Tiny Core Linux
Tiny Core Base => TCB News => Release Candidate Testing => Topic started by: Juanito on June 22, 2026, 10:01:29 AM
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Team Tiny Core is pleased to announce that Tiny Core 17.1 Beta1 is available for public testing:
http://repo.tinycorelinux.net/17.x/x86/release_candidates/distribution_files
http://repo.tinycorelinux.net/17.x/x86_64/release_candidates/distribution_files
This is an beta level cut. If you decide to help test, then please test carefully. We don't want anyone to lose data.
We appreciate testing and feedback.
Changelog for 17.1 beta1:
* update kernel to 6.18.35
* update zsync - thanks to @GNUser
Note that you will need the updated kernel module extensions from the appropriate repo - it is probably better to download the ones you need prior to updating rootfs*gz, modules*gz and vmlinuz* and rebooting.
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Hi Juanito. Going to third decimal place in the TCL version breaks the getMajorVer and getMirror functions in /etc/init.d/tc-functions:
$ . /etc/init.d/tc-functions
$ getFullVer
17.1.1
$ getMajorVer
17.1
$ getMirror
$ echo $MIRROR
http://repo.tinycorelinux.net/17.1.x/x86_64/tcz # correct mirror should be http://repo.tinycorelinux.net/17.x/x86_64/tczI ran into this issue in the past and proposed a fix. I'll try to find it in the forum.
EDIT: I couldn't find what I proposed before, but something like this would work:
getMajorVer() {
getFullVer | grep -Eo '^[0-9]+'
}
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Hmm - think I’ll make it 7.1 then - it could also cause problems elsewhere..
I’ll fix things tomorrow.
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Version adjusted from 17.1.1 -> 17.1
Version number corrected in posts above
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Thanks, Juanito. getMajorVer and getMirror work as expected now :)
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Ah!
Just notice this release.
Big thanks already.
I will test whether it improves 17.0 on my strange issue https://forum.tinycorelinux.net/index.php?topic=28078.msg183019#msg183019
I’m now out, I will do as of Thursday.
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Hi,
I just checked http://repo.tinycorelinux.net/17.x/x86/release_candidates/distribution_files/
I see modules.gz and roots.gz but no core.gz
I "know" that core.gz is in principle a combination of modules.gz and roots.gz but...
"what is the best way to install?"
- combine them? how?
- or load them individually from extlinux.conf? how?
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Hi,
I just checked http://repo.tinycorelinux.net/17.x/x86/release_candidates/distribution_files/ (http://repo.tinycorelinux.net/17.x/x86/release_candidates/distribution_files/)
I see modules.gz and roots.gz but no core.gz
I "know" that core.gz is in principle a combination of modules.gz and roots.gz but...
"what is the best way to install?"
- combine them? how?
- or load them individually from extlinux.conf? how?
I don't know about other boot loaders, but with grub2 you can just mention them both on the initrd line:
initrd /boot/rootfs.gz /boot/modules.gz
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@Lee: thanks! that seems to work for extlinux as well
I tested TC171 on Via Eden 1core 500MHz cpu. I still see some bugs.
In short:
- samba, ssh and https no longer working
- 'k' key from keyboard not functioning
What I did:
Downloaded from http://repo.tinycorelinux.net/17.x/x86/release_candidates/distribution_files/
- vmlinuz, modules.gz and roots.gz
- Checked checksum > OK
- renamed to *171 and moved to tce/boot directory
So they did endup in the same bootlocation as the TC17.0 files. So same mydata.tgz; same onboot.lst; same on demand; same optional gets used
made extra label in extlinux.conf:
LABEL gui171
MENU LABEL standard TC171 beta, needs additional usb-serial.tcz
KERNEL /tce/boot/vmlinuz171
INITRD /tce/boot/rootfs171.gz /tce/boot/modules171.gz
APPEND quiet host=huis cron consoleblank=0 tz=CET-1CEST,M3.5.0,M10.5.0/3 waitusb=5:UUID="a6f362cf-6c77-4fb7-bb05-76724d3b8113" tce=UUID="a6f362cf-6c77-4fb7-bb05-76724d3b8113"
Reboot and select gui171 label
I got following errors during boot (I had to retype manually from a picture I took from the screen):
sudo: /usr/local/etc/init.d/samba: command not found
sudo: /usr/local/etc/init.d/openssh: command not found
sudo: /usr/local/etc/init.d/httpd: command not found
Note: these are all commands that are in my "boot local.sh"
boot did complete successfully to a command prompt.
However... when I started typing the 'k' key was not functioning (yes, this is a strange and funny as it sounds)
At that point I rebooted back to TC17.0. TC17.0 worked fully ok, 'k' from keyboard also works on TC17.0.
Afterwards I thought I should have tested for more missing keys. forgot about that.
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Hi Stefann
For extlinux, I seem to recall them being comma separated:
initrd /boot/rootfs.gz,/boot/modules.gz
With this new kernel version you need to update any kernel
module extensions you are using. This kernel will not load
any 6.18.2 modules because it does not match this kernels
6.18.35 version, so usb-serial and any other kernel module
extensions need to be updated. The easiest way to do that
is to enter this command:
update-everythingThen reboot when it's done.
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With this new kernel version you need to update any kernel
module extensions you are using. This kernel will not load
any 6.18.2 modules because it does not match this kernels
6.18.35 version, so usb-serial and any other kernel module
extensions need to be updated. The easiest way to do that
is to enter this command:
update-everything
Hi Rich. Updating kernel module extensions is the one situation where current version of update-everything will not work.
update-everything updates extensions when all of these are true: a) local version and repo version have the same name, b) local version and repo version have .md5.txt files, and c) the local .md5.txt and repo .md5.txt files are different.
update-everything only brings in new extensions when changes in .dep file require it, through this logic in /usr/bin/update-everything:
if $DEP_FILES_CHANGED; then
...
tce-audit builddb
tce-audit fetchmissing
fi
As an example: User upgrades vmlinuz and corepure64.gz (6.18.2 -> 6.18.35) without manually downloading the new kernel module extensions. User reboots and now he's running kernel 6.18.35. Extension with wifi kernel modules is still wireless-6.18.2-tinycore64.tcz. User runs update-everything. Local and repo wireless-6.18.2-tinycore64.tcz.md5.txt are the same, so the extension is not upgraded. Local and repo .dep files (e.g., wireless_tools.tcz.dep) both contain the literal string wireless-KERNEL.tcz , so from update-everything's perspective that's not a change to the .dep so the if block in the above code block is not executed.
P.S. I will think about whether there is an elegant way to add this functionality to update-everything. I guess the script could compare the version number in the module extensions to the running kernel version, then offer the user to grab kernel module extensions that exist on the system but at a version that doesn't match the running kernel version.
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Hi GNUser
... now he's running kernel 6.18.35. Extension with wifi kernel modules is still wireless-6.18.2-tinycore64.tcz. ...
And now he has no Internet access.
So you boot back into kernel -6.18.2- and run these commands:
$ getMirror
$ cd /etc/sysconfig/tcedir/optional
/mnt/sda1/tce/optional$ for File in *\-6.18.2\-*.tcz*; do wget $MIRROR/${File/\-6.18.2\-/\-6.18.35\-}; doneNow you should have updated versions of all of your kernel module related files.
Note: This trick only works for kernel updates in the same TC version.
If attempting this for updating for TC16 to TC17 for example, you would need
to be running TC16 and set MIRROR to the TC17 repo, for example:
$ getMirror
$ echo $MIRROR
http://repo.tinycorelinux.net/16.x/x86/tcz
$ MIRROR="http://repo.tinycorelinux.net/17.x/x86/tcz"
$ cd /etc/sysconfig/tcedir/optional
/mnt/sda1/tce/optional$ for File in *\-6.12.11\-*.tcz*; do wget $MIRROR/${File/\-6.12.11\-/\-6.18.35\-}; done
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... now he's running kernel 6.18.35. Extension with wifi kernel modules is still wireless-6.18.2-tinycore64.tcz. ...
And now he has no Internet access.
Hi Rich. That's a good point. Users that rely on a wireless network connection need to get the wireless kernel modules before any kind of TCL upgrade.
So you boot back into kernel -6.18.2- and run these commands:
$ getMirror
$ cd /etc/sysconfig/tcedir/optional
/mnt/sda1/tce/optional$ for File in *\-6.18.2\-*.tcz*; do wget $MIRROR/${File/\-6.18.2\-/\-6.18.35\-}; doneNow you should have updated versions of all of your kernel module related files.
Note: This trick only works for kernel updates in the same TC version.
If attempting this for updating for TC16 to TC17 for example, you would need
to be running TC16 and set MIRROR to the TC17 repo, for example:
$ getMirror
$ echo $MIRROR
http://repo.tinycorelinux.net/16.x/x86/tcz
$ MIRROR="http://repo.tinycorelinux.net/17.x/x86/tcz"
$ cd /etc/sysconfig/tcedir/optional
/mnt/sda1/tce/optional$ for File in *\-6.12.11\-*.tcz*; do wget $MIRROR/${File/\-6.12.11\-/\-6.18.35\-}; done
Yes, the above would work nicely :) Thank you for this--I will save it for future reference because it is more convenient and less error-prone than the 100% manual approach I usually take.
I guess I'll leave update-everything as-is since dealing with kernel upgrades is not the script's intended use. The purpose of update-everything is to help the user keep their current TCL version completely up-to-date (including dealing with changes in .dep files).
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@GNU, @Rich,
Thanks, separating initrd files with a ',' (and no spaces) worked!
I had googled for using multiple initrd on extlinux but missed the ',' in the explanation.
As my 'k' key was not working and my normal working directory is called "work" (with a k) it became very difficult to continue
Anyway, modified extlinux.conf and rebooted. Now it works.
I have only 1 kernel extension: usb-serial-x.y.z-tinycore.tcz which is not needed for booting so I could download that after boot.
During the troubleshooting of my usb-serial issue I invested in "fixed installing a service monitor and keyboard in the cupboard where my system is located". That now gives a real good advantage in testing this. I can just do the beta as an extra boot option and "if it does not work" I'm no longer stuck on a non-functional remote connection.
Results so far on TC17.1 beta running on VIA EDEN 32bit 1core 500MHz cpu
tc@huis:~$ uname -a
Linux huis 6.18.35-tinycore #1 SMP Fri Jun 19 00:05:19 UTC 2026 i686 GNU/Linux
- Boot OK
- 'k' key working again (was a weird issue anyway)
- ssh OK
- VNC OK
- samba OK
- flwm OK
- X0VNCserver OK
- usb-serial-6.18.35-tinycore.tcz works but..... will have to see whether it crashes after duration test. Now testing
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Update on TC17.1 beta testing.
On VIA EDEN 32bit 1core 500MHz cpu
tc@huis:~$ uname -a
Linux huis 6.18.35-tinycore #1 SMP Fri Jun 19 00:05:19 UTC 2026 i686 GNU/Linux
- Boot OK
- ssh OK
- VNC OK
- samba OK
- flwm OK
- X0VNCserver OK
And....
- usb-serial-6.18.35-tinycore.tcz has worked without crash for 7days (168 hrs), I would say the "crashing serial port on TC17.0 is a solved issue with TC17.1"
In addition I tested on my second system: VIA EDEN 64bit 2core 1000MHz cpu
Running the 32bit TC17.1 beta (not 64bit version)
tc@hp510:~$ uname -a
Linux hp510 6.18.35-tinycore #1 SMP Fri Jun 19 00:05:19 UTC 2026 i686 GNU/Linux
- Boot OK
- ssh OK
- VNC OK
- samba OK
- flwm OK
- X0VNCserver OK
serial not tested because this cpu is not connected to serial interface
Conclusion:
- TC17.1 full functional (within my testscope) on both 1core 32bit and 2core 64bit VIA EDEN cpu
Note...
I see my "name -a" command results in "SMP Fri Jun 19" timestamp while packages on download location have timestamp June-22.
The package I'm testing was downloaded on June-26 (I did not redownload today) so should be equal to the June-22 package.
Is the "SMP Fri Jun 19" just the content of the June-22 file? Or did I test an outdated version?
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Hi Stefann
All information (date, version, kernel name, etc.) returned
by uname is based on file (vmlinuz) content.
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Hi Stefann
All information (date, version, kernel name, etc.) returned
by uname is based on file (vmlinuz) content.
Thanks.
I kind of thought so.
But better triple check to avoid drawing a premature conclusion from testing a candidate.
Needless to say: “ I highly like TC17.1! “
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TC17.1 boots up fine on my 486 PC (AM486DX-2 66MHz) with 20MB RAM (RAM-optimised HDD install).