Legacy OS 2 coming early 2011

[john biles]

Hello Everyone,
Unlike Puppy and other Remasters following the latest advances in Linux, this release of Legacy OS will remain locked back in the past for hardware from the past.

As I use Legacy OS for my day to day tasks, I notice small quirks in the system I feel can be improved. Also working on Legacy OS is an escape from day to day life, a hobby, an addiction.

Time and Knowledge at the moment don't allow me to bring to what a number of forum members would like and that's a version of Legacy OS based on the Puppy 5 Series.

I also feel that with the large number of Remasters based on the Puppy 5 Series there is more than enough choice available anyway.

--What will change?--

-Most System and Applications will stay the same.
-Updates / Bugfixes for some Apps
-Removal of some apps no longer suitable
-Adding New apps that improve usability
-New Theme and Icons
-Improved Usability
-Improved Installer
-A surprise or 2

Lastly I have stated that I wouldn't release another large iso and only release "Update Packs". While true for most changes I want to make, others could be a little confusing while installing that I've decided I will need to release another iso as this is the best option for Legacy OS users.

Those who are happy with the current "Dark Desktop Theme" and Legacy OS in general can continue to use the current release of Legacy OS and just add the "Update Packs" when released.

Update 24 Jan 2011: With all the improvements going in to Legacy OS 2, I recommend that users take the time to do a full re-install. You can not upgrade from Legacy OS to Legacy OS 2 like other Distro's Sorry!

[gnomic]

Hi there,
Good to hear you are pressing on with your brainchild. Will check it out in due course.

Maybe this isn't the thread but I was trying the current Legacy live on a Compaq Armada e500, p3 with 320 MB of RAM today. It booted OK and everything I tried was go. Only but was trying out a wireless card, a Belkin brand with Ralink 2561, rt61 in wifi terms. It got as far as seeing an interface which it called ra0 but trying to get it associated with an access point caused the gui to freeze. I was able to switch to a console and back but didn't manage to get logged on. I killed X with C+A+ Backspace, and started fluxbox but trying to use the wifi again caused a breakdown. Looked like a segfault going on. Just saying, fyi. I have managed to use wifi with another laptop and ipw2200. Anyway cheers and bye for now.

[ICPUG]

Legacy OS 2 ???

I thought IBM were touting their old OS again!

[john biles]

Hello gnomic,
In relation to Wifi forum member "tempestuous" as you most likely know is the Wifi guru on the forum. I included his Wifi Pets in Legacy OS. Because Legacy OS uses kernel 2.6.18.1 Wifi support isn't as good as in later Kernels. You say "It got as far as seeing an interface which it called ra0" so someone on the forum may have an answer that will allow you to get Wifi going. My knowledge is lacking big time when it comes to Wifi problems.

[Sage]

Excellent news, john biles.
I have just discovered that the ALSA setup in Legacy refuses to acknowledge and setup my SB16 card using the std. wizard.
I checked it with the ever-so troublesome Wary 0.9.8 which has all sorts of issues, including with sound. Hey - 0.9.8 works perfectly with my CT4810 PCI card. Don't have a board with ISA running at present; maybe Legacy works on ISA? All the earlier Puppies could find an ISA sound card but not much else on the ISA bus.
This is an obvious fixit before you release your next magnificent masterpiece.

[john biles]

For those interested, many hours have been and continue to be put in to Legacy OS 2 and it is coming along nicely.
It's looking like a late January early February release if there's no surprises. The black theme of Legacy OS is gone.

[cthisbear]

Take your time Big John.

I'm sure that it will be a goer.

Chris.

[Sage]

The black theme of Legacy OS is gone.

That is real shame, johnbiles. Folks are using smaller and smaller netbooks and mobiles with power-hungry hi-res screens. Every black pixel is off so drawing nil power! We already did the argument about black backgrounds for those with poorer accuity (although there seemed to be quite a few misinformed).

[john biles]

The black theme of Legacy OS is gone.

That is real shame, johnbiles. Folks are using smaller and smaller netbooks and mobiles with power-hungry hi-res screens. Every black pixel is off so drawing nil power! We already did the argument about black backgrounds for those with poorer accuity (although there seemed to be quite a few misinformed).

Hello Sage, When you start playing around with gtk and kde themes you soon realize that they were designed with light colors and dark fonts in mind. It doesn't matter how much playing around you do as you soon discover that some apps become very hard to use because the fonts blend in with the backgrounds. You make adjustments to fix the problem and later you discover that the problem has recurred again with another app.

In the name of readability I've gone back to a new lighter theme not seen in anything I've released in the past.

Also in the past I've worked towards gtk and kde apps looking like they belong together. This time while they share a lot in common, the small differences between gtk and kde apps gives a nicer feel to the whole desktop experience.

I've also looked at which Distro's are the most popular and what they share in common in relation to the colors used in themes. Lighter colors appear more popular.

Finally as Legacy OS is targeted at old Pentium 3 and 4 PC's / Laptops and not newer Netbooks and Mobiles, the requirements for these devices is
irrelevant. As most Netbooks use 1024x600 Screen resolution which isn't supported by Legacy OS as well as HDA soundcards again not supported by Legacy OS and when it comes to Wireless that's not a real goer either. Bluetooth isn't supported at all for transfer of data between Mobiles and Legacy and unless future releases of Legacy OS move to a newer Puppy base none of the above are likely to be supported in the future either.

[john biles]

Hello Everyone,
Just a quick update: Legacy OS 2 is coming along nicely and anyone who's currently using Legacy OS on a compatible PC / Laptop should find the improvements worthwhile.

[Sage]

Will there be a simple, one-click update path? At least, for FULL installations.

[john biles]

Hello Sage,
I'd love to be able to make Legacy OS update to Legacy OS 2 with just one click, I just don't know how to do it at the moment?

Any ideas?

[postfs1]

To reedit up to date.

[Sage]

Any ideas?

No!
Of course, starting in pfix=ram then starting the PUI, as if a new install, will eventually display the UPGRADE/INSTALL option. Barry never did make this procedure obvious for neophytes, probably because he doesn't entirely approve of FULL installs and because 'the regulars' all know about that procedure. It occurred to me that incomers, the target of your endeavours, would not know this and would be reaching for the one-click option. In short, all the handles are already there if they can be coordinated into a single script. Sadly, no aspect of SW falls within my purview.

[john biles]

Hello Sage,
I expect any original scripts Barry K put in to upgrade say Puppy 2.14 to 2.15 wouldn't take in to account that fact that with Legacy OS your trying to upgrade Puppy 2.14 with Puppy 2.14

Another thought from what point in the file system does the upgrading start?
Is it /

[john biles]

Hello Everyone,
Legacy OS 2 is shaping up well with more changes / improvements then originally expected. What was meant to be a small update has turned in to something more.

There will be a few surprises I leave to those interested in Legacy OS to find out during use.

Will each release I try very hard for it to be better than the last.
I feel I have achieved this with the upcoming release of Legacy OS 2

[whatupuppy]

Hello, it would be great to be able to boot without a hard drive.

I have an IBM a22m laptop with a failed hard drive recently and puppy will not boot from CD-ROM. It hangs at the Uncompressing Linux...OK. booting the kernel.

I can not wait to try your distro.

[nooby]

Hello, it would be great to be able to boot without a hard drive.

I have an IBM a22m laptop with a failed hard drive recently and puppy will not boot from CD-ROM. It hangs at the Uncompressing Linux...OK. booting the kernel.

I can not wait to try your distro.

Are you saying that you are happy waiting till next Legacy or that you want to be able to boot now?

Maybe start a new thread and more people get a chance to know if you need help booting.

[john biles]

Will the upcoming release of Legacy OS 2 hopefully in 2 to 4 weeks time, it's time to share a screen shot of the Default Desktop. Many hours far in excess of what you believe was spent of this release went in to its creation. The way apps integrate with each other and the level of visual detailing each application has received defies belief. You can call it just a Remaster but it is far more than that. Its what happens when someone spends 4 years of their life and 1000's of hours on the same base. I am extremely proud of this release.

This is for the "USER" not developer, it's for those for one reason or another have access to computers that are 6 to 11 years old. It may be that they just don't want to see a perfectly usable PC end up in landfill, it may be because they can't afford to buy a new PC. It won't and can't suit every Hardware configuration out there and basically what you see is what you get. Requests for apps will be considered for future releases as this release will be considered finished and final.

It is an end user product and aimed at those who have no interest in how it all works and hopefully this release will succeed to achieving this. I have a number of users who aren't Puppy forum members that have been introduced to Legacy OS through other non computer forum's who will be able to install Legacy OS and become productive with their Computers very quickly.

A number of apps like for example Digikam have been updated, some apps have been removed and a number of new apps not seen in any previous have been added.

[nooby]

john biles, it looks good indeed.