Tiny Core 12.0 Alpha 2 Testing

[Juanito]

Team Tiny Core is pleased to announce that Tiny Core 12.0 Alpha2 is available for public testing:

http://repo.tinycorelinux.net/12.x/x86/release_candidates/distribution_files
http://repo.tinycorelinux.net/12.x/x86_64/release_candidates/distribution_files

This is an alpha level cut. If you decide to help test, then please test carefully. We don't want anyone to lose data.

Since this is an alpha cut, we ask that only experienced users test. This cut is not for general use. The features in any alpha are not fixed and may change before a public release candidate is available.

We appreciate testing and feedback.

Changelog for 12.0 alpha2:
* busybox updated to 1.33.0
* busybox patched to load more than 9 extensions
* busybox patched to remove "Module has invalid ELF header"
* tc-config: get tc version from tc-functions
* release.txt depreciated in favour of os-release

Changelog for 12.0 alpha1:
* kernel updated to 5.10.3
* glibc updated to 2.32
* gcc updated to 10.2.0
* binutils updated to 2.35.1
* e2fsprogs base libs/apps updated to 1.45.6
* util-linux base libs/apps updated to 2.36.1
* tc-functions: version changes from andyj
* version: changes from andyj
* shutdown.sh: clarifying comment
* busybox-aliases: additions from bdantas
* filetool.sh: comments from bdantas
* tce-setup: remove neeedless timestamp from bdantas
* tce-config: more precise /opt copying from bdantas
* tce-config: rename autoscan from polikuo
* tc-config: similar awk rounding
* init: avoid awk rounding
* filetool.sh: dc syntax change fix from watt
* tce-audit: search fix from lhaley42

Note:

* the libffi and readline extensions have been updated - this will break a lot of extensions, so fallback libffi6 and readline7 extensions have been created.

[GNUser]

Hi, Juanito. I tested several more extensions.

These can be copied over from TCL11, they work as-is:
iw.tcz
fox.tcz
xfe.tcz
asunder.tcz
fluxbox.tcz
rxvt.tcz
sxhkd.tcz
feh.tcz
yad.tcz
mktrayicon.tcz
gsimplecal.tcz
dialog.tcz
jpegexiforient.tcz
Hack-font.tcz
wxwidgets.tcz
libfilezilla.tcz
filezilla.tcz
libgsf.tcz

These need libffi6.tcz appended to their .dep files:
gnumeric.tcz
engrampa.tcz
gcolor2.tcz

These need readline7.tcz appended to their .dep files:
lftp.tcz

[GNUser]

Here are some more extensions from TCL11 x86_64 that work without modification in TCL12 x86_64:

adb.tcz
heimdall.tcz
ncdu.tcz
tinyopen.tcz
usb-automount.tcz
dzen2.tcz
libjbig2dec.tcz
mupdf.tcz
pdftk.tcz
parcellite.tcz
sshpass.tcz
sct.tcz
giblib.tcz
scrot.tcz
thunderbird-appimage.tcz
ffmpegthumbnailer.tcz
hostapd.tcz
xdotool.tcz

P.S. I hope these reports are still helpful to you guys.

[andyj]

The glibc_apps extension for 32-bit is missing rpcgen. I haven't checked 64-bit yet, but it will need it as well if it isn't there.

[andyj]

There may be a problem with the ubuntu-isapnp kernel patch. The kernel compile fails at that point:

Code: [Select]

  CC      drivers/pnp/isapnp/core.o
drivers/pnp/isapnp/core.c: In function ‘isapnp_init’:
drivers/pnp/isapnp/core.c:1056:1: error: no return statement in function returning non-void [-Werror=return-type]
 1056 | }
      | ^
cc1: some warnings being treated as errors
make[3]: *** [scripts/Makefile.build:279: drivers/pnp/isapnp/core.o] Error 1
make[2]: *** [scripts/Makefile.build:496: drivers/pnp/isapnp] Error 2
make[1]: *** [scripts/Makefile.build:496: drivers/pnp] Error 2
make: *** [Makefile:1805: drivers] Error 2

The patched core.c in question:

Code: [Select]

   1044         isapnp_proc_init();
   1045         return 0;
   1046 }
   1047
   1048 static void __init async_isapnp_init(void *unused, async_cookie_t cookie)
   1049 {
   1050         (void)real_isapnp_init();
   1051 }
   1052
   1053 static int __init isapnp_init(void)
   1054 {
   1055        async_schedule(async_isapnp_init, NULL);
   1056 }
   1057 device_initcall(isapnp_init);
   1058
   1059 /* format is: noisapnp */
   1060
   1061 static int __init isapnp_setup_disable(char *str)
   1062 {
   1063         isapnp_disable = 1;
   1064         return 1;
   1065 }
   1066
   1067 __setup("noisapnp", isapnp_setup_disable);
   1068
   1069 /* format is: isapnp=rdp,reset,skip_pci_scan,verbose */
   1070
   1071 static int __init isapnp_setup_isapnp(char *str)
   1072 {
   1073         (void)((get_option(&str, &isapnp_rdp) == 2) &&
   1074                (get_option(&str, &isapnp_reset) == 2) &&
   1075                (get_option(&str, &isapnp_verbose) == 2));
   1076         return 1;
   1077 }
   1078
   1079 __setup("isapnp=", isapnp_setup_isapnp);

I've tried a few changes, but so far nothing works. What is this patch supposed to do?

[curaga]

That isn't the latest patch? The one in 5.10-patches was adjusted.

It speeds up boot by doing isa probing async.

[Juanito]

The glibc_apps extension for 32-bit is missing rpcgen. I haven't checked 64-bit yet, but it will need it as well if it isn't there.

I hadn't noticed at first, but after several years of treating rpc as depreciated, it was removed from glibc-2.32.

I'll work on a replacement - meanwhile, if needed, you can extract rpcgen from 11.x.

[Juanito]

P.S. I hope these reports are still helpful to you guys.

Yes 

[jazzbiker]

Hi, Core guys!

I've copied from x86 TC11 and checked

Code: [Select]

dwm
st
dmenu
libtermkey
lpeg
lua-lib
vis-nolua
vis
vis-utils
vis-lexer
lynx

they are ok.

netsurf.tcz needs libffi6.tcz to be added to deps to work immediately, but probably it will be better to repack the extension, because 3.10 is available and gtk2.tcz already has libffi.tcz in its deps.

[Juanito]

Hi, Juanito. I tested several more extensions.

Presuming you were referring to x86_64 in both cases...

Most files copied over:

* dialog was already there
* lftp updated
* dep files adjusted for engrampa and gcolor2
* goffice has a dep on libffi6 and not gnumeric

[jazzbiker]

Also x86 TC11

Code: [Select]

mc
libssh2
slang
gpm
transmission
libevent
man
less
are ok.

[nick65go]

I appreciate the better quality versus more quantity. Is any rush for a new TC12?
I think most TC users own low or medium hardware. If someone buy new/latest hardware (lot of RAM/CPU/GPU/SDD) there are full bloated distribution, very polished than can have high speed for such huge hardware resources.

The TC11 is already very good and flexible. What MAJOR advantages for end user will bring TC12 in daily working?
The kernel (for new hardware), basic library (libc) and a new compiler (better speed/size for final appl?).

It will massively help (for future versions also) if there are already scripts for all tcz (maybe in the same place, not few in TC9, few in tc11, etc) to compile them. Maybe also have a map/chart with layer 1, then 2 of dependencies, to avoid hunting for not updated dependencies.

Testing appl from TC11 to transfer into TC12 is OK. But if time to release a new TC version is not a constraint, then maybe developers can identify the basic tcz (with no dependencies) and recompile then first (not copy/paste). Then identify tcz with dependencies of first layer, and so on. Maybe in parallel concentrate on GUI (Xorg).

Can someone list few (max 10) applications (audio/video/office/browser/utilities) that they are unhappy now in TC11, and they need them like breathing air, in new TC12?

[Juanito]

The basic extensions - toolchain, Xorg, etc are recompiled and/or copied and tested.

Many, if not most, extensions have build notes/scripts.

Outside of the basics, extensions are user contributed and thus updates need to wait on the maintainers.

[jazzbiker]

5.10 is LTS release so it is absolutely natural to produce TinyCore release based on it. As I understand all kernel LTS releases wake to life the corresponding TinyCore versions.

[nick65go]

I do not criticise. I am expresing only my personal opinions.
- not ALL tcz have scripts, but "most". notes are not scripts.
- not all scripts to build tcz are in the same clear structure. some are in tc9, some are is tc10 etc, others are in git.
- not all tcz are recompiled, only few. so partial gain from new compiler or new basic libs.
- no "local" wiki. forum can be searched for strings, but wiki is better.

Kernel LTS is OK, I said nothing against it. My observations were about logical re-compiled apps. To avoid (as much as posible) various versions for "common" libs. (Such as badwolf browser depending on icu61 and icu65). Like libs for GTK 1/2/3. Or "common" libs for ffmpeg. I talk about few path/root libs that many apps use parts of them.