Newby :) - Can I install the "Worker" binary from the dev's web site?

[handy]

Hi all,

TC looks great. I'll install it to a HDD tomorrow & start learning. The time has come for me to make a change in distro after many years, & hopefully TC just may become my new home.

As it stands, I've been using Arch then Manjaro for ~8 years. So I'm a binary boy (apart from the easy compiles from the AUR). TC's Appbrowser looks to be a very cool way to handle packages. Though it is going to take me some learning/adjusting to get used to the TC way of managing packages that do need to be compiled because they aren't in the repo.

I like (a lot) that you haven't been taken over by systemd, & that TC is basically a roll your own distro (if you want it to be), I find that very appealing.

Anyway, the reason for this wordy post is that I've been long used to running a system that is set up on Openbox, with tint2, Worker, qBittorrent, Pale Moon (Firefox if I have to), Terminator, Sakura, Evince, GParted, VLC; these are my primary app's. I can use alternatives to some of these app's if I have to, but, after many years of use, Worker has become essential to the way that I use a computer, to the point that if a system doesn't run Worker, I'm not interested. (I know, its my problem...)

So, THE question is: can I just download & install Ralph's binary Worker package & it will run? Do I just need to match Worker with compatible versions of the  X11 libraries, as they are basically Worker's only dependencies?

Anyway, thanks for a great distro & for any help that I may get.

Please forgive my ignorance, & my being presumptuous in asking this so soon. I'm being driven by the thought of possibly not being able to use Worker.    <shaking at the thought!>

[Misalf]

Are you talking about this?
http://www.boomerangsworld.de/cms/worker/

Tried to compile...

Code: [Select]

checking gxx version... 4.9.1
configure: error:
*********************************************************************
* Due to a code optimizer problem, GCC 4.9.0/1 is not supported.    *
* You may install a different compiler version and rerun this       *
* script like "CXX=g++-4.8 ./configure ..." to use that version.    *
*********************************************************************


[handy]

Thanks for your input Misalf.

Yes, that is Ralph's site & the home of Worker.

Do you think it is possible to get around that problem?

Would a pre-compiled package from his site work?

[nitram]

Sometimes placing the executable from another distribution into your system will work.
For Tiny Core you can try placing executables into either:
  /usr/local/bin/
  /home/tc/.local/bin

It looks like a reasonably simple program: https://packages.debian.org/jessie/i386/worker/filelist

I downloaded the .deb from the Debian site, extracted and tried to run executable:
  worker: error while loading shared libraries: libavfs.so.0: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

There does not appear to be such a file in current TC6 repository and additional dependencies may also be missing,
so it might take a bit of work to get it running.

A developer or ambitious user reading this thread may try to compile everything,
otherwise post a formal extension requrest in the extension request subforum.

Lastly, TC has numerous alternative file managers.

[handy]

Thanks nitram.

I'll try installing the executable from Manjaro & also the download from Ralph's site & see how I go.

I have had words with Ralph a few times over the years, my impression was that he is a helpful kind of person. So I may end up having to contact him with specifics of the problem, I'm pretty sure that he will explain to me what is going on & offer any helpful advice that he can.

I've a few things that I have to get done today before I can set myself down & get started on installing TC to HDD & start the attempt to make a system the way I like them to be.

Thanks again for your help.

[nitram]

Good news handy.

AVFS from the worker site compiles without error or additional dependencies, if you wanted to learn compiling this would be an excellent starter.

Created and installed a quick afvs.tcz, used the precompiled binary from Debian and Worker runs!

First run set up a default .worker config file but complained about missing data directory or something.

Worker loaded fine, tested simple file copy. Nice software that would eventually make a nice TC addition.

Testing a precompile from Worker site might be better than my extracted .deb version, you'll need to try.

If you like i could PM you a link to my afvs.tcz and you can test a Worker executable for yourself, just let me know.

[handy]

nitram, you are a wonder!

Such a great intro to a new distro. I do so enjoy the FOSS community in general.

If you could PM a link that would be very much appreciated nitram.

Here's a link to a page I wrote on Worker in the Manjaro forum:

https://wiki.manjaro.org/index.php?title=Worker_-_An_Introduction

[edit:] Looks like new users aren't allowed to add active links/URL's here...

[nitram]

OK, i'll PM a link later when i load a better browser.

Tried Worker again on fresh boot, seems to like this:

- Place Worker executable in ~/.local/bin
- Load the afvs.tcz extension i'm linking
- Load file.tcz from the TC6 repository
- Manually create directory /home/tc/.local/share/worker, otherwise Worker complains
- Test and repot any problems

Once you learn more TC you can create a custom worker.tcz extension and worker.tcz.dep file for dependencies
...for now simply add all dependency *.tcz to onboot.lst so Worker runs properly upon fresh boot.

[handy]

Cool nitram.

I don't know whether the following will help you re. understanding the directory/file structure that Worker is looking for, but it goes like this:

~/.worker/

Code: [Select]

drwx------  2 handy users   4096 27.09.2014 11:04 catalogs/
-rw-r--r--  1 handy users 175854 26.10.2015 21:29 config
-rw-r--r--  1 handy users 175834 11.10.2015 20:25 config-workerbak
-rw-r--r--  1 handy users  11573 01.08.2015 09:50 config.zip
-rwxrwx---  1 handy users     72 25.06.2015 21:50 kvp*
-rwxrwx---  1 handy users      6 14.08.2015 22:29 last_running_version*
-rw-r--r--  1 handy users      4 20.10.2015 17:39 lastsize.0
-rw-r--r--  1 handy users   1622 20.10.2015 17:39 lvconf

The config-workerbak file is one that I'd made a while back for some forgotten reason. Though I most certainly do have backups of the ~/.worker/config file. It has taken me years of ongoing modifications (they never stop) to get it where it is (it currently isn't the same as the pictures show in the Manjaro wiki page any more - internally or visually).

At the moment I'm in the process of working out just how I will go about installing TC. It is so different to any other distro that I've ever used. Which is cool, but I am of course at the very beginning, & quite lost. lol

I guess that in the end, I'll just have to have a go & then modify the install as my knowledge grows. It would seem (at least at this early stage) that the installation process isn't a long tedious affair. I guess the tedious can come when you are trying to get certain app's to install & run.

Anyway, I'll get into it.

[nitram]

Hi handy. Just sent you a PM, built into actual tcz extensions so new instructions in PM. Forgot to mention, first run worker complains about missing default config but it seems if you click 'worker configuration' in file manager on first open and save configuration it works well on reload (saves in ~/.worker/config). Good luck, hopefully won't need it

Please report issues so me or others can help. I'm relatively new to this as well and worker appears to require additional hoops to get running properly.

[handy]

Many thanks (again) nitram.

I'll get into following your instructions & testing out how Worker performs tomorrow. At this stage I'm about stuffed.

I've now a bootable HDD install of TC. I've installed just about all of the apps that I want (at this stage at least). I still have a problem or two (that I know of at this early stage, that I'll have to find a way around). One of them is a permission problem. I can't use movie files (or even access some directories) in a data drive from my Manjaro system.

Which brings me to another thing that I haven't had time to read up on here: what do you do about users:groups when you install onto a HDD & set up a permanent non-volatile system?

Anyway, I'm really grateful for the help that you have given me with Worker nitram, I look forward to testing it out tomorrow.

I must go to bed now...

[gerald_clark]

Core does not support installation of the system onto hard drive.
That is against the philosophy of the system.
If that is what you want, you should run some other distro.

[nitram]

@handy: If you are referring to a frugal install that's cool and documented in the Core manual (page 4), also referred to as mount mode (page 7). 'Scatter mode' is anti-TC, believe the term was coined by TC founder Robert Shingledecker. Mount mode works well and takes minimal partition space. Default ownership is tc:staff. My system boots with Grub2 (various bootloaders can be used), ~10 different OS, never had any big permission issues between partitions and OS'.

[handy]

@handy: If you are referring to a frugal install that's cool and documented in the Core manual (page 4), also referred to as mount mode (page 7). 'Scatter mode' is anti-TC, believe the term was coined by TC founder Robert Shingledecker. Mount mode works well and takes minimal partition space. Default ownership is tc:staff. My system boots with Grub2 (various bootloaders can be used), ~10 different OS, never had any big permission issues between partitions and OS'.

Hi nitram:

Yes, my install was done by following instructions from the TC web site, so my method of install shouldn't be offensive to the hard core members of the community. lol

I'm using GRUB legacy, as they were the only instructions that I found. It is all I need anyway.

So to changing ownership is not on, which isn't so good security wise for those that set up not to use removable media. For that matter even if you do use removable media, someone else could do the same thing. This doesn't really matter to me & my desktop computer, though it would be a problem for someone who misplaced their portable.

I haven't looked to see if there is a way for people to encrypt the TC system. That would be useful for people with portables.

Anyway, enough of that stuff.

I've installed Worker, following your instructions nitram. It makes a few complaints but opens up with a minimal config. Every time I restart it, it behaves as though it was the first time it was opened. That is a bit of a problem.

I copied over my ~/.worker directory, but it didn't like that, to the point where I had to reboot to get a functioning machine again.

The /usr/share/worker directory, ordinarily holds some worker files (I should have taken more notice of them last night). I'll make a note of them next time I boot into Manjaro so you can see what they are.

I changed the permissions/ownership on my /data drive before retiring last night. I could then access a movie & play it, with sound. I haven't been back there yet today to test it more thoroughly, though I know that there are still problems. I could play an .mp4 but an .mkv basically bought the system to a halt. I'm using VLC & have also installed every codec that I could recognize via Apps. Anyway, I'll get back to that one... lol

[nitram]

There were some initial startup issues but it's now functioning well on fresh boots. No longer goes through first run dialogues. Interesting file manager.

As far as using old configs not sure, maybe this is a different version of worker? This is precompiled worker .deb from Debian Jessie (worker v3.4.1 for i386). Since you're now learning to repack extensions, you could try replacing the executable with an executable from the worker site or your Manjaro system, reboot and test.

Alternatively remove any configurations you've added, first run worker again, save initial default configuration and modify to taste rather then importing something from another system. First run configuration save creates this:
tc@box:~$ ls /home/tc/.worker
catalogs/             config-workerbak      lastsize.0
config                last_running_version  lvconf

In addition, worker kept asking for a /share/worker directory. If you read the startup popup it indicates this directory can be located in /home not just /usr/share, so running  mkdir -p /home/tc/share/worker  fixed the first run startup issue.