tinycore_v2.6rc2

[roberts]

The Second Release Candidate of v2.6 (tinycore_2.6rc2.iso), is now posted and ready for testing only.
http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/tinycorelinux/2.x/release_candidates

tinycore_2.6rc2.iso
tinycore_2.6rc2.iso.md5.txt

Cumulative change log for v2.6rc2:

* Updated bzImage for smaller size (upx'ed)
* Updated rebuildfstab to drop extra mount points.
* New select utility replaces dialog
* Dropped dialog, use dialog.tcz extension (posted)
* Updated xsetup.sh
* Updated mktclocal
* Updated tc-terminal-server
* Updated cpanel to add Apps Audit
* Updated missing link libpng.so
* Updated blkid, libblkid, and libuuid
* Dropped cryptohome support.
* Updated tc-config
* Updated rc.shutdown
* Busybox mount and losetup replaces GNU versions
* Updated tce-load to support busybox mount.
* Dropped busybox ed, eject, fsck, expand, and unexpand applets.
* Busybox lsmod, insmod, rmmod, modprobe replace GNU versions.
* Fixed bug in flwm_topside_restart
* Updated flwm menu .wmx to reflect recent changes.

Notes:
You must have your tcz collection updated, i.e., all squashfs and all with 4096 block size.
The repository has been updated.

Be sure to update your kernel, with new smaller, boots faster, bzImage.

The distribution files are also availble:
http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/tinycorelinux/2.x/release_candidates/distribution_files
Please check your md5sum.

EDIT: Added emphasis to the tcz collection requirement.

[bmarkus]

Isn't it a contradiction?

* Busybox mount and losetup replaces GNU versions
* Updated tce-load to support busybox mount.

[roberts]

We are using busybox mount applet. tce-load was adjusted to use full specificatons, thus clearing up the dmesg items that appeared without such.

[jpeters]

Everything working, but no mercy on the extensions needing to be correct.  I had to rebuild a few of my own old ( probably cramfs ?) extensions. If an extension fails, the rest stop loading at that point.

[philip]

Works well for me. Thank you!

I appreciate the distribution files option.

The cautionary remarks from jpeters were useful to me: before leaving version 2.5 behind, I used his update script to get the latest copies of all extensions, then manually replaced all the X*core*tcz* files just in case. The result was a clean and fast first boot and happy computing since then. All this on the Acer Aspire One netbook (first edition, model 110-1955 model ZG5).

Here's one cosmetic suggestion for the download page at
 http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/tinycorelinux/ :
Shrink the top link text down to simply "Current Releases". Reasons:
1. The Distribution Files are in a subdirectory, where the name is totally appropriate.
2. The proposed short sweet title is (IMHO) more welcoming to newcomers. 
3. It makes a nice parallel counterpart to the next item, "Release Candidates".
Of course it's Robert's decision.

[roberts]

...
Here's one cosmetic suggestion for the download page at
 http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/tinycorelinux/ :
Shrink the top link text down to simply "Current Releases". Reasons:
1. The Distribution Files are in a subdirectory, where the name is totally appropriate.
2. The proposed short sweet title is (IMHO) more welcoming to newcomers. 
3. It makes a nice parallel counterpart to the next item, "Release Candidates".
Of course it's Robert's decision.

Website updated.

[bmarkus]

2.6rc2 is randomly freezing as 2.6rc1 did. It happens during startup, during normal use, installing applications, etc.

[bmarkus]

It is freezing booting from a different USB and from CD too on the Acer Aspire 5720Z notebook which works fine with 2.5 and prior releases.

Sticks work fine on a different desktop machine.

[roberts]

Are you saying that it only occurs with that one notebook?
What happens if you use the kernel from v2.5?

[bmarkus]

Are you saying that it only occurs with that one notebook?

Yes

What happens if you use the kernel from v2.5?

Will try.

[bmarkus]

What happens if you use the kernel from v2.5?

2.6rc2 works fine with 2.5 kernel. What is the difference between kernels? uname reports the same complation date but their size are different and both named 2.6.29.1-tinycore ?

EDIT:

Hm... With 2.5 kernel it starts always as expected. Just now it got frozen just leaving it running after boot with LXDE but no other applications running. Except this single case it is usable and works with no problem.

[Jason W]

To me it sounds like you may have some bad RAM, that is often cited as a cause of system freezing.  If you have not already, it might pay to run memtest on that machine just to be safe.

The kernel image has been upx'd in this RC.

[bmarkus]

To me it sounds like you may have some bad RAM, that is often cited as a cause of system freezing.  If you have not already, it might pay to run memtest on that machine just to be safe.

It is possible. Till now there were no any indication. Will check.

[perthie]

I just ran a test with a full set of 4096-ized extensions and it looks good.

If an extension fails, the rest stop loading at that point.

Yes. This is annoying because the tools to fix the problem may not be loaded yet.

[roberts]

You should update your extensions before you update the system files.
Perhaps you missed:

Notes:
You must have your tcz collection updated, i.e., all squashfs and all with 4096 block size.
The repository has been updated.