antiX-14R-a4-a5 patch - Page 4

BitJam · posted: 2015-01-30 09:30

I *finally* got the touchpad working on my Acer es1-511 laptop. It worked with MX-14.x but not with any of the later antiX-14 releases. The fix was to add the i8042.nopnp boot parameter. Without this, the Synaptics touchpad doesn't even show up in /proc/bus/input/devices.

There was a line in the output of dmesg which said:

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PS/2 appears to have aux port disabled [...] please boot with i8042.nopnp

I suspected this was relevant because in MX the touchpad section of /proc/bus/input/devices contained this line:

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Sysfs=/devices/platform/i8042/serio1/input/input10

I don't know why it works OOTB on MX but not antiX. Maybe it has to do with kernel version or maybe with blacklisted modules.

The ceni program consistently fails with a fatal error about being unable to load p80211. The wicd program works fine. Removing the antiX=LX boot parameter did not help.

dolphin_oracle · posted: 2015-01-30 14:47

anticapitalista wrote:roky - take a bow for all your hard work testing on different hardware. Very much appreciated!

One question (not just to roky). d.o mentioned that linux-wlan-ng is probab;y not needed. Could users test this out.

Is prism2-usb-firmware-installer needed?

I finally found a usb-adapter based on a prism chipset (ISSL3887 in this case). Its a piece of junk and I think its broken, but antiX-15-a4/5 will pick it up in a lsusb . The module p54usb gets loaded, however I think firmware is missing for this card, as debian may or may not package it (info conflicts, some places say its in linux-firmware-nonfree, others sources, including a debian wiki, say to download the firmware from the supplier, which is available btw).

at any rate, the linux-wlan-ng driver (prism2_usb) doesn't work at all with the adapter. I uninstalled linux-wlan-ng and used the default drivers' in the kernel, after downloading the firmware (see debian wiki here for more info, the adapter is on the supported list
========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"https://wiki.debian.org/prism54"
linktext was:"https://wiki.debian.org/prism54"
====================================
). i was able to see the card with iwconfig and rfkill but I could not bring the card up with ifconfig, hence why I think it may be broken. Well, I could bring it up and get it listed, but the lights on the card never came on.

I'm going to try with MX, which uses a debian kernel, and see if there is a difference.

***edit*** tried with MX. I had to install the firmware, but the hardware detection worked better. Still couldn't use the adapter, but I really do think its broken. Doens't work in windows either. BTW, MX does NOT include linux-wlan-ng or the prism2-usb-firmware-installer by default.

Jerry · posted: 2015-01-31 11:38

BTW, MX does NOT include linux-wlan-ng or the prism2-usb-firmware-installer by default.

Should it then?

[no need to answer in this thread, maybe put in MX-15 index if yes]

SamK · posted: 2015-01-31 15:48

Currently I am able to provide only intermitent feedback.

antiX-14-a4-R_386-full.iso patched with a4-a5.delta

In alpha5 these keys are mapped at a system-level to open:
F1 x-terminal-emulator
F2 gexec
F3 filemanager
F4 iceweasel
F5 control center
F6 screenshot

As can be seen in the attached screenshot, those keys are all hard coded in alsamixer.

alsamixer key mapping

The system-level key mappings, override those in alsa making most of it pretty much unusable and redundant unless in a console. It is likely that the majority of antiX users will operate in a GUI environment rather than at the console. Because of this, the system-level key mappings will be best suited to being optional rather than mandatory and something that the user should purposely elect to switch on. In this way any existing keymappings that the use has created will be retained and no functionally will be lost as is the case with alsamixer.

SamK · posted: 2015-01-31 15:49

antiX-14-a4-R_386-full.iso patched with a4-a5.delta

Is it premature to be report missing a missing application?

Where is Links2? This is a really useful because it is the only web browse that provides a graphical interface whether in a GUI or console. It enables an identical way of working irrespective of the environment it is used in. Its on-disk size is tiny and its use of resources is miniscule compared to the others.

SamK · posted: 2015-01-31 15:51

antiX-14-a4-R_386-full.iso patched with a4-a5.delta

The"Personal Menu" has way too many entries. The idea underpinning this feature is that each user constructs it to reflect their own preferences. Perhaps have a single"dummy" entry which opens a guide that informs the user of its purpose and use.

SamK · posted: 2015-01-31 15:53

antiX-14-a4-R_386-full.iso patched with a4-a5.delta

The antiX main menu is headed by a section that contains launchers for Terminal, and File Manager, and another containing Web Broser, and Editor. The introduction of the"Personal Menu" feature makes them largely redundant. If a user wants such entries they can choose to create them and now have the tool to do it.

SamK · posted: 2015-01-31 15:54

antiX-14-a4-R_386-full.iso patched with a4-a5.delta

The main menu seems to be reintroducing matters that were resolved in 13.2. There are entries without icons and the"Others" section has crept back in. Suggest the work done in 13.2 be continued in the forthcoming release.

SamK · posted: 2015-02-01 07:04

antiX-14-a4-R_386-full.iso patched with a4-a5.delta

Midnight Commander (MC) file manager uses as standard F-key mappings as shown in the following screenshot.

Midnight Commander (MC) Key Mappings

When working in a GUI environment the system-level key mappings override those of MC making it pretty much unusable and redundant. When working at the console the MC key mappings work as expected. This obvious inconsistency means it is no longer possible to use MC in the same way in both a GUI and console.

The system-level key mappings should be switched off as a default setting and the user allowed to choose to switch it on if wanted. In this way expected functionality will only be lost if the user explicitly decides to do so.

Related post: post39376.html#p39376

SamK · posted: 2015-02-01 08:04

antiX-14-a4-R_386-full.iso patched with a4-a5.delta

When using only the default settings, windows fail to display graphics for Minimize, Restore, Close in the title bar as shown by the screenshot of Leafpad.

Missing graphics at top righthand side of title bar

SamK · posted: 2015-02-01 09:07

antiX-14-a4-R_386-full.iso patched with a4-a5.delta

A minor thing.
Main menu-->Desktop

Perhaps this should read Alternative Desktops or Desktop Alternatives

Alternate means choose one then miss one, choose the next then miss another one... There is an implied pattern or sequence of every other or every second.
Example
I visit the library on alternate Saturdays.

Alternative means any choice can be made between two or more things. There is no implied pattern or sequence.
Example
Distrowatch lists many alternatives to antiX.

SamK · posted: 2015-02-01 10:16

antiX-14-a4-R_386-full.iso patched with a4-a5.delta

Using live-usb no persistence.
fbxkb is automatically loaded and its icon displayed in the system tray.

When running with an installation on disk or live with persistence does fbxkb continue to be automatically loaded? In most cases of a single user system it will be superfluous once the initial choice of keyboard has been made and saved.

If the chosen setting can be used without having fbxkb loaded at start-up and constantly running, the 5+MiB RAM (indicated by ps_mem.py) can be eliminated.

If it does not already do so, can it be automated to detect when the appropriate setting has been previously saved and prevent constant running?

Is fbxkb used by Control Center-->Session-->Change Keyboard Layout?

SamK · posted: 2015-02-01 11:36

antiX-14-a4-R_386-full.iso patched with a4-a5.delta

Clipit clipboard manager is being loaded at startup as denoted by its icon in the system tray. It seems unlikely, but has it become essential to have it loaded in order to acheive a successful start-up?

If no, how does one prevent it from automatically loading at start-up in order to eliminate the 3MiB RAM (ps_mem.py) it consumes.

antiX-13.2-Full-Stable ships with clipit installed. As far as I recall there was no universal outcry of issues caused by it not being loaded at start-up. If it has not become an essential item, suggest we continue to leave it to the user's discretion to activate at start-up or load it on demand from the antiX menu.

SamK · posted: 2015-02-01 11:42

antiX-14-a4-R_386-full.iso patched with a4-a5.delta

On well in excess of 50% of occasions, it has not been possible to shutdown/reboot the system using the antiX main menu. In such cases, issuing a shutdown command in a terminal was necessary, sometimes even that failed and a console needed to be opened and the command issued. The latter always worked.

SamK · posted: 2015-02-01 13:30

antiX-14-a4-R_386-full.iso patched with a4-a5.delta

Details of test rig for previous reports
inxi -c0 -b

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System:    Host: antix1 Kernel: 3.18.1-antix.1-486-smp i686 (32 bit)
           Desktop: IceWM 1.3.8
           Distro: antiX-14-a5-RV_386-full Killah_P 14 January 2015
Machine:   System: Dell product: MXC051
           Mobo: Dell model: 0HC416 Bios: Dell v: A02 date: 11/06/2005
CPU:       Single core Intel Pentium M (-UP-) speed: 1733 MHz (max)
Graphics:  Card: Intel Mobile 915GM/GMS/910GML Express Graphics Controller
           Display Server: X.Org 1.16.2.901 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: 1280x800@60.04hz
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel 915GM x86/MMX/SSE2
           GLX Version: 2.1 Mesa 10.3.2
Network:   Card-1: Broadcom BCM4401-B0 100Base-TX driver: b44
           Card-2: Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG [Calexico2] Network Connection
           driver: ipw2200
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 67.8GB (1.1% used)
Info:      Processes: 93 Uptime: 3 min Memory: 172.6/742.7MB
           Client: Shell (bash) inxi: 2.2.16

On this system antiX does not automatically set up the wired network card, Ceni is used to do the job. This is also the case with 13.2 when using in live-usb mode.