Micro Core 3.0 Alpha Testing

[roberts]

Team Tiny Core is pleased to announce Mico Core 3.0 Alpha1 is available for public testing.
http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/tinycorelinux/3.x/release_candidates/microcore/

microcore_3.0alpha1.iso
microcore_3.0alpha1.iso.md5.txt

Xlibs.gz
Xlibs.gz.md5.txt

Xprogs.gz
Xprogs.gz.md5.txt

Xvesa.gz
Xvesa.gz.md5.txt

flwm.tcz
flwm.tcz.md5.txt

flwm_topside.tcz
flwm_topside.tcz.md5.txt

wbar.tcz
wbar.tcz.md5.txt

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, although the team has 5 preview cuts, 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.

If you use distribution files note that you need both a new bzImage and microcore.gz.

Do not mix Micro Core 2.x with Mico Core 3.x. They have different modules and major library changes, as well as all extensions now only support freedesktop specs.

Changelog for 3.0 alpha1:
* kernel update to 2.6.33.3 ( a upx'ed version is also available in the distribution file area ).
* 64-bit kernel available in distribtion files area.
* compressed swap in ram -> able to run more and longer, less crashes due to out of ram
* tmpfs root always -> no longer possible to exhaust ram in an "embed" boot via files
* improved virtualization support
* ext4 support in base/base tools
* delta extension updates as the default using zsync.
* glibc updated to 2.11.1 and recompiled against 2.6.33 kernel headers
* gcc updated to 4.4.3, recompiled against 2.6.33 kernel headers and cloog, ppl, mpfr, gmp
* e2fsprogs base libs/apps updated to 1.41.11
* kernel-agnostic dep files
* Updated many core files to support new 3.x repository.
* Updated search.sh, provides.sh, tc-config, tce-fetch, tce-setup, tce-load,
* Updated desktop.sh, startx, flwm, and wbar dropped jwm/wbar spec support.

Note:
Using 2.x type extensions will not work for 3.0 as no menu and no icons will appear for non-freedesktop extensions.. A script was run against the 3.x repository to strip out all jwm/wbar (/usr/local/tce.menu and /usr/local/tce.icons). 3.0 uses only freedesktop specs. The script auto created freedesktop items based on prior jwm/wbar specs.

Special Note:
This is alpha software. This is the first public access. Expect bugs. Not recommended for general use.

Alpha testing is for experienced Community Members to help test a totally new build of Tiny Core and help in creating needed updated modules and extensions.

Much work has been done by each Tiny Core Team member to create 3.0. Now is it time for the community to begin testing.

[curaga]

Announcing the 64-bit build of 3.0 alpha 1.

microcore64.gz is now available in distribution_files. The only difference to the main gz is that it has the 64-bit modules instead of the 32-bit ones.

Notes:
- Xvesa does not like to run on 64. Use Xorg or text mode. For reasoning see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_8086_mode

[roberts]

Continuing on with Micro Core 3.0 Alpha 2 Testing.

* Updated tce-setdrive and tc-restore.sh for better /tmp/tce test.
* Updated 55-tc-rules for better permission on ramzswap.
* Updated tc-functions with new getMajorVer and getMirror
* Updated tce-audit, tce-fetch.sh, tce-load, tce-update for getMirror.
* Updated tce-setup for microcore .gzs in /opt/tce remaster

[Juanito]

Xprogs.gz appears to be from tc-2.x?

[roberts]

The good news is that it is not from 2.x as wallpaper shows new default color of grey.
The bad news is that it needed a repack to refect the latest change in appbrowser.
I just repacked it and reposted. Thanks for reporting.

[Juanito]

deleted - OK now

[roberts]

Please continue testing the alpha versions of Micro Core v3.0. Alpha3 is now posted:
http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/tinycorelinux/3.x/release_candidates/microcore/microcore_3.0alpha3.iso

Change log for alpha3.
* New kernel for support of pci-hotplug modules
* New modules for eeepc-laptop and ssb
* Updated tce-audit/appsaudit for agnostic kernel support.
* Removed now unneeded tc2freedesk and add2file.

Note: You will need to update bzImage as well as microcore.gz
Also Xprogs.gz has also changed for alpha3.

[Juanito]

Everything working fine so far

[roberts]

Please continue testing the alpha versions of Mico Core v3.0.

Alpha4 is now posted:

http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/tinycorelinux/3.x/release_candidates/microcore/

Change log for alpha4.

* Updated zlib 1.2.5
* updated ncurses  5.7
* Updated sudo 1.7.2p6
* Updated pcmciautils 017
* Updated module-init-tools 3.11.1
* Updated util-linux-ng 2.1.7.2
* Updated libpng 0.43
* Updated libfreetype 2.3.12
* Updated libImlib2 1.4.4

[Juanito]

Working fine so far

[roberts]

Continuing the Alpha testing with microcore_3.0alpha5 now posted at
http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/tinycorelinux/3.x/release_candidates/microcore/

Change log for Alpha5

* Updated tce-setdrive to exclude cdrom and dvd.
* Updated mktclocal to exclude cdrom and dvd.
* Updated usbinstall moved bzImage and tinycore.gz/microcore.gz to /boot
* Fixed various typos and other small tweaks and adjustments
* Updated squashfs module with latest patch.
* Removed unused .webdata* from /etc/skel/

Note: For micro plus users..
* New Xlibs.gz
* New Xprogs.gz

Also, the micro core specific 'extensions' of
* flwm.tcz
* flwm_topside.tcz
* wbar.tcz
have now been moved to the 3.x/tcz repository.

See Tiny Core v3.0 Alpha5 for GUI enhancements provided by the plus items above.

[Juanito]

Looks like the old version of libXrandr snuck into the updated Xlibs.gz:

Code: [Select]

$ ls -l /usr/lib/libXrandr*
lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     root            18 May 30 10:03 /usr/lib/libXrandr.so -> libXrandr.so.2.2.0
lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     root            18 May 30 10:03 /usr/lib/libXrandr.so.2 -> libXrandr.so.2.2.0
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root         22900 Apr 18  2009 /usr/lib/libXrandr.so.2.1.0
-rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root         26838 Apr 25  2009 /usr/lib/libXrandr.so.2.2.0

[roberts]

Micro Core v3.0 Alpha6 is now posted at http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/tinycorelinux/3.x/release_candidates/microcore/

Change log for Alpha 6
* Updated libsysfs
* Updated systool
* Updated get_device
* Updated bcrypt
* Updated rungetty
* Updated usbinstall added UUID clause to waitusb option.
* Updated tce-update to handle KERNEL resolution in dep files.
* Updated tce-update to acknowledge when system is up-to-date.
* Updated tce-update to accept tce dir as parameter.
* Fixed bug in tc-functions autoscan.
* Removed unneeded jpegtrans, logsave, and libss*

See also Tiny Core Announcement http://forum.tinycorelinux.net/index.php?topic=6319.0

* Updated Xlibs.gz
* Updated Xprogs.gz

[Juanito]

Just to double-check, with microcore + Xprogs/Xlibs, the desktop background is now a shade of "sort of green" rather than the grey colour it was up until now.

Was this intentional?

[roberts]

Yes. Trying a new background color, a medium green.
Got complaints that the gray was too industrial, too void of any color.