Tomas's plans about Slax project

[Blaze]

written by Tomas M.

I absolutely need Slax

In the last years, I didn't release any new version of Slax. Mostly due to lack of time, since my business and family occupies me a lot. However, there were several occasions when I regretted that. I realized that I need Slax myself at the first place.

That was the reason Slax started back in 2002, and it is again the reason why Slax should re-born in 2011. I need it. I need it so much. You know, there are situations one needs to start some Linux somewhere. Old Slax is no longer reasonable for any serious work, it's outdated, kernel doesn't support most new drivers. Hardware is so different now with all those SSD drives and TV tuners. One needs newest kernel. And one needs small Linux distro. I, at least, need it.

I have to build one. Again.
So be it.

Link: http://www.tomas-m.com/blog/18140-I-abs ... -Slax.html

[brokenman]

I saw this a while ago, it has generated some interesting discussions over there. I for one am glad slax will have some life breathed back into it. Will be interesting to see what he does with it. no doubt his wife won't be very happy about the late nights tapping away.

[fanthom]

yep, have seen it too - good news indeed
i'm wonder which desktop will be chosen for Slax-7. my wishes goes to Gnome-3 or Xfce/Enlightenment as KDE-4/Trinity/LXDE are covered up here.

I'm also wonder how Tomas M gonna deal with aufs issues, how new linux-live-scripts gonna work/perform, etc...
Slax-7 will be definitely an interesting release

[MasterSplinter]

How about we get Thomas to join this team... the concept of Slax would no longer be just on his shoulders.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo0D6bzxLLw

Captain Linux

Kernel!
Modules!
Support!
Development!
....err....Heart!

GO LINUX!

By your powers combined I am Captain Linux!

Captain Linux, he's our hero,
Gonna take obsoletion down to zero,
He's our powers magnified,
And he's fighting on the Linux side

Captain Linux, he's our hero,
Gonna take in-activity down to zero,
Gonna help him dev us under,
User guys who like to boot and render.

"You won't pay for this Captain Linux!"

(chanting)

We're the Linuxteers,
You can be one too!
'Cause saving our distro is the thing to do,
Booting and using is the way,
Hear what Captain Linux has to say:

"LINUX IS YOURS!!"

[brokenman]

The idea sounds great, but i think Thomas M prefers to slax by himself. There are advantages and disadvantages to this ... but the decision is his. Hopefully with the new package format comes better package management ... speaking of which i am about to release the next version of the Porteus Package Manager. Many more features included in this release ... and much more reliable too!

[Blaze]

written by Tomas M.

Few weeks ago I started some work on new linux live scripts since that is the core of Slax, then I had to do something else again, as usual So basically I am trying to return back to this project, lets see how long does it take

[francois]

It would be very nice that he put back slax on the table. However, there has been no new reports on his blog for more than two months. Good news or bad news?

[ponce]

http://www.tomas-m.com/blog/18210-Slax- ... eview.html

[Hamza]

Nice Video!

[francois]

Things seems to be moving fast. Tomas is active :
http://www.slax.org/forum.php?action=vi ... ostid75566

[Falcony]

Seems Thomas read this forum L)

I am thinking about following approach:

- users would just upload the build scripts, no binaries
- automatic system can get the build scripts from other sources, like slackbuilds.org, to fill up the database from the beginning
- automatic system can build the modules itself!

Not sure if this is going to happen though

I used it for my distro from time it was based on Slax 6.0.9, and create build system FIDOSlax build tools based on slackbuilds, CRUX ports and Arch Linux ABS.

Anyway it is good approach of building new modules - during one week I automatically builded over 1300 fresh xzm modules http://code.google.com/p/fidoslax/downloads/list

It is better then binary packages conversion but this aprouch also has several lack.

Automatic building of new version doesn't means automatic testing of software...

[BlackRider]

I am thinking about following approach:

- users would just upload the build scripts, no binaries
- automatic system can get the build scripts from other sources, like slackbuilds.org, to fill up the database from the beginning
- automatic system can build the modules itself!

Not sure if this is going to happen though

I think this is a wise move.

There are other distributions that use automated building for packaging the software of their repositories. Slitaz, for example, needs only to be sent a "receipt" (it is a file with build instructions) and the server will get the source and build a package with it. Better yet: only authorized personnel is allowed to submit builds.

Automatic building of new version doesn't means automatic testing of software...

Testing is the job of the maintainer. I think any package should have to be tested before it is put in the repositories, no matter how it was built.

[fanthom]

This is what's going to happen with next "Porteus Package Manager" release. It will support building packages from sources (Slackbuilds.org and probably official slackware repo too).
there is one downside of this system:
Slackbuilds does not resolve deps automatically (like for example gentoo ebuilds does).
I think precompiled xzm modules will be a standard for PPM (which resolves deps perfectly) and building from sources should be considered as a second option.

Example: yesterday i have tried to build latest stable LXDE using slightly modified slackbuilds - all went ok but resulting 003-lxde.xzm has some glitches. probably i was missing some optional deps in Porteus or didn't apply all necessary patches.
this may happen to other users with other apps too.

cheers

[Tonio]

I like the slackbuilds conecpt to build packages, and Vonbiber's slaxgenerator script too(similar in some ways). And I take care of the deps by myself. If there is a package manager on a livecd,
1) the changes need to be saved, how will it be done if
a) user is running on livecd(copied from ram)
b) user is running on livecd(can't save very little memory)
c) user is running from usb (memory full)
2) it would not matter that the package manager had solved the deps, if they are going to be erased. It could work well, *if the savings are going to be saved* The modules would be put in porteus/modules/ and the deps right into the same module( as an ail in one) or be scattered around(several *.xzm's all over the place in porteus/modules/). This also applies to slax BTW. I see that in slax & porteus, it seems that there is duplication. What do I mean? if you insert a module, it will live in /mnt/live/memory/modules/ and it might also live in /mnt/live/memory/images/, why does it have to live in both places at the same time?

If the distro were a full blown distro(slackware based), I like FreeBSD ports system, but the pkgsrc system from NetBSD could also be used :

http://pbraun.nethence.com/doc/sysutils ... kgsrc.html

It seems Kongoni uses it with KISS(Kongoni Instant Setup System) and PIG (Ports Installation Gui)

see:

http://dasublogbyprashanth.blogspot.com ... refly.html

http://www.techiemoe.com/storage/oldsit ... ongoni.htm

I have to say that I like the approach that Tomas is taking now with modules . Fido from Fidoslax has the modules building tools, these resemble the idea and they are excellent in my opinon. There are many excellent ideas and it is hard for them all. More testing will need to be done and the system will be greatly improved.

If the livecd were to be based on Gentoo perse, the concept of building from source would take another meaning I have not used it, but some say it is like FreeBSD. I also use FreeBSD and I love the ports system, to install something cd /usr/ports/-----/package, make install clean, and the package is configured(if it has options), deps are pulled in automagically and the program is installed and nicely integrated on our system. I have used yum package management on Fedora, it is nice, resolves the deps for us, but it takes the fun out of things(sometimes). I am partial from building from source that is why I feel this way.

Hope not to blah blah blah more.

[fanthom]

@Tonio

Code: Select all

And I take care of the deps by myself.

great but pls think for a while about fresh members coming from Windows

Code: Select all

it would not matter that the package manager had solved the deps, if they are going to be erased.

one condition: you must be running without any writable media around. if you have usb stick/hd then you can use PPM to download application, then decide if you want to a) merge all deps togheder with application (not recommended) or b) leave them all separately. in second case you can create /porteus/modules/gimp subfolder and throw everything there.
Second case is better cause you will be able to avoid dupplicated deps in your system.

Code: Select all

if you insert a module, it will live in /mnt/live/memory/modules/ and it might also live in /mnt/live/memory/images/, why does it have to live in both places at the same time?

module can't be inserted to union while being placed inside union (aufs), that's why it gets moved to /mnt/live/memory/modules/ first which is a real fs (user is using changes= cheatcode) or tmpfs (user is not saving changes). if you activate a module directly from usb/cd/hd it wont be moved anywhere.
second thing - module is mounted to /mnt/live/memory/images/ and not extracted so it does not consume memory.

Gentoo ebouild system is almost the same as ports in FREEBSD.

Cheers