Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

Does anyone know how to get tahrpup 6.0.5 64-bit working properly on a Dell Optiplex 7040 micro (or similar machine)?

The system boots without any trouble and most things work. However, it seems impossible to connect to the internet, and very rarely possible to get sound working.

I've spent hours searching for tips, tweaking the software, loading and unloading modules, tweaking BIOS, even installing different versions of BIOS, but with no result.

The exact same tahrpup installation works with no problem on my old Optiplex 780, and testing with other systems on the 7040 shows that the sound and ethernet hardware can work -- if appealed to in the right way. But what is that right way?

The basic point is that tahr on the 7040 can't see the eth0 interface at all, or any other network interface (not counting loopback). And it can only occasionally get in contact with the sound card.

I've tried bionic, which had sound but still no internet. I'm trying fossapup -- sound and internet OK, but I'm encountering more and more problems with software (to mention just a few examples, VLC, Handbrake and Audacity are only partly functional). What I don't like about other versions of Linux is too big a subject to go into here.

I haven't given up on fossa, but I'd really like to get tahr and the 7040 to see eye to eye if at all possible.

"I'm trying fossapup -- sound and internet OK, but" tahrpup64 has applications less taxing to my system.

The above tells me that fossapup has the kernel, firmware and drivers for your computer while tarhrpup64 doesn't. Fortunately for you Puppys are modularly built and its easy to swap kernels and their accompanying firmware and drivers. All of Tahrpup64's applications are in the file named puppy_tahr64_6.0.5.sfs. So we won't touch that.

Look for the following file(-systems) that fossapup64 has (mount its ISO if you have to): vmlinuz, zdrv_fossapup64_9.5.sfs and fdrv_fossapup64_9.5.sfs. It may not have an fdrv.sfs. fdrv.sfses hold firmware and some Puppy creators include firmware in the zdrv.sfs. [Drivers have to be compiled for each kernel (vmlinuz) but firmware does not. So its a toss-up: provide an fdrv.sfs which once downloaded can be used with any Puppy, or compel everyone to download a large zdrv.sfs containing firmware they already have somewhere].

Although the following can be done using the Puppy you intend to modify, if you don't have any other operating system you can boot into --should things go wrong-- I suggest you take this precaution:
Create a new folder at the top of a partition. Perhaps --and for the purpose of this recipe-- name it Tahr1. Edit your menu.lst or grub.cfg to provide a menu entry for Tahr1.

Into the Tahr1 folder copy from your other Tahr's folder its initrd.gz and its puppy_tahrpup64_6.0.5.sfs. From Fossapup64, copy vmlinuz, zdrv_fossapup64_9.5.sfs and (if it has it) fdrv_fossapup64_9.5.sfs. Right-Click zdrv_fossapup64_9.5.sfs, select Rename, and rename it zdrv_tahrpup64_6.0.5.sfs. Ditto for the fdrv.sfs if it has it. Boot into your new Puppy and copy over any SaveFile/Folder from your old Puppy, shutting down without creating a Save. On your next boot your new Tarhpup should use the SaveFile/Folder you created under your old Puppy. If all is well --test your applications-- you can delete your old Puppy and remove its listings from your boot-menu.

[There's less work if you can boot into any other Puppy. Just boot pfix=ram (so as not to use the SaveFile/Folder) then copy it, vmlinuz and zdrv.sfs into a folder. With those 'protected' you can just copy the fossapup64 files mentioned above into your tarhpup's folder, rename them as above, and reboot. But if for some reason you couldn't boot up that system and it was your only system, where are you?]

Or you can try this remastered version of a tahrpup64 I just published. https://www.forum.puppylinux.com/viewto ... 290#p72290. I don't know if it has the firmware and drivers needed by your computer. If it boots, has wifi and sound --the post explains how to use Seamonkey without committing to it, see if youtubes play with sound-- you could copy your SaveFile/Folder into its folder, reboot and see what happens. But I recommend starting fresh. The applications in your SaveFile/Folder may be older than those I've builtin. Boot into your old Tahrpup, open Puppy Package Manager>Uninstall and take a snapshot so you'll have a record to refer to in rebuilding. The remastered tahrpup64 can use any SFS your old one does.

Whatever you do, don't delete your current Tahrpup64 until you're satisfied that you have something better.

mikeslr -- you are the world's greatest genius!! Sound and internet now working perfectly -- I didn't even need to fiddle around configuring anything.

Megathanks!

Very bad news -- it seems I was a little hasty.

Adding the zdrv object from fossapup _does_ allow sound and internet to work. But I've now found that it also causes corruption of windows in some applications when resizing, with black blocks / grey blocks / areas of gibberish appearing instead of normal window content.

Most things in Tahrpup work normally but some applications (e.g. PPM, Gimp, mtPaint) are usable only with some difficulty. (More details here: http://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.p ... 76bed3b48c)

To recap:

When zdrv is present (whether or not fdrv is present), sound and internet connection work but window corruption problem occurs.

But when zdrv is _not_ present (whether or not fdrv is present), there's _no_ window corruption problem, but sound rarely works and internet connection never works.

So now the question is: how to get sound and internet without the window corruption.

Any ideas (assuming anyone is still following this one)?

You need to use a much newer version of Puppy.

If this is the computer you are trying to use Tahrpup64 9.0.5 on.
newer Optiplex 7040 micro

Tahrpup is not designed for that new a computer.
It does not have needed support software or even the newer versions that are needed.
One being the newer version of the Intel graphics driver.
Also need a much newer Linux kernel.

You need to use a much newer version of Puppy Linux.

Fossapup64 9.5

One of the newer or newest versions of Lxpupsc, Scpup, or Vanilla Dpup.

You can not mix different (a thru z)drv.sfs files between different versions of Puppy. These are built for that specific Puppy version, it is in.
The fdrv.sfs is about the only one that maybe can be used by different versions of Puppy.
That is because the fdrv.sfs is only hardware firmware, that will work with anything, as long as the Linux kernel has the needed driver, for the hardware.

Note:
Fossapup64 9.5 is the newer version of what Tahrpup is, but it is not compatible to mix stuff between them.
666philb developed both of them.
He basically updated and improved, everything that is Tahrpup64 6.0.5, and produced Fossapup64 9.5.
Newer versions of everything, added programs, much newer Linux kernel, with support for newer hardware.

@bigpup / @doomcur :-

You can not mix different (a thru z)drv.sfs files between different versions of Puppy. These are built for that specific Puppy version, it is in.
The fdrv.sfs is about the only one that maybe can be used by different versions of Puppy.
That is because the fdrv.sfs is only hardware firmware, that will work with anything, as long as the Linux kernel has the needed driver, for the hardware.

Generally, that's true. But aside from the fdrv (firmware) SFS, you CAN swap zdrvs.....so long as they are accompanied by their matching vmlinuz, and the zdrv is re-named appropriately.

The vmlinuz IS the "kernel". But the zdrv contains all the modules that were compiled with that kernel. Just like fish & chips, the two were always meant to go together.....and if the two were compiled/built together in the same session, then neither will work properly without the other.

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Whilst I hate to sound like a party-pooper ( ), I think I've got to agree with m'colleague. I tried installing Tahrpup64 to my main rig, a 2019 HP Pavilion desktop PC; Pentium Gold G5400 @ 3.7 GHz - 32GB DDR4 - 1 TB Crucial MX500 SSD - approx 7 TB total storage, etc, etc.....

Problems galore. They start with trying to get audio working; Tahrpup originally came with a 3-series kernel.....the audio chip in this thing wasn't even conceived of till halfway through the 4-series. Can't expect an older kernel to know about something that didn't even exist when it was built, can you?

Upon switching kernels, things "snowballed".....and went rapidly downhill. It was just issue after issue....

Back in the summer, I had to replace my ancient 2002 Inspiron after 20 yrs faithful service. Enter a 2008 Latitude D630; Core2Duo, 4GB DDR2, Nvidia Quadro mobile, 120 GB SSD. This weekend, I added Tahrpup64 to Xenialpup64 & Fossapup64.....and absolutely everything is working perfectly.

It also ran fine with my old desktop that expired 2 1/2 yrs ago; a 2005 Compaq Presario. On elderly machines, it runs like a dream. On newer, more recent ones.....it's a nightmare.

Tahrpup is happy with old hardware. Newer hardware, however.....not so much.

(*shrug*)

Mike.