The Debian-Stretch-Live Starter Kit

[rcrsn51]

Here is PeasyGlue v2.2. It can now save a glue job in the raw PNM format.

This is useful if your project has several steps. It's faster to save the intermediate steps as PNM.

[rcrsn51]

Batterup battery monitor updated here.

[rockedge]

@rcrsn51

I am still using CamPhoneTab a lot..works well for what I am doing.
thanks for the link to the collection.

[rcrsn51]

How to clear the GTK FileChooser Recently Used list

I am posting this because I always forget how to do it myself.

1. Paste the following line into a terminal:

Code: Select all

echo gtk-recent-files-max-age=0  >  /root/.gtkrc-2.0.mine

2. Reboot.
3. Start an app and open the FileChooser screen.
4. Select a file/folder. Now the list should reset. Repeat if necessary.

[rcrsn51]

I found some places where Snappie didn't work, so I built packages for jamesbond's xscreenshot tool from here.

It installs into the Graphics menu.

There are no prompts - if you want to snap a window, you must open it first. Clicking elsewhere snaps the full screen. The snaps are stored in /root.

To take a snap with the menus open, run xscreenshot from a terminal

Code: Select all

xscreenshot -k p -d 10

Read the instructions about the different key combinations.

[fredx181]

I found some places where Snappie didn't work, so I built packages for jamesbond's xscreenshot tool from here.

Nice, thanks, added to custom repo (and also added to repo the (updated) packages you shared here earlier)

Just to mention, I mostly use "scrotdlg" for making screenshot, available in repos too, works well for me too.

Fred

[rcrsn51]

I have been running OpenShot video editor from a squashfs module, which works well.

But OpenShot has no option to export a project into an ISO file for burning to DVD. However, it can generate a .dvd file which is the raw material for an ISO.

So I cobbled together the following code from an old PeasyDisc. Look for it in the AudioVideo menu. The dependencies are dvdauthor and genisoimage.

If you have Mplayer installed (from PeasyMP3), you can test your ISO before burning.

[rcrsn51]

PeasyPDF updated here.

[rcrsn51]

How to make a 64bit squashfs module for Google Earth Pro desktop version

1a. You will need a machine with some power - a Core i3 with 4GB RAM.
1b. You will probably need mesa accelerated graphics. See the instructions on Page 14 for building a module.

2a. Go here. Download google-earth-pro-stable_current_amd64.deb
2b. Download the attached google-earth-pro-desktop_1.0_amd64.deb. (It just contains a .desktop file.)

3a. Start in a 64bit CleanMode setup.
3b. Run: repo2sfs google-earth-pro-stable_current_amd64.deb
3c. At Pause A, go to /var/cache/apt/archives. Drop in the package google-earth-pro-desktop from Step 2b.
3d. Finish the build and load the module.

4a. Load your mesa module and do an X restart.
4b. Run Google Earth Pro from the Internet menu.

[rcrsn51]

How to make a 64bit squashfs module for the Basilisk web browser

Basilisk is a relative of Mozilla/Firefox/Palemoon.

1. Get the tarball from here.
2. Extract it with unzipper. You will get a single folder named "basilisk". It does NOT contain a .desktop file.
3. Get the .deb package attached below.
4. Run: repo2sfs basilisk-desktop_1.0_amd64.deb
5. At Pause B, go to /tmp/repo2sfs.
6. Open the "opt" folder. Drop in the "basilisk" folder from Step 2.
7. Finish the build.
8. Look for Basilisk in the Internet menu.

[fredx181]

How to make a 64bit squashfs module for the Basilisk web browser

Basilisk is a relative of Mozilla/Firefox/Palemoon.

1. Get the tarball from here.
2. Extract it with unzipper. You will get a single folder named "basilisk". It does NOT contain a .desktop file.
3. Get the .deb package attached below.
4. Run: repo2sfs basilisk-desktop_1.0_amd64.deb
5. At Pause B, go to /tmp/repo2sfs. Make a new folder named "opt".
6. Open the "opt" folder. Drop in the "basilisk" folder from Step 2.
7. Finish the build.
8. Look for Basilisk in the Internet menu.

Thanks, nice info, too bad, btw, that it seems to be only supported for 64-bit linux OS.

Fred

[rcrsn51]

How to make slideshows/screensavers in the Starter Kit

Install slideshow-qiv_1.1_all.deb attached below. This is a GTKdialog front-end for the qiv image viewer. The dependencies are qiv and xautolock. Look for it in the Graphics menu.

There are two ways that you can specify the source of image files for your slideshow:
- a folder, plus zero or more sublevels of folders.
- a text file containing the full paths of the target image files.
Hint: use Right-click > Copy paths > Paste.

Practice making some slideshows. Press the Q key to quit in the middle of a show.

Now to make a screensaver:

Create the folder /root/Screensaver. Drop in a collection of image files.
Run slideshow-qiv and test the show with source /root/Screensaver.

Go to /root/Startup. It contains the script named: xautolock_start

Code: Select all

#!/bin/bash
xautolock -time 1 -locker "qiv -stfDi -d5 /root/Screensaver" &

Make the script executable with: chmod +x xautolock_start

Reboot (or just restart X).
For testing purposes, the timeout period is set at 1 minute. Once you have the screensaver working, increase it as desired.
You can kill the screensaver process during a session with: xautolock -exit

[ela]

Hello to all.
First time using this nice Debian Project.
Everything is fine except using virtual keyboard 'Florence'.
Has someone tried to install it and use it.
i can run it but every time i try to type even a single letter it just disappears.
I am using XFCE version.
Thank you in advance and sorry for my bad English.

[rcrsn51]

I installed florence and ran it from the command line.

It threw some error messages about the "accessibility bus".

So I installed this extra package: at-spi2-core

Then florence started to work.

[ela]

Thank you for your help.
That was fast.
Now it works.
I really like that project and hope not to bother you,
with my naive questions.
My laptop is not so powerful and such OS makes it fly.
Thank you again.

[rcrsn51]

How to make a squashfs module for DeaDBeeF music player

1. Go here and get a 32/64 bit deb package.
2. Do a vanilla third-party repo2sfs build.

Users of the 64bit Starter Kit and BT4Stretch are aware that PeasyMP3/Mplayer doesn't work over Bluetooth.

However, DeaDBeeF works nicely. Once you have made a BT connection and configured ALSA, you can right-click on an M3U/PLS file and play the Internet stream via DeaDBeeF to your BT speaker.

--------------

[rcrsn51]

Here is Salix Linux on "primary" partition sda5 of a GPT drive. Booting is controlled by Legacy GRUB on sda1.

Salix uses the LILO bootloader. You can put LILO on the partition boot sector (AKA the superblock) of the install partition.

Then Salix boots from sda1 by chainloading:

Code: Select all

title Salix on sda5
root (hd0,4)
chainloader +1

However, in a UEFI/GRUB2 environment, this chainloading trick doesn't work. Use the entry for a regular full install:

Code: Select all

menuentry "Salix on sda5" {
  set root=(hd0,5)
  linux /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda5 ro vga=normal
}

[rcrsn51]

How to make a hybrid ISO of the Starter Kit

A hybrid ISO can be "burned" onto a USB drive using the dd command. The drive becomes bootable.

1. You need two packages:

Code: Select all

apt-get install syslinux-utils perl

2. Run: isohybrid xxx.iso
3. Insert your flash drive and determine its device name: sdX
4. Warning! The following step will erase everything currently on the drive! Pick the right device!
5. Run: dd if=xxx.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=1M
6. Boot the drive.

----------------

[rcrsn51]

This is SliTaz Linux running on partition sda3 of a GPT hard drive controlled by Legacy Grub.

The original boot was off an ISObooter flash drive. The SliTaz installer located its files on partition sdb4 of the flash drive.

This worked fine until SliTaz tried to put the syslinux bootloader onto the hard drive's MBR, blowing away GRUB and making the drive unbootable.

So I booted off a Starter Kit flash drive, ran Legacy GRUB Config 2018 and restored GRUB to the MBR. I then made a standard menu.lst entry for the SliTaz full install:

Code: Select all

title SliTaz on sda3
root (hd0,2)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-3.16.55-slitaz root=/dev/sda3 video=-32 quiet

[rcrsn51]

This is Mint 19 on partition sda3 of a UEFI system. Booting is controlled from an EFI on sda1 as described here. Its grub.cfg also boots some frugal Stretch/Puppy installs on sda4.

When you install a big-boy Linux under UEFI, you MUST avoid putting GRUB2 on sda, where it will hook into the UEFI firmware. This will disable your own boot procedure. Luckily, Mint can install GRUB2 onto the PBS of the install partition. Then you can boot it from sda1 with:

Code: Select all

menuentry "Mint 19 on sda3" {
  set uuid=XXXX-YYYY-ZZZZ
  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root ${uuid}
  linux /vmlinuz root=UUID=${uuid}
  initrd /initrd.img
}

Or just:

Code: Select all

menuentry "Mint 19 on sda3" {
  set root=(hd0,3)
  linux /vmlinuz root=/dev/sda3
  initrd /initrd.img
}

Unfortunately, some Linux installs will register themselves in UEFI regardless of what you want. This will take some surgery to remove.
Ask for help.