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utu
02-28-2011, 04:02 AM
Klaus Knopper will introduce Knoppix 6.5
at CeBIT in Hanover on March 1st, with
'exlusive' CDs and DVDs to accompany an
upcoming issue of Linux Magazine.
Free installs to visitors' own flash disks at the hall.

See http://www.knoppix.org/ for meager details.

utu
03-03-2011, 04:48 AM
For those who can read German, here's some more detail (I hope):

http://www.linux-magazin.de/Heft-Abo/Ausgaben/2011/04/Knoppix-6.5

It would be nice if someone would give us an English replay of this.

klaus2008
03-03-2011, 09:54 AM
Hi utu!

It's a long article... The short version is:

Knoppix 6.5 comes with a 64bit kernel in addition to the usual one with 32 bits. If you like to use the new kernel you must enter knoppix64 instead of knoppix at the boot prompt. Some kernel modules are not available if you use the 64 bits kernel (e.g. broadcom-sta, psb).

If you have got an NVIDIA graphics adapter then Knoppix 6.5 will use the proprietary driver automatically. But the cheatcodes xmodule=nouveau and xmodule=vesa are still available for people with unsupported graphics adapters.

Flash content on web pages is supported by Adobe's Flash plugin.

Klaus Knopper describes the HD install procedure ("Auf Festplatte installieren"). You need about 15 GB free disk space and a 1 GB swap partition. There is also a description of the installation on Flash media ("Auf USB-Stick oder SD-Karte übertragen") using the tool flash-knoppix. You will need at least 200 MB free disk space if you like to use a persistent image. If you have less than 200 MB free disk space then the creation of a persistent store will be skipped.

You may update your Knoppix install or add more packages as usual ("Knoppix updaten").

There are new cheatcodes: nodrm and nofb.

Additions and corrections of this short version are always welcome. :)

utu
03-03-2011, 04:07 PM
Hi, yourself, Klaus.
We, the Deutsch nicht gesprechen, thank you.

utu
04-06-2011, 01:26 AM
Here is a video of a (mostly) English session at CeBIT.
Klaus demonstrates & answers questions about 6.5.

http://www.techcast.com/events/cebit11/do04/

kl522
04-06-2011, 02:13 AM
Here is a video of a (mostly) English session at CeBIT.
Klaus demonstrates & answers questions about 6.5.

http://www.techcast.com/events/cebit11/do04/

First time I see how he looks like. He speaks good english.

ruymbeke
04-06-2011, 08:14 AM
Hi Klaus,
Same here. This is a nice video / presentation.
I finally got my hands on your latest version of Knoppix 6.5 (a friend shipped me the Linux Magazine from UK)
and again you have done a fantastic and amazing job. Thank you very much for continuing the Knoppix development !
I now have a couple of questions and suggestions for improvements:
1) How do you compile and run 64 bits code ? (after using "knoppix64" as a boot parameter)
2) Could you please consider removing the legacy support in the the 64 bits kernel for speed improvement ?
3) Could you please compile the kernel to allow for more than 8 cloop files ?
4) Could you please compile the kernel to allow for more than 8 processor cores ? (the i7-980X has 12 and more are coming soon)
5) How to change (or restore) a soft link date/time ? (to create an exact replication of a file tree, cp, tar, rsync do not work, is this a bug ?)
6) Since the new forum have all the internal references (links) broken, is it possible to make a snapshot of the old forum for reference ?
When is the next public version of Knoppix available for download ? (not everybody have access to Linux Magazine)
If you are interested I have customized the init boot script and minirt.gz to add functionalities suh as:
boot from iso on hdd (for speed without adding a partition), pxe boot from iso on a samba or nfs share,
data persistence (delta only) stored in a partition,... cf: http://www.knoppix.net/forum/threads/11589-ISO-boot-from-FAT-NTFS-USB-%28GRUB.exe-grldr-from-boot.ini%29?p=123504&viewfull=1#post123504
How can I help you ? Thank you very much,
Gilles van Ruymbeke

utu
04-09-2011, 05:07 PM
@ Gilles

Klaus K has answered your original post at

http://old.nabble.com/Knoppix-6.5%3A-Thank-you-!-How-to-compile-run-64-bits-code---Improvement-suggestions.-td31284692.html

and he has some questions.

ruymbeke
04-11-2011, 10:14 AM
Hi Klaus,
Thanks a lot for your reply. Same here, I am also quite busy...;-)
Please find my responses in line: [GvR].
Best Regards,
Gilles

On Fri, Apr 8, 2011 at 2:16 PM, Klaus Knopper <debian-knoppix@knopper.net> wrote:
Hi Gilles,

Sorry about the late answer, well, you know me... ;-)

> 1) How do you compile and run 64 bits code ? (after using "knoppix64" as a boot parameter)


It does not matter whether you started with the 32bit or the 64bit
kernel. If you want to create 64bit executables on a 32bit host (binary)
system, you will be cross-compiling.

You need to install the 64bit GCC development libraries (be careful not
to overwrite your system libs, though), and set -m64 for gcc
additionally to LD_LIBRARY_PATH for the 64-bit libs.
[GvR] Thanks for the tip, I will give it a try. (I am used to cross-compile for ARM using CodeSourcery)
I just thought that a 64bit host was required to compile for 64 bits binaries.
Btw, Knoppix dual boot with both a true 32bits and true 64bits system would be just fantastic !


> 2) Could you please consider removing the legacy support
> in the the 64 bits kernel for speed improvement ?


Do you mean 32-bit support for the 64 bit kernel? But then, Knoppix will
no longer run, since all the programs are still 32bit. I cannot install
both a 32bit and a 64bit system in parallel.

Is there really a noticeable difference in speed if "legacy support" is
enabled?
[GvR] Ok I understand, please forget it.


> 3) Could you please compile the kernel to allow for more than 8 cloop files ?


How many do you need?
[GvR] Unless there is a kernel memory issue it would be desirable to have 32 cloops.
I use a lot of them to patch at boot time your great DVD and add extra features as:
ARM cross-compile, Coverity, Zenoss, VmWare workstation & tools and other proprietary softwares.


> 4) Could you please compile the kernel to allow for more than 8 processor cores ?
> (the i7-980X has 12 and more are coming soon)


I'm not sure if this would not cost additional memory and resources if
there are LESS than the specified cores. The kernels documentation
suggests that adding support for mode CPUs will increase the kernels
memory consumption somewhat.

What's you proposal for the right maximum cpu core value? 32, or rather 16?
[GvR] It looks like that 32 processors/cores should be enough to cover for the next two years
as 24 cores are already in the pipe of some vendors for this year. If you have such a system
and use the 64bits kernel most likely the memory (including the cache) should not be a problem.


> 5) How to change (or restore) a soft link date/time ?
> (to create an exact replication of a file tree, cp, tar, rsync do not work, is this a bug ?)


knopper@eeepc:~$ ln -s 1 2
knopper@eeepc:~$ ls -l 2
lrwxrwxrwx 1 knopper users 1 8. Apr 23:09 2 -> 1
knopper@eeepc:~$ cp -a 2 3
knopper@eeepc:~$ ls -l 2 3
lrwxrwxrwx 1 knopper users 1 8. Apr 23:09 2 -> 1
lrwxrwxrwx 1 knopper users 1 8. Apr 23:09 3 -> 1

Apparently, cp -a DOES copy the symlinks date/time correctly.

Can you give me an example where cp -a did not work?
[GvR] I have a different result (assuming you wait long enough to have a minute change between the commands):
This is a problem when using rsync update after tar (backup recovery) as the recovered links are always newer than the original !
# touch 1
# ls -l 1
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 Apr 11 01:29 1
(wait until next minute)
# ln -s 1 2
# ls -l 1 2
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 Apr 11 01:29 1
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 1 Apr 11 01:30 2 -> 1
(wait until next minute)
# cp -a 2 3
# ls -l 1 2 3
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 Apr 11 01:29 1
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 1 Apr 11 01:30 2 -> 1
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 1 Apr 11 01:31 3 -> 1

[GvR] 6) Since the new forum have all the internal references (links) broken,
is it possible to make a snapshot of the old forum so it can be used for reference ?

[GvR] 7) I did find some new problems with the AUFS (which I did not have with UNIONFS):
When adding a ramdisk as the last layer to an existing AUFS stack of cloops & ramdisk
(to get the deltas in the new Ramdisk as an example, as the process to create a new cloop)
the new data is still partially copied into the first Ramdisk (and not in the last Ramdisk layer as it should)
Setting the first Ramdisk as read-only force AUFS to write all the new data into the new Ramdisk
but this (setting the first Ramdisk to read-only) does not work during the Knoppix boot process.
This is not an issue of running it as an other process as all the command are run from init (process id 1)
Any suggestion ? Do you experience the same issue ?




> When is the next
> version available for download ? (not everybody have access to Linux
> Magazine)


I know... :-(

As always, I will need some time to evaluate feedback from 6.5, add some
changes (including some of your proposals), and prepare the CD version
as well. So, probably not before May.

> If you are interested I have customized the init boot script and
> minirt.gz to add functionalities suh as: boot from iso on hdd (for speed),
> pxe boot from iso on a samba or nfs share, data persistence stored in a
> partition,...


Great! Please send me your script and let me know if I can use it in
parts or in total under the conditions of the GPL V2.
[GvR] Please find all the data in the Knoppix Forum and as far as I know all of it could be used as GPL V2.
(The data is either coming from your Knoppix DVD or scripts I created or modified from your DVD.


Regards
-Klaus
[GvR] Please let me know how I can help. Best Regards,
Gilles

utu
04-11-2011, 03:05 PM
@ gilles

I am sorry if I have confused things here.

Old Nabble may only be some kind of mirror of debian-knoppix,
but Klaus K may not even be aware of it.

This forum, knoppix.net, is also one Klaus K may not follow;
I can't recall any recent posts of his here.

I think you should probably continue your initial dialog with Klaus K on
http://osdir.com/ml/debian-knoppix/2011-04/msg00000.html

ruymbeke
04-12-2011, 03:46 AM
Hi Utu,
I did send the exact same post in the Knoppix Debian mailing list.
I just thought that some of the answers provided by Klaus may
already be of some interest for other forum users.
Best Regards,
Gilles

utu
04-12-2011, 04:02 AM
Hi, Gilles.

I saw your note on the Debian-knoppix site today.
Thanks for sharing your news with us.
And thanks for whatever help you can provide to Klaus K.

jacksbutler
05-22-2011, 12:24 PM
Hi there, using 6.4.4 and working well, but just wondering when we can expect 6.5 to be available? Thanks a lot.

utu
05-22-2011, 01:41 PM
@ jacksbutler

Klaus K indicated about a month ago in a note to ruymbeke that
there'd be a Knoppix 6.5, other than the CeBIT version,
possibly in May. Not a word since then I'm aware of.

Capricorny
05-27-2011, 01:15 PM
I hope the weird kworker issue that keeps cropping up in 6.4.4 (kernel 2.6.37, see, for example https://lkml.org/lkml/2011/3/30/836) will be fixed in the next release.

Running 64 bits Knoppix, the bug is not completely destructive, though: 94% of one core is occupied with this futile activity, but the other 3 intel i7 cores seem relatively unaffected - I'm running vmware workstation with two virtual machines, and R with multiple regression on 1000000 records, and all goes fairly well. But it sure kills the laptop battery fairly quickly.

utu
05-27-2011, 01:42 PM
@capricorny

I'm not using 64-bit kernel, but I do have a weird 'cpu-run-away'
that occurs 'sometimes' after closing a LibreOffice spreadsheet
operation. I also have Intel graphics and 64-bit cpus. I've never
figured out exactly what the conditions are that trigger the event.