Fossa64-Less - a small pup with many features

[ozsouth]

Fossa64 - Less v5 released 08May24. 220mb.

I had wanted a small puppy with as many basic features as I could fit in, including security updates.
I feel V5 achieves my goal. It can be extended, if desired.

V5 has gtk3 palemoon 33.1.0, radeon & nouveau drivers (intel already there), dvdcss (in case gnome-mplayer added)
& updated poorercputemp. Has kernel 5.10.208 & no ydrv, as all my additions are in puppy .sfs.

Palemoon can play webm, mp4, mp3, ogg & wav files by clicking on file in ROX-Filer, & play a decent
amount of web media content (youtube, tubitv.com, dailymotion.com etc), but NOT subscription sites like
netflix - need firefox or similar with drm enabled for that. mhwaveedit can record, edit & play .wav files.

NOTE many video files can be converted to mp4 via the enclosed ffmpeg's terminal command:
ffmpeg -i input_file.extension output_file.mp4 . I converted then played rm, mpg, flv, avi, 3gp.

Also has basic printer support (my Brother HLL2395DW works with the HP Laserjet 4/5 driver).
Should be easy to swap browser if desired (should be able to just swap adrv).
If burnt to CD, has legacy boot only.
It has a cut-down selection of libraries, so programs like zoom & anydesk will not run.
Video chat sites like talky.io require firefox or similar.

.pets can be added; fdrv can be easily swapped for more firmware. Use at own risk.

V5 iso here: https://www.mediafire.com/file/n1pifxx8 ... 5.iso/file

History: PhilB made the original fossapup modular, enabling this sort of manipulation.
Thanks to: PhilB, BarryK, 01micko, peebee, mikewalsh, SFR, radky, zigbert, plinej, Jasper, rockedge
& others whose names I'm unsure of, for posting some forum software I used.

leafpad text editor, terminal, minixcal calendar & updates to busybox, wget, openssl & curl are in puppy .sfs

.pets included in puppy .sfs:

abiwgnum-fixed-fl
apulse-gtk3-fixed-fl
calcoo_1.3.8
cupsgsij-fl
evince-fl
ffmpeg-sml-fl
gftp-fl
gmeasures -fl
gparted-fixed-fl
mhwaveedit-fixed-fl
mtpaint-updt-fl
pmirror-fl
poorerbatlev-1c
poorercputemp64-0.1e
pupmtp-fl
pupsysinfo-fl
Xdelta-fl
xkbd-fl
yahtzeez-fl

Note: pCompress makes an iso from a directory (need to have boot files too).

other programs included:

blankcddvd - fast blanking of cd or dvd - user actioned
burniso2cd - burns (bootable) iso to cd or dvd (edited to suggest blankcddvd) - user actioned
makesusplid - ensures laptop suspends upon lid close & resumes on open (runs on startup via /etc/init.d)
rfkill - wifi unblocker - user actioned
setblt - brightness setter - can set in terminal - default is setblt 5 (50% - runs on startup via /etc/init.d)
setspot - sets spot folder & all under it to owner spot - user actioned
updatesfsm - run in folder with only SFS to edit - to add/remove sfs contents - medium-high compression - user actioned

Palemoon gtk3 browser & basic updater are as adrv.sfs. Included ffmpeg increases available media content.
Set to run as spot. To run as root, edit /usr/local/bin/defaultbrowser & remove 'run-as-spot'.
Updating process (only needed if running as spot): To update Palemoon, close it, & click Update Palemoon (in the Internet Menu). This temporarily runs Palemoon as root - necessary to allow update. Then click Help, then click Check for Updates. Will update if possible & then restart needed. Then close Palemoon, then open it from icon - updated version runs, as user spot.

Background image can be changed by swapping in a .jpg as /usr/share/backgrounds/default.jpg, then restarting X.

[ozsouth]

other .pets available:

viewnior(fixed) here: https://www.mediafire.com/file/cpnsmq2z ... d.pet/file

masterpdf4 here: https://www.mediafire.com/file/yd334myb ... l.pet/file

gutenprint here: https://archive.org/download/puppy_linu ... enp-fl.pet

gnome-mplayer here: https://archive.org/download/puppy_linu ... xed-fl.pet
(Note: to play webm with this, I had to set x11 video in prefs. Some PCs may differ.)

mpv (fixed) here: https://www.mediafire.com/file/y81ahj36 ... l.pet/file

claws-mail here: https://www.mediafire.com/file/4lp2fx2w ... l.pet/file

flashgames here: https://www.mediafire.com/file/wdzw6rct ... l.pet/file

xpat2 cards here: https://archive.org/download/puppy_linu ... at2-fl.pet

libreoffice 6.4.7.2 here: https://www.mediafire.com/file/799hnwns ... l.pet/file

• 180mb. Puts an entry in Document menu. Default saves to /root/Documents , in ms2007- format.
• Is set to US - to change this, when open, go to: tools/options/language settings/languages - edit locale & western settings

much larger fdrv .sfs is here: https://www.mediafire.com/file/f6xib03a ... z.sfs/file
(is 59mb firmware ; base is 19mb. Must rename it to fdrv_fossapup64_9.5.sfs)
.

ffplay-bp-fl.pet

Needs mpv .pet (above) installed

(49.02 KiB) Downloaded 61 times

osmo-fl.pet

personal organiser

(470.93 KiB) Downloaded 73 times

[ozsouth]

Fossa64-Less v1 released - replaces Fossa64-Bas - see 1st post.

[Marv]

Just transitioned Basic V8 to Less V1, using my customized LXDE/PCManFM/myapps/symlinks/config ydrv (I skipped Mid). I also pick up apulse-gtk3-fixed-fl and the intel video driver patch but not yet ffmpeg-sml-fl in my ydrv as yet. No adrv or fdrv used, all browsers, sylpheed, etc as portables. Hardware the usual Fujitsu S761 2nd gen i5 based all intel laptop, circa 2012.

Even though I have those bases covered in portables, I decided to carry Gnumeric and a full Evince in my ydrv as you do. They just work!

I probably have some minor duplication of libraries added to support the chromium based browsers as I also carry those in the individual portables but the overall package is still pleasingly lean to this self confessed minimalist.

As pretty much expected, continues to be a flawless daily.

Thanks

[amethyst]

Just transitioned Basic V8 to Less V1, using my customized LXDE/PCManFM/myapps/symlinks/config ydrv (I skipped Mid). I also pick up apulse-gtk3-fixed-fl and the intel video driver patch but not yet ffmpeg-sml-fl in my ydrv as yet. No adrv or fdrv used, all browsers, sylpheed, etc as portables. Hardware the usual Fujitsu S761 2nd gen i5 based all intel laptop, circa 2012.

Even though I have those bases covered in portables, I decided to carry Gnumeric and a full Evince in my ydrv as you do. They just work!

I probably have some minor duplication of libraries added to support the chromium based browsers as I also carry those in the individual portables but the overall package is still pleasingly lean to this self confessed minimalist.

As pretty much expected, continues to be a flawless daily.

Thanks

Combined size of my base sfs and ydrv is 118MB (max xz compression) plus an adrv of 7MB (light gzip compression for quick saving whenever needed) with and for very small installs (useful scripts/applications), configuration changes and corrections. No save file/folder ever for me. Didn't download this version again, have the last basic version and removed Ted and Gparted. Added Abiword/Gnumeric,gnome-mplayer, gtk3, cups/gutenprint (although I don't use it for printing so could have left it out), mtpaint, OSMO to ydrv. I don't need ffmpeg for media playing and all my streaming sites work without ffmpeg and by just using Brave browser. Very happy with the distribution especially now that I have configured mplayer's equalizer so I can play sound through my hifi. Have been using it exclusively for the last few days. Very good and all I generally need.

[greengeek]

Needed to attach a Brother printer so have made a HowTo here:
viewtopic.php?t=9288

[greengeek]

Wanted to get the Brother scanning as well as printing so have added a post here regarding the "simple-scan" utility which seems to run with much fewer libs than xsane requires:
https://www.forum.puppylinux.com/viewto ... 576#p95576

[amethyst]

Not sure if a clipboard manager has been included for this version (there isn't one with the basic version I have downloaded previously) but I made a pet for Clipit anyway for personal use. Sharing it, attached.

[amethyst]

Attached pets for 2 very small but very useful utilities.

[amethyst]

I couldn't change gtk themes with my basic version so made a pet package to get it working for personal use and sharing it. Provided with no guarantees at all (but seems to work okay for me).
IMPORTANT:
This package does not have a menu entry and should be used with radky's JWMDesk Manager (which is a must have utility in my view). So in
JWMDesk Manager choose the GTK Theme button to access and change the gtk theme. Click OK after change and restart X to effect the
changes correctly. Alternatively, you can run the ptheme_gtk script in /usr/sbin but I strongly suggest using JWMDesk Manager for all your JWM customizations.

The package includes additional gtk themes.

For additional JWM themes and Icons themes see my contributions here: viewtopic.php?p=93981#p93981 and viewtopic.php?p=94106#p94106

[greengeek]

Not sure if a clipboard manager has been included for this version (there isn't one with the basic version I have downloaded previously) but I made a pet for Clipit anyway for personal use. Sharing it, attached.

Thanks for this. Do you know of any way to activate it into the tray without an X restart?
I do recall someone posted a brightness pet that installed itself into the tray without x restart but I don't remember how. Must be some special technique that allows this.

[amethyst]

Not sure if a clipboard manager has been included for this version (there isn't one with the basic version I have downloaded previously) but I made a pet for Clipit anyway for personal use. Sharing it, attached.

Thanks for this. Do you know of any way to activate it into the tray without an X restart?
I do recall someone posted a brightness pet that installed itself into the tray without x restart but I don't remember how. Must be some special technique that allows this.

Well I just installed it, started it from the menu, saved the settings and on reboot it is there automatically (it seems a startup entry is created automatically). The apps in the dock area are normally stipulated in .jwmrc-tray but I don't see it in this distribution. Anyways - if the method as described does not work for you, copy/link the .desktop entry for Clipit in /usr/share/applications to /root/.config/autostart or /root/Startup.

[greengeek]

Well I just installed it, started it from the menu, saved the settings and on reboot it is there automatically ...

Actually - i just discovered that the easy way to start it without a reboot or X restart is to add a pinstall.sh to the pet.
The pinstall only needs the following:

Code: Select all

#! /bin/sh
exec clipit

Then clipit starts the instant the .pet is installed and the icon is in the tray immediately.
Thanks for this - it's one of those utilities that is really handy...

[greengeek]

Here is a small pet that offers a way to use the inbuilt webcam on a laptop without loading guvcview or other weighty software.
(Uses the ffmpeg code that comes as standard in "Less")

It loads two files into /root:

- "mirrorcam" is a RoxApp that displays the output of /dev/video0
(Very useful when you have guests knocking at the door and you have just been eating donuts. Mirrorcam let's you check the cleanliness of your teeth and the quality of your makeup)

- "usbcamcord_v12" is a small script that lets you simultaneously view and record usb webcam output. Tested successfully on "Less" (on my machines anyway...) and if you use the defaults as they appear in the gui it will make an mp4 that can be read by the Palemoon media viewer that is the default mediaplayer in Less. (Compatibility is good with other media players and devices also). No audio at this stage but maybe later. Currently just a surveillance aid, or else a movie maker for Charlie Chaplin or Marcel Marceau

F95LessUSBwebcamUtils_gg-0.1.pet

(3.86 KiB) Downloaded 75 times

[ozsouth]

V2 released - see 1st post.

[Jasper]

Many thanks for this

Also, for all the hard work in providing kernels and ISO's.......... it's been a busy year!!

[ozsouth]

And 1 day after release, Palemoon releases an update - to 32.5.2. See bottom of first post for browser update instructions.

[ozsouth]

Version 3 released. See 1st post.

[Jasper]

@ozsouth

Thank you once again for the continued work/update

Just grabbing it now!!

BTW If you want to avoid seeing any pop ups and download the ISO directly. I would recommend using mediafire-dl.

To install the application, load the DevX SFS and then in terminal enter

Code: Select all

pip3 install git+https://github.com/Juvenal-Yescas/mediafire-dl

Once it has downloaded and installed the application.

Type in terminal:

Code: Select all

mediafire-dl https://www.mediafire.com/file/oop5h106s1jdstt/fossapup64-9

To remove it

Code: Select all

pip uninstall mediafire-dl

and follow the prompt

[ozsouth]

v5 released - 08May2024 - updated Palemoon browser, poorercputemp & some small additions.
No ydrv - all my additions are in puppy sfs.
This should be the final release, as I've achieved my original aim & the code base is ageing.
See 1st post.

[Jasper]

@ozsouth

Thanks for the continued update/support

[FloraMae]

Gave this puppy a try and seems pretty good, but noticed an icon issue in the browser. I'll have test more when I'm more up to it but here is a screenshot.

[ozsouth]

@FloraMae - interesting. I hadn't noticed that when I switched from gtk2 to gtk3 palemoon. Hovering a mouse over unlabelled icons identifies them. Doesn't affect operation, but is untidy. Can't see an easy fix.

[bigpup]

Usually when this happens.
The icon theme being used in the Puppy version, does not have the full set of icons.

The icons that Pale Moon is wanting to use are not there for it to use.

Icon themes, provided with a Puppy version, need to always be a full set of icons.

I will assume you have GTK icons selected to use Puppy Standard.

Look in /usr/share/icons/Puppy Standard directory and see if it has a bunch of different size directories (16, 22, 24, 32, 48, 64, scalable)
In each one is a huge amount of icons in different type labeled directories.
The actions directory usually is the icons used in programs.

Example:

Screenshot(1).jpg (137.26 KiB) Viewed 48 times

.
.

[ozsouth]

@FloraMae - I have discovered this is a permissions issue. Strange that this did not affect the gtk2 version.
If Palemoon (gtk3) is run as root (rather than default as spot), all icons appear. To run as root - see bottom of 1st post OR do this:
in filemanager, go into /opt/palemoon64 & drag palemoon (file) to desktop - makes a shortcut to run Palemoon as root