KLV-Airedale-alpha Released for Experimentation and Improvement by the Puppy community

[rockedge]

This is the first alpha release of Puppy community build of KLV-Airedale.

Anyone can help and offer ideas, programs, coding, improvements, features, testing, etc....

KLV-Airedale-beta1
Kennel Linux Void Airedale Beta 1 543 M download size ->
KLV-Airedale-beta1
SHA1, MD5

Includes @fredx181' small script to enable using a swap partition starting during system boot.
Includes tzupdate2, which has proven in tests to work well.

or under ISO->Kennel Linux in https://rockedge.org/kernels

[rockedge]

To connect to the network ethernet or WiFi use in a terminal wiakwifi

If not audio not automatically started, then use a terminal with pulseaudio --start
XBPS is the package manager. Information on using it -> https://docs.voidlinux.org/xbps/index.html

To update/upgrade the entire system: xbps-install -Su other wise to update repo package data only:

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xbps-install -S

Example to install xfe file manager with no user prompt->

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xbps-install -y xfe

Example to install xfe file manager with updating the repo data and auto install xfe ->

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xbps-install -Sy xfe

Example of simple install ->

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xbps-install xfe

To search for or browse Void Linux package repo -> https://voidlinux.org/packages/

[Keef]

Just got up and running, and am phoning home...
Had to grab some missing firmware for my wifi card (uses iwlwifi), and installed 'fuse' to get an AppImage of LibreWolf running. Posting from it now. I have used Void (full install, and the Weedog versions) before, so may have a bit of an advantage over some initial testers - although I don't use it a great deal.

For wireless networking, you need to run 'wiakwifi' from the terminal.

This is my grub4dos menu.lst entry:

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title klv
  uuid  2cc6c518-d1b2-4866-90a5-bcb48a11f80d
  kernel /klv/vmlinuz  w_bootfrom=/mnt/sda2/klv
  initrd /klv/initrd.gz

Audio seems to be working fine from the start. Tried the Parole media player, and Youtube in LibreWolf.

[rockedge]

To be able to open ISO and SFS files to peer inside by clicking on them in a file manager, In each file manager Set Run Action to run filemnt

user	password
root	root
weedog	weedog
spot	spot

[mikeslr]

...

For wireless networking, you need to run 'wiakwifi' from the terminal.

This is my grub4dos menu.lst entry:

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title klv
  uuid  2cc6c518-d1b2-4866-90a5-bcb48a11f80d
  kernel /klv/vmlinuz  w_bootfrom=/mnt/sda2/klv
  initrd /klv/initrd.gz

...

Actually, you also need to be able to easily find the network configuration tools. I looked on the panels and menu. Couldn't find it. It was late. Maybe I missed it.
Entering 'wiakwifi' in a terminal did nothing. Is it installed? Maybe I missed-typed it. Same excuse. Will try again today. But if it's not installed, where can I find & obtain it or an alternative?

For any using grub2 as boot-loader the following is its entry on grub.cfg. Basically a direct 'translation' of keef's:

menuentry 'Airedale klv-Alpha2'{
search --no-floppy --set=root --fs-uuid 39ff128d-806e-45a0-9c0c-4013859ec05d
linux /klv/vmlinuz-5.4.70-rt40 w_bootfrom=/mnt/sda3/klv
initrd /klv/initrd_v501-rc1.gz
}

Composing it, however, had me wondering if there were other 'boot-arguments' that could be used; and if so, where I could find documentation.
A similar question arose on shutting down. It's been awhile since I've used anything other than Puppys setup to run under Pupmode 13 so that usually nothing is Saved at shutdown. Xfce's shutdown GUI has a 'box' to check if you want to 'Save Session'. But is not checking it as all-encompassing as Pupmode 13 with 'No Save'?

All in all, however, Airedale seems far more accomplished than an Alpha. Great work.
By the way, however, is there any reason to use Alpha1 rather than Alpha2?

And may I congratulate you on your great choice of names: Airedale. Neither void nor air are things we see. Except maybe in Los Angeles and Shanghai.

[Keef]

@mikeslr

Yes. wiakwifi is included in the iso. The script is in /usr/local/bin. Did not need any other 'network tools'.

[mikeslr]

Thanks, Keef. I apparently mis-typed it. This time, starting via terminal, it ran. But I can now answer one of my questions. Not checking "Save Session" in NOT as effective as Pupmode13 "No Save". Misread the instructions, entered some info, and could find no way to undo it. So I shutdown leaving "Save Session" unchecked. On reboot, the problem was still there.
Maybe I'll wait 'till rockedge provides a more 'idiot-proof' network manager before exploring further.

Rockedge, don't bother answering any of the issues here which you already addressed on the other thread. I hadn't read it before posting.

[wiak]

Thanks, Keef. I apparently mis-typed it. This time, starting via terminal, it ran. But I can now answer one of my questions. Not checking "Save Session" in NOT as effective as Pupmode13 "No Save". Misread the instructions, entered some info, and could find no way to undo it. So I shutdown leaving "Save Session" unchecked. On reboot, the problem was still there.
Maybe I'll wait 'till rockedge provides a more 'idiot-proof' network manager before exploring further.

Rockedge, don't bother answering any of the issues here which you already addressed on the other thread. I hadn't read it before posting.

Not sure of the question, but:

wiakwifi has only two optional arguments:

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wiakwifi reset

above gets rid of old entered WLAN values allowing you to re-enter them correctly, and:

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wiakwifi reconnect

which just lets you reconnect with already entered WLAN details if connection gets lost.

I think most 'network managers' are somewhat more complicated than the above. However, thanks for alerting me to an issue that "wiakwifi --help" no longer tells the above and prints out some junk. I must have accidentally hacked out the help messages some time ago, but the script itself still works fine otherwise. I'll fix the --help.

Meanwhile, rockedge indicated he would prepare some nice multi-page questionnaire-type network-connect wizard GUI app (or simple icon to click on). I've always considered an xterm or similar a GUI terminal rather than thinking of it as a console - so I usually include wiakwifi reset and wiakwifi reconnect as an entry in the Internet -> connect, or, internet -> reconnect, desktop manager Start Menu and don't blink an eye when the terminal then pops up asking me the couple of questions necessary to connect (or stick a wiakwifi icon on the desktop background but same end result). I have had more trouble with PeasyWifi, which I really like now, because there were several items to enter in different windows and I hadn't read the help documentation (despite its author's advice to do so). Frisbee originally completely baffled me, and on my machine still often doesn't work anyway cos needs a bigger sleep timeout in its code for my machine to work (so on distros that only provide frisbee the first thing I do is open up one of its rc functions to increase the sleep - goodness knows why it needs so much time...).

I guess it is what we are used to - some like wizards with scroll down entries and check boxes in multi-tabbed GUI configuration pages and so on, but I struggle with these because of course they are impossible to use unless you read the GUI program help instructions first, which are most always very different from each other in look and feel. My issue with wiakwifi is that it simply doesn't cater for enough types of LAN configuration.

[rockedge]

I have a successful load of an SFS!

I used some of this package sfsload_2.0.0_all.deb but used the loadmodule and rmbrokenlinks.sh scripts downloaded from somewhere on fredx181's topic on it. I'll need to do some forensics to find where that was. But the loadmodule from the 2.0.0.deb did not work but the other one does. Taking advantage of the GUI supplied in the .deb file.

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[wiak]

I have a successful load of an SFS!

I used some of this package sfsload_2.0.0_all.deb but used the loadmodule and rmbrokenlinks.sh scripts downloaded from somewhere on fredx181's topic on it. I'll need to do some forensics to find where that was. But the loadmodule from the 2.0.0.deb did not work but the other one does. Taking advantage of the GUI supplied in the .deb file.

That's good to hear. But if I were you, rockedge, I'd publish a new alpha with your sfs-load addition inside it, and see if fredx181 could take a look at it since I expect he could fix any issues with your attempt very quickly. Would be no need for most others to download the new alpha if most of the rest remains the same. Of course, if you also add a first stab with NetworkManager and include that in re-release that new alpha would probably be worth downloading by everyone since could try out NetworkManager with nmapplet too (and find missing icons if that remains an issue).

Come to think of it (you mentioned upper_changes rollbacks somewhere) you could release a 50upper_changes.sfs containing new stuff and testers could simply include that in a new (but must be pristine) frugal install. (or simply called 50.sfs or even 99.sfs or 99delta.sfs; as long as it is a higher overlay layer). However, a lot could go wrong if done incorrectly so, on second thoughts, maybe not a good idea when most testers have never used these rollback upper_changes concepts before. Just a new alpha release would be safer/better.

[rockedge]

@wiak , I will spin a new alpha3 within the hour. With Network Manager and this version of Fred's mechanism I've pieced together and seems to work.

Found out the NetworkManager will connect all the devices eth0,eth1 and wlan0 together simultaneously it so desired. Still no icon on nm-tray and some of the fixes I researched haven't done it...though I can't say I put a whole lot of effort into it yet.

[mikewalsh]

Well, despite multiple repeated attempts from a pristine condition, 'wiakwifi' just would not work for me.

I said in the other thread that this desktop machine only has ethernet. To all intents and purposes, that's true.....but it's one of these modern desktops that also has a Realtek wireless/Bluetooth 'combo' chip which is an absolute PITA to use.

Nominally, it's only supported by k5.4 onwards, although ozsouth did help out by building a driver to run with Bionicpup64's k4.19.23 kernel.....ethernet has never functioned correctly in BP64, despite re-installing all sorts of 'upgrades' that Richard Erwin suggested I try. Don't know why, since it works fine with all the other 64-bitzers.....but with Oz's driver .pet, wireless runs as smooth as so much oiled silk (in a desktop, of all things!)

In KLV-Airedale, 'wiakwifi' insisted that the devices/interfaces don't even exist. (I'm willing to believe that about the wireless 'combo' chip; even where the later kernels DO support it, the necessary firmware is usually missing). What can you do? I'm no developer, and I don't know a thing about xbps.....certainly not enough to attempt installing stuff with a totally foreign terminal-only package manager. And it's pointless me trying to do anything network-related, 'cos I don't even now where to start.

For now, she'll have to go on the 'back-burner'. I'll come back to it, as & when time/developments permit... Sorry, Erik. I tried!

Mike.

[mikeslr]

Just to say thanks to Wiak. I didn't know about the "wiakwifi reset" command.

[wiak]

In KLV-Airedale, 'wiakwifi' insisted that the devices/interfaces don't even exist. (I'm willing to believe that about the wireless 'combo' chip; even where the later kernels DO support it, the necessary firmware is usually missing).

Really, nothing to do with wiakwifi so don't hold your breathe that some more sophisticated network manager will help you. If interfaces are not seen as existing it's missing firmware - ethernet needs firmware too and until you identify which firmware not included with the provided Puppy-kernel-firmware you won't be able to connect. If your computer works with official Fossapup all you should need is to use that kernel/modules/firmware combination instead.

[rockedge]

@mikewalsh It might work like this:

take your working kernel from the Puppy that can do your ethernet. Replace the vmlinuz in the alpha2 or alpha3 with one you know works from Puppy. Then replace the 00module and 01firmware with the working Puppy kernel's zdrv.sfs and the fdrv.sfs if it exists. Rename them by adding a 2 digit number directly in front of the names:

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00zdrv-XXX.sfs
01fdrv-XXX.sfs

Then adjust your boot stanza to reflect the changes.

Persistence is automatic unless specified on the kernel line in the boot stanzas.

Also there is documentation on boot kernel line options. For example similar to Puppy Linux, be able to load in RAM and have no save folder. Later some tools to create sfs's out of the /upper_changes in RAM should be developed. In the WeeDog section on the CheatSheet there should be more detail on boot options which are quite flexible.

[wiak]

@mikewalsh It might work like this:

take your working kernel from the Puppy that can do your ethernet. Replace the vmlinuz in the alpha2 or alpha3 with one you know works from Puppy. Then replace the 00module and 01firmware with the working Puppy kernel's zdrv.sfs and the fdrv.sfs if it exists. Rename them by adding a 2 digit number directly in front of the names:

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00zdrv-XXX.sfs
01fdrv-XXX.sfs

Then adjust your boot stanza to reflect the changes.

Persistence is automatic unless specified on the kernel line in the boot stanzas.

Also there is documentation on boot kernel line options. For example similar to Puppy Linux, be able to load in RAM and have no save folder

You've got that the wrong way round I think rockedge. The modules are in zdrv, which should be put in layer 00 of the overlay, so should be:

00zdrv-XXX.sfs
and
01fdrv-XXX.sfs

This was correct:

It is possible to use a Puppy Kernel simply by renaming the zdrv and/or fdrv and adding in the matching vmlinuz.

zdrv_fossapup64_9.5.sfs -> 00zdrv_fossapup64_9.5.sfs
fdrv_fossapup64_9.5.sfs -> 01fdrv_fossapup64_9.5.sfs

[rockedge]

yes I see! I fixed the order in the previous posts, forgot to note it in the edit

KLV-Airedale-alpha3 download link on the first post

Added NetworkManager and nm-tray.

Start nm-tray from the applications menu. I have had trouble with a missing icon on the tray. The position is there, just no icon. Right click to activate menu

Added Load_SFS from fredx181 borrowed from DebianDog. Not 100% yet.
Set it up with the scripts in /usr/local/bin/go_loadmodule and /usr/local/bin/go_unloadmodule as custom menu selections for actions to execute on selection and right click of an SFS file.

Perhaps fredx181 can check it's performance and access the situation.

[mikewalsh]

@rockedge :-

Yay! Success.....

Using Fossapup64's zdrv and fdrv in the appropriate places, everything booted nicely.

First attempt at connecting via 'wiakwifi', same problem as before. Then I had a thought. I was getting that ifnames shit.....'enp4so' instead of 'eth0', yeah?

Did a re-boot, after adding

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net.ifnames=0

.....on the kernel line. Tried 'wiakwifi' again, and this time.....after a small delay.....'connected'. Yes!

Posting from my Iron-portable, after sending the wrapper-script to the desktop as a launcher. I thought it should work....and NetFlix behaving itself, too. Watching Star Trek TOS ATM.....

Okay. That'll do. I'm off to beddy-byes; will do some further exploring tomorrow. Looking good.

@wiak :-

Don't get so snotty, Will! I told you; I'm no developer, and my thought-processes just don't run along the same lines as yours. I do things in my own way, at my own pace, in my own time. I usually get there - eventually - though assistance/pointers along the way are always appreciated. From you, as much as from anyone.

Oh, BTW; does the network connection persist, or does it need re-connecting for each session?

Mike.

[wiak]

Oh, BTW; does the network connection persist, or does it need re-connecting for each session?

It will not persist at the moment since it hasn't been set up as a runit service by rockedge at this time I believe. i.e. it could be made to persist, but since rockedge likely to use a more full-featured netmanager best just to leave it as it is. The entered WLAN values WILL be remembered though, so all you need to do on restart is open a terminal and enter command:

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wiakwifi

or

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wiakwifi reconnect

if you want asked if you are sure - but that's hardly relevant in this scenario since you do want to connect for sure...

And if all gone wrong and settings somehow lost, you just reset wiakwifi with command:

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wiakwifi reset

which asks you to re-enter your WLAN name/password details and then (all going well) re-connects with the new values.

[wiak]

yes I see! I fixed the order in the previous posts, forgot to note it in the edit

KLV-Airedale-alpha3 download link on the first post

Added NetworkManager and nm-tray.

Start nm-tray from the applications menu. I have had trouble with a missing icon on the tray. The position is there, just no icon. Right click to activate menu

Added Load_SFS from fredx181 borrowed from DebianDog. Not 100% yet.
Set it up with the scripts in /usr/local/bin/go_loadmodule and /usr/local/bin/go_unloadmodule as custom menu selections for actions to execute on selection and right click of an SFS file.

Perhaps fredx181 can check it's performance and access the situation.

Downloading now. Will be interesting to try both of these; I've never used either as yet.

Perhaps for next alpha you should use default Fossapup kernel/modules/firmware since seems to have more firmware and thus more likely to avoid issues such as mikewalsh otherwise had? Can always offer your rt kernel as an option later?

[wiak]

Just noticed, for ntfs read/write with these older kernels you definitely need to install ntfs-3g:

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xbps-install -Sy ntfs-3g

[wiak]

Booted the new iso (alpha3), noted that NetworkManager was there. Tried it quickly, but had trouble.

Main thing is I forget how to use runit services manager, so have to relearn that in order to start up NetworkManager service. Had a quick look at Void Linux documentation re: services/runit, and truth is I am so used to systemd now, but it is similar but not so easy as systemd for me anyway, but will be fine once I practice...

I did manage to start up NetworkManager, but having trouble with connection, so have temporarily gone back to wiakwifi (it may be awful to some, but truth is it is refreshingly simple to me...).

I am thinking that nm-tray is pretty huge in needing Qt libs (I think), but anyway...

Might be worth investigating the likes of PeasyWifi, though will certainly also work on getting NetworkManager working and find the missing nm-tray icon... Late here now though, so tomorrow.

Also haven't tried sfs-load at all in short time since booting.

[hundido]

A beginner's experience:

I tried to add it as a manual install to an existing Puppy USB. Grub2config couldn't find it when I got to that part.

I tried to burn it to a USB using USB imager. It didn't boot.

I tried to use Balena Etcher. I got the error that it isn't a bootable iso and is missing a partition table.

I tried to use Frugalpup. It copied the files okay, but again its boot installer couldn't find the iso.

How does one install this?

[rockedge]

Hello @hundido Excellent question! Not too hard, but simple answer is it is all manual frugal install. Including adding the boot stanza to the Grub2 or Grub4Dos setup. I have not added ANY boot mechanism to the ISO so it will not be found automatically by the menu.lst creation processes, nor will it boot on it's own when burned. That ablitiy to boot across a broad spectrum of systems will be added to the ISO in Phase 2.

This boot stanza will need to be manually added to your existing menu.lst or grub.conf
Step 1. make directory on the USB stick next to the Puppy's and copy the ISO contents into it.
Step 2. open the menu.lst in a text editor and add something like

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title KLV-Airedale-alpha3 (uuid)
  uuid 8a8ea99d-a1b0-4c43-b1a0-d4ce5c9c7dfa
  kernel /KLV-Airedale-alpha3/vmlinuz-5.13.19_1 w_bootfrom=UUID=8a8ea99d-a1b0-4c43-b1a0-d4ce5c9c7dfa=/KLV-Airedale-alpha3 net.ifnames=0
  initrd /KLV-Airedale-alpha3/initrd.gz 

 title KLV-Airedale-nokernel (LABEL)
  uuid 8a8ea99d-a1b0-4c43-b1a0-d4ce5c9c7dfa
  kernel /KLV-Airedale-alpha3/vmlinuz w_bootfrom=LABEL=psystem=/KLV-Airedale-alpha3 net.ifnames=0
  initrd /KLV-Airedale-alpha3/initrd.gz

These are just some of the many options of the boot stanza. Much more is possible. Some working examples of working boot stanza's are posted earlier by some of the testing team, I'll have track them down and actually make a document collecting the variations.

[keniv]

I would not say I am a beginner. I am more of a user and am definately no expert. I made a manual frugal install of the alpha3 version on sda2 and booted with grub4dos. My menu.lst entry is below.

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title KLV Alpha3 (64bit) (sda2/klva3)
  find --set-root uuid () 60e6917a-e1db-44f9-8d58-6f0df737eeb5
  kernel /klva3/vmlinuz-5.4.70-rt40  w_bootfrom=/mnt/sda2/klva3
  initrd /klva3/initrd_v501-rc1.gz

I can boot to the desktop, however, this is about as far as I can get. All the partitions on my drive appear to be locked yet I get a notice that I am logged in as root yet if I try to run

Code: Select all

wiakwifi

in a terminal I am told I am logged in as user. I cannot find a way to change my login status. If I use the file manager and select /mnt/sda2 I can the get into sda2 so presumably this partition it is not locked after all. To say I find all of this confusing would be an understatement. So before I try to go any further I have some questions. Is this pup for experts only? If so am I right in thinking that reports of problems from somebody with my level of experience are not wanted?

Regards,

Ken.

[rockedge]

@keniv Your input is much appreciated. We need to see all the angles.

Interesting. I have an issue as well where the desktop seems to lock up forcing me to switch to tty2 with CTRL-ALT-F2, login as root and issue a killall xfce4-screensaver command in a terminal the exit tty2 and return to tty1 with CTRL-ALT-F1. Not the best situation.

What type of machine specs are you running KLV-Airedale on? I am going to make an alpha5 using the Puppy Linux Bionic64 stock kernel. Or one of the LX series of huge kernels. Will need to try out different configs to find a good combo.

[mikewalsh]

@keniv Your input is much appreciated. We need to see all the angles.

Interesting. I have an issue as well where the desktop seems to lock up forcing me to switch to tty2 with CTRL-ALT-F2, login as root and issue a killall xfce4-screensaver command in a terminal the exit tty2 and return to tty1 with CTRL-ALT-F1. Not the best situation.

What type of machine specs are you running KLV-Airedale on? I am going to make an alpha5 using the Puppy Linux Bionic64 stock kernel. Or one of the LX series of huge kernels. Will need to try out different configs to find a good combo.

I have to say that I always found XFCE to be 'challenging' to work with, despite some community members almost falling over themselves in their eagerness to wax lyrical about it. Each to their own, but I'm personally looking forward to the JWM-ROX variant that may be in the pipeline; during my distro-hopping phase I must have tried every possible combo of DEs/FMs there are, and came to the inescapable conclusion after being with Puppy for only a few months that JWM-ROX had all of them beat, hands-down.

My biggest gripe with XFCE was always its horrible tendency to just suddenly 'vanish' on a whim.....and even the XFCE community weren't very helpful at explaining how to get out of this pickle when it DID occur.

@rockedge :-

Erik, if a JWM-ROX version should make an appearance, how easy (or hard) would it be to modify/convert existing Puppy stuff for use with it, given the Void Linux base? Call it 'professional curiosity', if you like, given how much stuff I've packaged for Puppy itself over the last few years.....

@keniv :-

Nah; definitely NOT 'experts only', mate. If anything, the opposite is true.....the MORE input, the better. It's early days, so there's going to be plenty of issues, and rough edges to be smoothed-off, etc. Everybody's entitled to have their say.

Mike.

[wiak]

I have to say that I always found XFCE to be 'challenging' to work with, despite some community members almost falling over themselves in their eagerness to wax lyrical about it. Each to their own, but I'm personally looking forward to the JWM-ROX variant that may be in the pipeline

I am not a fan of XFCE either, though it is 'okay' but somehow a bit slower and more cumbersome than I am used to (maybe my machine is slow and cumbersome though).

JWM/ROX is not bad at all if manually set up nicely, but that's the problem with it - not so xdg-related standards compliant and needs a lot of manual tweaking to look good (and can't open a minimised app via drag and drop file over it).

My own preference, learned from fredx181 DebianDogs is an Openbox/tint2 combination, which though slightly heavier on resources (maybe) than JWM even handles drag and drop to taskbar-minimised app case well and has sophisticated to use dynamic pipe start menus - none of that manual fixmenus stuff required. It can also be used with Rox pinboard I believe, though I don't myself like that, preferring pcmanfm desktop (not everyone's taste I'm sure).

But I think rockedge is a JWM/Rox fan, and has such in the pipeline, which I agree would be good. Some do love XFCE, for sure, I'm just not one of them despite thinking it OK... Void Linux provides for JWM fine I think, but always will need special manual tinkering/configuration for best effect.

Seems to me that the overall idea is that KLV should be able to accommodate alternative DEs eventually, but has to start somewhere.

[wiak]

I would not say I am a beginner. I am more of a user and am definately no expert. I made a manual frugal install of the alpha3 version on sda2 and booted with grub4dos. My menu.lst entry is below.

Code: Select all

title KLV Alpha3 (64bit) (sda2/klva3)
  find --set-root uuid () 60e6917a-e1db-44f9-8d58-6f0df737eeb5
  kernel /klva3/vmlinuz-5.4.70-rt40  w_bootfrom=/mnt/sda2/klva3
  initrd /klva3/initrd_v501-rc1.gz

I can boot to the desktop, however, this is about as far as I can get. All the partitions on my drive appear to be locked yet I get a notice that I am logged in as root yet if I try to run

Code: Select all

wiakwifi

in a terminal I am told I am logged in as user. I cannot find a way to change my login status. If I use the file manager and select /mnt/sda2 I can the get into sda2 so presumably this partition it is not locked after all. To say I find all of this confusing would be an understatement. So before I try to go any further I have some questions. Is this pup for experts only? If so am I right in thinking that reports of problems from somebody with my level of experience are not wanted?

Regards,

Ken.

What kind of partition filesystem did you install this on Ken? Is it Linux-compatible (the likes of ext4). Otherwise you are going to have problems since the generated save folder has to be on Linux filesystem. I get some 'locked folders' on my system, but that is because they are formatted as ntfs for which I need to install read/write support using:

xbps-install -S ntfs-3g

In your description the situation seems to be a bit more serious if not being able to boot in as root user (and wifi connection via wiakwifi does indeed need you logged in as root - assuming no sudo available). KLV-airedale is certainly designed to log you in as root, so something wrong with your set up. No, the distro can easily be used by anyone - though very much still alpha and to be worked on by all of course. I suspect you are installing onto something like a fat32 formatted usb stick, though I'm just guessing - try ext4 formatted media if you can.

EDIT: just noticed rockedge's post about lockups he is sometimes getting to. That's a different matter then - I don't get that effect, but sounds like could be XFCE-related (some kind of process sequence timing issue), but I'm just guessing and could be way off.

[wiak]

If I use the file manager and select /mnt/sda2 I can the get into sda2 so presumably this partition it is not locked after all.

Actually, that tends to suggest the issue is indeed only to do with your system for some reason booting in as a normal user. Could you open a terminal and enter:

Code: Select all

whoami

I haven't looked at how rockedge arranges boot to desktop as root user, but seems that has to be fault-finded. Problem becomes how to force same fault in order to fault-find it...

EDIT: I think rockedge may be using something I modified or tried in much earlier distro (maybe XFCE) build attempts (since I see mention of Arch Wiki). This could be difficult one to track down since needs good familiarity with runit service handling (I have forgotten all of that) and in particular how the autologin is being arranged via the likes of /etc/sv/agetty-autologin-tty1/. So certainly this bit is pretty technical (alas a common occurrence in an alpha). Have to read up on runit first to have any clue - but issue remains I myself boot successfully into root desktop so don't know what to look for...

EDIT2: Or maybe he, or I, have got it from here: https://wiki.voidlinux.org/Automatic_Lo ... nvironment
Has to be double-checked/looked into or alternative method found. From the above, I opened /etc/sv/agetty-autologin-tty1/conf in geany and it seems to be correct per that Void wiki article so I don't no what the issue is at present, sorry. Maybe rockedge can also look at this based on similar issues he says he has been having(?) - certainly very technical...:

/etc/sv/agetty-autologin-tty1/conf:

Code: Select all

if [ -x /sbin/agetty -o -x /bin/agetty ]; then
	# util-linux specific settings
	if [ "${tty}" = "tty1" ]; then
		GETTY_ARGS="--autologin root --noclear"
	fi
fi

BAUD_RATE=38400
TERM_NAME=linux

Alas that this type of complexity is also what alpha new distro creation/fixing is also all about and all such reports are useful (though sometimes finding the fix or issue cause is difficult to say the least). No one bar a masochist likes this kind of problem so all hands trying to solve is always helpful - not so much about gurus as trying to follow Wiki procedures and reading up on how runit works to start services. Helps greatly of course if you are very familiar with boot start via runit (I'm not). Doing any kind of new development work is a hard research-oriented try it an see arduous task. Easier just taking on the privileged role of a forum moderator - main admin (such as rockedge) not so easy since that also involves dev work with phpBB code/backups and so on.