Baslinux mailing list

[baslinux AT lists.ibiblio.org]

On Thu, 28 Oct 2010, baslinux AT lists.ibiblio.org wrote:

> Message from Steven
> ===================
> Sindi wrote:
> > Other priorities (they all come first?):
> >
> > A 2.6 kernel (small, with a set of modules),
>
> Really?  You want a 2.6 kernel?  The sourcecode
> is massive.  I would be much more comfortable
> with a 2.4 kernel.

Slackwares after 11 need a 2.6 kernel and have packages i would like to 
use.

> > so we can use packages from Slackware past 11
>
> What's wrong with Slackware 11 ?  It seems to
> be a reasonable platform to me.
>
> > including later precompiled glibc
>
> I like glibc 2.3.6 (Slackware 11).
>
> > and gcc to compile other useful stuff
>
> I like gcc 3.4.6 (Slackware 11).

I keep running into programs which will not compile with these.  In order 
to use later versions of them I need a 2.6 kernel.  I will let you know 
next time I cannot compile something and you can give it a try.

> > (gtk2 for "recent" browsers).
>
> gtk2 is available in Slackware 11; however,
> I still like gtk1.  Seamonkey 1.1.19 (gtk1)
> was released a few months ago and it is a
> nice browser.  Very nice.  It is significantly
> better than Firefox 1.5 (gtk1).

Does not work at all sites but I agree it is better than Firefox 1.5 for 
most things.  Some sites work with Firefox not Seamonkey.

Gtk2 is required for most recent browsers.  I agree it is too big and has 
too many other dependencies.  I would use Opera 10 if I could get it to 
work, but I need something newer than Opera 9 or Seamonkey 1.19.
Can you get Seamonkey 2 working with BL2?

> > Opera 10 (I can't get the fonts working - black squares).
>
> I prefer Seamonkey.
Some sites won't work with Seamonkey 1.19.

> > Flash 9 or even 10.
>
> Flash 9 (gtk1) works on a Slackware 11
> foundation.  So does flash 10 (gtk2).

I did not even try them - thanks.  I had given up getting earlier Flash to 
install in Opera. Please provide details of how you installed gtk2 and 
Flash if it was not straightforward.

> > Cardbus driver modules
>
> No need to go to a 2.6 kernel for this.
> A 2.4 kernel with glibc 2.3.6 will work.

They would not compile for me with SW11 gcc and glibc. Maybe someone will 
give you a 1998 200MHz laptop that has cardbus capabilities and you can 
even try using a cardbus card.  D-Link G650+ is common (I was given four 
of them already).  It does WPA.  My neighbor had to switch to WEP so I 
could use his wireless signal.  You could purchase a cardbus card and a 
'new' 200MHz laptop pretty cheaply, I think.

> > A way to use BL in a computer containing
> > an SATA drive
>
> Really?  You want SATA capability on a
> minimalistic Linux designed for old PCs?

I want to use BL on our 'new' computers from 2003, which is when SATA 
started to be used.  One of them came with XP on SATA drive and I wanted 
to run BL on an IDE drive and BL refused to boot in that computer unless I 
unplugged the SATA drive.  Puppy with 2.6 kernel works in there.

I much prefer it to Puppy Linux but I am stuck with the latter when Opera 
9 won't work at some website.

> > Built-in USB cardreader (confuses BL).
>
> I've still got no USB hardware, but it does
> seem to be popular these days.  With a 2.4
> kernel, USB compatibility should be pretty
> good.

Pretty good, but BL won't boot on a computer with a built-in cardreader 
and Puppy does fine with it (2.6 kernel).  There are bugs in 2.4 which 
were fixed in 2.6.  Also 2.6 has better SATA support.  I could not manage 
to compile a 2.6 kernel that worked.  Can you?   With a full set of 
modules, please.  The compilation procedure is different than for 2.4.

> > A pdf reader that rotates files.
>
> xpdf rotates files.  If you right-click on
> a document, you will get several useful
> options (including rotation).

Thanks.  I should read the instructions.  It also zooms.
I have been reading some Russian pages upside down to save printing them.

> > Framebuffer image viewer and pdf reader
> > (use less RAM/cpu than X).
>
> Lots of old PCs are unable to do framebuffer.
> Xvesa is a safer default.

I have a 100MHz Toshiba laptop which does framebuffer and does NOT work 
with svgalib image viewers zgv or svgalib pdf viewer svp, because they 
don't work with LCD monitors.  My Compaq 120MHz and 233MHz laptops do not 
do framebuffer.  Xvesa does not work with some Neomagic and S3 Savage 
chips, where framebuffer does work.  Nice to have both.

My suggestion was for using framebuffer graphics for image viewing and pdf 
reader since the svgalib programs, which don't require framebuffer 
capability, require a CRT monitor therefore don't work on laptops.  BL is 
ideal for laptops, but you often cannot add memory or upgrade the CPU and
framebuffer makes better use of them than X.

Can you compile fbida with SW11 glibc and gcc?  SW11 has exif, which would 
not compile for me in BL2 with gcc and glibc from Slackware 8.1.

Sindi Keesan