Mepis 3.3 -Klik re-install each boot + 64 bit Real / Flash

[acesabe]

Nice work Probono - a very good way for neewbs and all to try out the software available without installing via apt, then forgetting whats installed, what the program was called and generally making mess! Found lost of good apps via Klik - then discovered them already installed or available for install via apt - i havn't found a good database/web catalog of the apps each distro offers -this is an invaluable resource-especially for new linux users/users who believe that computers are here to make life easier!

2 QUESTIONS....

1- Mepis still wipes out/forgets the Klik client each re-boot - couldn't find a solution anywhere yet. And whats with all the mounted devices that appear on the desktop (from fstab) when the client is installed - is this necessary?

:and of possibly more importance to 64 bit users:

2-As a x86-64 bit user -testing out all the latest distros, the only thing holding many of us back(from 'turning pure 64') is the lack of Real and Flash players in 64 bit - i did get Kilk working under Kanotix 64 (live) with a few problems (-can't recall what right now - will post when i try again), and i had Wine running: it is possible to get Firefox from the dusty Windows partition (if you have such a thing!) running in 32 bit WITH FLASH/REAL PLAYER WORKING?

Is Klik 32 / 64 bit in-different?

Can Klik launch Firefox 32 bit (linux) with Flash/Real working from 64 bit OS base?(and so avoid using tricky 'chroot' environments)

Questions, questions!! (i know there are more than 2) - but if this can work it will be a MAJOR hurdle cleared for all who intend on moving to 64 bit - especially if it means that effectively ALL software apps (including M$) could be available under 64 bit!!!

Cheers,
Andy.

Granada, ES

Acer Aspire 1510 (64 bit laptop)
Mepis 3.3.1 (for now...)
>>>>>> They say if you play a Microsoft CD backwards you hear satanic messages.

--That's nothing. If you play it forwards, it installs Windows!! >>>>>

[probono]

As for re-installing klik after each reboot, Kanotix has klik preinstalled and thus doesn't need re-installing the client each time. One workaround for Mepis would be to save Mepis configuration (but I don't know how that works). Better yet, Mepis could include the klik client into their distribution.

As for 64 bit, I have no idea since I don't have a 64 bit machine.

Greetings,
probono

[bfree]

As for 64 bit, I have no idea since I don't have a 64 bit machine.

I do, and your post has given me an idea ... I want to describe it here to get some feedback and see if anyone can point out why it may be crazy or pointless.

The idea is to change the klik client (or write another one) to have a secondary form of behaviour, one where it downloads and builds the packages against a chroot and uses the same chroot to run it.

So the klik script itself (when in chroot mode) would do (this is very pseudo code, won't run anywhere, just laying out the idea):

include klik-common
PROG=shift
TIME=$(date)
&setup_chroot
chroot /chroot
su - knoppix
# we need to connect up X?
~/.klik $PROG
exit
exit
remove_chroot

And then the AppRun would do:

include klik-common
TIME=$(date)
PROG=$0
&setup_chroot
chroot /chroot
su - knoppix
# X again?
~/.zAppRun @_
exit
exit
remove_chroot

And finally the klik-common would have:

sub setup_chroot {
  touch ~/.klik/chroot.lock/$PROG.$TIME
  if not -e /mnt/chroot/home {
    mount chroot
    mount Desktop /chroot/home/knoppix/Desktop
    mount proc etc
  }
}

sub remove_chroot {
  rm ~/.klik/chroot.lock/$PROG.$TIME
  if (ls ~/.klik/chroot.lock/ | wc | grep 0 0 0){
    umount proc
    umount /chroot/home/knoppix/Desktop
    umount 
  }
}

This has lots of rough edges. I think a working prototype could be made around this idea, but for a releasable system it would need lots of design decisions.

My real idea is to use Kanotix 32bit as a chroot for a Kanotix 64bit.

I suspect though that this could work to allow you to use klik on any 32bit OS either though, by effectivly providing it's own base system. There may be scope for creating a custom chroot image just for klik, stripping all the hardware and kernel packages for example to get it down to a much more managable size.

Extending it to run on emulated machines could also be possible to let PPC users run x86 programs, but that is a stage nastier again. The aim though is for the one klik.cmg to be runable on a normal 32bit and then if you take it to a 64bit box with a suitable chroot it will run there also just as simply.

This doesn't proclude klik producing pure amd64 programs, but there could still (for a while yet) be a call for running 32bit programs on a 64 bit box, and I for one like the idea of doing it a super easy way!

So what do people think?