TCE 10.0 32bit, flit.tcz, Lenovo b4030

[chattrhand]

Hi TinyCore Team,

I actually find that  flit.tce  does not work as it should:
It shows a red frame around the battery symbol but no more charging %.

-rw-rw-r--    1 tc       staff        20480 Jan 23 10:50 flit.tcz   working fine

-rw-rw-r--    1 tc       staff        12288 Feb 22 18:33 flit.tcz   no charging %

By the way: when changing the settings of flit, i.e. clock in 24/12 h mode
or showing the Speaker symbol or change the volume % and Save Configuration
I find the new settings within  .flit.conf  but it will not be restored after next reboot.

Thank you in advance
chattrhand

[Rich]

Hi chattrhand

-rw-rw-r--    1 tc       staff        20480 Jan 23 10:50 flit.tcz   working fine

When you say "working fine", is that under TC10 or an older version of Tinycore?

By the way: when changing the settings of flit, i.e. clock in 24/12 h mode
or showing the Speaker symbol or change the volume % and Save Configuration
I find the new settings within  .flit.conf  but it will not be restored after next reboot.

If you quit flit and restart flit does it then pick up the settings?

[NewUser]

Hi chattrhand

-rw-rw-r--    1 tc       staff        20480 Jan 23 10:50 flit.tcz   working fine

When you say "working fine", is that under TC10 or an older version of Tinycore?

By the way: when changing the settings of flit, i.e. clock in 24/12 h mode
or showing the Speaker symbol or change the volume % and Save Configuration
I find the new settings within  .flit.conf  but it will not be restored after next reboot.

If you quit flit and restart flit does it then pick up the settings?

I just tried, and flit does not pick up the settings.

[Rich]

Hi Juanito
There's a newer version of flit (ver 1.3) with ALSA support located here:
https://sites.google.com/site/lockmoorecoding/downloads/flit

[Rich]

Hi Juanito
Unless I'm mistaken, the version of flit you compiled came from github:
https://github.com/tinycorelinux/fltk_projects/tree/master/flit
which appears to be a very old version (0.9.4). The source for the most recent version (1.3.1) is located in:
http://repo.tinycorelinux.net/3.x/tcz/src/flit/

[chattrhand]

Hi TinyCore team,

Now I think I have found the reason in the changelog of flit.tcz and a workaround.

The recent version flit 1.3.1 had been updated in 2011.
In 2013 it had been recompiled for tc 5.x.
In 20190129 it had been recompiled for fltk 1.3

So the re-compiled flit.tce has the same version number 1.3.1 but is obviously different (the newer one is even smaller !) but does not work for my old Lenovo b4030.

My workaround:
The TinyCore boot manager allows to handle "many" frugal  installations on the same stick, even of different versions.
Every installation needs a   /boot/core.gz   plus   /boot/vmlinuz   plus   /optional   directory of its own with the appropriate versions of its extensions. (and the boot select file   /boot/extlinux/extlinux.conf   must have the links to them)

- So start a "fresh" TinyCore 10.0 installation. First install alsa-config.tcz and alsa.tcz.
 
- In the ATerm open  $ alsamixer  and check that the Master is set to  41% volume.
  With  $ mkdir /opt/alsa  you add the alsa directory

- Copy the flit.* out of a known good tce9.0 installation to a tce/ installation:
  $ cp -a /mnt/sdb1/tce9.0Bank/optional/flit.*  /mnt/sdb1/tce/optional

- Now start the AppsBrowser, Select "Load Apps Locally" and find "flit.tcz"
  Mark it and click on "Load".

- In your   /home/tc/.X.d/autostart   add the three lines

[ $(which flit) ] && flit &
sleep 1s
speaker-test -c2 -t wav -l1

- Restart with Backup. Then you should hear the famous "front-left-front-right".
  and flit should appear at "south-east" with Battery Monitor, speaker and Time.

[Rich]

Hi chattrhand

Now I think I have found the reason in the changelog of flit.tcz and a workaround.

The change log lists the intended change, but not what really happened.

In 2013 it had been recompiled for tc 5.x.

I fetched  flit  from both the TC5 and TC9 repos. Right clicking on the  flit  applet and selecting  About  returned version 1.3.1
in both cases.

In 20190129 it had been recompiled for fltk 1.3

True. Running  ldd  on the executable confirmed that. Right clicking on the  flit  applet and selecting  About  returned version 0.9.4.

So the re-compiled flit.tce has the same version number 1.3.1 ...

Only according to the  .info  file. Look at my previous statement, the program will tell you otherwise.

...  but is obviously different (the newer one is even smaller !) but does not work for my old Lenovo b4030.

Part of that reduced size is because the  usr/share/doc/flit/flit_help.htm  file was omitted.

[Juanito]

..which appears to be a very old version (0.9.4). The source for the most recent version (1.3.1) is located in...

recompiled for tc-10.x x86 and posted - please report if it works as expected.

[Rich]

Hi Juanito
Since I tried it on a desktop I can't comment on the battery function. The clock and speaker functions work. The  Help  function
has a small issue. The path for the help file is defined in  flit.cpp  as:

Code: [Select]

#define PATH_TO_FLIT_HELP "/usr/share/doc/tc/flit_help.htm"but is located in the  .tcz  file at:

Code: [Select]

usr/local/share/doc/flit/flit_help.htm
Not an issue, just a note to other ALSA users. Flit could not control the volume because it mistakenly set the following
value in  .flit.conf:

Code: [Select]

# OSS/ALSA sound control name to use, autosel means 'try to pick for me'
sound_control_name = MasterIn my particular case it should have been:

Code: [Select]

# OSS/ALSA sound control name to use, autosel means 'try to pick for me'
sound_control_name = PCMIf unsure, start  alsamixer  or  alsaguimixer  and see which slider controls the volume. The name listed under the slider
is the name to use, which in my case was PCM.

[chattrhand]

Hi Juanito

I replaced the older version of flit with the new one you recompiled and its almost fine.
This places a new "cOre" icon into the wBar and the battery meter seems to be ok.

The  /home/tc/.X.d/autostart  script places  flit  at "southeast", with battery and clock mode "PM/AM", but neither sound icon nor audible sound check.

Only after  "Exit to Prompt"  and  startx  the sound check is audible and flit is set according to  .flit.conf

Thats a workaround.

[Juanito]

The  Help  function has a small issue...

Path to help file adjusted in Makefile

Flit could not control the volume because it mistakenly set the following
value in  .flit.conf...

As long as I change .asoundrc to use analogue as the default as opposed to hdmi, then leaving "Master" as the .flit.conf default works for me.

Recompiled flit posted

[Rich]

Hi Juanito
Downloaded and tried (under TC9) the updated extension and it appears fine.

[Rich]

Hi chattrhand
Try changing this line in your  autostart  script from:

Code: [Select]

[ $(which flit) ] && flit &to:

Code: [Select]

[ $(which flit) ] && flit > ~/flit.txt &Reboot the machine and see if there are any messages in  flit.txt.

[Juanito]

Thanks - updated in the x86_64 repo as well

[chattrhand]

Hi Juanito, Rich,
Now I have built a fresh tinycore 10.0 installation, and

1.  install  alsa-config.tcz

2.  install  alsa.tcz

3.  start  $ alsamixer  to see that Master is set  (to 41 or -20dB)

4.  close it with Esc

5.  sound-check with  $ speaker-test -c2 -t wav - l1  to hear "front-left-front-right"

This five steps *must* be done first and in this sequence.

The next two steps i've omitted:
6.  $ sudo alsactl store
7.  alsactl restore  added to  /opt/bootlocal.sh
That had worked well for earlier versions up to tinycore 9.0, but no effect for tinycore 10.0

8.  install  flit.tcz

9.  Build a new   /home/tc/.X.d/autostart   containing:
    (omit or modify the two sleep commands)
 
# /home/tc/.X.d/autostart
sleep 1
[ $(which flit) ] && flit > ~/flit.txt &
sleep 1
speaker-test -c2 -t wav -l1 &

10. save and Reboot

11. The new session shows the flit at lower right corner:
    battery indicator is active,
    missing speaker symbol,
    time display in AM/PM mode,
    no soundcheck audible.

12. Click on  (*)Exit to Prompt  and OK  and you can read:

Speaker-test 1.1.5

Playback device is default
Stream parameters are 48000 Hz, S16_LEm 2 channels
no sound found
Playback open error: -2 No such file or directory

13. Type   startx   and Enter to restart the session.
    Now you hear the soundcheck and see  flit  fully working.

14. Or you do it step by step: click on flit and close it by its menu, re-open it by its wBar icon.
    Open the terminal and enter  $ speaker-test -c2 -t wav -l1 &

15. In the flit menu you also can save the last settings in ~/flit.conf
    This table has no variable for volume settings.
   
This is my workaround for alsa sound and flit on TC 10.0

And yes, the flit.tcz version for TC 9.0 works for TC 10.0 too.

thanks for your help