Grafpup-2.xx third alpha release
Posted: Mon 05 Mar 2007, 03:19
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Fast approaching beta but still a lot left to do. I haven't tested an upgrade from a previous alpha so I would recommend booting it with "pfix=ram" if you already have a graf_save file on your computer, since there are some pretty major changes made. Also I realized after uploading that I had accidentally left out puppysearch, so just know that it will be there for the next release (and the final). I will be compiling a list of bugs and known issues over the next few days but expect it to be fairly small.
The forum at grafpup.com has open registrations again so feel free to post feedback there or here. The "official" bugtracker is at http://bugs.grafpup.com and it is being used now.
Someone suggested I create a more stripped down version for those who like the look and feel but want a more "normal" selection of applications. Actually a few people have requested it. So a basic edition without a big browser or the heavy graphics applications is coming, maybe around mid week. It should come in at around 65-70MB and provide a good base for custom remasters. I think I can get it a bit smaller with some tweaking.
Release notes:
Fast approaching beta but still a lot left to do. I haven't tested an upgrade from a previous alpha so I would recommend booting it with "pfix=ram" if you already have a graf_save file on your computer, since there are some pretty major changes made. Also I realized after uploading that I had accidentally left out puppysearch, so just know that it will be there for the next release (and the final). I will be compiling a list of bugs and known issues over the next few days but expect it to be fairly small.
The forum at grafpup.com has open registrations again so feel free to post feedback there or here. The "official" bugtracker is at http://bugs.grafpup.com and it is being used now.
Someone suggested I create a more stripped down version for those who like the look and feel but want a more "normal" selection of applications. Actually a few people have requested it. So a basic edition without a big browser or the heavy graphics applications is coming, maybe around mid week. It should come in at around 65-70MB and provide a good base for custom remasters. I think I can get it a bit smaller with some tweaking.
Release notes:
NathanThird alpha snapshot 20070305
The second snapshot in the Grafpup-2.xx evelopment tree stabilized a great deal of bugs present in the various utilities and setup scripts employed in Grafpup. In this third release I have gone back to the drawing board on a few things as well as added some real functionality and brand new applications. Being an alpha release there are most certainly still some bugs to work out, but the list is steadily decreasing every day now.
The first addition that will be readily apparent to most users is the addition of the Slim graphical login manager, which enables a user to log into the system graphically right from the first bootup. In addition, the boot process has been improved to the point that it is now perfectly possible to run as a non-priviledged user even on the first run. Anyone who is at all security concious will see this as a dramatic improvement over previous releases. Still todo is a control panel module which will allow the advanced user the ability to configure how they want to boot into Grafpup, whether that be via the graphical login, a text-mode login, or booting straight into root the way Puppy Linux does.
An area that still needs work is the Xvesa video wizard, which is still only functional for the root user on the system. I intend to do a total rewrite, probably incorporating the new wizard right into the current Xorg wizard as a module. This time around it will probably be written as a CLI based dialog program. Once done you will be able to use either X-server with the login manager, and run X with Xvesa without having to be root.
I have somewhat expanded the functionality of the Gpkgtool package manager in this release to handle local package installation, and now have a working installation method for PET packages. The Packages application located in /usr/local/apps/Utility can be placed on the desktop and used as a shortcut. Also, you can now drag a package to the icon to install it. If you are not root at the time you will of course be prompted for the root password. The underlying software installer, pkgtool, has also been upgraded for better reliablity and improved dependency handling. An exciting new feature is the ability to update the list of available packages in the repository, enabling the user to take advantage of the latest software packages made available for Grafpup.
The cd burner Grafburn now has the ability to copy cd's or dvd's directly, without having to rip or copy them to hard drive first. There have also been various user interface improvements.
A few things have changed in the default desktop configuration. I have replaced LXpanel with FBpanel because there are some pretty extreme bugs in the plugin implementation. Specifically, a crashing plugin will make it impossible to run the panel at all. FBpanel is the codebase that LXpanel was built on and their appearance is virtually identical. Basically the only reason I had been using LXpanel rather than FBpanel was to make use of the extra panel plugins, so without that draw FBpanel is a better choice because of it's much smaller size. The functionality of the missing panel plugins is being supplemented in various ways, the preferred method being with a few small applications that run right in the system tray. Right now we have the network monitor Blinky and Freememapplet, both taken from Puppy but reworked somewhat to run in any system tray. Both of these programs as well as minixcal are now compiled against gtk2 rather than gtk1, to better match the desktop.
As a temporary stopgap until such things have been ported for running in the panel I have included the dockapps wmix and wmpower for controlling volume and monitoring battery status. Clicking on Freememapplet pops up a menu, which now has an item in it to configure your dockapps. The new dockapp manager will not only turn dockapps on or off, but the new configuration is automatically saved for the next time you log in without having to do anything more. Dockapps are small applications that can reside in a special dock near the edge of the screen in various window managers. Compliant WM's are WindowMaker, all box-wm's (fluxbox, openbox), pekwm, and icewm if you install the icedock package (coming soon).
Some very heavyweight optional packages have been added to the repository coinciding with this release. We once again have Wine available for those of you who just can't live without some Wndows programs, now using version 0.9.31. Also, the KDE desktop environment (3.5.6) has been added to the package repo and can be installed using pkgtool or Gpkgtool. Blender is also once again just a click away, and will hopefully at some point in time make it's way right into the live cd. A few more minor additions are the Netrik browser, various components of the ROX desktop, and the Gkrellm system monitor.
The user management program has been greatly expanded and is now capable of creating and deleting users, changing your password, and changing the root password on the system.
The final thing keeping this from being a beta release is the lack of a permanent kernel. The plan is still to go for a newer kernel with better realtime support for multimedia applications and the lzma patch for squashfs. In the process we may even acquire a bootsplash screen, which would make Grafpup completely graphical from the boot menu to the desktop. The biggest benefit to using the lzma scheme of compression is going to be around a thiry percent decrease in the size of the iso, with a corresponding decrease in RAM requirements. There is a bit of a tradeoff in terms of loading speed on older computers, but it will not be noticed by most users of newer hardware, certainly not on the types of computer one might normally try to run heavy duty graphics applications. This is the next thing I intend to sink my teeth into, so with any luck in two more weeks the first test of the new kernel will hit the mirrors.