/home symlink to bootfrom partition. Fixes major umount bug. Includes Arch Linux packages 09Mar2023 rolling release update.
Has over forty (!) new commandline-based utility apps (a few with very simple yad frontends).

There is a cherrytree README notes file on the Desktop that contains lots of details and tips regarding these additions, including a couple of simple yad GUI frontend templates in code form to help others develop their own.
I am no longer using gtkdialog for new app/utils in FirstRib when possible. Many upstream distros no longer have gtkdialog in their repos at all whereas yad is well supported and good enough for most simple frontends.

516 MiB download size
Download from sourceforge here: https://sourceforge.net/projects/klu-jam-xfcebase
md5sum: 377eac3273e15243f7afb27bb69d6da3 KLU-jam-XFCEbase-1.0.iso

Set your timezone via StartMenu -> Settings -> Timezone (Use PgDn to quickly scroll)

Comes with no internet browser so the inevitable regular updating of browser later does not cause additional bloat, but has Quick INSTALL_BROWSER (and more) GUI:

Use Start Menu -> Internet -> INSTALL_BROWSER application to install
firefox, chromium-browser, osmo, and/or LibreOffice
Once browser is installed you need to make it Default Browser using:
Start Menu -> Settings -> Default Applications
Note Well: Chromium-browser will not start from top panel as things stand if you are on root user desktop.

You can also use INSTALL_BROWSER to update your browser to newer versions at any time.

As provided, by default the distro auto-logs-in to Desktop as user root, but menu is provided such that you can auto-login to Desktop as a normal user if you prefer that for security.

[wiak]

Sorry, put the wrong download link in for this new release of KLU-jamXFCEbase (516MiB). All fixed and ready to rumble now (per above post and details in first post of thread) ...

[wiak]

One thing worth mentioning if you happen to also be a Puppy Linux user...

My 'KL' contributed distros started life as 'WeeDog' distros, but I changed the name to FirstRib, which was actually the original name of the project overall.

For example, for a couple of years I was using WDL_Arch64, which later became FRA_OT2 (and KLA_OT2) when contributed for development via this forum discussion members.

The very first normal user thus already established on these KL distros is thus user 'firstrib'. When I made the KL variant I added a user named 'spot' to make any Puppy Linux user feel comfortable...

However, what I didn't think about at the time is that user 'firstrib' being the first of the created regular users has UID 1000 (User Identity number), and that is the user actual identity as far as Linux is concerned (since Linux uses numbers and only humans really care about alias names). User 'spot' on a KL distro has UID 1001 (in the /etc/passwd file and so on). In a Puppy Linux distro, user spot is I think the first regular user there, and probably always is thus assigned UID 1000, which means, actually, that user 'firstrib' on a KL distro is actually the same actual user as user 'spot' on Puppy Linux! So if you want to be Puppy Linux known user 'spot' (in terms of resource permissions and so on) then login as KL user 'firstrib'...

What that means in practice is that if you happen to have some resources that were given only Puppy Linux user spot permissions to use, you would get the same rights on my KL distros as user firstrib...

So you would run-as-user-firstrib the likes of Chromium. Whilst there is nothing wrong with being the 'other' KL 'spot' user, I will likely in future releases include a Chromium-firstrib desktop file since anything being saved from 'firstrib' user perspective will be available to a Puppy Linux user as 'spot'. If you don't understand any of the above, it doesn't matter - system will work as you otherwise expect anyway...

What I won't be doing is changing over many files to be owned by user 'spot'; rather you have to accept that user 'firstrib' is UID 1000 on my contributed systems.

[Clarity]

Boots to desktop VERY fast. Shutdown processing works without a hitch.
Boot Stanza

Code: Select all

qemu-system-x86_64 -enable-kvm -vga std -m 2G -smp 2 -device AC97 -name "KLU Jammy v1.0 via QEMU"  -cdrom KLU-jam-XFCEbase-1.0.iso

KLUv1.0.jpg (20.61 KiB) Viewed 8640 times

[wiak]

I think it is little known that there is actually a Kennel Linux 'How To' sub-section on the forum. Unfortunately it is so hard to find I spent ages locating it again. I thought it was in Kennel Linux area, which would definitely make it easier to find!!!

Anyway, I finally found it (and the howto already in it that I had 'lost' too). However, despite my putting a new howto in there, for the moment I'll also post where the new howto is here as a link in Kennel Linux > KLU-jam area:

Making firefox sfs for KL (invisible to apt/dpkg); this example using KLU-jam-XFCEbase, but should work for all current KL distros at least individually...
viewtopic.php?p=84173#p84173

[wiak]

Note that for KLU-jamXFCEbase (and also applies to KLA-XFCEbase, and KLA-OT2 both base and CE release) I have purposively chosen to use a huge kernel for these KL forum releases. That is because doing so makes it a near trivial matter to swap kernels to whatever is around here that suits your own computer better when using a normal frugal installation.

The reason the swap is so easy is that you don't need to change or remake the initrd.gz at all.

All you need to do is, copy in the vmlinuz and zdrv and fdrv of whatever huge Puppy Linux kernel that suits you, and then simply change the name of the zdrvXXX.sfs to 00zdrvXXX.sfs and fdrvXXX.sfs to 01fdrvXXX.sfs.

You also need to then either delete the default provided vmlinuz, 00zdrv_upup_22.04.sfs and 01fdrv_upup_22.04.sfs or disable them from being used by simple renaming. For example, can disable them from being used by renaming default provided vmlinuz as Dvmlinuz, and 00zdrv_upup_22.04.sfs as D00zdrv_upup_22.04.sfs and 01fdrv_upup_22.04.sfs as D01fdrv_upup_22.04.sfs

SImple as that... the new vmlinuz, 00zdrvXXX.sfs and 01fdrvXXX.sfs will be used instead on reboot.

The default provided vmlinuz/modules/firmware components all work fine on my older and newer computers, however, so no need for me to change them at all as things stand. But if something good gets added to newer kernel that you really want, of if you need some special new modules or firmware for some hardware needs on your system then it will be worthwhile swapping these components for alternatives. Yes, of course a simple swap of such components could be easily scripted and a GUI frontend added, but easy to do anyway just via the GUI filemanager should you ever need or want to do that (no commandline work required).

[Phil_54]

Hi @wiak love this little guy KLU-jam. Currently posting from it using portable ungoogled Chromium which I launched using the terminal.

Here are some questions:

1. Why don't portables launch jst by clicking the LAUNCH script?

@gabtech
1. I have just downloaded KLUJam v 1.0, and by default am in root. Opened terminal where my portable chrome browser (MikeWalsh) resides, and typed ./LAUNCH , and everything worked fine. I then changed user to firstrib, and logged out and back in, but then chrome portable wouldn't open. There were some error messages I could quite decipher, but am confirming Mike Walsh portable browser working for me in root.

@wiak
Really like this version. Seems fine on my peculiar setup, but will test daily for a while and feedback if any issues. Thanks.

[Sofiya]

@wiak I have SFS-Load working in KLU!!

I think I have the run and finish script set up to run as systemd services correctly as well. a test here will tell.

Some of the script locations I used straight as they were packaged by fredx181 and I didn't bother to switch it all to /usr/local/bin.

I used the full goodies package but it would be even slicker to do them individually. The list of the names of the packges helps a lot.

sfs-load-run.service

Code: Select all

[Unit]
Description=clean up orphaned symlinks

[Service]
ExecStart=//usr/lib/systemd/scripts/run-symlink-clean.sh

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

sfs-load-finish.service

Code: Select all

[Unit]
Description=clean up orphaned symlinks
DefaultDependencies=no
After=final.target

[Service]
Type=oneshot
ExecStart=/usr/lib/systemd/scripts/finish-symlink-clean.sh

[Install]
WantedBy=final.target

run-symlink-clean.sh.gz
finish-symlink-clean.sh.gz

sfs-load-run.service is an extra "/" in ExecStart=//usr/lib/systemd/scripts/run-symlink-clean.sh

[wiak]

Had a quick go at making an addon 13sfs_load.sfs for KLU-jamXFCEbase and it seemed to work okay. However..., I haven't studied the symlinking scripts so have no idea if it leaves symlinks behind or whatever. Nevertheless it worked - just don't know if I left anything vital out. I don't, for example, in run-symlink-clean.sh I commented out last line:

Code: Select all

exec chpst -b sfsunload pause

because chpst is from runit so I don't have it, but of course I could steal that, but I also don't have sfsunload script, which on finding one in debiandogs looks like unloadmodule... and not the same as variant produced for KLV (no overlay to create read/write layer for example). I suspect fredx181 is correct that it is better for more reliable sfs-load-on-the-fly mechanism to use a chroot mechanism involving layers (either fuse as he used or overlayfs as I once used). Having said that, it certainly seemed to work (aside from possibility my attempt isn't cleaning up as intended?).

[wiak]

New release. See first post of thread. Not a lot changed, but up-to-date and with rox filemanager (via sfs addon so can optionally disable), and also experimental (optional sfs addon) sfs-load-on-the-fly support for testing. Also now with mtp-tools, and blueman, and uses zstd level 19 compression for better performance (main reason iso is bigger). No browser supplied, but can download via Start > Internet > Quick install browser (or whatever I called that...) - fetches recommended Chromium from safe PPA and not snap. For chromium audio as root, best run from terminal with --no-sandbox. Alternatively, Start Menu > System > Switch User to firstrib (uid 1000) then logout and system auto logs in as firstrib and chromium works with sound then from desktop menu.

Haven't tried the bluetooth, by the way, just included the package so may or may not work out-of-the-box.

Made the iso in a bit of a hurry cos short of time, but wanted to try something. Let me know if it fires up! Bound to be some imperfections. Not sure if it will work in Ventoy/Qemu - should do, but might have forgotten something - been a long while since I made new iso.

[rockedge]

Really like the ability to switch auto-login user and have the choice remain persistent across reboots. Looks like this will have to be assimilated by KLV's
Or at least tested if the feature will be a good fit. The modular SFS approach to adding in features that may be useful for some and not others and can be removed, is a good direction to go in.

KLU running on QEMU like squirrels under an Oak tree in the fall.