6.6.28 64bit LOW-LATENCY Kernel NON-USRMERGE Aufs/Overlayfs

[ozsouth]

Note: I forgot to include RTW89_8851BE & RTW89_8852BE wireless drivers.

I made a 64bit 6.6.28 2018 KIT LOW-LATENCY NON-USRMERGE kernel. Has Overlayfs and Aufs builtin.
This has Full Preemption & Frequency at 1000Hz. It is noticeably more responsive than standard kernels.

Although this should work on standard older puppies as is, to use it with overlayfs, need a specifc initrd.gz, or
(if your puppy is recent, like S15Pup64-22.12) have punionfs=overlay in the grub/syslinux kernel line.
I used 2018 Kernel-Kit Master, with only my essential-for-operation fixes. Use at own risk.

Is in both Ubuntu and Slacko compatible flavours. CANNOT be used for Jammypup64 & later (USRMERGE Pups),
UNLESS these kernel-modules & kernel_sources (& non-usrmerge fdrvs) are run through a converter like this one:
viewtopic.php?p=116744#p116744
'aoe' means aufs, overlayfs & either non-usrmerge (default) or usrmerge if converted.

As is, it is for Fossapup64-9.6CE , s15pup64_22.12 & older puppies. Used gcc 10.2.0 & glibc-2.30.
Has no firmware - needs recent fdrv - see below (That fdrv has some rtw88, rtw89, b43 & mediatek wifi firmware).
Has some rtw88, rtw89, b43 & mediatek wifi drivers. Has older ntfs-3g, vmd & Blake2s builtin.
i2c_hid_of included as module. tmpfs_posix_acl is builtin.

Is mostly Spectre/Meltdown mitigated (needs microcode too - see viewtopic.php?p=9658#p9658).
Is TCP_SACK mitigated. Briefly tested, OK in s15pup64_22.12+4 (aufs & overlayfs).
For best results when using a savefile/savefolder, it is advisable to have that on an ext3 (or 4) partition.

wl wireless driver in forum Drivers section. NOTE: many broadcom devices can use in-kernel b43 drivers.
fdrv below has newer broadcom firmware to work with that. rtl8821ce not needed, as rtw88 in kernel.

Once downloaded, expand in an empty folder with tar -jxvf, & rename kernel-modules.sfs-6.6.28-64oz-aoe-lolat to zdrv ...
(same as one to be replaced) & rename vmlinuz-6.6.28-64oz-aoe-lolat to vmlinuz & then substitute for originals.
Important Note: when switching kernels, if you have an ...initmodules.txt file (i.e. fossapup64initmodules.txt or
similar, in same folder as puppy sfs), must delete it before first boot into new kernel. Otherwise it may try to load
modules that don't exist, causing failure. Note for Overlayfs, either kernel derivative below works on any system.

Ubuntu deravative: https://archive.org/download/Puppy_Linu ... at.tar.bz2

Slacko derivative: https://archive.org/download/Puppy_Linu ... at.tar.bz2

Kernel Sources: https://archive.org/download/Puppy_Linu ... -lolat.sfs

Kernel Headers: https://archive.org/download/Puppy_Linu ... x86_64.sfs

My Feb2024 fdrv: https://www.mediafire.com/file/f6xib03a ... z.sfs/file

[mikewalsh]

@ozsouth :-

Excellent work, Dave. This one looks to be a 'good'un'.

I'm presently trialling this in my customised Xenialpup64.....and so far, everything's 100% 'on the green".

Having an nVidia card, many of my Pups have had the "official" driver installed. That said, this card is no longer supported, and I've noticed that the last supported driver is becoming harder & harder to compile with many newer kernels, so.....those with the driver, I'm just leaving as they are.

I do like to be able to try out newer kernels, however, so when I re-built Xenialpup64 recently I made the conscious decision to leave it running on the standard "nouveau" kernel driver. That lets me upgrade kernels without the hassle of having to keep recompiling the driver every time.

(jrb's 'lite' spin on Barry's Quirky 'April' is the other main one still running nouveau. There's always been an OpenGL issue with that, so the official driver never would compile...)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The re-vamped Xenialpup64 has been using Fossapup64's glibc 2.31 - up from the original 2.23 - and until today, FP64's original k5.4.53 and matching fdrv. It's been running like a top.

With the new k6.6.28, I'm still using FP64's original fdrv, 'cos everything just works with that.....so since these are kernel-agnostic, I saw no point in changing it.

I'll be trying this out with Quirky as well, but here in Xenialpup64 this is definitely looking like a "keeper". Nicely done, sir!

Mike.

(EDIT:- Works like a dream with Quirky as well.....and webcam usage seems that bit smoother, too!)

[Marv]

Quick trial here in Bookworm64 10.0.6, structure usrmerge adjusted. Clean dmesg, good idle resource use, good glxgears FPS. Daily use snappy but none of that pushes the low latency. In a brief side-by-side look at CPU temps and fan run-time on the Fujitsu S761 laptop (has a crummy hair trigger fan algorithm), I can't tell any difference between the BW64 install running this and the same install running a non-low latency 6.6.25 kernel. No hitches, no glitches seen. I'll trial it (slackware version) in my slackware derivs later.

Thanks,

A bit later: Checked in my LxPupSc64 23.01 +6 install. All seems good there also. Clean boot and dmesg, good snappy normal daily function.