MX-18 beta 1 feedback

[Hierax_ca]

Yeah, I hear you, the Thinkpad 600x, being a turn of the millennium machine, is right on the edge. AntiX 17.2.1 Core Buster is probably the sweet spot where I'll use it most, but still good to push things and see just how old of a computer MX-18 can handle when figuring out the minimum system requirements, 18-20 years is a bit of a "stretch"

Moving up from 576MB of RAM to 2GB, and from a 500-850MHz P3 CPU to a 2GHz P4, shows a marked difference in ancient usefulness of a 600x vs. an A31p, those few years of difference are telling.

[Hierax_ca]

There is an xserver-xorg-video-neomagic video driver in Synaptic, but maybe it's not for your chipset, or else you need to specify it in an xorg.conf type file if you have it installed and it's still using the vesa driver.

I tried installing (and uninstalling and reinstalling) the neomagic driver but it didn't get it going right, so I'll play with it more and see if I can figure that out in the xorg.conf for Beta2 or RC1 or whatever is next...

[Hierax_ca]

Thinkpad x301 (2009):

Optical Drive Issue persists (going back to at least MX-15b2 (https://mxlinux.org/forum/viewtopic.php ... 4b#p374032)):

starts to boot off of live DVD but then:

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Fatal Error
Could not find file antiX/linuxfs
Searched devices: /dev/sr0
Searched types: usb,cd
All block devices: /dev/sro /dev/sda2 /dev/sda1 /dev/sda
Please contact BitJam at https://mxlinux.org

BitJam, looks like the same issue as with 15.x, 16.x, and 17.x. Probably nothing can be done that we didn't try before but just noting it here in case anything new has come up.

FWIW, I've come to terms with using an extra HDD or extra battery in the ultrabay with MX to get around this issue, so no big deal for me but I'll keep trying with every major update, just in case. Revisit this again with antiX-19 Buster...

Extra info:
sudo lshw

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...
        *-cdrom
             description: DVD-RAM writer
             product: DVD-RAM UJ-844
             vendor: MATSHITA
             physical id: 0.0.0
             bus info: scsi@3:0.0.0
             logical name: /dev/cdrom
             logical name: /dev/cdrw
             logical name: /dev/dvd
             logical name: /dev/dvdrw
             logical name: /dev/sr0
             version: RC05
             capabilities: removable audio cd-r cd-rw dvd dvd-r dvd-ram
             configuration: ansiversion=5 status=open

Besides Optical issues, boots fine and installs from USB:

sudo inxi -v8 -z

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System:    Host: Thinkpad-x301-Linux-MX18b1 Kernel: 4.19.0-1-amd64 x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 6.3.0 
           Desktop: Xfce 4.12.3 tk: Gtk 2.24.31 info: xfce4-panel wm: xfwm4 dm: LightDM 1.18.3 
           Distro: MX-18b1_x64 Continuum December 3  2018 base: Debian GNU/Linux 9 (stretch) 
Machine:   Type: Laptop System: LENOVO product: 277633U v: ThinkPad X301 serial: <filter> Chassis: type: 10 
           serial: N/A 
           Mobo: LENOVO model: 277633U serial: <filter> BIOS: LENOVO v: 6EET47WW (3.07 ) date: 10/13/2009 
Battery:   ID-1: BAT0 charge: 23.4 Wh condition: 24.0/43.2 Wh (55%) volts: 12.6/10.8 model: SANYO 42T4643 
           type: Li-ion serial: <filter> status: Charging 
Memory:    RAM: total: 7.69 GiB used: 434.4 MiB (5.5%) 
           Array-1: capacity: 8 GiB note: est. slots: 2 EC: None max module size: 4 GiB 
           Device-1: DIMM 1 size: 4 GiB info: double-bank speed: 800 MHz type: DDR3 detail: synchronous 
           bus width: 64 bits total: 64 bits manufacturer: 859B part-no: CT51264BF160B.C16F serial: <filter> 
           Device-2: DIMM 2 size: 4 GiB info: double-bank speed: 800 MHz type: DDR3 detail: synchronous 
           bus width: 64 bits total: 64 bits manufacturer: 859B part-no: CT51264BF160B.C16F serial: <filter> 
PCI Slots: Slot: Adapter 1, Socket 0 type: 32-bit PC Card (PCMCIA) CardBus Slot 1 status: Available 
           length: Other 
CPU:       Topology: Dual Core model: Intel Core2 Duo U9600 bits: 64 type: MCP arch: Penryn family: 6 
           model-id: 17 (23) stepping: A (10) microcode: A0B L1 cache: 128 KiB L2 cache: 3072 KiB 
           bogomips: 6383 
           Speed: 923 MHz min/max: 800/1601 MHz boost: enabled Core speeds (MHz): 1: 798 2: 798 
           Flags: acpi aperfmperf apic arch_perfmon bts clflush cmov constant_tsc cpuid cx16 cx8 de ds_cpl 
           dtes64 dtherm dts est flexpriority fpu fxsr ht ida lahf_lm lm mca mce mmx monitor msr mtrr nopl nx 
           pae pat pbe pdcm pebs pge pni pse pse36 pti sep smx ss sse sse2 sse4_1 ssse3 syscall tm tm2 
           tpr_shadow tsc vme vmx vnmi xsave xtpr 
           Vulnerabilities: Type: l1tf mitigation: PTE Inversion 
           Type: meltdown mitigation: PTI 
           Type: spec_store_bypass status: Vulnerable 
           Type: spectre_v1 mitigation: __user pointer sanitization 
           Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: Full generic retpoline 
Graphics:  Device-1: Intel Mobile 4 Series Integrated Graphics vendor: Lenovo driver: i915 v: kernel 
           bus ID: 00:02.0 chip ID: 8086:2a42 
           Display: server: X.Org 1.19.2 driver: intel resolution: 1440x900~60Hz 
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Mobile Intel GM45 Express v: 2.1 Mesa 18.2.6 direct render: Yes 
Audio:     Device-1: Intel 82801I HD Audio vendor: Lenovo driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1b.0 
           chip ID: 8086:293e 
           Sound Server: ALSA v: k4.19.0-1-amd64 
Network:   Device-1: Intel 82567LM Gigabit Network vendor: Lenovo driver: e1000e v: 3.2.6-k port: 1840 
           bus ID: 00:19.0 chip ID: 8086:10f5 
           IF: eth0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter> 
           IP v4: <filter> type: dynamic scope: global broadcast: <filter> 
           IP v6: <filter> type: dynamic scope: global 
           IP v6: <filter> type: noprefixroute dynamic scope: global 
           IP v6: <filter> scope: link 
           Device-2: Intel PRO/Wireless 5100 AGN [Shiloh] Network driver: iwlwifi v: kernel port: 1c60 
           bus ID: 03:00.0 chip ID: 8086:4237 
           IF: wlan0 state: down mac: <filter> 
           WAN IP: No WAN IP data found. Connected to the web? SSL issues? 
Drives:    Local Storage: total: 261.53 GiB used: 4.80 GiB (1.8%) 
           ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Crucial model: CT250MX200SSD3 size: 232.89 GiB block size: physical: 4096 B 
           logical: 512 B speed: 3.0 Gb/s serial: <filter> rev: MU02 temp: 36 C scheme: MBR 
           ID-2: /dev/sdb type: USB vendor: SanDisk model: Ultra Fit size: 28.64 GiB block size: 
           physical: 512 B logical: 512 B serial: <filter> rev: 1.00 scheme: MBR 
           Optical-1: /dev/sr0 vendor: MATSHITA model: DVD-RAM UJ-844 rev: RC05 dev-links: cdrom,cdrw,dvd,dvdrw 
           Features: speed: 24 multisession: yes audio: yes dvd: yes rw: cd-r,cd-rw,dvd-r,dvd-ram 
           state: running 
RAID:      Message: No RAID data was found. 
Partition: ID-1: / raw size: 224.88 GiB size: 220.35 GiB (97.99%) used: 4.80 GiB (2.2%) fs: ext4 
           block size: 4096 B dev: /dev/sda1 label: rootMX18 uuid: ad9c9104-ce3f-4315-8cd3-42fa32ce780d 
           ID-2: swap-1 size: 8.00 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) fs: swap swappiness: 60 (default) 
           cache pressure: 100 (default) dev: /dev/sda2 label: SWAP uuid: bba2d4ab-2858-49e6-9427-1ecd6286f177 
Unmounted: ID-1: /dev/sdb1 size: 28.64 GiB fs: vfat label: N/A uuid: 1059-467C 
USB:       Hub: 1-0:1 info: Full speed (or root) Hub ports: 2 rev: 1.1 speed: 12 Mb/s chip ID: 1d6b:0001 
           Device-1: 1-2:2 info: AuthenTec AES2810 type: <vendor specific> driver: N/A interfaces: 1 rev: 2.0 
           speed: 12 Mb/s chip ID: 08ff:2810 
           Hub: 2-0:1 info: Full speed (or root) Hub ports: 6 rev: 2.0 speed: 480 Mb/s chip ID: 1d6b:0002 
           Device-2: 2-6:4 info: Lenovo UVC Camera type: Video driver: uvcvideo interfaces: 2 rev: 2.0 
           speed: 480 Mb/s chip ID: 17ef:4807 
           Hub: 3-0:1 info: Full speed (or root) Hub ports: 2 rev: 1.1 speed: 12 Mb/s chip ID: 1d6b:0001 
           Device-3: 3-2:2 info: Broadcom BCM2045B (BDC-2.1) [Bluetooth Controller] type: Bluetooth 
           driver: btusb interfaces: 4 rev: 2.0 speed: 12 Mb/s chip ID: 0a5c:2145 
           Hub: 4-0:1 info: Full speed (or root) Hub ports: 6 rev: 2.0 speed: 480 Mb/s chip ID: 1d6b:0002 
           Device-4: 4-2:2 info: SanDisk type: Mass Storage driver: usb-storage interfaces: 1 rev: 2.1 
           speed: 480 Mb/s chip ID: 0781:5583 serial: <filter> 
           Hub: 5-0:1 info: Full speed (or root) Hub ports: 2 rev: 1.1 speed: 12 Mb/s chip ID: 1d6b:0001 
           Hub: 6-0:1 info: Full speed (or root) Hub ports: 2 rev: 1.1 speed: 12 Mb/s chip ID: 1d6b:0001 
           Hub: 7-0:1 info: Full speed (or root) Hub ports: 2 rev: 1.1 speed: 12 Mb/s chip ID: 1d6b:0001 
           Hub: 8-0:1 info: Full speed (or root) Hub ports: 2 rev: 1.1 speed: 12 Mb/s chip ID: 1d6b:0001 
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 43.0 C mobo: 43.0 C 
           Fan Speeds (RPM): cpu: 4942 
Repos:     Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/antix.list 
           1: deb http://iso.mxrepo.com/antix/stretch stretch main
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian-stable-updates.list 
           1: deb http://ftp.ca.debian.org/debian/ stretch-updates main contrib non-free
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.list 
           1: deb http://ftp.ca.debian.org/debian/ stretch main contrib non-free
           2: deb http://security.debian.org/ stretch/updates main contrib non-free
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mx.list 
           1: deb http://iso.mxrepo.com/mx/repo/ stretch main non-free
           No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/various.list 
Processes: CPU top: 5 
           1: cpu: 4.4% command: blueman-applet started by: python3 pid: 3320 mem: 56.8 MiB (0.7%) 
           2: cpu: 4.3% command: xfwm4 pid: 3296 mem: 22.0 MiB (0.2%) 
           3: cpu: 4.3% command: nm-applet pid: 3343 mem: 42.0 MiB (0.5%) 
           4: cpu: 4.0% command: yad pid: 3377 mem: 37.2 MiB (0.4%) 
           5: cpu: 3.9% command: xfsettingsd pid: 3313 mem: 19.9 MiB (0.2%) 
           Memory top: 5 
           1: mem: 66.7 MiB (0.8%) command: apt-notifier.py started by: python pid: 3784 cpu: 0.9% 
           2: mem: 56.8 MiB (0.7%) command: blueman-applet started by: python3 pid: 3320 cpu: 4.4% 
           3: mem: 42.0 MiB (0.5%) command: nm-applet pid: 3343 cpu: 4.3% 
           4: mem: 40.2 MiB (0.5%) command: tumblerd pid: 3758 cpu: 0.8% 
           5: mem: 37.6 MiB (0.4%) command: xfce4-terminal pid: 3969 cpu: 1.0% 
Info:      Processes: 182 Uptime: 1m Init: SysVinit v: 2.88 runlevel: 5 default: 5 Compilers: gcc: 6.3.0 alt: 6 
           Shell: bash (sudo) v: 4.4.12 running in: xfce4-terminal inxi: 3.0.25

After installed to the SSD, checking the optical drive I get CD-Audio/music working correctly in vlc, clementine, audacious, and smplayer but DVD-video/movie failing in both vlc and smplayer.

[Gerson]

Every time I receive an update of MX 18 beta I have to fix the key deposit that is activated and is annoying, I have already put a solution but it is not definitive.

[fehlix]

Every time I receive an update of MX 18 beta I have to fix the key deposit that is activated and is annoying, I have already put a solution but it is not definitive.

The proposed solution you posted of using an empty password for the gnome-keyring is neither a solution nor anything we do recommend since we introduced automatically unlock of Gnome-keying using libpam during login.
Please read the Wiki entry about Gnome-keyring, how to setup this correctly. And please do update your published "insecure solution" accordingly .

[Gerson]

@fehlix
If Gnome-keyring is installed by default on MX Linux and used to manage security credentials, such as user names and passwords; So, why every time there is an update in MX 18 beta the type of problem reappears? Even if I set it up, (without the method I proposed) the annoying windows still appear and the only way to solve it partially is the method I suggested. I did not know he was insecure. This never happened to me in MX 17 and 17.1
Delete the existing keyrings folder: ~/.local/share/keyrings log out and back in.
I'll wait for a next update to see if it is solved.

[fehlix]

@fehlix
If Gnome-keyring is installed by default on MX Linux and used to manage security credentials, such as user names and passwords; So, why every time there is an update in MX 18 beta the type of problem reappears? Even if I set it up, (without the method I proposed) the annoying windows still appear and the only way to solve it partially is the method I suggested. I did not know he was insecure. This never happened to me in MX 17 and 17.1
Delete the existing keyrings folder: ~/.local/share/keyrings log out and back in.
I'll wait for a next update to see if it is solved.

If you have read the Gnome-keyring wiki entry, you would know how to check this:
Ok, just do this to check: Do remove all keyrings in ~/.local/share/keyrings.
Logout and login. Open password and keys and check whether you have a freshly new login-keyring created.
The login-keyring will be created by libpam.
If not, you either have not installed libpam-gnome-keyring, or something else is wrongly wonky .

[Gerson]

@fehlix
libpam-gnome-keyring is installed by default, I deleted the folder ~/.local/ share/keyrings and restarted, for now it does not ask me for keys or Chrome or Vivaldi. I did everything that is in the wiki (Gnome-keyring), hopefully it is resolved and do not change anything with an update of beta MX18

[davemx]

I installed it last night, on Desktop only. I'm using it now. So far the stuff I've done so far works, but GIMP 2.10 clashes with data files needed for MyPaint (no such problem with 2.8 and I hate the grey scheme but none of that is the fault of this excellent distro). Hopefully I'll be able to push a few things and test them over the next few days.

Can report now: Printing and Scanning working perfectly

To revert GIMP interface theme: https://www.daviesmediadesign.com/custo ... interface/

We have a tweaked version of MyPaint in the test repo that is compatible with GIMP 2.10, I'll ask Tim to move it to main.

You can switch back to the colorful icons for GIMP 2.10 somewhere in the settings, probably in Appearance or Interface. We should probably have that in a FAQ for MX 18.

Yes, GIMP 2.10 now usable! How do some programmers think it's easy to use dark grey backgrounds with slightly darker grey text is beyond me. Though I'm having problems getting it to respond to stylus pressure using my HUION tablet. On the testing version of MyPaint, the Stylus Pressure works just fine though. (Yep, no problems setting up Huion tablet in this version).

My Brother Printer/Scanner, HUION tablet, Facebook videos on Vivaldi, and using vdirsyncer to sync Orage with Google Calendar, work, and were set up, in exactly the same way as they did with 17.1. Everything seems to be working perfectly.

[rasat]

How do some programmers think it's easy to use dark grey backgrounds with slightly darker grey text is beyond me.

I agree. Change the theme in <Edit><Preferences><Interface><Theme>