Hello Zenwalkers,


it's done!

Here is the beta release of ZenLive 6.4:


http://zenwalk.pinguix.com/user-account ... -6.4RC.iso
http://zenwalk.pinguix.com/user-account ... -6.4RC.md5



Basically it's consisting only of ISO packages + own Livekernel-stuff and a custom theme and the linux-live-sripts, ash and a few localizations for icecat/iceweasel as well as anthy and sazanami-fonts to support japanese language display/input from extra repo.

The support for the live-installer and live-clone has been dropped as these are currently unmaintained and have some issues.
If anybody is familiar with python glade coding we could adjust the live-installer from Salix Live as an better option.

Known issues:

- very slow boot on some systems incl. virtual machines
- videoconfig randomly hangs in virtual machines
- some device nodes may be accidently not properly created


Please note:
This version of ZenLive is still based on the linux-live-scripts from Thomas M., but linux-live-scripts are quite outdated and have issues with newer kernels, so I had to use some dirty hacks in the initrd to get things working *somehow*. Plus this live release is an one man project at the moment, so don't expect it to be perfect ;p



The next release of ZenLive could be rather based on the new upcoming french project "slackware-live" from Frank Endres. But at the moment I simply hadn't had played enough with this to use it for ZenLive 6.4.


Happy testing!

Did not use too much but looks very good.
I'm using now, did not take too much to boot. I will say that I can't see any diference between live and installed system. I'm using it now.
Thank you.
See if you can put in an installer or at least unetbootin and gparted.
Sorry if I can't help you but I really apreciate.

You are welcome. Thanks for testing.



Well I already mentioned about the installer is unmaintained and suggested adjustment the salix installer as a replacement. Feel free to contribute an installer. As long as nobody does ZenLive will come without an installer. And personally I think the purpose of a live-Distrie is to use it as a live system, if you want to permanently install it use the regular Standard ZW ISO.

But don't worry, if the next zenlive version if based on slackware-live-scripts it will probably have disk and usb-installer as this is part of the slackwarare-live-scripts.

As for gparted, it's not needed, as partionating canbe done with cfdisk or fdisk as well. :p
I don't like to put too many additional dependencies besides the Standard ISO packages if not needed for operation.
ZenLive follows the KISS prinziple.

The anthy and sazanami packages and icecat/icedove localizations are exeptions, linux-linux-live-sripts and ash are needed for building the live environment.

I'm using this guy livecds
http://github.com/godane/archiso-live
http://godane.wordpress.com/
Take a look.
I don't think you can use in slackware but maybe gives you some ideas.
The same for wolvix. As you say a live cd should be use as live cd
and this mean that does not have to be a clone of the original.
For me the most important is as zenwalker to be able to put in my pocket when I have to buy a new computer. It has save me so many problems to have a machine
compatible whit zen.
And finally I don't find necessary the user. A live cd whit only root I like more.
Waiting your next live.

New ideas regarding what in particular?



Be careful, the kernel is not idntically to the one of the original ZW ISO. It has been patched for aufs2, squashfs4 has been removed and legacy squashfs 3.4 used instead as a requirement for the live-scripts, and also the livekernel configuration supports more different hardware (since a live-CD is supposed to work out of the box with a varity of hardware) then the configuration of the standard ZW kernel.
Take that in consideration.

When I use slackware-live-sripts for building further versions of ZenLive there is no need to patch the kernel anymore, but not for the current ZenLive release, sorry. Feel free to customize it to your needs.




NO way! Never ever logon as root to X! Even if it is a live CD, it is basically a wrong way to use an Unix system by working as root all the time! If we allow that for a live-CD people starts thinking that is the way they should use their regulary installations as well the same way. Very bad idea! IMHO I would rather scramble root PW for the live-CD as well for security reasons, rather than using a generic root password. So I recommend to always use the password=ask boot option to set a individual root password for the live session.

You mean that I was just lucky going around whit ZenLive to choose my computer?
Well I was lucky and I even suggest to sombody else.
Let see if JP and team can find interesting your work.
We have xfce, gnome, openbox and I hope soon a live-cd.
Thank you for your work and your advice.

While I can appreciate the simplicity, my thumbs are up for including GParted. Not everybody is "geeky" enough to tackle cfdisk and fdisk (although personally I've done it in the past, and am generally not scared about the command line). Whenever I've downloaded the LiveCD, this (GParted) is what I've used it for (and fixing LILO setup).

I really hope you'll make this single addition.

/Claus

Hi Claus,

come one, if People are smart enough to install Zenwalk using the Standard ISO they would have no issues with cfdisk! It's NOT complicated at all to use cfdisk!

Also gparted adds some more deps and lilofix has an annoying bug making it unusable under german locale profile plus nobody maintains the packages you mentioned at the moment.

If someone needs functionality for repairing a broken system they better go for sysrescuecd (another great french project ) or customizing zenlive to their needs (easiest way, download additional packages, installpkg --root into the rootcopy folder of the ISO).

Also there is no space to add more stuff to the ISO, I found it more useful to include the kernelsources in case someone needs to build additional modules or wants to do a rebuild (plus providing the sources is required by the GPL, this way we don't need to store it seperately).

If there would be some space left on the ISO I would also rather prefer to include more localization. e.g. language files for OpenOffice than adding additional non ISO stuff especially if there is already a tool that provides quite similar functionality.

Since there is no ZenLive-team anymore and nobody has taken over this part officially yet, it is yet a personal project of me and I decided to stick with ISO packages only and just add/replace stuff that is needed for the live system or adds additional language support, not more not less. ;p

I won't accept any requests for additional packages for this release only bugfixes as it is the nature of a beta to find and fix unknown bugs to get towards the final release, rather than introduce potential new issues by adding additional stuff. Sorry.

No, I am just saying that the livekernel has a different configuration than the ZW stock kernel and there maybe cases where something is supported by the livekernel that hasn't been configured in the Stockkernel and vice versa.

I use this afternoon and as I said yesterday I did not notice anything wrong. I don't have a printer. You did a good work.
There is a problem using an external cd. Hangs after booting.
"Fatal error zenlive data not found"
Same whit goobox. Using the external cd goobox start but does not read the cd
If you try to change cd in peferences crash, if you click eject cd ejects zenlive. (this I rember was happen also in zenwalk beta)
Totem play the cd. All disks are mounted.
There is another problem, personal problem, I don't use linux distro that do not let me log as root. Right or wrong my position, I don't care, I simply don't use.
You did a good work, thank you.

You can su to root if necessary, the rout account is NOT disabled it just don't let you login as root to X via GDM, but you could logon as root to a tty and run startx from there if you really want to use X under the root account...

Thank you for testing and your report.
What do you mean with you have no printer, did you cannot access your printer using the live-CD or do you mean you could not test printing functionality because you don't have any printing hardware to test with?



As I said, an incompatiblity of linux-live-scripts with newer kernels, I hacked the initrd to get booting from usb flash media (e.g. usb-sticks) working, but I did not tested with external USB-CD Roms.
If your device is a SCSI device you may also have issues...
If anybody knows how to fix that please let me know, this annoying problem with device nodes are not always created properly has already make me headaches and sleepless nights...



Because you need to specify to read audio-cd contents from an different drive then waht is the default drive setup in goobox.



This bug is an Zenwalk issue, not a ZenLive issue. Goobox also segfaults on a standard Zenwalk 6.4 as soon as you try to change the default drive. This bug must be addressed to the goobox packager and it's annoying to hear another known bug from Zenwalk beta hasn't been fixed until final release...



I already explained you you can logon as root, the Password is "ZenLive" and you can always su to become root, but GDM Konfig prevents root logon to X. If you change the GDM config or if you log on to tty and run startx as root you would also be able to work with root to X.



Thank you very much. Unfortunately due to the USB device issue I feel a litte bit embarrased that I could not provide a better fix than what I already tried. Can you please let me know what device file your expernal CD-ROM drive is assigned to?

It's difficult as the reason why I'm using the ext CD is that the internal it does too many mistakes. Extraordinary your live boot fast and without problems from this drive, where puppy and Archiso both hang a lot before booting. Trying fedora it took 1/2 hour to boot.
goobox detect properly my two CD drivers, where in beta was showing only in CD player-preferences two drivers name both CD-rw/DVD-rw drives as in your live, now shows exactly=
HP DVD Writer 940d
TSSTcorp Cddvdwd ts-l633a
Still trying to switch from one to the other goobox crash.
I simple delete goobox from cache, .conf,.gconf/apps, and keep using the ext cd.
If you want to go back to the internal you have to repeat the operation.
All other applications automatically detect the CD where ever is(audacious, exaile,totem,deadbeef,vlc detect as /dev/cdrom.
DVD the same they all detect automatically. vlc as /dev/dvd but I can use /dev/sr1.
My fstab is the original
/dev/sda2 swap swap defaults 0 0
/dev/sda1 / ext4 defaults,noatime 1 1
devpts /dev/pts devpts gid=5,mode=620 0 0
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
I switch to the original zen config for this as my habit is to unchek in settings/removables drive and media any autorun.
Going back to your zenlive I boot from my internal but whit my ext already plug in. It is detected as sr1. Goobox works and when you eject the cd ejects the right one. (Sorry I should have done this before) Any way is the first goobox config that count.
Hope to be useful
PS.I don't have a printer

Can you please try to boot ZenLive6.4beta from your external CD drive and then when it still complains beeing not able to find zenlive data and dropping you to a shell do:

ls -la /dev/sr*

and send my this output in generates or inform me if yo see any "b" character in the permissions. If you don't see a "b" which stands for block device but a "c" which stands for charcter device then this indicates there is the issue with wrong device files created during autodetection of linux-live-scripts. Can you please confirm that? I think this issue needs to be addressed upstream.

sr1
crw-rw---- 1 0 0 11, 1 Jul 1 18:36 /dev/sr1
sr0
brw-rw---- 1 0 0 11, 0 jul 1 18:36 /dev/sr0
sr2
not such file or directory