Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

Hello puppy linux. First of all, not gonna tell you how many times I failed to answer the signup question correctly even after googling the answer. LOL
Used many, many versions of puppy a few years back (and still have a collection of burned CD/DVD's to show for it) and recently got an ancient Acer laptop I want to get working again.

Along with puppy I tried using Bodhi 7.0 as well as the current version of AntiX Linux.
I got Bodhi to install easily and the browser was able to play youtube vids fine, but it was running very slow after running a short time and wasn't playing DVD movies, etc.

AntiX Linux booted fine to the live CD/DVD, but I was unable to find the install routine at all.

Installed the newer puppy Xenial and it totally rocked. I also downloaded/burned Bionic pup, but haven't gotten to that yet.
Ha! I ordered grubhub food delivery with the Acer laptop using the Xenial install tonight!

Spent all this time creating a new forum login (I was avatarman back in the day on the forum Murga hosted) because I had to post how much better Puppy Linux did on this ancient 1gb ram / 1.86 ghz processor than I could have imagined.

Hopefully will be posting more in the future.

Keep smiling people!

Narvic in Chicago

back to Puppy Linux!

Not sure which Xenialpup you installed, 64bit or 32bit.

But both have this update you need to do.

Quickpet icon on desktop.

Quickpet ->Info ->Xenialpup updates

This will install some bug fixes and updates that did not get into the ISO.

Make sure to reboot and update the save, so these updates are now being used.

May have to do this several times, to get them all installed.
There were more than one update and not sure it will get all of them, by running one time.
It reports what was changed. So if the report stays the same, you got them all.

@Narvic :-

Indeedy.......nice to see ya back again. to the "kennels" once more.....

You'll recognise many names. There's also quite a number who, like yourself, are old-timers but have decided "New forum, so new handle".

We're always happy to help. Just remember to fill us in on details'n'stuff when ya post (usual routine).

You'll find Pups have just continued to improve, but some of us also like using older ones (I'm a prime example; I just simply find them more stable). IF I had any sense, apparently, I'd always be running the very latest Pup.....but it seems I'm daft, so this is coming to you from Xenialpup64!

Mike.

@bigpup, @mikewalsh

Thanks guys!

So, my assumption is that this Acer laptop is too old to run 64 bit.
I installed the 32 bit Xenialpup 7.5
Will definitely install the updates.

I actually ran Ubuntu 22.04 on another system that I used daily at home
for a good year (was too lazy to replace the power supply in my main desktop,
which for the time being is still on Windows 8.1).

Looking forward to messing around with rox-filer and JWM again.
=)

Have a good rest of the day.

Narvic in Chicago

Hi Narvic....I'm running a 12 year old Acer on 64 bit pups. What model Acer do you have?

You know Puppy Linux.

No reason not to have several versions installed, each as it's own frugal install.
A boot loader setup to boot any of them.

If the processor is any newer than the very first Pentium 4 CPU's.

Good chance it can also use 64bit OS's.

If you forgot about this boot option.
You can use the pfix=nocopy in the boot menu entry kernel or Linux line.
This will lower the amount of RAM used to boot, but will take a little longer to boot and start programs.
But with only 1GB of RAM, this may be useful option to use.

I guess the main reason for installing the 64 bit OS, is that you have more software available?

This is an Acer Aspire 3680 and is running quite well using the Xenial 32 bit 7.5, so I will probably keep to it for now, though I will at least live boot the Bionicpup DVD to check it out.

For sure one great thing about puppy linux is the myriad of programs that are pre-installed. Especially comparing to my relatively short stint with Bodhi 7.0

I definitely prefer using the harddrive versus booting to a usb stick or something.

Cheers!

Narvic

The specs I can find for that computer say it should have a CPU that is 64bit capable.

I guess the main reason for installing the 64 bit OS, is that you have more software available?

Software is slowly going to only having 64bit versions.

Even Puppy versions, some only offered in 64bit.

But 32bit is still alive in Puppy Linux, as long as you understand that not all possible software, is going to offer a 32bit version to use.
A lot of new software is now only offered as 64bit.

It still is a matter of, if it works, and you can still use it, be happy!

If you want to update the Pale Moon browser that is in Xenialpup 7.5
The Pale Moon download web site does not offer it in 32bit.
But this alternate download site does.
https://software.opensuse.org/download. ... e=palemoon

Click on Ubuntu ->Grab binary packages directly to see a list of different ones to choose.
The ones identified as i386 should be 32bit.
I think the xubuntu 18.04 ones should work in Xenialpup 7.5

If Xenialpup 7.5 has the Pale Moon update menu entry.
That most likely is not going to work anymore.
You will have to download a newer version and install it, replacing the older version.

Hello, Narvic, back.

As others have posted, it's getting hard to find applications for 32-bit OSes, especially Web-browsers. But old computers may not have sufficient RAM to (comfortably) run 64bit OSes and their sometimes slightly, sometimes significantly larger applications.

As you probably suspected, Puppy devs still try to accommodate those computers. This thread may interest you if you want to try out some 32-bit Puppys newer than Xenial: https://www.forum.puppylinux.com/viewto ... 47#p100547

Goodmorning (here it's 6:15 a.m.) and happy Friday!

Thank you for the link to the 32 bit collection.

Is also good to know I may be able to run the 64 bit OS as well.
When I first looked up the specs on this laptop it showed that it should be expandable to 2 gb of ram...so, maybe at some point I will go about seeing what type of ram it takes and how many slots it has free.

Definitely appreciate both the conversation and the input/info.

Narvic

and...it's already Sunday evening

quick update to say several shutdowns/reboots and puppy Xenial 32 bit version 7.5 going strong

I downloaded the devxsfs file, installed firefox (which has been able to do more tasks than the other browsers thus far, in fact I have succesfully ordered grubhub food delivery 3 times now, which seems to be a bigger task than running youtube vids). Tonight I installed WINE from the puppy package mgr. so I can run some ancient DVD I have, but have to work on that a bit more as I have kinda forgot how to use WINE.

Attaching a screenshot of my current desktop.

G'nite y'all!

Narvic in Chicago

@Narvic :-

As you're probably aware, it's always been possible to run 32-bit apps under a 64-bit OS by means of the 'multiarch' stuff (in 'mainstream' distros).....and by use of the 32-bit_compat_libs SFS in Puppies. But did you know that it's now possible to run 64-bit applications under a 32-bit Puppy?

peebee developed and built a 64-bit compatibility SFS that will allow you to do just exactly that. Originally built for peebee's SPups, @mikeslr and I have both found out that it runs exceptionally well under 32-bit Xenialpup 7.5; in fact, alongside a standard 32-bit Xenialpup install, I've set-up another one specifically to make use of this very neat trick.

You can read about it here:-

viewtopic.php?t=7779

You need to swap the OOTB 32-bit kernel for a 64-bit one; Xenialpup64's k4.9.58 kernel will do nicely (vmlinuz and the matching zdrv are all that's required, along with re-naming the zdrv to match the original). Then just load the 64-bit compat libs SFS.....and away you go! This will allow use of up-to-date 64-bit browsers, etc......for which you can take your pick from this listing of my Puppy 'portable' applications (another development that's probably happened since you were last with us):-

viewtopic.php?t=5104

I would strongly suggest you investigate the RAM upgrade route for your Acer if you decide to try this out, as it will use rather more RAM than you have available. Either that, or just give Xenialpup64 itself a try.....and see how you get on:-

https://distro.ibiblio.org/puppylinux/p ... 5-uefi.iso

That's a direct link to the Xenialpup64 ISO.

Just a couple of ideas for ya! (TBH, I'd investigate the RAM upgrade route anyway, since more RAM never hurt anybody.....and because of the way Puppy runs in RAM, it's more critical for us than for most.)

Mike.

yeah, I need to remove the panel and see what memory is actually installed
guessing the memory would be relatively inexpensive depending on how hard it it is to find
running conky to keep an eye on what's currently going on with the cpu and ram and having fun seeing an old machine go at it!

have a good rest of the day and a good week ahead Mike

Narvic

I'm not returning but new and tried alot of os. And found puppy Linux and absolutely love it. I don't think I'll ever switch, puppy will always be my daily driver now

Newpupuser289 -Welcome aboard, and we are glad to have you.Which of our pups are you using?

Newpupuser289 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 29, 2024 1:54 am

I'm not returning but new and tried alot of os. And found puppy Linux and absolutely love it. I don't think I'll ever switch, puppy will always be my daily driver now

No matter where you went and what distros you tried,
we know you'll always come back home to the kennels!

home!

Okaeri!