Just-Lighthouse64-805/900

[Dry Falls]

Just-Lighthouse64-900 Voyager:

Fork of TazOc's Lighthouse. Woof (not CE) based puppy over slackware64-15.0. Uses slackware package management (slackpkg, gslapt and sbopkg) although it also includes PPM. This distro is for tinkerers and other adventurers.

Download Lighthouse ISO:
Download Lighthouse Packages:
Download Lighthouse SFS Modules: Devx and etc
ChangeLog and File Updates:

Removed v805 repo (available at archive.org) and replaced with v900 repo at mega.nz. Same links should work. This Just-Lighthouse64-900 is based on Slackware64-current. Many other changes as well. Stay tuned.
df

[mikeslr]

Hi Dry Falls,

Just wanted to welcome you back into active play in the game.

[Dry Falls]

Thanks a lot Mike! I've been lurking for the most part. Can't believe this project has been consuming me for eight years! But Lighthouse was great and I didn't want to see it disappear. still, my favorite 32bit pup was Saluki. Jemimah was quite influential to the creation of Lighthouse64 (and much else!). It's been an education if nothing else.

df

[Clarity]

Just noticed this WoofCE adventure and am looking to dive in.

Seems the history of Lighthouse had a seemingly beginning collaboration of 3 Contributors; namely @Tazoc (author), @01micko , and @jamesbond in the packaging of this with some fabulous reviews on its feature-set.

As I dive in @Dry Falls , what do you recommend to 'attach' the REPO such that appropriate matching apps+libs, will integrate properly? It appears from the filelists in the OP that it is its own app packaging. For example should I run the ISO, then add the DEVX, then ??? for REPO access before saving or should I ???

I will probably run the OS and use the Lighthouse ability for using QEMU testing that I do from time to time via the LH64 desktop.

Thanks in advance for guidance.

[Dry Falls]

Hi Clarity. Just to reiterate, this is not a woofCE build, although it is not incompatible. I stripped lighthouse down to about 6 megabytes and overlayed it on woof/murga pets repackaged into slackware-style txz packages. There are build scripts in /root/bin which requires the repo sfs (all the third party packages -- mostly slackbuilds) such that it and the base sfs are adequate to construct all the sfs modules. The iso contains xfce and the xorg modules. Her is a quote from the help files:

Starting with JL64-804, the lighthouse base file only enables a nox/cli mode with the xorg-server built in a separate sfs addon, which will auto-load if it is found with the base file. The kernel perameter, pfix=purepup, will disable its loading at boot time. As the original Lighthouse, JL64-cli boots into a lynx browser shell (or links if you want to change a symlink).

An advantage of booting pfix=purepup is clear when running as underdog over a full slackware64 installation to minimise redundant packages and reduce the ram footprint. This could be considered a liveslack alternative.

If an internet connection did not automatically start, try the url again or quit the browser and type "reconnect" (no quotes) in console. Return to the browser with "elinks.sh" or explore your system with "mc" (cli file manager). Minimum profit ("mp") is probably the handiest cli text editor but a few other options are available. NOTE: have removed Minimum profit in favor of nano. Symlink /usr/bin/mp now points to mcedit.

If you've started Lighthouse in CLI/nox mode (pfix=purepup), you can still get to a graphical desktop by returning to the console (enter q to quit the browser) and enter startx instead of the traditional xwin. This will quietly load the zsbase sfs module which contains xorg and it's support files and bring up the jwm desktop.

Alternately, and assuming you haven't got the above-mentioned module, you can build and install it now by typing buildzSB-X.sh (or build-X) in the console. This is NOT an unattended script but you may get by with entering ok at each slackpkg (the default cli-package manager) dialog. Prepare to wait...and wait! When the console returns to a prompt, type install-X. Other build scripts can be found in ~/bin. Enter "slackpkg help" or "mp /usr/share/doc/slackpkg-help" to get started. Explore!

I'm slowly uploading ready-made sfs modules to megasync, but what's there presently is pretty much all that's necessary. 1_base-extra includes python 2.7 and 3.9 as well as qt5 (stripped of its web engine components). It also includes several system dependencies, so it's a pretty big file.

2_mesa has, of course, mesa and xscreensaver and cups which now depends on mesa. There are also llvm libraries.

3_voyager is mostly desktop/user-space applications.

The directories in the repo module match the sfs file names. Those packages are already built in.

Like I said, it's something to explore but after some acquaintance it will become more user friendly. The main reason I put it together this way is that anyone with some interest can maintain the distro independently. It's ready right now for a do-it yer-selfer to take over.

Thanks for your interest.

dave.

[Dry Falls]

Just-Lighthouse64-805 updated with 06 May 2022 Slackware64-15.0 and some bugfixes. See first post for links.

[Dry Falls]

Mega repo updated June 16. Slackware security updates, bugfixes and some minor configuration adjustments. Iso is now current (no delta patch).
Removed the repo.sfs module. Lighthouse-Update will direct your browser to Mega-nz (see first post). View the changelog texts for details.

[mikewalsh]

@Dry Falls :-

I'll echo t'other Mike. It IS good to see ya back, you old scalliwag!

Just Lighthouse "Mariner Edition" was the very first of this series I ever tried, going back around 7 years I would guess. Not sure if you'd taken the reins at this point, but it was gcmartin (Clarity as he is now; ignore his protestations to the contrary! ) who prompted me to give it an outing; first 64-bit Pup I'd ever tried.

This was the first time the infant version of my now standard "infocenter" had made an appearance on the desktop. I was really taken with gKrellM, and compiled it for every Pup in the kennels; in those days each Pup had its own partition, as you can see! Nowadays I use the one partition->many sub-directories approach.

I probably used it for around 6-8 months, by which time PhilB finally had Tahrpup64 up-and-running. This was good practice for the latter....and was also the first time I'd used my favourite Windoze photo-editor, MooiTech's PhotoScape, running under WINE, to design an entire desktop backdrop.

I know you don't post often, but for gawd's sake, don't drop off the radar. Your very occasional input was always welcome, y'know?

Mike.

[dancytron]

I used Mariner-lighthouse for a while too. I'm glad someone is keeping it going.

Tazoc did a lot of good work.

[Dry Falls]

Thanks Dancytron and Mike! It means alot.

I started with puppy in about 2012 running Lazy, quirky/racy precise and lupu. I/m still running lhp-503G on an old dumpster desktop (32bit) frankenputer with seamonkey-2.40 to browse web. My first 64 bit puter came in 2014 and right off installed fatdog-631. I still think fatdog remains the most stable "puppy" (-ish) distro. Lighthouse wouldn't boot on my new puter but installed a new kernel and have been fiddling with it ever since.

Tazoc put together a lot of features, some of which are only now making their way into WoofCE. So much help is found in just reading the scripts! I still consider myself a newbie. I may have learned more from Taersh (author of Lazy) who also packed his distro with what only can be called helpful applications and if I haven't thanked him enough, I do so now. @mikewalsh, It goes without saying you've been a fountain of inspiration as well!

So why lighthouse? It started as BarryK woof puppy derivative with a fatdog-style kernel package/huge-initrd and Tazoc's modified busybox init script. I've put in some modifications but I think this description still applies. What I've mainly done is put a little more slackware into it (package management) so that it's easier to upgrade slackware version without major breakage. With the help of some very old puppy scripts like underdog, it can now be used as a slack-live operating system over a full slackware installation. Without Mistfire's modifications to PPM/petget, I would have probably dumped ppm like fatdog did early on. Scottman's Pkg is a great manager but not for Lighthouse, since it's already got slackpkg and sbopkg (to build 3rd party packages from source). Lghthouse was always a great tool for developers and it's kind of easy on the eyes.

If I seem to have left anyone out, thanks now to everyone on the forum (you know who you are). I may not post alot but that is because there are always responses forthcoming better than I could supply.

df

[Dry Falls]

Lighthouse updated at Mega July 28...

2022/07/21-27
* Slackware "security" updates:
...xorg, perl, net-snmp
* removed xdg-desktop-portal
* moved samba back to standalone sfs module.
*upgraded vlc
*Modified base-file build script; rebuilt JL64-805.sfs from scratch.
*new iso.

Lighthouse updated at Mega July 12...

2022/07/05-12
* important bugfix for pup_event_frontend start daemon script.
* Slackware "security" updates:
...gnupg2, wavpack updates from Slackware.
...curl update from Slackware.
...openssl update from Slackware.
* rebuilt kdeapps-base sfs with more library dependencies should one wish to install
...other kdeapps like kmymoney or calligra without the full Plasma DE.
* new iso.

df

[Dry Falls]

Lighthouse updated at Mega Feb 20

2023/02/19
Slackware "security" updates,
New initramfs and build scripts.
major structural changes so ...
* best to start with new save file
* be sure to back up your system prior to installing.

df

[Amol]

Hello Dry Falls !
I can't download your iso without installing first an app on my pc, what's that ?
Amol

[ally]

works fine for me

[Dry Falls]

Thanks @ally.
@Amol What app is it asking you to install? Just tried the download link and it works for me as well. Perhaps it's a browser issue? What browser are you using?

df

[ally]

archive was down ealier so couldn't provide a link, you can get it here if you want

http://archive.org/download/Puppy_Linux ... .23%29.iso

[Amol]

Hello everyone !
I've succeeded to download it.
Waaooh ! There is a lot of thing in this distro.The job made in it is impressive !
Amol.

[Clarity]

Booted the ISO file in a VM. Problem with it getting to desktop. Seems something is missing:

LHv805 Cirrus bad.jpg (81.31 KiB) Viewed 7581 times

[Clarity]

Edit: Manual start of desktop via "xorgwizard-auto" command

QEMU stanza for running Lighthouse in a VM:

Code: Select all

qemu-system-x86_64 -enable-kvm -vga std -m 2G -smp 2 -device AC97 -net nic -net user -rtc base=localtime -name "Just-Lighthouse64 v805 via QEMU" -cdrom Just-Lighthouse64-805.iso

Manual start REQUIRED AFTER boot stops at console

LHv805 REQUIRES manual start from console.jpg (57.05 KiB) Viewed 7574 times

The beauty of your continuing effort on this project ... continues. It is fast and responsive.

Seems that this was, at one time, closely aligned with FATDOG. Is this still true?

If so, would this project get more attention if it was listed under the FATDOG sub-forum section?

Curious

[Amol]

Hello Clarity ! THANK YOU for this tip.
I 've succeeded to boot JL-805 only one time.The boot process is not like the other puppy distros ( It's remind me this of TinyCore Linux ).I've remarked a strange thing in this boot process concerning the use of my internal partition sda1 where as i use a usb key for JL-805.
Best regards,
Amol

[Dry Falls]

Thanks for testing. Yes. this is a bug I’ve yet to track down. When logging out to console or starting from tty, one must tap the enter key to get to a cursor. xwin alone will only bring up the command-line tips message. This distro uses startx or xwin + windowmanager to get to X. So far, qemu is the only thing which presents a start-up problem, since it needs the frame-buffer running. Xorgwizard-auto is the correct procedure. (I will change the menu in isolinux.cfg to reflect this). Xorgwizard-puppy is broken but xorgwizard will let you pick the driver and resolution when running on bare-metal or vm. However, Xorg seems to do just fine on its own when not in vm mode.

The boot system is different from modern puppies because it was a woof/woof2 build rather than woofCE. This goes back at least to Lighthouse-2.15. The init script in JL64 is more similar to that in the oldest puppies than newer ones, and is 1.06 kilometers from the Fatdog boot method. Not to say Fatdog wasn’t influential. Fatdog was the first 64 bit “pup” and with much help from that team, Tazoc created the second in Lighthouse64. It may now be more a dog than puppy but it carries as much lineage from fredx. shinobar. radky, jemimah, q5sys, 0micko and others (BarryK is the foregone conclusion). JL64 is a fork of Lighthouse64.

Still, if anyone was to ask, I’d have to recommend fatdog as the go-to distro. It’s just that solid and as always, kudos to the team.

NOTE on sfs modules:

Modules load in alphnumeric order. 1_base-extra contains full or cut down Slackware packages which satisfy most of the dependencies for slackware. 2_mesa provides mesa, cups and llvm. 3_mariner is largely web and audio-video and 3_voyager is largely word-processing. 4_??? provide desktop environments. JL64 defaults to xfce4 if that module is loaded. Otherwise. JWM starts up.

df

[Clarity]

Hi @Dry Falls

Additional information related to aboves I have provided: Not sure if you are aware, but booting the ISO file directly into a VM shows the issue that is not allowing the boot to proceed to desktop. Here's the messages just before it stops requiring a manual terminal command to get to desktop. Are you aware?

LH64 boot Menu(4).jpg (25.86 KiB) Viewed 7893 times

Boot Menu item selected was/is ...nosavefile (GRUB2 Menu option 3)

So far, this is a fully capable distro.

[Dry Falls]

Hi Clarity. This is not an error but a message from xauth called by the startx script. This is when the xauth and servorauth files are created. Restarting only gives a serverauth message because a new session is started. With run-levels (see autologin script). these things are handled differently according to different session managers (xdm, sddm). Slackware uses elogind and pam. Life was a lot simpler with consolekit, before the woes of proprietary security. But I'm trying to be as compatible with stable sackware64 without adding the extra weight. It's been a real exercise in applied ecology.

thanks

[step]

Thanks @Dry Falls for this long-standing distro. I enjoy seeing how it evolves. And thanks @Clarity for posting the qemu stanza that gets this iso starting on Fatdog 813. Btw, I recall that @stemsee posted a cross between JL64 and Fatdog. It was in the old forum, I can't find the link now.

[ally]

@step

is this it?

http://archive.org/download/Puppy_Linux ... 64_602.iso

[ally]

@step

edit

actually think it's this:

http://archive.org/details/Puppy_Linux_FatHouse64

[step]

Great @ally, your unrelenting archival work is a big help to this community.

[Dry Falls]

Updated Mega.

Mostly a bugfix. Delta file for iso in 'Update" (see link on first page).
Of course, by "fix" I mean "less broken". You may not notice.

Been torture testing the change windomanager routine. Still a bit clunky after repeated use. However this should not be a problem if you use it sparingly during one session. Best to changewm then reboot, or keep a separate savefile for different windowmanagers.
I'd say the change desktop environment on the fly is one of Lighthouse' advantages over other systems.

Been using qemu v6.20 (in the virt-manager sfs module). Noticed dropping to console for xorgwizard loses the mouse function on resuming to X. No problem on bare-metal. This may be a problem with my qemu build.

df

[Clarity]

Updated Mega. ...

Thanks

This may be a problem with my qemu build.

There are several v7 PETs available in the forum.

Request
Could your PET/version be upgraded and it added to your Repo?

Maybe in your next version.

[Dry Falls]

2023/03/07
added kernel-huge-5.15.80-x86_64-1,txz: last k5.15 version with full aufs support.
added kernel-huge-5.15.94-x86_64-1,txz: limit 12 sfs addons at boot time. More
can be added on-the-fly after x has started.
Delta file patch to update JL64-805.sfs from iso (1.2M). This is a Slackware64-15.0
package upgrade (whois).
DOC-NLS sfs updated to accommodated changed base-file.

edit 2023/03/15-16:
new iso. reflects updated efiboot.img (updated refind and fatdog certs), initrd.xz and slackware updates.

edit 2023/05/01
Slackware64 "security" updates
reuploaded devx, doc_nls, JL64-805 (here), Slackware-extra and zSBASE sfs modules.