Question about Kernel Configuration for Puppys

[JusGellin]

I carefully did it again on a new install
I did a copy of the fdrv name, then deleted the original and then copied the new on over and pasted the original name onto it.
I did a reboot and it did the same thing. It completely wiped out the /usr/lib/firmware except for those 3 files and wifi again no longer works.

Now, if I copy the contents of the new fdrv into /usr/lib/firmware and do a save/reboot, wifi comes up again, but display resolution still doesn't work.

So the new fdrv deletes everything in /usr/lib/firmware when it replaces the original.
Just copying its contents to /usr/lib/firmware again, makes it work like before.

I wonder what is happening.

I'm going to try again tomorrow and trace my steps again.

[rockedge]

@JusGellin Now that is really odd!

Something might be happening with whiteout files but is it possible? Can you see the fdrv get loaded during the boot phases?

I will have to try this out and compare what is going on with what you are experiencing. I give it a test first with a Noblepup64 because one is available to test with.

[JusGellin]

@JusGellin Now that is really odd!

Something might be happening with whiteout files but is it possible? Can you see the fdrv get loaded during the boot phases?

I will have to try this out and compare what is going on with what you are experiencing. I give it a test first with a Noblepup64 because one is available to test with.

Yes, I see fdrv loaded.

I did a complete reinstall of BW.
First I made sure it worked -it did
wifi connected - I set it to my home wifi.
/usr/lib/firmware was populated
I did a save on reboot.
It came up again ok and logged on to wifi

This time I rebooted into Ventory BW
I deleted fdrv and copyied the new one to it, giving it the proper fdrv name.

I rebooted into the local drive.
I saw fdrv was loaded
When it came up, it couldn't connect to wifi.
/usr/lib/firmware lost all the files in it.
dmesg indicated it couldn't locate the wifi firmware.

But now if I copy the files from the new fdrv sfs over to /usr/lib/firmware, it again boots up with logged on wifi.

It looks like the new fdrv loads, but loads firmware with nothing, so all the firmware files are removed.
Also, when I manually copied the files from it to firmware, they were still all there on the fdrv.

I emptied the firmware folder and selected fdrv, then selected Install SFS.
Nothing was added to the firmware folder.

I again manually copied files from fdrv sfs to firmware.
I again selected fdrv and then selected Install SFS.
I thought maybe it would remove the files this way, but it didn't

[JusGellin]

I did a test by installing KLV-vmHost-rc4 directly on my new laptop
Originally it connected to wifi and the display resolutions worked properly

When I replaced original 01firmware-6.9.1_1.sfs with then new renamed firmware and saved and rebooted,
when it came up wifi no longer worked.
dmesg indicated it couldn't find the driver any longer.
Looking at /usr/lib/firmware, it still had some folders in it but not all and nothing pertaining to wifi anymore.

I'll look further to see if I can see anything else.

Thanks

[JusGellin]

After it failed when replacing with 01firmeware-1.sfs renamed to 01firmware-6.9.1_1.sfs,
I copied the files from the new firmware sfs to /usr/lib/firmware, saved/rebooted.

It comes up ok again just like BW did.

[rockedge]

Yes, remember that the KLV's do not use the same naming scheme as Puppy Linux!

The SFS's you want loaded at boot in KLV is done by adding the 2 digit prefix to the name like you did.

Puppy Linux -> fdrv_xxxx.sfs
KLV -> 01firmware_xxxx.sfs

I will look to see what list file is missing in the 01firmware.sfs that is causing it to not load properly in the Puppy Linux form!

[JusGellin]

It's not working for KLV-vmHost-rc4 either.

For both of these I renamed the firmware according to the naming scheme for the firmware sfs I replaced.

[JusGellin]

@rockedge
I know you will be able to figure out what the problem is for the firmware sfs that you are now looking at.

I have another observation and question for the BookwormPup64_10.0.8.
It is using kernel 6.1.106 and seems to have problems loading a graphic driver.
This prevents it from being able to select different resolutions and only having one.

This happens whether Ventoy is used or the iso is installed on a usb stick or on an internal drive.
But when I make this a virtual machine on the same laptop, it works perfectly OOTB.
Wifi works, the display is able to select different resolutions.
I reverified that the kernel it is using is still 6.1.106 - and it is.
Why does the virtual machine easily work and a bare metal install doesn't
I don't think this is due to the host, which is KLV-vmHost-rc4 which has a kernel of 6.10.10 -- or does it?
It makes me think that there must be a driver that will make BW work on an install to the internal drive on a laptop like mine.

This all is really interesting to me.
Thanks