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61

TCE Bugs / xwayland may have hidden runtime dependencies

« Last post by GNUser on February 28, 2026, 12:00:02 PM »

Hi Juanito. I see you are the maintainer for xwayland.tcz. I did an experiment and would like to share the result.

The experiment was to check my ability to run X applications in TCL17 x86_64 using labwc compositor, with no X-related extensions in onboot.lst except for xwayland.tcz and the X applications themselves. My test application was xfe.tcz.

Since labwc is able to detect X applications and automatically launch them in xwayland, I expected the experiment to be a success. But the experiment failed:

Code: [Select]

$ xfe
FXApp::openDisplay: unable to open display :0
Various other X-only applications that need xwayland to run in labwc failed with similar error messages:

Code: [Select]

$ /usr/local/share/wscreensaver/animations/xanalogtv
Error: Can't open display: :0
After much trial and error, I discovered that if I add libxcvt.tcz and xkbcomp.tcz to onboot.lst, then labwc is able to launch X applications in xwayland without any problem. Loading these two extensions after the system is already running does not help--they seem to be present before labwc starts.

I'm not sure if the need for  libxcvt.tcz  and  xkbcomp.tcz  in order to use  xwayland.tcz  is specific to labwc. If it's not a labwc-specific need, maybe  libxcvt.tcz  and  xkbcomp.tcz  should be added to  xwayland.tcz.dep.

At the very least, I'd like to suggest that  xwayland.tcz.info  be updated with a note saying that if X applications fail with "unable to open display :0", the solution may be to add  libxcvt.tcz  and  xkbcomp.tcz  to  onboot.lst

62

TCE Q&A Forum / Re: TCL and LXC

« Last post by gadget42 on February 28, 2026, 11:44:13 AM »

thanks for the links

interesting reading

63

General TC Talk / Re: Bulding the kernel from source and making an ISO?

« Last post by Juanito on February 28, 2026, 06:37:06 AM »

You don't particularly need to rename bzImage to vmlinuz as long as your boot loader references bzImage.

To unpack modules.gz:

Code: [Select]

cp modules.gz /tmp
cd /tmp
mkdir extract
cd extract
zcat /tmp/modules.gz | sudo cpio -i -H newc -d
replace the modules under /tmp/extract/lib/modules with your newly compiled modules and add the additional ones

Move your original modules.gz from /tmp to a safe place

Pack things up again:

Code: [Select]

find | sudo cpio -o -H newc | gzip -2 > ../modules.gz
cd /tmp
advdef -z4 modules.gz

64

General TC Talk / Re: Bulding the kernel from source and making an ISO?

« Last post by edmazing on February 28, 2026, 06:02:37 AM »

To replace the existing modules.

And just to double check, I can rename bzImage to vmlinuz (It's not vmlinux that needs to be renamed to just replace it with a z.)
I'll try and just use the same folders that exist in modules.gz matching the style for 9pnet_virtio.ko.gz

Hmm surely I'm doing something wrong yet. It'll boot to menu, but then kernel panics
Not syncing: VFS: unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(2,0)

Trying to mimic the testISO... I must have something wrong, since the testISO boots up fine.

Edit: I think I've got the compressing part of things wrong.
Using core.gz as provided under distribution files works.

If I uncompress core.gz and recompress it with sudo tar -zcvf
It'll panic. If I don't use sudo then the tar command mentions at the end
Tar: exiting with failure status due to previous errors, but nothing stands out as an error.

65

TCE Q&A Forum / Re: TCL and LXC

« Last post by mocore on February 28, 2026, 04:58:39 AM »

wrt tcl + lxc

+
LXD container image for TCL @ https://forum.tinycorelinux.net/index.php/topic,24369.0.html

apparently "LXD is the new LXC experience." according to https://discuss.linuxcontainers.org/t/comparing-lxd-vs-lxc/24

as this question wet unanswered and i happen to be looking into this
 ill borrow this topic

open wrt has a guide to "installing" wrt as lxc
https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/virtualization/lxc#via_rootfs_extraction

which has demystified a little the methods used to create lxc

rootfs is copy into .local/share/lxc/<vm-name>/rootfs
modules are shared with host

so it would appear using tc with lxc (or lxd??) is not *officially*  supported ?!

... because it would require "scatter / hybrid" install

meaning installing packages in the container would brake many of tce extension  assumptions and not work.. ( with out modification to tce install script or extension install script)

+ https://superuser.com/questions/1192947/tinycore-non-frugal-install-of-tinycore-linux

which *afaik appears to be the antithesis of the core frugal install deign
as mentioned in "Core Concepts" & illustrated in diagram of the Tiny Core file architecture @ http://tinycorelinux.net/architecture.html

... though i might be wrong ?? ... if so plz add corrections / perspectives..

@* any thoughts? ..

66

General TC Talk / Re: Bulding the kernel from source and making an ISO?

« Last post by Juanito on February 28, 2026, 04:11:20 AM »

So what files do I need exactly? I've got a bunch of folders, arch block certs, etc.

What files do you need exactly for what?

To compile a kernel on tinycore?
To replace the existing modules in modules.gz?
To create a bootable tinycore iso?

67

General TC Talk / Re: Bulding the kernel from source and making an ISO?

« Last post by edmazing on February 27, 2026, 07:46:38 PM »

Core is comprised of rootfs.gz, modules.gz and vmlinuz (core.gz = rootfs.gz + modules.gz)

Ah that's good info.
I found an old guide.
https://wiki.tinycorelinux.net/doku.php?id=wiki:custom_kernel

Anywho I've got a native tinycore running off a liveUSB flashed with RUFUS.
I learned my BIOS has an option for changing USB to legacy boot.

So what files do I need exactly? I've got a bunch of folders, arch block certs, etc.

68

Off-Topic - Tiny Core Lounge / fascinating commentary on a tour of the Torness Nuclear Power Station

« Last post by gadget42 on February 27, 2026, 09:57:06 AM »

fascinating commentary on a tour of the Torness Nuclear Power Station

https://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/rants/nothing-like-this-will-be-buil.html

wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torness_Nuclear_Power_Station

as an aside, generally speaking, i am against any technology that leaves deadly waste products that have a half-life in the tens-of-thousands of years...smh...

and along that line of thought i remember reading something regarding deep geological repositories quite some years ago(and found it educational but not thoroughly satisfying with respect to longterm planetary safety/security)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_geological_repository

69

TCE Talk / Re: Source of wbar

« Last post by Rich on February 27, 2026, 09:33:06 AM »

Hi Juanito
I didn't see that coming.

70

Off-Topic - Tiny Core Lounge / Re: XLibre - a fork of Xorg

« Last post by gadget42 on February 27, 2026, 08:39:29 AM »

a humble thought.

can we move this thread to "General TC Talk" and make it a sticky(pinned to stay visible at the top)?

as always, huge kudos to everyone here for making this community(and TCL) such a pleasure to enjoy!

also i concur with @GNUser rant in reply number 32:
https://forum.tinycorelinux.net/index.php/topic,27701.msg181581.html#msg181581