How to remove default browser from fossapup64?

[Ronny]

Hello,

I am running Fossapup64 on my old Dell Latitude E5500 with 2Gb of ram in pupmode=13.

Since I am only using portable web browsers (Midori and FF) I wonder if it is worth the effort to remove the build-in web brower? Would I have a bit more ram available?

If yes, what is be the best way to remove?

Thanks a lot!

[amethyst]

Keeping the default browser won't impact your RAM usage if you don't run the application but keep in mind that if your Puppy files are copied to RAM at startup, available RAM are used (you can avoid the copying of files to RAM by adding pfix=nocopy to your boot parameters). There are different methods you can use to remove the default browser if you wish to do so. If so, let us know the version of Fossa you are using (so we know where the browser is installed) for proper instructions.

[Ronny]

That is what I wanted to obtain, the less possible RAM usage after startup.
I will try the pfix=nocopy and compare the Ram-usage after startup.

I made my frugal install with: fossapup64-9.5.iso (kernel 5.4.53) and save-folder.
If possible I would like to know how to remove the build-in browser because after I have everything setup like I want I will tackle the next hurdle: remastering.
I tried already a couple of times but to no avail yet. I will need to read some more in the forum

[amethyst]

That is what I wanted to obtain, the less possible RAM usage after startup.
I will try the pfix=nocopy and compare the Ram-usage after startup.

I made my frugal install with: fossapup64-9.5.iso (kernel 5.4.53) and save-folder.
If possible I would like to know how to remove the build-in browser because after I have everything setup like I want I will tackle the next hurdle: remastering.
I tried already a couple of times but to no avail yet. I will need to read some more in the forum

With Fossa9.5 the default browser (Palemoon) is included in the adrv and not in the base sfs. Here is code that should remove it from the adrv and make a new adrv which you need to replace the original one with:

Code: Select all

mksquashfs /initrd/pup_a/* /initrd/mnt/dev_save/adrv_fossapup64_9.5.sfs -e /initrd/pup_a/opt/* /initrd/pup_a/usr/share/applications/palemoon.desktop -comp gzip -b 128K
rox -s /initrd/mnt/dev_save/adrv_fossapup64_9.5.sfs

Copy, paste and run the code in terminal. Make sure the existing adrv is loaded.

[Ronny]

Hi amethyst,

• the code to remove Palemoon worked perfectly and reduced the adrv by 20M.
  Ram usage after startup also reduced by 20M.

I suppose that I can adapt the code to remove other things in all the ..drv...sfs, or is it more complicated than that?

• pfix=nocopy reduced ram usage at startup much more, to about 210M

So thank you very very much for your help.

Now I am going to tackle the hurdle of remastering....
I want to make a personal puppy for only this Dell laptop including all my changes without having to use a savefolder.
I'm sure it will take some time to get it right but I'm not in a hurry

[amethyst]

This was an easy way to remove Palemoon because the browser was basically builtin to one folder which is not normally the case. The easiest way to remove builtin packages permanently, is to use the "remove builtin packages" tool in the menu and then do a remaster to permanently remove builtin packages. A general note - you will find that most of Puppy's programs are so small that it's not really worthwhile to remove them permanently. The old browser is generally the only thing worth removing. BTW - the size of you Puppy files will not influence your RAM usage at startup if you use the pfix=nocopy parameter.

[Ronny]

OK, I will leave my puppy as is, ram is good with pfix-nocopy. And I might spend 16€ on an extra 2Gb memory for my Dell E5500 because eventually I will try Bookworm on it and I guess it will use more ram than fossapup 9.5
I am using mostly portable apps (Midori, FF, Anki, Coolreader, KeepassXC, etc.). Suits me very well.

Going to remaster now.

[wizard]

@amethyst

Wouldn't it be just as effective to just remove or rename the adrv_fossapup64_9.5.sfs?

Thanks
wizard

[wizard]

@Ronny

I will try Bookworm on it and I guess it will use more ram than fossapup 9.5

Not necessarily. Bookworm uses zram which is a technique to extend ram.

If you are remastering using the built in remaster script, you should read this topic, look at the post with the file 95fix.sh.gz attached:
viewtopic.php?p=17983&hilit=remaster#p17983

Edit: adding 2gb more ram will make a lot of difference.

wizard

[mikeslr]

@amethyst

Wouldn't it be just as effective to just remove or rename the adrv_fossapup64_9.5.sfs?

Thanks
wizard

True for most Puppys. But 666philb included many applications in the original fossapup64's adrv. Without it, Fossapup64 is 'barebones' and not very friendly. Your other suggestion --rename-- works well; but doesn't remove Palemoon.

Frankly, my recommendation to anyone who hasn't devoted a great effort in 'fleshing out' the original fossapup64 is to start from scratch with:
(a) Your 'friendly-fossa', https://www.forum.puppylinux.com/viewto ... 902#p43902
(b) ozsouth's Fossa64-Mid, https://www.forum.puppylinux.com/viewto ... 956#p94956; or
(c) if Anydesk and/or Zoom is required, ozsouth's Fossapup23, viewtopic.php?p=103298&sid=29c6201cc5af ... c8#p103298 which I haven't tried yet but am planning to.

On second thought, that's my recommendation even if the original was fleshed out. The original is now four years old. Each of the above provides a newer, freer from 'bugs' and more secure operating system and applications; and if necessary can be further 'fleshed out' with the applications ozsouth has published for his recent remasters on their threads, https://www.forum.puppylinux.com/viewforum.php?f=119 and Jasper and others have provided on the Fossapup User Contributed Packages, https://www.forum.puppylinux.com/viewto ... 8980#p8980. Tip: work backward thru that thread. Jasper has updated some of his earlier publications; and some early ones are no longer available.

[wizard]

@mikeslr

But 666philb included many applications in the original fossapup64's adrv

Ah-Ha, did not remember that, think that F96CE and Bookwork64 only have the browser in adrv.

Thanks
wizard

[amethyst]

uses zram which is a technique to extend ram

. The only way to extend RAM is to add more physical RAM (hardware) or to add virtual RAM in the form of swap ie. a swap file or a swap partition.

[wizard]

@amethyst

uses zram which is a technique to extend ram

Probably not the best wording to describe it, since zram uses compression to make the existing ram more efficient.
Here's a quote from the web that is a better description.

While the contents of RAM is rarely that compressible, it can routinely be reduced to a third of its size. In other words, ZRAM can effectively triple the amount of RAM on your system.

It should be noted that the newer Pups implement zram as zram swap. This implementation does improve my low ram computers performance.

Thanks
wizard

[amethyst]

This implementation does improve my low ram computers performance

I can't really say it does for me, more of a gimmick than anything else. i would also suggest that this may not be a very safe way of doing things and that you may actually experience more system lockups (thinking you have more RAM but in effect you do not have more available RAM in essence). The use of zram also use more CPU resources. I reckon your system will be more unstable with zram under heavy use than with a normal swap file or swap partition which will be slower but safer (I'm talking low specs here). Of more interest to me, is the use of zswap because that could speed up the use of a swap file or swap partition. Is that available for Puppy?

[Marv]

@amethyst

Wouldn't it be just as effective to just remove or rename the adrv_fossapup64_9.5.sfs?

Thanks
wizard

True for most Puppys. But 666philb included many applications in the original fossapup64's adrv. Without it, Fossapup64 is 'barebones' and not very friendly. Your other suggestion --rename-- works well; but doesn't remove Palemoon.

Frankly, my recommendation to anyone who hasn't devoted a great effort in 'fleshing out' the original fossapup64 is to start from scratch with:
(a) Your 'friendly-fossa', https://www.forum.puppylinux.com/viewto ... 902#p43902
(b) ozsouth's Fossa64-Mid, https://www.forum.puppylinux.com/viewto ... 956#p94956; or
(c) if Anydesk and/or Zoom is required, ozsouth's Fossapup23, viewtopic.php?p=103298&sid=29c6201cc5af ... c8#p103298 which I haven't tried yet but am planning to.

On second thought, that's my recommendation even if the original was fleshed out. The original is now four years old. Each of the above provides a newer, freer from 'bugs' and more secure operating system and applications; and if necessary can be further 'fleshed out' with the applications ozsouth has published for his recent remasters on their threads, https://www.forum.puppylinux.com/viewforum.php?f=119 and Jasper and others have provided on the Fossapup User Contributed Packages, https://www.forum.puppylinux.com/viewto ... 8980#p8980. Tip: work backward thru that thread. Jasper has updated some of his earlier publications; and some early ones are no longer available.

I heartily agree. @ozsouths' Fossa64-Mid (I actually use -less) and Fossapup23 have made nicely balanced rock solid bases for my ydrv driven savefile-less LXDE/PCManfm 'toasters. Kudos and thanks to to @ozsouth

[Ronny]

Thanks for all your advice.
I started all over with Fossa64-less. If I understand it well, Fossa64-less is much more up to date than the original Fossapup64.

My needs are are few, mostly browsing the net, some music, printing and scanning, reading epub's, keeping passwords, anki (for learning languages), for most of these things I use "portable apps": Midori, Firefox, KeepassXC, Coolreader, Anki.
I installed Simple-scan for scanning and setup cups for printing.
And of course setting up the desktop to my liking.

Everything works as required and I'm happy
I also ordered 2Gb extra ram so I should be good on this Dell E5500.

To finish it off, soon I'll do a remaster so I won't need a savefolder anymore.

[amethyst]

Hi, Ronny - I see other users recommended the use of another Fossa9.5 spinoff. I really think you should consider a more up to date Fossa. Fossa9.6CE was released in the beginning of last year with updated applications and newer features. It's excellent and runs very well on my old machines. BTW - You don't really need to do a remaster, you can save your settings to an additional drive like an adrv or bdrv. Another alternative is to use a very small save file only for small system changes and instead of installing big applications, load them as sfs files or portables. I'm not a fan of big save files nor save folders. On the rare occasions I use a save file, the size is never bigger than 64MB. Actually I'm using a save file with Fossa9.6 now and it's 64MB in size.

[wizard]

@Ronny

I second @amethyst recommendation for F96CE_4, especially since you are adding 2gb of ram. Also, give his "nicOS-Utility-Suite" a try to put all your customization's into a .sfs file. It's much faster and easier than remastering. You may find this topic of interest: viewtopic.php?p=98049&hilit=nic#p98049

wizard

[Ronny]

Perfect Guys,

I'll start my customization all over with F96CE_4.
And read up on saving them in a sfs.
I'll keep you posted

[Ronny]

My personalization for F96CE is more or less done.

• I needed to install "linux-firmware-nonfree_1.14ubuntu1_all.deb" because my wireless card was not detected.
• I installed "simple-scan" because in Xsane, there was no button for a wireless scanner, only usb, scsi and parallel.

One problem;
When booting I get a message "no efi environment detected"
and after that the booting stops for 1 minute or more on the line "booting the kernel"
Then it continues booting anyway.

This is part of my grub.cfg: (frugal installed on HD)

menuentry "F96CE-4" {
insmod ext2
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 5c702df6-3bb2-44d1-90ec-4bfafc76695e
echo "Loading vmlinuz"
linux /f96ce/vmlinuz pmedia=atahd pdrv=puppies psubdir=/f96ce pfix=fsck,fsckp TZ=CET-1CEST,M3.5.0,M10.5.0/3
echo "Loading initrd.gz"
initrd /f96ce/initrd.gz
}

Can I do something to avoid the delay in booting?

[Ronny]

I just noticed that I am asking a question concerning F96CE in the section about Fossapup64.
So I will ask my question again in the F96CE section.

Once again, thank you all for your help and recommendations.
Ronny