Easy Devuan J720 install from disk image!!

HI All!

FYI a new "Getting Started" readme.txt file added to hosted downloads to get you going. It's involved and requires some "gamesmanship" getting there... well worth it IMO.

I'm new to IceWM... many thanks to ArchiMark for introducing it... he is much more knowledgeable. It is superb! Themes found here: https://www.box-look.org/browse?cat=142&page=13&ord=latest

Feedback and donations to HPCFactor welcomed! Enjoy.

Joval

Edited by joval 2021-08-16 4:22 PM

This morning I tried burning the 32Gb image to your 32Gb Sd card you sent me.... and Win32Imager sent alert that image was too big for the card!. So I am creating a new 32Gb image (using your card)... which I hope to ship off to you today with extras (will PM).

OK, I finally see the dilemma after looking at Stefan's web page on the memory 128 upgrade: It requires a different Bootloader because it changes the location of the kernel in DRAM memory. I am including that bootloader named 128jlinexe.exe along with the regular one I named A-jlinexe.exe (to locate it easily on storage card). When you burn my images to SD Card, you need to copy his 128 bootloader to the fat partition and start Devuan by clicking on it, (not the A-jlinexe one)!

Interesting, the 128 bootloader will boot into Devuan on my J720 64Mb... but startx fails as you noted with your bootstrap version. Suggest you boot my images using the 128m bootloader... might actually work!

All the best,

Joval

Thanks, Joval,

I've been using Stefan's bootloader file recently per your reminder a few days ago.....

Just tried using your new 64GB image on a 64GB SanDisk CF card....no go....

Just tried using your new 16GB image on a 16GB SanDisk SD card.....boots up OK.....but get error message when it tries open up X.....

 
waiting for X server to begin accepting connections. (EE) 

Fatal server errror: 

 

(EE) Could not create lock file in /tmp/.tX0-lock 

(EE) 

. (EE) 

Please consult the The X.org Foundation support 

    at http://wiki.x.org 

for help. 

(EE) 

 

xinit: giving up 

xinit: unable to connect to X server: Bad file descriptor 

xinit: server error 

xauth: error in locking authority file /home/user/.Xauthority 

 

Think this means that Xauthority does not have the right file permissions set.....

I've shutdown and will try again.....if problem reoccurs, I will try to reset permissions and retry......




Mark

OK, some good news!

Rebooted and this time, X opened and saw IceWM!

So, inserted Ambicom wifi card and tried connman again.....

Good news is that after several tries, I saw that it found the 3 networks at my workplace.....one being the guest network.....

Bad news, is that as before, I get error message when trying to connect:

 
Error /net/connman/service/wifi_00107........_managed_none: 

Method "Connect" with signature "" on interface 'net.connman.Service" doesn't exist 

 

Dang!

Wonder if this problem relates to guest network using captive portal, redirect to a webpage where you have to click on button on page to connect online.

Usually on other devices, first I connect to the network and then open browser to get to the webpage to connect online.....

So, was hoping that would be case here....first use connman and then open Netsurf to get to the webpage.....

Mark


Edited by ArchiMark 2021-08-16 11:16 PM

Mark,

Great news! I remember seeing that X error months ago about X-authority... at least you figured it out! It's one reason I wanted to simplify to disk imaging. Was such a battle back then and I was forever in the dark.

So the 16Gb card and image finally did it! Not that I didn't give you enough images !! IceWm ... what a beauty vs fluxbox. (Yeah, I never tested the 64Gb image... may be faulty... will investigate).

ok, connman is "presently" quirky... try disable wifi then enable wifi, try agent on then agent off then agent on again. then quit connman and restart connman. I haven't figured it out reliably myself. Ethernet card always works, is given priority, so give it a try at home with your router... should see time auto update. Connman has configuration file in var/connman I think, there is a wiki on commands, needs some study... later.

I think you are approaching success... AmbiWL54 however is very slow and only lynx text browser is feasible ( connman, lynx and mc (midnight commander file manager) can be run without startx/X BTW. Have a netgear MA401 or Linksys WPC11 firmware ver 1.8? Gives you WPA fast for ssh and Xforwarding, VNC etc.

I laugh, finally happens when I am sending a truckload of goodies, including new innards for the little beastie... the fear of Godly retribution???

Sacre Bleu!

joval

Edited by joval 2021-08-16 11:59 PM

YaaHooo. Happy, and relieved, for you... hombre!

Should connect first... especially if no encryption... after that then comes redirect to captive portal (only if connected first) AFAIK. Keep trying, sometimes first few tries don't work, IMO. You know if it can scan wifi and show SSID's it's basically working... handshake or encryption issues. I went through that too, somehow it finally connected after various antics mentioned above.

Joval

Edited by joval 2021-08-17 12:03 AM

Mark,

Was your success with the 128M Bootloader or stock 32/64 Bootloader??? What was your mem= setting? Battery power or AC or both? Thanks in advance!

I'm definitely recommending you give the electrical contact enhancing "syrup" a try on things.

Hey, I never lost faith in you, buddy! Congrats again!

Joval

ADDENDUM: I uploaded a new 32Gb image I think will work for you as well, should you be willing to give it a try.

Edited by joval 2021-08-17 12:55 AM

Thanks, Joval!

Have now tried what you suggest regarding connman multiple times, but so far no connect....

Will see what happens tonight at home network....

Yes, have used my ol' Linksys ethernet successfully....no issues other than it's pretty slow, but always works...

Only using Stefan's 128M bootloader...and edited PARAMS.txt to 128M.....

I always use AC power for Devuan....

Thanks again,

Mark

Tried connecting to my home network last evening and this morning.

Entered my passphrase, but it won't connect.....tried multiple times. And doublechecked that I entered correct passphrase.....

Dang!




Mark

Nope....

I got a Cisco Aironet 350 a while back as I thought ntware had been able to connect to WPA network with it. Turns out that was incorrect.

Do you think Netgear or Linksys performs better than the Ambicom card?

If so, which one would you suggest getting?

Best,

Mark

Hi Mark!

FYI, I am able to run my J720/Devuan with my MA401 or WPC11 In WPA wifi mode for about 2 hours on standard battery, surfing net, reading/posting emails, with some youtube videos via ssh/X-forwarding into my $30 RasPi 3B+ (which runs at least 4 hours on a cell phone backup battery (4000 ma).

I favor the Linksys WPC11 over MA401...seems better built. I needed to upgrade to firmware 1.8, easy to do if you have an old laptop say XP with a pcmcia slot. Happy to do it for you if needed. Caution: never flash primary firmware alone (they are the pxxxxxx files )or you brick it. Just flash the saxxxxx file. I have it all figured out and can send you the hex file needed.

Yes, connman is not behaving so well for me either... I've used several wifi cards and they seem to be causing conflicts ...check out the /var/lib/connman directory and you will see wifi entries. Anyway, I am hoping to figure connman out... when it works it is great WPA and autoconnects on boot. We'll get there. I'm a learning.

Why is your ethernet not connecting to your router... it doesn't need passphrase and it doesn't require connman, it should just connect when plugged in and cabled to router. What type is it?

Was a long busy yet entertaining day at the office... good folks.

Have a good one,

Joval

Thanks for all the info, Joval.

No issue with my old ethernet PC card....just slow that's all.

Might pick up a Linksys wifi card...



Mark

Mark,

Netgear MA401 is a good card too... really about the same.

Just got 2 hours use with WPA wifi from standard J720 battery.

I have an earlier image of Devuan-IceWM and connman is working great... connects with all my cards. So maybe drivers were corrupted/ or config changed in latest images... will investigate.

So.... BLM!!! Boot Loaders Matter per your experience!!

later alligator,

joval from his J720/DevuanIceWM/WPA/RasPi/Firefox symbiosis

Marcus So-Real-Is (appealing to your Roaming ancestry, wifi antiquity)

FYI, connman has a wifi configuration file : /var/lib/connman/settings wherein you set up "services" including ethernet and wifi. Includes entries for SSID Name, passphrase, MAC of wifi card, Security type, etc.

Once you "nano into settings" and add your wifi card details, it auto connects on reboot!!! I'm in the process of testing things... connected quickly, looking good.

I will share the details / code once I finish setting up several different wifi cards... looks like we have the fix!

(Hmmm... wondering if I will ever get Stingraze to teach me a little Japanese, ?Haiku or What is the sound of one hand coding)?

Me divertido mucho,

Juan Pablo

otra vez en mi J720/Devuan-IceWM/WPA/Raspi/Firefox juntos!

Edited by joval 2021-08-19 12:48 AM

Salve Jovalius,

Gratias ago tibi, quia bonum nuntium.

Well, hopefully, that will help with connman....

You try installing cmst, the GUI front-end for connman.....makes it much nicer to use.

Deinceps et sursum.

Marcus Jornadus