Testing KLV-vmHost, Designed for Hosting VM's

[rockedge]

Also does it matter that the firmware used here indicates it's for 6.9.1 -> 01firmware-6.9.1_1.sfs?

No not really.

I had to use the last Puppy Linux woof-CE kernel-kit produced firmware (fdrv) to assemble 01firmware-6.9.1_1.sfs. I couldn't get the kernel-kit to produce any usable fdrv after this version. The fdrv always shows up at the end around 4000 K and totally useless. Turns out this one works well with the Void Linux 6.10.10_1 kernel.

See speed was the main factor.....I was going to produce this distro in about an hour and a half and use a newer Void Linux kernel extracted during the build process.

Since there is NO reliable program/script that filters down the size of the complete firmware collection I went with the much smaller fdrv converted manually to 01firmware, and not try to manually pick out what firmware where.

You can use the 01firmware.sfs as an uncompressed (un-squashed) directory and boot the system that way. Makes it much easier to work with. Like adding firmware to it and immediately testing it without having to squash it again.

Show me what to add and I will assemble another 01firmware.sfs if in doubt.

My main dev machine is a Dell PowerEdge rack server.......horrible graphics card....since it's an industrial grade rack server which is designed to run 99% of the time headless, it doesn't need anything but 1280x1024 and ASCII so it's outfitted with MATOX graphics card.....many Puppy Linux fdrv's do not contain any firmware for it. So When I am making stuff...graphics always has to be tested on some other machine.

[JusGellin]

@rockedge
I like that you make it as small as you can.

I would like to give it a try.

But as far as the 01firmware is concerned, from what happened to me is in order for my new computer use so-a0-gf-a0-89.ucode,
it failed until I could copy so-a0-gf-a0.pnvm from somewhere else.

So if others will need that ucode, their wifi will fail too.

Thanks for all the work you do for many things here with all of this.

[JusGellin]

@rockedge
Here's an update for making a virtual machine of BookwormPup_10.0.8.
It works beautifully on my new laptop.
Where install of BW10.0.8 directly on the laptop would only give one resolution for the display.

But as a virtual machine installed on this host, it work just like it should.
Here's the details for what it looked like as a virtual machine:

Code: Select all

# inxi -Fxxxz
System:    Host: puppypc8351 Kernel: 6.1.106 x86_64 (64 bit) Desktop: JWM 2.4.3 dm: N/A
           Distro: BookwormPup64 10.0.8
Machine:   Device: qemu-or-kvm System: QEMU product: Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9 2009) v: pc-q35-9.1
           Mobo: N/A model: N/A BIOS: SeaBIOS v: rel-1.16.3-0-ga6ed6b701f0a-prebuilt.qemu.org date: 04/01/2014
           Chassis: type: 1 v: pc-q35-9.1
CPU(s):    2 Single core Intel Core 7 150Us (-HT-SMP-) cache: 32768 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 10444
           clock speeds: max: 2611 MHz 1: 2611 MHz 2: 2611 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Red Hat Virtio 1.0 GPU bus-ID: 00:01.0 chip-ID: 1af4:1050
           Display Server: X.org 1.21.1.7 drivers: modesetting (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           tty size: 131x30 Advanced Data: N/A for root
Audio:     Card Intel 82801I (ICH9 Family) HD Audio Controller
           driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0 chip-ID: 8086:293e
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k6.1.106
Network:   Card: Red Hat Virtio 1.0 network device driver: virtio-pci v: 1 bus-ID: 01:00.0 chip-ID: 1af4:1041
           IF: eth0 state: up speed: -1 duplex: unknown mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 134.7GB (35.5% used)
           ID-1: /dev/sda model: QEMU_HARDDISK size: 10.7GB serial: QM00003
           ID-2: USB /dev/sdb model: USB_3.2.1_FD size: 124.0GB serial: 071C272F2F137A97-0:0
Partition: ID-1: / size: 2.2G used: 724M (34%) fs: overlay dev: N/A
           ID-2: swap-1 size: 2.01GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/zram0
Sensors:   None detected - is lm-sensors installed and configured?
Info:      Processes: 141 Uptime: 22 min Memory: 366.0/1958.1MB
           Init: SysVinit v: N/A runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 12.2.0
           Client: Shell (bash 5.2.151 running in lxterminal) inxi: 2.3.8 

Code: Select all

# xrandr
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1920 x 1080, maximum 8192 x 8192
Virtual-1 connected primary 1920x1080+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 325mm x 203mm
   1280x800      74.99 +
   5120x2160     50.00  
   4096x2160     50.00  
   3840x2160     60.00    50.00    59.94  
   1920x1440     60.00  
   2560x1080     50.00  
   1856x1392     60.00  
   1792x1344     60.00  
   2048x1152     60.00  
   1920x1200     59.88  
   1920x1080     60.00*   50.00  
   1600x1200     60.00  
   1680x1050     59.95  
   1400x1050     59.98  
   1280x1024     60.02  
   1440x900      59.89  
   1280x960      60.00  
   1360x768      60.02  
   1280x768      59.87  
   1024x768      60.00  
   800x600       60.32  
   640x480       60.00    59.94 

[JusGellin]

I noticed that using save2flash doesn't seem to work right when removing files/folders.
Adding files/folders then doing save2flash increases the upper_changes folder like it should.
But if files/folders are removed and then a save2flash is made, the size of upper_changes folder stays the same.

I did a test on BookwormPup64 doing the same thing but watching dpupbw64save folder.
As files/folders are removed, the dpupbw64save folder reduces in size like it should.

It looks like that needs to be looked at and fixed.

Thanks

[rockedge]

@JusGellin

I'll look into that. We can ask @fredx181 and @geo_c if they have seen this on other KLV's?

[TerryH]

I noticed that using save2flash doesn't seem to work right when removing files/folders.
Adding files/folders then doing save2flash increases the upper_changes folder like it should.
But if files/folders are removed and then a save2flash is made, the size of upper_changes folder stays the same.

I did a test on BookwormPup64 doing the same thing but watching dpupbw64save folder.
As files/folders are removed, the dpupbw64save folder reduces in size like it should.

It looks like that needs to be looked at and fixed.

Thanks

Are they being deleted or going to trash? If in trash, the size will not reduce. It may be that you need to Empty trash before you use save2flash.

[JusGellin]

Are they being deleted or going to trash? If in trash, the size will not reduce. It may be that you need to Empty trash before you use save2flash.

That's exactly the problem!

You guys are so impressive!
Thanks so much for your help.

I wonder why Bookworm doesn't automatically put anything into the trash and this KLV does.

[geo_c]

Are they being deleted or going to trash? If in trash, the size will not reduce. It may be that you need to Empty trash before you use save2flash.

That's exactly the problem!

You guys are so impressive!
Thanks so much for your help.

I wonder why Bookworm doesn't automatically put anything into the trash and this KLV does.

That depends on the settings in your file manager when you delete files. For instance Thunar and pcmanfm seem to come with safe delete by default. I always turn that off, as I like to live dangerously and mostly back things up about 5 times a day anyway.

[JusGellin]

That depends on the settings in your file manager when you delete files. For instance Thunar and pcmanfm seem to come with safe delete by default. I always turn that off, as I like to live dangerously and mostly back things up about 5 times a day anyway.

I couldn't find where to turn safe delete off. I only found to enable "Delete" in its menu items.
I like being able to select files and then just hitting the <DEL> key.

Thanks

[fredx181]

That depends on the settings in your file manager when you delete files. For instance Thunar and pcmanfm seem to come with safe delete by default. I always turn that off, as I like to live dangerously and mostly back things up about 5 times a day anyway.

I couldn't find where to turn safe delete off. I only found to enable "Delete" in its menu items.
I like being able to select files and then just hitting the <DEL> key.

Thanks

Indeed, AFAIK you cannot turn safe delete off for Thunar, only add "Delete" option in its menu items.

[geo_c]

Indeed, AFAIK you cannot turn safe delete off for Thunar, only add "Delete" option in its menu items.

Yes, but I think when you add that option it actually deletes the file instead of moving it to trash. I only use Thunar in certain circumstances, like when accessing an android phone in KLV, because I can't seem to find where in the filesystem that mtp location shows up other than in Thunar. I don't know how the mtp thing works at all. More reading I will have to do.

But mostly I do all my file management work with Xfe and ranger, and mostly ranger. I don't even use Rox anymore, maybe once in awhile when I boot up a pup, but even there I stick to Xfe and ranger.

My next choice would be pcmanfm, but Thunar I find clunky to use. Ranger is just too cool, and I don't think I actually even need Xfe anymore, but I still use it because I'm so fast and familiar with it. No problem turning the safe delete off in Xfe, just click the option in preferences.

Oh and one other thing I seem to need either Thunar or pcmanfm for in KLV is mounting iso files.

[rockedge]

Oh and one other thing I seem to need either Thunar or pcmanfm for in KLV is mounting iso files.

There is pup-vol-monitor that @fredx181 experimented with in KLV's. Comes from Puppy Linux but works well on KLV.

When installed the partitions can be accessed similar to how it works in Puppy Linux. Does duplicate some of the partition icons but a minor thing,

@fredx181 produced a XBPS package for it

[JusGellin]

There is pup-vol-monitor that @fredx181 experimented with in KLV's. Comes from Puppy Linux but works well on KLV.

When installed the partitions can be accessed similar to how it works in Puppy Linux. Does duplicate some of the partition icons but a minor thing,

@fredx181 produced a XBPS package for it

I was confused for what pup-vol-monitor had to do with file managers.
Does installing this allow turning off automatically saving to trash?

Also do current Puppy Linux have this. I don't see it in BookwormPup
Thanks

[rockedge]

pup-vol-mon stands for puppy volume monitor see image below:

Screenshot(33).jpg (50.04 KiB) Viewed 600 times

[JusGellin]

Ok, so that has to do with icons showing mounting and not mounting partitions and devices and not the trash.

Thanks

[JusGellin]

I just made a shared folder for a guest and received this error:
"unable to find a satisifying virtiofsd"

Searching on the internet mentioned the same error numerous times and give the resolution
that the host was missing virtiofsd.

Procedure to resolve:
1. update
# xbps-install -Su
2. install virtiofsd
# xbps-install virtiofsd

This fixed the problem

[JusGellin]

I downloaded @fredx181 's restore-sys2.gz

I don't know how to use/run it.
How can I do that for making a backup for KLV-vmHost?

Thanks

[fredx181]

I downloaded @fredx181 's restore-sys2.gz

I don't know how to use/run it.
How can I do that for making a backup for KLV-vmHost?

Thanks

As indicated here viewtopic.php?p=133136#p133136 it has a fake .gz extension:

restore-sys2.gz
Remove fake .gz and make executable

So rename to restore-sys2 , make executable chmod +x restore-sys2 and run ./restore-sys2 from terminal (or just click it, it's a GUI app)

[JusGellin]

restore-sys2.gz
Remove fake .gz and make executable

So rename to restore-sys2 , make executable chmod +x restore-sys2 and run ./restore-sys2 from terminal (or just click it, it's a GUI app)

I don't do this much, so I forgot.
Thanks

[JusGellin]

@rockedge

This is made in response from:
Re: What Is SAVESPEC?
https://www.forum.puppylinux.com/viewto ... 01#p139501

I set up a separate partition called Persistence with a folder called Sessions
How can I make the save2flash save to the Sessions folder?

... I set up KLV-vmHost-rc4 on a virtual machine, set it up to send the save to the Persistence drive, but it didn't.
Should it work? ...

YES! (although, I have not tested this particular KL)

Maybe @rockedge or another member can explain 'why' it did not work.

I assume you are running this within a VM for test purposes before your actual moving it to bare-metal.

To me, this "KL server" is like a Promox/VMware server supporting some/many VMs simultaneously on the server.

I foresee @rockedge using this for the work he does for this forum as well as the work he's done with cameras ... as all of this can work in harmony on a single PC KL VM server. Great idea he shows us with this KL project.

And the rest of us also using it for similar multiple VMs for either testing forum distros or for productions in various scenarios from entertainment to whatever needs users have. A great single solution for one's every need.

Thanks

[Clarity]

Hello @JusGellin

AS I see there are few issues that persist, let see if this will help (I offer this as I am unsure of both the environment your are using and the VM stanza (if there is one) you are using to setup your VM. All of my forum work for past 5 years has been using QEMU to define and run the VMs I test. Furher, I do not install (what some PUP members call frugal installs) any forum distros whatsoever. All of the distros I test are booted from the distros ISO file, directly.

The tables I have produced on the forum outline how I have tested booting forum distros. Those table show ISO file booting on bare-metal as well as within VMs Since you are NOT booting your KL on bare-metal, I will confine my following explanation totally using QEMU to define and boot VMs with this distro's ISO file.

To be perfectly clear, booting from an ISO file and using the distro's session-management IS A FRUGAL OPERATION. Lets be clear about that single fact.

In VM booting, I show, essentially, 2 methods of booting:

1. Directly from the ISO file looking for distro boot issues ignoring a virtual PC configuration. This is booting merely the ISO file itself

2. Booting the USB that launches the distro's ISO file. This mimics booting a real PC using the very same USB on bare-metal.

When these methods work, I KNOW that I should see similar boot success/failute when booting on bare-metal without a VM.

NOW, the following explanation might help you in running the distro in your VM.

• Setup the VM for supporting running a distro on the PC.
  To run anything, with persistence, you MUST setup/define a VM that 'looks' like a real PC. That is it must have CPU, video adapter, audio, etc AND for persistence, it needs an area defined for its use as a real drive within the VM.

  For a QEMU VM that will use a Virtual disk to mimic 'real' drive, I 1st MUST create the virtual disk. This is done using QEMU tool(s) to define the virtual disk's filename on the REAL PC. Thus, using the tool, I create a QCOW2 version that QEMU will use for storage. (Neat thing about this is that this virtual disk, after setup, can be used forevermore for ALL of the forum distros I will boot)

  1. Once created, I will boot ANY forum distro's ISO file into the VM with this drive defined to the VM. Once of the distro's desktop, I use GParted to repartition the qcow drive it sees into a partition, labeling that partition 'Persistence' (without the quotes, of course you know this). In my case, I format Persistence as ext4.

  2. And while still booted, I will create a folder on Persistence named 'Sessions'.

  When this is completed, shutdown. Now, this VM can be used to boot any of the forum ISO files and there sessions can be saved on this partition.

• Run a forum distro in the VM
  With this VM, I boot my USB stick directly into the VM. From its Ventoy or SG2D Menu listing ISO files, I select the ISO to be launched and it will boot seeing the QCOW2 drive labeled as Persistence. When I am completed using-tailoring the distro, I shutdown and the distro sames the Session work into the Session folder on the Persistence drive.

In summary, I

1. create the partition to be used for Persistence in the VM (this in ONLY done once for the VM)

2. boot an ISO file in the VM where it will find and use Persitence

   

   KL's Menu stanzas.jpg (83.39 KiB) Viewed 111 times

This VM is setup similar to my bare-metal PC testing where it, too, has its own Persistence drive with a session folder. And I boot the same USB stick.

Hope this helps you see YOUR virtual machine (VM) setup as similar.

[JusGellin]

I'm probably not interpreting what I have done entirely correct, but here's my go at it
(@rockedge I just saw your comment come over on Re: What Is SAVESPEC? as I completed this):

@Clarity
I think I finally figured out how to run a KLV-vmHost as a virtual machine using virt-manager.

I really appreciate your trying to help me. But evidently you are strictly using the isos to run in virtual machines and I'm not when using virt-manager.
But what you presented gave me an important clue to help me accomplish this.

Your screen capture gave me the clue when it showed selecting the Persistence Session for the iso.
Virt-Manager uses a virtual cd to set up install in virtual machines.
So when I ran the KLV-vmHost as an iso, I selected Persistence Session this time.
When it came up I made an adjustment for the display and rebooted
It asked if I wanted to save the session - so I did
The next time it came up, the Persistence partition had saved in the Session folder like I wanted.

But why wouldn't a frugal install of KLV-vmHost as a virtual machine do that?
I saw @wiak 's comment over at
Re: What Is SAVESPEC?
https://www.forum.puppylinux.com/viewto ... 77#p139577

An example content for w_initconfig is:

w_changes=UUID=xxxxxxyyyyyyzzzzzz=/anywhere

So I modified that line in the file called w_init-latest that I had renamed w_init
Now it would save the session on the Persistence partition.

So that line had to be modified for this to work. It didn't automatically work.
isos must work differently. But a frugal direct install needs this to be done.

This is how I frugally installed the KLV-vmHost as a vm using BookwormPup64.
I made it a virtual machine to test it out so I could do this on a bare metal install of it.:
1. Make 1st partition ext4 bootable partition called root.
2. Make 2nd partition ext4 partition called Persistence with folder /Sessions
3. Made folder for 1st partition called KLV-vmHost-rc4
4. Unpack iso for this and copied all into this folder
5. Made 1st partition bootable by running Grub4dos Bootloader Config
6. Ran script from extracted iso called wd_grubconfig to get stanza for menu.lst for this KLV to boot.
7. Renamed file w_init-latest from extracted iso to w_init (it looks like this can be named anything?)
8. Modified the line in that file to w_changes=UUID=(find uuid, but could use label instead)=/Sessions
9. Reboot to the vm, KLV-vmHost - now saves a session on the Persistence partition.

[JusGellin]

Now that I can make a frugal KLV (not iso) use Persistence, I looked further at what the iso does when it boots.
Using dmesg, I found this interesting line:
[ 0.000000] Command line: w_bootfrom=LABEL=KLV-vmHost=/ w_changes=LABEL=Persistence=/Sessions/KLV-vmHost-rc4 w_changes1=RAM2 net.ifnames=0

Most of those are the same names found in w_init-latest file that can set it to use the Persistence partition (which a frugal install isn't set initially to do).
That must be the reason the iso can use the Persistence to save to a session for at least to KLV-vmHost.

[JusGellin]

@rockedge
New problem.
Now that it saves to the Persistence patition, it no longer can save2flash.

When I give it the command, it gives an error:

Code: Select all

Cannot run save session on demand
Directory /mnt/layers/uc_ro not connected

What can I do to resolve this?

Thanks