QuickPup64 25.01 RC4

[Clarity]

For 2025, @mistfire , you "may" want to start a new thread where wayland is a base thread for your "Wayland" WoofCE PUP offerings. The problems members encounter-report with X11 should NOT be conflated with problems of Wayland desktop. Otherwise you may be pulling your hair out attempting to help members.

Pipewire-Wayland, is now ubiquitous in the Linux world among all of the major Linux distros, today. Performance is outstanding and products have reached stability as improvements continue.

As KDE has taken an enormous desktop lead toward user friendliness, all of the other DE are racing to catch-up. Thus 2025 will see major improvements in the applications we have used in the past as they expand their functionalities as well as taking advantage of the subsystems and DE advancements.

Thanks as you continue to modernize your Linux solution(s) you present to us on the forum.
AND your boot-time refinement have not gone unnoticed!

[Clarity]

Preliminary report

• Scenario
  Booted system via Ventoy selection (GRUB2). PSAVE parm set to point to Persistence partition's Sessions folder

• Problems
  QuickSetup utility has 2 issues of concern

  • Clicking UTC and setting timezone is NOT setting my local time on the system taskbar

  • Display Graphics Driver is showing modesetting, while Hardinfo2 is showing noveau

    • This is a pristine boot on a PC whose ONLY video adapter is nvidia.

  PrtScrn key is not working

Further test will be done when I return on Tuesday.

[mistfire]

QuickPup64 24.01 RC 19 released

Changes:
* linux kernel 6.12.6-lxpup64
* clutter and cogl fixes
* dbus fixes
* user id and group id fixes

Download: https://1drv.ms/u/c/349c4d7a5f9d78cd/EZ ... w?e=BOMXvw
MD5 Checksum: 449e13809782feaf2d4eb1b3a7255f8f

[Clarity]

Hello @mistfire

Persistence
There are 2 QPsaves within the Sessions folder on my Persistence drive.

Testing bare-metal nvidia adapter only via Ventoy GRUB2 selection to launch vRC19: There are 3 Menu Stanza paths tested.
ALL stanzas have PSAVE=Persistence:/Sessions/ added to the linux line.

1. Default path

   • This path 'hangs' immediately after editing the stanza and hitting F10 key to start the boot; thus the only thing visible is the initial GRUB2 PUPPY image. Question: could the presence of the 2 QPsaves be a cause of this hang?

2. RAM menu path

   • This path boots to desktop. And, as expected, this is a pristine system operation for vRC19. New session saved on shutdown.

3. Wayland menu path

   • This path boots to issues starting with it opening a request for keyboard, then automatically without any keyboard action, taking off to hang at screen below. This hang is the same (secondary attempt) if I edit PFIX parm from NOX to RAM.

     

     Ventoy failures 1.jpg (84.19 KiB) Viewed 2605 times

Observations
The default path and the Wayland path exhibit distinctly different issues on booting. This is easily repeatable on your end to validate.

Testing via Ventoy launching the ISO file is suspended until you have a chance to review.

[Clarity]

Booting bare-metal SG2D. Launching vRC19. PSAVE=Persistence:/Sessions/ is UNNECESSARY because there is a SAVESPEC file present which the distro respects when ISO file boots via SG2D or via DVD drive. So, in no case is a menu stanza changed to support proper session management booting .
Default Menu

• No issue to report as all prior PUP boot expectations occur.

  

  Session Management.jpg (31.31 KiB) Viewed 2607 times

.
Problems

• Same desktop issues reported in V17. printscreen key and video driver reports.

• New discovered. Directional keys dont work, and home-end keys too. Thus keyboarding issues for those non-numeric, non-alpha keys.

[Clarity]

There are boot menu differences depending if the ISO is launched from SG2D or from Ventoy: Thus Wayland path could NOT be tested via SG2D:
Ventoy

Launched from Ventoy.jpg (30.38 KiB) Viewed 2592 times

SG2D

Launched from SG2D.jpg (49.04 KiB) Viewed 2592 times

[mistfire]

QuickPup64 25.01 RC1 released

Changes:
* linux kernel 6.12.8-lxpup64
* Basilisk web browser replaced Seamonkey
* Updated firmware drivers

Download: https://1drv.ms/u/c/349c4d7a5f9d78cd/EV ... w?e=sFgjQi
MD5 Checksum: 688b84727d51cffae61984bf77c1e12e

[Clarity]

Initial ISO file Boot test in a VM. QEMU stanza
qemu-system-x86_64 -enable-kvm -smp 2 -m 2G -boot d -cdrom quickpup64_25.01-rc1.iso
This does not appear to be a bug, but I was a surprised.

QP v2501 boot testing.jpg (31.68 KiB) Viewed 2311 times

QP v2501 boot testing(1).jpg (35.9 KiB) Viewed 2305 times

[Clarity]

Initial SG2D USB Boot test in a VM.

• No QP v2501 boot menu changes

• Same behavior as above post shows

QEMU stanza
qemu-system-x86_64 -name "MistFire's ISO file from SD2G USB" -enable-kvm -vga std -m 2G -smp 2 -device AC97 -net nic -net user -rtc base=localtime -hda /dev/sdi

[Clarity]

Initial Ventoy USB Boot test in a VM.

• No QP v2501 boot menu changes

• Cannot arrive at desktop. 4 Video formats were vga std/cirrus/virtio/default

QEMU stanza - same as above post for this Ventoy USB

QP v2501 boot testing(2).jpg (59.68 KiB) Viewed 2295 times

[Clarity]

Hello @mistfire

Testing ISO file v2501 booting on bare-metal using the same Intel-nvidia desktops I use for the testing that I do.

SG2D - All is well!
Using SG2D launching v2501, allowing the default at boot menu time, no boot issues of any sort. Distro boots, finds its prior sessions from earlier visions, and progresses to desktop with all expected behaviors including that expected at shutdown-reboot. Wonderful!

Ventoy
Using Ventoy launching v2501, a different story: 1 familiar and expected, while another was unexpected.

Expected-familiar is: I have NOT seen any change in WoofCE to address the boot problem when ISO is launched from Ventoy. That is it will boot, but will not use the prior sessions, NOR, will it operate session management to save the session to a suitable permanent media on a pristine boot. Yet, booting this way forces a pristine desktop which does allow normal desktop operation for testing or admin use of the included subsystems and packages for desktop operations. ... Even though the session management wont allow a session to save to permanent media. 

To circumvent this OOTB problem and have the ability to manage sessions, for WoofCE PUPs, a user launching from Ventoy MUST add a PSAVE parm to direct PUPs to locate and use sessions management buit in the distro(s).

Now the unexpected: For v2501, if a PSAVE parm is added on the default menu stanza, it will NOT BOOT. For example
linux vmlinuz pfix=fsck psession=wayland psave=Persistence:/Sessions/
or
linux vmlinuz pfix=fsck psave=Persistence:/Sessions/

Would you test on your end for concurrence. And would you fix for the next release?

[Clarity]

I didn't want to give up, so instead of only testing the default boot menu stanza edit, I decided to edit the RAM stanza to boot Wayland with Persistence (aka PSAVE). Success on this bare-metal iteration. But the facts from above, remain.

[Clarity]

BTW: which file logs the boot parms used?

Misc note

Code: Select all

[puppy::Desktop]# echo "Use Menu's PPM to install MtPaint and its user guide"
Use Menu's PPM to install MtPaint and its user guide
[puppy::Desktop]# mtpaint 
mtpaint: error while loading shared libraries: libopenjpeg.so.5: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory
[puppy::Desktop]#[puppy::Desktop]# geany ../Downloads/install-MtPaint.txt

(geany:2637): Gdk-CRITICAL **: 00:55:55.978: gdk_x11_window_get_xid: assertion 'GDK_IS_X11_WINDOW (window)' failed

There are several terminals in this distro. As you are moving this forward in 2025, which of them would you recommend to match your QT6-Wayland direction?

Thanks for where you are now. I have not shutdown, just yet as I navigate the desktop. Will do soon to update you on this Ventoy launch of the ISO file with Persistence.

[Clarity]

System intends to download its wayland session on the Persistence partititon in the proper folder to match the PSAVE parm which started the boot.

Successful Session Management.png (163.08 KiB) Viewed 2093 times

Finally AFTER teh above screen, Session Management asks if the SFS is to be copied to the Session. I replied NO because it is not needed for ISO booting, but it copies SFSs ANYHOW!

Is that expected?

[Clarity]

Hello @mistfire

On 1st use of the Drawing utility, it opens asking the user if they want the Drawing Guide loaded. I replied OK, but where is the guide?

And when system stops at a console, what is the command to start/restart the Wayland desktop session. Edit: Found this answer in the RC16 post "startwayland" at the console.

[mistfire]

QuickPup64 25.01 RC2 released

Changes:
* Added option to use BTRFS on puppy save file. (experimental)
* Improved initrd. Added support for bcachefs and improved support for BTRFS
* Linux kernel 6.13.3-lxpup64

Download: https://1drv.ms/u/c/349c4d7a5f9d78cd/ER ... g?e=Dzjbjb
MD5 Checksum: 456778ede855ebc321fa8932a9f92304

[williwaw]

QuickPup64 25.01 RC2 released

Changes:
* Added option to use BTRFS on puppy save file. (experimental)
* Improved initrd. Added support for bcachefs and improved support for BTRFS
* Linux kernel 6.13.3-lxpup64

Download: https://1drv.ms/u/c/349c4d7a5f9d78cd/ER ... g?e=Dzjbjb
MD5 Checksum: 456778ede855ebc321fa8932a9f92304

RC2 installed frugally using pmedia=ataflash or pmedia=usbflash will not boot into pupmode 13

I created both a savefolder in ext4 partition and a QuickPup64save.bfs. both save changes, (in pupmode 12), but is there a way to utilize snapshots and rollbacks of the QuickPup64save.bfs?

[mistfire]

RC2 installed frugally using pmedia=ataflash or pmedia=usbflash will not boot into pupmode 13

Any odd numbered pupmode was disabled by defaut due to huge filesize of QuickPup64
However, you can enable it again by doing the following:

* Extract the initrd. Right click the initrd.xz and select edit initramfs. It will open the extracted initrd.
* Goto override-parameters.cfg file and disable "DISABLE_ODD_PUPMODE" then save it
* Right click again the initrd.xz and select edit initramfs to save changes on the initrd.

but is there a way to utilize snapshots and rollbacks of the QuickPup64save.bfs?

Yes it is. QuickPup64 includes btrfsprogs to manage snapshots (See https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Btrfs). Or try to use Timeshift backup tool included in QuickPup64 or even download snapper

[williwaw]

making the edit to override-parameters.cfg as follows...

#Enable this will disable to odd numbered PUPMODES
DISABLE_ODD_PUPMODE="no"

but gives no joy making when booting with

menuentry "QuickPup64 25.01 " {
search --no-floppy --set=root --fs-uuid 0e7e4039-dbff-4a43-8d3f-f8e2ab1dd119
linux /quick/vmlinuz pfix=fsck pmedia=ataflash psubdir=/quick
initrd /quick/initrd.xz
}

(opting for 'pmedia=ataflash as I have a M2 drive on this lenovo T420)

Event Manager tells me I am still in pupmode 12 and no new icon for saving appears on the desktop.

Actually I am more interested in the implementation of btrfs. Should my quickpup frugal be installled to a brtfs partition or are the tools able to operate on the QuickPup64save.bfs in a ext4 partition?
tx

[mistfire]

making the edit to override-parameters.cfg as follows...

#Enable this will disable to odd numbered PUPMODES
DISABLE_ODD_PUPMODE="no"

but gives no joy making when booting with

Actually, it should be this, in order to enable PUPMODE 13

Code: Select all

#DISABLE_ODD_PUPMODE="no"

Should my quickpup frugal be installled to a brtfs partition

No need to installed on a btrfs partition if it was in frugal mode. But if you want you can do it

or are the tools able to operate on the QuickPup64save.bfs in a ext4 partition?

Since btrfs able to make subvolumes for snapshot while it was mounted. btrfsprogs and snapper can do that on the save file. The snapshot for btrfs save file must be performed only on the savefile mountpoint (at /run/initramfs/pup_rw) since the root filesystem of puppy in frugal mode was aufs/overlayfs not btrfs

[williwaw]

@mistfire

# DISABLE_ODD_PUPMODE="no"

I tried uncommenting the entire line a while back, albiet with "yes" instead of no. the boot halted. did it again just now with the above and halted at the same place.

[williwaw]

Since btrfs able to make subvolumes for snapshot while it was mounted. btrfsprogs and snapper can do that on the save file. The snapshot for btrfs save file must be performed only on the savefile mountpoint (at /run/initramfs/pup_rw) since the root filesystem of puppy in frugal mode was aufs/overlayfs not btrfs

Ok, good to know.
Just curious what you envision as a typical use case when adding brtfs support?
an alternative method for managing sessions and saves as subvolumes?, or something entirely different.
tx
will play around with it a bit more this evening.

[mistfire]

Just curious what you envision as a typical use case when adding brtfs support?

Well actually that's copy-on-write feature on btrfs. It will save a lot of disk space. snapshots is a bonus

[mistfire]

I tried uncommenting the entire line a while back, albiet with "yes" instead of no. the boot halted. did it again just now with the above and halted at the same place.

What's your ram size? Also try pfix=rwcache boot parameter it will force QuickPup64 to boot on PUPMODE 13 if DISABLE_ODD_PUPMODE on override-parameters.cfg file was commented

[williwaw]

What's your ram size? Also try pfix=rwcache boot parameter it will force QuickPup64 to boot on PUPMODE 13 if DISABLE_ODD_PUPMODE on override-parameters.cfg file was commented

boot hangs same as above
8G ram

#Enable this will disable to odd numbered PUPMODES
#DISABLE_ODD_PUPMODE="no"

menuentry "QuickPup64 25.01 " {
search --no-floppy --set=root --fs-uuid 0e7e4039-dbff-4a43-8d3f-f8e2ab1dd119
linux /quick/vmlinuz pfix=rwcache pmedia=ataflash psubdir=/quick
initrd /quick/initrd.xz
}

[mistfire]

@williwaw

I enabled the ODD PUPMODE on my quickpup64 and it works for me (I'm using intel skylake). Did you try latest kernel on your machine to see if the newer kernel works on your computer? Otherwise try swapping kernel and zdrv (make sure that it has builtin btrfs support) if you are tinkering with brtfs pupsave file. If your laptop has bios update, try also to update it to its latest version (if your battery health on your laptop was good and brave enough to update the bios)

[williwaw]

I copied zdrv_vanilladpup_10.0.68.sfs to the quickpup install dir and renamed it to zdrv_quickpup64_25.01.sfs

#Enable this will disable to odd numbered PUPMODES
DISABLE_ODD_PUPMODE="no"

menuentry "QuickPup64 25.01 " {
search --no-floppy --set=root --fs-uuid 0e7e4039-dbff-4a43-8d3f-f8e2ab1dd119
linux /quick/vmlinuz pfix=rwcache pmedia=ataflash psubdir=/quick
initrd /quick/initrd.xz
}

I got to a log in at the console, but startx and xwin both failed

I do have a qv install that most likely has a kernel compiled with support for btrfs, but not sure how to procede.

Intel Core i5-2520M from 2011 has been working with most all puppies tried thru the years and a bios update is something I would rather avoid.

[mistfire]

I copied zdrv_vanilladpup_10.0.68.sfs to the quickpup install dir and renamed it to zdrv_quickpup64_25.01.sfs

What kernel version is that?

[williwaw]

Linux 6.1.119 (x86_64)
best I can tell from looking at output from hardinfo

[Clarity]

Hello @mistfire

Booted v2501-rc2, pristine, via ISO file from Ventoy on bare-metal to desktop. I booted this test using the very top boot menu editing it to add psave=Persistence:/Sessions/ to the linux line.

This was done before noticing this message from you (not sure if this affects what I am seeing) in your OP post with the ISO location.

BOOTING FROM ISO FILE (via Grub or Ventoy)?
enter find_iso=<path of iso file from a partition> boot parameter first before booting when QuickPup64 boot menu was shown

If this is a requirement for the issues I show in this post, please advise:

1. Upon boot, Opened desktop menu and ran the package update utility; namely "Get Package Updates". This concludes with an up-to-date window.

2. couple of admin tools not found.

3. Reviewing-updating QuickSetup has several fields which are not remembered when the utility is reopened. Specifically, the hardware clock wont stay and when selecting time from internet, the subsequent utility show +0000 timezone???

On nvidia driver discovery for this kernel, I've sent a request via PM to you.

Screenshot_Pristine.jpg (164.29 KiB) Viewed 533 times