Micro Core & Core Elements

[roberts]

I had mentioned that I would be discussing core elements.

Core elelments are squashfs system components to give Micro Core the same capabilities of Tiny Core, but with more flexibility, more choices.

For the time being Core Elements are maintained by Team Tiny Core and will be in the download directory along side the Micro Core iso.
http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/tinycorelinux/2.x/release/

Xlibs.core.tczl
Xlibs.core.tczl.md5.txt
Xprogs.core.tczl
Xprogs.core.tczl.md5.txt
Xvesa.core.tcz
Xvesa.core.tcz.md5.txt

If you are like me, and want flwm, then be sure to use the latest flwm.tce and add .wmx to your /opt/.xfiletool.lst so that you get an updated flwm menu.

Note: Using the old "*.core.*" from RC3 will break things as well as using an old flwm extension. Be advised.

It is quite simple to get Micro Core to  provide a full "Tiny Core" experience.
Just download and place the core elements in any tce enabled directory.

For example, I have a pendrive with a tce directory. This tce directory has:
Xlibs.core.tczl, Xprogs.core.tczl, Xvesa.core.tce,  flwm.tce and mydata.tgz
and, of course, my selection of extensions.

If I boot mircocore with only these options:
microcore waitusb=5 tce=sda1

I basically get "tinycore" full X environment. Of course you could subsitute jwm.tce or hackedbox.tce or any other supported window manager with the same boot options and you will have your X setup. No desktop= needed no restore= needed. And if you are not using a pendrive, no waitusb=5 is needed!

If I boot the same microcore as above but just add the boot option text
microcore waitusb=5 tce=sda1 text

I boot to only the $ prompt
then when I want full X, just type startx, perhaps you might need to do an xsetup.sh before startx/

If for some reason, I boot microcore as base norestore nolocal I also get $ prompt but X core elements are not mounted. So, when I want full X, from the $ prompt I run desksetup and answer two questions.

Tiny Core v2.x is self contained like version 1.x with many many updates.
While Micro Core is a subset of Tiny Core, Micro Core is not just command line interface, or just for servers. It is the most malleable system builder based on Tiny Core Concepts.

For another example you can remaster Micro Core with core elements inside the initramfs by placing them in /opt/tce and have a customized iso that boots using core elements ( this is similiar to what TCv2.0rc3 was demonstrating ).

You will find that Micro Core you have even more options more choices to have it your way.


   

[Juanito]

If I boot mircocore with only these options:
microcore waitusb=5 tce=sda1

I basically get "tinycore" full X environment. Of course you could subsitute jwm.tce or hackedbox.tce or any other supported window manager with the same boot options and you will have your X setup. No desktop= needed no restore= needed. And if you are not using a pendrive, no waitusb=5 is needed!

If I boot the same microcore as above but just add the boot option text
microcore waitusb=5 tce=sda1 text

I boot to only the $ prompt
then when I want full X, just type startx, perhaps you might need to do an xsetup.sh before startx/

If for some reason, I boot microcore as base norestore nolocal I also get $ prompt but X core elements are not mounted. So, when I want full X, from the $ prompt I run desksetup and answer two questions.

I'm booting microcore like this from a usb stick:

Code: [Select]

initrd=/boot/microcore.gz quiet vga=773 noswap waitusb=5 noscan text
The "microcore" in "microcore waitusb=5 tce=sda1 text" doesn't appear to be required - or are you indicating "initrd=/boot/microcore.gz" by "microcore"?

[jpeters]

Funny thing...no matter how small the core, the first thing I do is add packages so that my system does all the things I'm already used to.  Fast boot times and updated libraries that work with current apps/modules have been extremely useful in adding functionality.   

[roberts]

I'm booting microcore like this from a usb stick:
Code:
initrd=/boot/microcore.gz quiet vga=773 noswap waitusb=5 noscan text

The "microcore" in "microcore waitusb=5 tce=sda1 text" doesn't appear to be required - or are you indicating "initrd=/boot/microcore.gz" by "microcore"?

I was indicating from a boot prompt.
I believe what you posted in a part of your boot loader's specification, which in that case, you would not repeat microcore, just as you don't repeat tinycore for various boot loaders.

[roberts]

Funny thing...no matter how small the core, the first thing I do is add packages so that my system does all the things I'm already used to.  Fast boot times and updated libraries that work with current apps/modules have been extremely useful in adding functionality.   

Actually, the smaller the core, the less ram demand when using tcz.
Therefore microcore + core elements, mounted from a persistent store, will use less ram than the equivalent tinycore, which has all of the core elements in ram.

[bigpcman]

If the "core elements" are stored on a usb stick instead of in ram will there be a much of a performance impact?
Also, are there substantial "writes" to core elements that will cause usb wear out?

[meo]

Hi Robert!

Very nice work with Micro Core (this goes for all who have participated in this project). I only have a small suggestion. Why not change the splash screen from Tiny Core to Micro Core? At least I think it would be a good idea. Keep up the good work in this project!

Have fun,
meo

[roberts]

If the "core elements" are stored on a usb stick instead of in ram will there be a much of a performance impact?
Also, are there substantial "writes" to core elements that will cause usb wear out?

Core elements are programs and libraries. Therefore static. Therefore I would presume not.
As far as speed goes, depends on flash read speed. If you only have usb 1.0 then I would suspect an impact.

[roberts]

Hi Robert!

Very nice work with Micro Core (this goes for all who have participated in this project). I only have a small suggestion. Why not change the splash screen from Tiny Core to Micro Core? At least I think it would be a good idea. Keep up the good work in this project!

Have fun,
meo

I believe you are talking about the framebuffer Tiny Core image that comes from the kernel.
Micro Core and Tiny Core share the same kernel, so only one image.

I now maintain Micro Core and Core Elements only. Tiny Core is auto-generated and as such is just a prebuilt combined image from Micro Core, Core Elements, and the window manager JWM.

[roberts]

I have updated core_elements. Check your md5sums.

[meo]

Hi Robert!

Well it was just a suggestion. I think it would be "cool" to see Micro Core instead of Tiny Core during bootup. I have just tried the updated core_elements and that caused a mayor disaster. I get i/o errors on all of them and they don't mount which leaves me with a boot prompt and a black screen. I tried to start x but I just got the message that xvesa wasn't found. That is what I call a real showstopper. I don't know what went wrong. Microcore started as usual and everything went fine until after mounting the swap partition. After that I got i/o errors on all 3 core elements. In times like this it's good to have a 12-boot system since you still have 11 other systems to use if one goes bad.

Have fun,
meo

[roberts]

I double checked the md5sum and all is OK here.
I even checked setting backgrounds images on both jwm and flwm sans .desktop in microcore.
All worked ok.

I/O errors sounds like bad download or hardware issue?

[junan]

can not wait for the final release ... still a long long way ? or near ?

[meo]

Hi again Robert!

It seems to have been a bad download. I was to tired last night to check things out but now it works like it should. Thanks!

Have fun,
meo

[sihorton]

Just have to say: this is awesome!

Ability to mix and match the system elements is very useful. I have been using TinyCore for running Ajax applications from Apache and PHP (using XAMPP). I am getting very high performance since everything is stored in RAM :-)

/Simon