easyVoid development

[BarryK]

EasyOS Kirkstone-series version 5.5 made the move to usr-merge folder hierarchy, in preparation for being able to build EasyOS from Void Linux binary packages.

I'm posting progress to my blog, but will post news here also.

The nickname is "easyVoid" and it is progressing nicely.

Get a desktop, and mostly working. NetworkManager wi-fi isn't working, so used ethernet to get online. Running Firefox from the Void repository.

Thanks to jamesbond, the conversion of the Void package database to Puppy db format is very fast, and I am using PKGget. Tested install Libreoffice and it works.

I am planning to not install the XBPS package manager; instead expand PKGget to provide all required package manager functionality. It is a challenge with Void being a rolling release.

[madanadam]

Thanks a lot. My main distro is void. Others are MX and easyos. I will follow this thread.

[williwaw]

Also watching with interest.
can I ask? why not xbps?

[BarryK]

Also watching with interest.
can I ask? why not xbps?

Just exploring the potential of extending PKGget at this stage.
It is a GUI, which will suit most people, though I am aware there is a GUI available for xbps.

[BarryK]

I have been informed that when VoidPup was being developed, at the time 'cvt.sh' was written, that converts the Void package database into Puppy db format, there was a flame war.

It was a big argument that the PPM should not be used, XBPS package manager should be used.

Then one of the moderators erased the entire discussion thread.

[peebee]

I have been informed that when VoidPup was being developed, at the time 'cvt.sh' was written, that converts the Void package database into Puppy db format, there was a flame war.

It was a big argument that the PPM should not be used, XBPS package manager should be used.

Then one of the moderators erased the entire discussion thread.

I don't remember anybody getting that excited about VoidPup............. more likely it was during the KLV-Airedale early days......

[BarryK]

Inspired by wiak and rockedge, I created a script, written from scratch, to build a Void rootfs:

https://bkhome.org/news/202309/first-ex ... ootfs.html

Great stuff!

EDIT:
I have modified the second function shown in the script. It wasn't finding circular-symlinks; does now. Have updated the blog post.

Note, circular-symlinks can arise when you install a non-usr-merge package into a usr-merge folder hierarchy. Note also, a circular-symlink is a symbolic-link that points to itself.

[wiak]

The Void Linux root filesystem build script you are making is excellent. And very useful more generally.

[williwaw]

You can chroot into the rootfs and run the 'xbps-install' program from inside, or just do it one-off like this in my script:

chroot-rootfs is for single command use?
can you supply some guidance for properly setting up a chroot envrionment in easy and/or post a link to your script?

[BarryK]

You can chroot into the rootfs and run the 'xbps-install' program from inside, or just do it one-off like this in my script:

chroot-rootfs is for single command use?
can you supply some guidance for properly setting up a chroot envrionment in easy and/or post a link to your script?

OK, scripts attached, with false ".gz"

My script does one-liner chroots, but you can chroot to a bash shell in the rootfs, then do whatever you want, for example:

Code: Select all

# ./chroot-rootfs rootfs
bash-5.2# export XBPS_ARCH=x86_64
bash-5.2# xbps-query -l
 ....
bash-5.2# exit
exit

[Vverve]

easyvoid

[dimkr]

Inspired by wiak and rockedge, I created a script, written from scratch, to build a Void rootfs:

I'm also working on something in this spirit at https://github.com/vanilla-dpup/woof-CE ... pup-11.0.x: it's a small fork of woof-CE (that deletes most of woof-CE) and reimplements 1download using debootstrap. The Puppy package list format is a small subset of the original package list (for example, there's no way to describe an "a conflicts with b" or "a depends on b or c" situation), so the best way to simplify download and installation of packages is to drop PPM and the entire package list conversion thing

[BarryK]

Inspired by wiak and rockedge, I created a script, written from scratch, to build a Void rootfs:

I'm also working on something in this spirit at https://github.com/vanilla-dpup/woof-CE ... pup-11.0.x: it's a small fork of woof-CE (that deletes most of woof-CE) and reimplements 1download using debootstrap. The Puppy package list format is a small subset of the original package list (for example, there's no way to describe an "a conflicts with b" or "a depends on b or c" situation), so the best way to simplify download and installation of packages is to drop PPM and the entire package list conversion thing

I read through the readme file; what a great list of features!

[BarryK]

Just to let you know, I am back to working on easyVoid again, having solved the problem with NetworkManager not recognising wifi:

https://bkhome.org/news/202401/the-retu ... yvoid.html

[rockedge]

@BarryK Does make sense with Runit! Sounds like a breakthrough...well done!

Busybox has Runit applets, that I looked at back in 2018:

Code: Select all

Experimenting with Busybox Runit — February 14, 2018
Busybox 1.25.1 Runit applets — February 13, 2018

I have compiled busybox 1.36.1, with the Runit applets enabled, and created a PET. This will be used in future builds of EasyOS, including EasyVoid.

Outstanding! Opening up some really interesting pathways.

[capybarist]

Is there any chance you offer more alternatives to the system components in *EasyOS? Like for example, Pipewire? Wayland compositors, mdev instead of udev. Not asking for them to be used by default. Thank you for the hard work!

[BarryK]

Very pleased with how easyVoid has turned out. Everything works, at least as far as have tested.

I have reservations about the rolling release. What I would really like is to take a snapshot of the Void package repository.

So, for a particular release version of easyVoid, it will access that repository snapshot. This will avoid any potential nasty surprises due to the rolling release nature of the repository.

The problem with doing this is the size of all those files. If anyone wants to volunteer to offer to host this proposed repo snapshot, you would need to have a massive monthly data allowance, very fast data, and a lot of online storage space.

[dogcat]

Very pleased with how easyVoid has turned out. Everything works, at least as far as have tested.

I have reservations about the rolling release. What I would really like is to take a snapshot of the Void package repository.

So, for a particular release version of easyVoid, it will access that repository snapshot. This will avoid any potential nasty surprises due to the rolling release nature of the repository.

The problem with doing this is the size of all those files. If anyone wants to volunteer to offer to host this proposed repo snapshot, you would need to have a massive monthly data allowance, very fast data, and a lot of online storage space.

The Void Repository is on Github. Maybe there is a way to fork that repository and keep it on Github?
https://github.com/void-linux/void-pack ... r/srcpkgs/

Or maybe I'm looking at the wrong place there.

[Clarity]

Will this VOID version have Pipewire and/or Wayland?

If Pipewire, will it have Helvum or QPWgraph and/or WirePlumber for easy user understanding and a means to reflect info back to the forum via the visuals they would produce for easy references for help?

Curious as this project progresses in 2024

[BarryK]

Very pleased with how easyVoid has turned out. Everything works, at least as far as have tested.

I have reservations about the rolling release. What I would really like is to take a snapshot of the Void package repository.

So, for a particular release version of easyVoid, it will access that repository snapshot. This will avoid any potential nasty surprises due to the rolling release nature of the repository.

The problem with doing this is the size of all those files. If anyone wants to volunteer to offer to host this proposed repo snapshot, you would need to have a massive monthly data allowance, very fast data, and a lot of online storage space.

The Void Repository is on Github. Maybe there is a way to fork that repository and keep it on Github?
https://github.com/void-linux/void-pack ... r/srcpkgs/

Or maybe I'm looking at the wrong place there.

What I am referring to is the repository of binary packages. I know how to download them, can in fact download all of them, if I wanted to use up my monthly data allowance in one go.
But rsync can be used to make a mirror of the Void repo to some other online site, that should be easy, and that be done to take snapshots.

The problem is to have a site to put the mirror on. We could use ibiblio.org, but they might object.

[rockedge]

@BarryK So far working with KLV-Airedale and KLV-Spectr for the this time has shown that the rolling distro updates have not broken the systems. There have been occasions where 2 upgrades back to back were needed because xbps was updated, which goes first.

We worried that the Puppy Linux utilities added into the KLV's would be broken but the strategies to keep those isolated and unaffected seem to be working.

I would be willing to test easyVoid with rolling updates to see what happens!!

Just excited to test out easyVoid

[BarryK]

@BarryK So far working with KLV-Airedale and KLV-Spectr for the this time has shown that the rolling distro updates have not broken the systems. There have been occasions where 2 upgrades back to back were needed because xbps was updated, which goes first.

We worried that the Puppy Linux utilities added into the KLV's would be broken but the strategies to keep those isolated and unaffected seem to be working.

I would be willing to test easyVoid with rolling updates to see what happens!!

Just excited to test out easyVoid

Currently not using xbps, only PKGget (originally based on ppm).

A problem is that easyVoid, like the pups, is based on read-only sfs's. In the case of Easy, there is only one big one, easy.sfs. Also devx.sfs of course.
This means that updating has to wait until the next release of easyVoid, when there will be an easy.sfs with the latest packages.

That's why I am interested in having a snapshot of the Void binary packages, so PKGget can just access that.

Currently, everytime PKGget starts, it automatically syncs with the Void repo. This is ok, except that if you download a package that requires a later version of some dependency that is in easy.sfs, then the app may not work. This is probably an unlikely situation.
...but, that could be checked, and the user advised to wait until the next release of easyVoid ...so, it can be managed. No need for xbps I think.

easyVoid has runit, but it currently is not used for anything. The 'runsvdir' daemon will automatically start if there is anything for it to manage. However, currently everything, dbus, cups, bluetooth, etc., are all handled by pup_event -- which is very different from the pup_event in the pups, has service management with dependencies -- and does that much more efficiently than runit.

[rockedge]

@BarryK Working on compiling ZoneMinder and creating a "recipe" so it can be built from source by xbps, I did once download the entire Void Linux binary packages to have the repo on my local machine for compiling packages. There is a mechanism I think, that will sync the local machine repo with the upstream repos. I'd have to go back to see what and why I was doing it that way.

I wish I had made better notes! But in principle it was a snapshot of the Void repo at that moment.

are all handled by pup_event -- which is very different from the pup_event in the pups, has service management with dependencies -- and does that much more efficiently than runit.

very interesting stuff! Some serious progress involved here.

[BarryK]

Here is the latest news about easyVoid:

"Thinking how to manage the Void rolling-release model"
https://bkhome.org/news/202401/thinking ... model.html

[williwaw]

incorporating rolling release with a new update script would be v cool
falling off the perch, not so much, but am looking foreward to trike pics.

[nnriyer]

Great Initiative

I am eagerly looking forward to testing the new OS release of easyVoid.! A rolling release is the most welcome and innovative milestone.

[BarryK]

Here it is, the very first easyVoid:

https://bkhome.org/news/202401/easyvoid ... eased.html

[BarryK]

Interesting, on two computers I have tested easyVoid on, did not have to run the Multiple Sound Card Wizard (MSCW) -- it pops up at first bootup, but I just quit. Instead, just did a mouse-middle-click on the speaker icon in the tray, to unmute, then left-click to bring up the volume slider. If your audio is a bit more unusual, you may need to use MSCW.

[ghoen]

Interesting development.
Suggest to load it also on nluug /os/Linux/distr/easyos/amd64/releases/
or am I thinking to fast.

Greetings

[nnriyer]

downloaded the google-chrome from menu entry. But failed to extract. This is seems xbps package. Downloaded from apps section. this is deb package. Both google chrome download file failed to install. (see attached file)

Screenshotvoid.png (29.56 KiB) Viewed 4139 times

Initially no sound. However, after checking mixer or sound card wizard, got sound in firefox. I dont know what was reasons for initial issue.

Wifi got connected without any issue.