Refer to HOW-TO:Install Kodi on Fedora 26 using RPMFusion packages for a guide showing how to install Fedora 26 and Kodi to create a quick-booting, standalone style of media player. 3.3 Raspbian See also: HOW-TO:Install Kodi on Raspberry Pi.
Puppy Linux and its derivatives use a different package management system than other distros. Although Puppy Linux is not as popular as other branches of GNU/Linux, all hardcore Linux users should know how to use the Puppy's package manager. It is one of the easiest package systems to use (if not the easiest).NOTE: Puppy Linux also supports SFS packages/files, but that is a whole other topic.Puppy Linux and its forks use Puppy Package Manager ( PPM) which primarily uses PET packages. PET packages are the installation files that have the.pet file extension. PET stands for 'Puppy's Extra Treats' or some people say 'Puppy's Enhanced Tarballs'. A PET file is just a tarball (.tar.gz) renamed to.pet and has a md5sum appended to the end of the file (EOF).NOTE: Just in case I am not clear in what I mean by 'installation file', this example may help.
In MS-Windows systems, software is installed using a file with the extension 'exe' or 'msi'. Such files are installation files/packages. Ubuntu uses files with the extension 'deb'.
These DEB files are installation files. Such files add more applications, drivers, wallpapers, etc. To the system.Notice that I said PPM primarily uses PET packages. Puppy Package Manager also supports the following packages -.deb (Debian),.tgz (Slackware),.pkg.tar.gz (Arch), and DotPet.
Puppy Package Manager can also access Ubuntu repositories.NOTE: A repository (repo) is a collection of software packages that is typically hosted on a server.Inside a PET file, there are two scripts, a '.desktop' file, maybe some XPM or PNG files, a folder with the software, and the specs file (pet.spec) in older PETs. Of the two scripts, one is named 'pinstall.sh; it executes after installation (post-installation script). The second script, puninstall.sh, executes after the package is uninstalled.
The '.desktop' file is used to make the menu entry for the software. For example, on a Puppy system, if a user sees Firefox in the application menu, then they know that Firefox's PET file contained a '.desktop' file. Puppy Linux stores these desktop files in /usr/share/applications/. The icon used in application menus is the XPM or PNG file seen in the PET file. The folders contain the software and the contents are copied to the specified location. For instance, if a directory named 'opt' is in the root of the PET file, then the contents of that folder will go in /opt/. NOTE: By the way, do you ever see those applications in the menu that are using a generic or odd-looking icon?
Well, they have that icon because their PET file lacked a XPM or PNG icon, or the icon file was corrupted. The XPM and PNG files go in /usr/local/lib/X11/mini-icons/ and the ones with a number in the name (.48.xpm) belong in /usr/local/lib/X11/pixmaps/. Another possibility is that the.desktop file did not specify an icon.The specs file is a file titled 'pet.spec' and is seen in older PET files. It is a plain-text file that contains general information about the software. Below is an example of the contents.
As you can see, the file contains information like the name of the software, size, type of software (multimedia), and other info. Banshee-2.1.0-lucid525 Banshee 2.1.0-lucid525 Multimedia 161096K pet-packages-lucid Banshee-2.1.0-lucid525.pet Listen to music ubuntu lucid To install a local PET file, click it and PPM will open to allow the user to install the package. To install packages in a repository, open Puppy Package Manager and search for the desired package. The installation is self-explanatory. Just select the desired software and click install. Allow the dependencies to install unless there is some reason not to allow the extra packages to install. When installing local PET packages, make sure that the package is not intended for an older version of Puppy Linux.
Mixing versions may cause issues.To uninstall software, open PPM. Depending on the version used, double-click a package and select uninstall or click the uninstall button which opens a window. In that window, select the software to uninstall.
To uninstall packages quickly, use Unpet. Using Unpet is faster than using Puppy Package Manager to uninstall software.Puppy Linux also supports DotPet files which can be installed using dotpuprox.sh like this - “dotpuprox.sh DOTPUP-FILE”To make your own DotPet files, you could use PetMaker. PetMaker is a GUI application with a simple layout. To make the PET file, type the desired name for your PET file. Then, in the next two boxes, browse and select the files/directories that need to go in your PET file.
Once done, click 'Create PET'.Some alternatives to Puppy Package Manger (PPM) exist. QuickPet is a stripped down version of PPM. This means QuickPet is smaller, easier to use (or so says the developers), and more simple. Additionally, QuickPet supports PET and SFS files. SlickPet is even more lightweight than QuickPet and supports PET, tgz (Slackware), and txz (Salix). One difference between PPM and the two smaller package managers is the amount of available software; PPM offers the most packages.
PPM does not support Salix packages. So, users can have PPM and SlickPet installed on the same system to have access to a greater amount of packages. Having SlickPet and PPM on the same system will not cause conflicts/issues.Puppy Linux offers some conversion utilities that convert between different package types as seen below.dir2pet - convert a directory of files to a PET file.new2pet - Place the new2pet command before the needed commands to compile source code (like 'new2pet make install'). Doing so gets the newly created files (the final binaries, not the.o files) and puts them in a PET file. In other words, this is like a source to PET converter. Users could make a shell alias for 'new2pet' and name it 'src2pet' just for fun (and accuracy).new2dir - This is like new2pet, but the files are put in a new directory.pet2tgz - This converts PET to Slackware packages.tgz2pet - This converts Slackware packages to PET files.pup2pet - This command converts DotPup packages to.pet.
Actually, this is embedding the DotPup in the PET file.To do a real convert from DotPup to PET, try this. DotPup files are installed using 'dotpuprox.sh' rather than PPM, and the new2dir and dir2pet (together) converts outputed files to PET. Then, we can use this command - 'new2dir dotpuprox.sh /PATH/PACKAGE.pup; dir2pet DIR'. Now some of you may be thinking 'why not use dir2pet instead of using two conversions?' Well, some Puppy Linux users claim the command above is better.
You can try using dir2pet if you wish. I just mention new2dir and dir2pet because that is what most user recommend, but do which ever suits your needs.Other conversion utilities include deb2pet, rpm2pet, alien2puppy, and a few others.DEBATE: Do you think the conversions tools (like pet2tgz) help make the PET system more popular?
Are such tools efficient? Would you knowingly use a converted package on a server?
It is useful to convert packages when Puppy doesn't have that package my favourite 2 Puppy utilities are unzipper'drag'drop and makepet the were developed by BiggBass who developed Slaxerpup Uused a Slackware kernel instead of a Puppy Kernel). This is useful when PPM or Puppy Package Manager fails to cope in modern Puppies with installing.deb and.txz packages and you have to manually install programs with dependencies.With the first tool I can unzip a tgz, txz and tlz (by renaming as txz) I then insert any libs and then turn that directory with all its files into a.pet so when I think about it it is easier to use then pet2tgz etc and allows me to make static-lib.pet files all in 1 package.By the way he went on to work on Porteous Linux and ported those unzipper'drag'drop to slackware.they are available here. Hi Devyn a very good article regarding Puppie's Package Management.It is interesting to note there is some acknowledgement by the Puppy community that PPM doesn't handle packages from other disros that well when it comes to installing programs with lots of dependencies. I know this from experience such as the annoying showing something is installed when its not in the package manager and this was mostly in the later puppies in the Debian Wheezy, Precise Puppy era.However much is being done to try and correct this problem with Puppies which are Woof CE based - a fork of the original Woof building System that Barry Kauler came up with.Secondly Woof CE Pups by a developer called EMSEE with Synaptic. There was for a while an attempt to make new system called Packdude which would be faster and more efficient than PPM, Link:To sum up I don't think Barry K has totally succeeded with Woof to make full compatibility with the likes of Slackware and Ubuntu when handling lots dependencies, but he did succeed in bringing more packages available in the repos for Puppy than back before Woof in the unleashed days where everything was more hand built. To understand his intentions I have provided a link below:At the end of the day puppy is still enjoyable to use and sometimes requires me to do a bit of DIY to fix things but it is great as my day to day OS, probably 3.01, Lucid and the T2 based Pups are the best.Especially t2 based as packages don't have so many dependencies that the Ubuntu, Slackware ones have, eg 4.31 vs Lucid.
We know the package manager isn't perfect and I guess as Puppy Linux users we live with it.Anyway that is end of my ramblings - thanks again for the great article on Puppy Package Management.
Thedistro offers a lot of functionality and customization that frees users from many of the restrictions of a Linux community tied up in its own developmental red tape. DebianDog is fast and focused on getting work done without a lot of distractions.However, it also is a disorganized desktop environment that can leave new users floundering. DebianDog gives new meaning to eclectic in terms of its look and feel, and documentation is sparse.For example, the main menu is a mashup of standard system tools, DebianDog-specific utilities, Debian software, and tools to import some Puppy Linux software that's not designed to run on a Debian-based distro.
Software titles are not always placed in the most accurate categories.The DebianDog Linux series offers a Debian-based familiar computing experience. It has a variety of desktop configurations with a Puppy Linux-like appearance. This gives it the same lightweight yet powerful structure as Puppy Linux, all contained on a CD or USB drive to boot into RAM. But DebianDog is not in the Puppy Linux kennel.A lot can be said about having the Puppy Linux concept powered by Debian Linux. It's a nice combination for anyone familiar with Puppy Linux and the Debian infrastructure. The Dogged Linux ApproachLike Puppy Linux itself, DebianDog runs fast, even on underpowered legacy boxes.
Like Puppy Linux, DebianDog is a 'frugal install' OS that does not have to be fully installed on a hard drive. You can bypass your computer's regular boot path by loading DebianDog the same way you would load a Linux distro in live session.This approach offers a huge advantage over traditional live sessions.
You can try out DebianDog, save changes, resume where you left off in future work sessions, and never have to alter the contents of your existing hard drive and resident operating systems.I have never used a dual boot configuration on any of my computers that did not at some point need the boot loader fixed. Of course, this is usually caused by unified extensible firmware interface (UEFI) and secure boot controls hard wired into the hardware.Booting into DebianDog from a CD or USB and having access to your saved storage space is a very reliable alternative to a full OS installation.
Yet you also have the option to do a complete installation to the hard drive and even set up a dual boot system.With the frugal installation method, or booting from CD or USB storage, there is no lag time. You can run a fresh unmodified session each time you boot, or create a Save Space on the hard drive or USB boot drive to store all configuration changes, software additions and system settings as persistent memory.Running DebianDog from a live session boot does not involve waiting for disk reads. DebianDog loads everything it needs into a RAM drive. DebianDog relies on Openbox or Xfce-JWN to handle the desktop functions. This is an ideal choice of lightweight environments. DebianDog's Openbox desktopenvironment in this latest release closely resembles the alternate JWNdesktop.
Openbox has some of the Xfce functionality integrated.Runt of the LitterI have used various Puppy Linux variants for years. I can pop a bootable USB into any computer and have a fully functional Linux desktop with access to all of my working files. Add an Internet connection, and I have complete access to my cloud storage and my distant main office desktop computer.Despite my personal history with Puppy Linux, I was not aware of DebianDog Linux until a Linux Picks and Pans reader told me about how he used it before trying one of the Linux distros I had reviewed.
DebianDog is not well publicized. I found only passing reference to it on the Puppy Linux discussion forums.The developer's website, hosted on Github.io, provides the barest of details. It offers little or no community interaction or help forums. Unlike Puppy Linux, the Debian-based software requires little learning to use.However, if you are not used to frugal install environments used by Puppy Linux, Porteus and other so-called portable Linux distros, you will not find much help beyond trial and error.Don't get me wrong.
DebianDog works fine out of the box, and it is easy to customize. Just make sure that you correctly set up the Save Storage mechanism before you waste hours of fiddling only to discover that it didn't save.Under DebianDog's CollarDebianDog is not a variant of the Puppy Linux family, although the name suggests otherwise. It is not Puppy Linux based on the Debian structure. The developer emphasizes that DebianDog has nothing to do with Puppy Linux. Puppy Linux is built on the Arch Linux underbelly.DebianDog is a small Debian Live CD designed to look and function like Puppy Linux, but its Debian structure and behavior are not modified.
It has access to all Debian (.Deb) repositories using apt-get commands in a terminal window or the Synaptic Package Manager from the menu.The latest version, DebianDog Jessie-Openbox-Xfce-JWN, was released last fall. It is upgraded from DebianDog Wheezy, but it has some modifications and fixes to accommodate Jessie's specs. DebianDog's JWN desktopenvironment provides a traditional configurable panel with workspaceswitcher applet by default.
You can turn the Conky applet on/off with asingle click. The quick launch icons at the top of the screen cannot beadded or removed.Two earlier versions based on Jessie are still available. Both were released in 2015. The latest version uses Firefox as the default Web browser.The desktops are configured differently. For example, DebianDog-Jessie-jwmicewm-2015-09-02.iso runs Kernel-3.16.0-4-586, which is ideal for older computers. Or you can get DebianDog-Jessie-jwmicewm-2015-09-02-PAE.iso, which runs Kernel-3.16.0-4-686-pae - a better option for modern computers.Both older versions give you the JWM as the default window manager with the option to switch to IceWM.
The default file manager is XFE with an option to use Rox. The default Internet Browser is Dillo.Working With OptionsThe latest version runs Kernel-3.16.0-4-686-pae.
Both default to the OpenBox window manager with Xfce as the desktop.The default file manager is Thunar with an option to use Rox. The default Internet browser is Firefox-ESR.You can switch easily to JWN from Menu System Start JWM. In most cases, this will take you to a black screen with a flashing prompt. Enter the command: startx and press the enter key to complete the desktop switch.You can switch back again from Menu System Start Openbox. You most likely will need to repeat the startx command at the prompt.What has not changed in the latest release are the boot method options.
When DebianDog starts its boot process, it pauses at the text prompt for any boot options, called 'Cheats,' you may want to enter. You can just hit the enter key to resume with the default boot command. The choices are systemd or sysvinit at boot.To make a change, you must edit the boot code.
Adding init=/bin/systemd will boot with systemd. Removing init=/bin/systemd will boot with sysvinit.The latest version of DebianDog uses autologin as root.
To use it as a multiuser system, you should start XDM login manager, which is available only with Jwm running. Type in the terminal the command: xdm-start. Xdm-stop will reverse back to autologin as root.In the OpenBox version, you can install this slim deb package and use menu System - Start/Stop Slim display-manager. If you like to change the default autologin as root to autologin as user, check the instructions on the download page.Puppy CrossoverDebianDog's system tools are similar to Puppy Linux, but basic users probably will not need this level of flexibility and customization.For example, you can create easy separate squashfs modules and remaster the system with personal changes. Also, you can use or convert pet packages and sfs files from Puppy Linux.Be careful, though. DebianDog does not play well with mix-and-match repositories.
You easily can corrupt the file system if you introduce.pet formats and squashfs file modules with files maintained by Debian's Synaptic Package Manager.Bottom LineThe earlier versions of DebianDog work flawlessly, but the latest release seems to suffer from some work-in-progress flaws.I had very little trouble running the default software as-is. When I changed system settings or configured applications a certain way, those changes either did not work or were accompanied by a variety of glitches.I also had some trouble getting the persistent memory options to work. A related problem was setting up the personal save storage file. These issues cropped up or did not appear at all, depending on the hardware I was using.
I used the same boot CD and bootable DVD drive on all of my test computers.DebianDog Linux is a good alternative for Linux users looking for something different. It is a very good OS choice if you work on multiple computers or travel around to various work locations and want all your work files on the same OS configuration that you carry in your pocket.DebianDog can be a very workable alternative to lugging a laptop around.Want to Suggest a Review?Is there a Linux software application or distro you'd like to suggest for review? Something you love or would like to get to know?Please, and I'll consider them for a future Linux Picks and Pans column.And use the Reader Comments feature below to provide your input!Jack M. Germain has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2003. His main areas of focus are enterprise IT, Linux and open source technologies. He has written numerous reviews of Linux distros and other open source software.
Hi, nice and true review.My compliments for your observation how well work the earlier Jwm versions of DebianDog.I've started DebianDog project and worked on it several years. Unfortunately I made huge mistake to allow two people to work with me.
The same two people forced me to stop my work (at last in September 2016) and hijacked the DebianDog project.One important thing anyone using DebianDog or trying to get involved in the development should know - it includes many 'hidden bombs' in the form of scripts without license. I was forced to remove many contributed scripts with bugs fixed from myself because I don't have permissions to modify them.For reference:More.
Comments are closed.
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
March 2023
Categories |