Post by: Jerry on October 01, 2022, 01:24:50 AM
Linux Lite 6.2 RC1 is now available for testing.
This release is mostly comprised of UI adjustments and bug fixes. I really like this release, we have managed to improve upon 6.0 to really give it some polish. There are some details below, but all of the changes will be in the Release Announcement.
See below for details.
Linux Lite 6.2 Final will be released on 1st November, 2022.
(https://i.imgur.com/Jf0LRda.png)
Changes:
Lite Upgrade
Many re-writes to this application, just in time for the 6.2 release. A new end dialogue is included and we've integrated the newest, stable LibreOffice into the up-grader.
(https://i.imgur.com/NgChCgp.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/9TuehvY.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/e5PkmQq.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/i1OF198.png)
Updated Icons
The latest Papirus icon set has been included.
(https://i.imgur.com/LZAyBER.png)
Shotcut replaces Openshot in Lite Software
We researched a replacement for Openshot since it has been broken in Jammy for a long time now, we didn't want people to be left without a feature rich, simple to use video editor.
(https://i.imgur.com/OkGbvCT.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/c6AtYDT.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/uMhiZtM.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/GiraXLv.png)
Other Changes:
- Fixed dialogue lengths of many Linux Lite applications
- Fixed hostname bug in Lite Tweaks
- The Hardware Database now has over 75,000 submissions. 100k here we come! https://www.linuxliteos.com/hardware.php (https://www.linuxliteos.com/hardware.php)
- Fixed bug in Lite Sources not populating the codename
- Purging even more logs in Lite Tweaks, freeing up space
- Latest stable versions of Chrome, LibreOffice, Lite applications etc
- New wallpapers
- Task Manager (System Monitoring Center) right click now works everywhere, updated icon
- Microsoft Teams removed from Lite Software, no longer maintained by Microsoft, instead, they will offer a PWA version only for Linux. Ref. https://www.omglinux.com/the-official-microsoft-teams-app-for-linux-is-being-retired/ (https://www.omglinux.com/the-official-microsoft-teams-app-for-linux-is-being-retired/)
- Fixed Kernel Removal in Lite Tweaks
- Fixed application to handle directories, Catfish opening instead of Thunar in some instances
- Fixed ‘apt-key’ Deprecation warning on Ubuntu
- Minor additions to Lite Patch to deal with potential Update errors
Plus many other tweaks and changes.
Window Theme: Materia
Icon Theme: Papirus
Font: Roboto Regular
Thunderbird:
There seems to be a bit of interest in the new Thunderbird versions 100.x and higher. As such, I'm going to leave a quick how to if you no longer want to wait for the official version from the Ubuntu repositories. Disclaimer: You run this at your own risk, it has not been released through Ubuntu yet and therefore is not supported. If it fubars your system, Google is your friend. Impatience, can backfire.
Code: [Select]
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-mozilla-security/ppaCode: [Select]
sudo apt-get dist-upgradeHow do I know if my Windows PC has UEFI?
In Windows Search, type msinfo or msinfo32 and launch the desktop app named System Information. Look for the BIOS Mode item, and if the value for it is UEFI, then you have the UEFI firmware. If it says BIOS Mode Legacy, then that’s the firmware you’re running.
Secure Boot is supported, but unless you know exactly how to handle it, it is a P.I.T.A. at best so I am going to say...you must disable Secure Boot to enable stress free computing.
Some helpful snippets from the latest Help Manual:
(https://i.imgur.com/fSpldox.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/xtwAJVQ.png)
UEFI Support link - https://www.linuxliteos.com/forums/uefi-secure-boot/ (https://www.linuxliteos.com/forums/uefi-secure-boot/)
Details:
Kernel: 5.15.0-48 ( custom kernels also available via our Repository for versions 3.13 - 5.19 )
Chrome: 105.0
Thunderbird: 91.11.0
LibreOffice: 7.3.6.2
VLC: 3.0.16
Gimp: 2.10.30
Base: 22.04.1
Known Issues:
Eject Media prompt is only available at the end of the UEFI install.
Desktop icons - English support only.
Dropbox: if you get an error, run the set up twice.
There is NO Grub Edit in Lite Tweaks in this Series for Linux Lite due to an unsolvable issue. Ubuntu will show in the Grub menu if you are dual or more booting. Try Grub Customizer if it annoys you.
Grub menu shows Linux Lite as 'Ubuntu'. See below for more on this.
- Open /etc/default/grub as Administrator.
- Comment out: GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian` and leave GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR='Linux Lite' uncommented.
- Should look like:
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR='Linux Lite'
#GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
- sudo update-grub
Grub - press the ESC key whilst booting in UEFI mode after your BIOS has posted. Use the SHIFT key if running Linux Lite in Legacy mode.
Help Manual will be updated in the Final.
OEM Install option - is broken and crashes near the end of the install. If a fix can't be found, it will be excluded from each release until a solution if found.
You tell me.
There is no upgrade to or from RC releases. RC releases are for testing only and it is not recommended to run them as your main or secondary operating system.
Downloads:
HTTPS:
Download 64bit from here - Linux Lite 6.2 RC1 64bit (https://osdn.net/dl/linuxlite/linux-lite-6.2-rc1-64bit.iso)
MD5SUM: e9625cdf9008a518335e1e7be0fee3ac
SHA256: 4880f17af5b193cdf5480b95722c465af6ca80e6289c968ebb534ec7adc66846
Size: 2.2Gb (DVD, USB)
Checking the MD5SUM and SHA256 of the Linux Lite ISO:
MD5SUM
Open a Terminal on Linux Lite and do:
Code: [Select]
md5sum linux-lite-6.2-rc1-64bit.isoSHA256
Open a Terminal on Linux Lite and do:
Code: [Select]
sha256sum linux-lite-6.2-rc1-64bit.isoTORRENT: (Fastest way to download the RC)
64bit Torrent from here - linux-lite-6.2-rc1-64bit.iso.torrent (https://osdn.net/projects/linuxlite/storage/6.2/rc1/linux-lite-6.2-rc1-64bit.iso.torrent)
Hash: b9a635da5c3b682ba56dccdf839a2b4b63cb6d3f
Size: 2.2Gb (DVD, USB)
Live USB/DVD/VirtualBox/Vmware:
Login is automatic, no credentials are required. The image can be written to a 4gb or larger USB stick, or a writable DVD. Alternatively, you can use the dd command: sudo dd if=linux-lite-6.2-rc1-64bit.iso of=/dev/sdx bs=4M where 'x' is the letter of your usb stick. In linux to find out the letter of your usb stick, open a terminal and type: df -h It is usually listed as 'media' or similar. Please see the built in Help Manual if you require a more detailed explanation of this procedure.
A good, simple point and click USB ISO burner is https://www.balena.io/etcher/ (https://www.balena.io/etcher/) or https://rufus.ie/ (https://rufus.ie/)
In our testing, Etcher and Rufus (for Windows only) have proven to be the most reliable. Etcher is available for Mac, Windows & Linux.
If the screen locks during Live mode, type linux into the user box and click on the Login button (no password required)
Minimum Recommended Specs:
1Ghz processor
768mb ram
8gb HDD/SD
VGA screen capable of 1024x768 resolution
DVD drive or USB port for the ISO image
Preferred Specs:
1.5GHz processor+
1024mb ram+
20gb HDD/SSD+
VGA, DVI or HDMI screen capable of 1366x768 resolution+
DVD drive or USB port for the ISO image
Login to the live desktop is automatic.
The first thing you MUST do after a fresh install of Linux Lite is run Menu, Favorites, Install Updates.
As this is a RC release, there are bound to be bugs etc. Please help make the final stable for other people by participating in this RC. Please report any bugs and feedback in this thread.
Thank you
Jerry and the team.
Post by: Şerban S. on October 01, 2022, 11:29:27 AM
Release Announcement
[...] Linux Lite 6.2 RC1 is now available for testing. [...]
Shotcut replaces Openshot in Lite Software
We researched a replacement for Openshot since it has been broken in Jammy for a long time now, we didn't want people to be left without a feature rich, simple to use video editor. [...]
1. Thanks for the RC! !!! :)
2. OpenShot malfunctioning.
First of all, the available version through the official releases channel is very old (2.4.3). Might work bad since many things have changed since the previous Linux Lite versions.
I use the OpenShot 2.6.1-dev version and it works fine. I make all my video courses using OpenShot, for 2 1/2 years already and except for some glithces that can be avoided using the AppImage version, everything is OK.
The AppImage version I use when something goes sideways, is 2.6.1. If this breakes too, I use "OpenShot-v2.4.3-x86_64.AppImage". It is far less comfortable to use than the current one (OpenShot-v2.6.1-x86_64-19-02-2022.AppImage), but it works. I've been using it on Linux Lite 5.x, then tested it under LL 6.0.
Here is the PPA I use:
Code: [Select]
https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/openshot.developers/libopenshot-daily/ubuntu/Shotcut replaces Openshot in Lite Software
I tested Shotcut more than once. I remember the dissapointment: on a 10 minutes video, I got an audio track shortened with 20 seconds. This means unusable. Period.
Has also trouble importing clips, playing them, let alone editing and rendering the final project. I remember it crashing about 6 times repeatedly.
I need a reliable video editor. Testing various alternatives, might be fun; but when it comes to finish a real rask, I stick to OpenShot.
I know this sounds like advertising so here is a different idea (approach):
Replace the source for OpenShot with the dev version's source AND add Shotcut too.
I say this because learning a complex application from scratch, takes a lot of time. I'm using OpenShot for 10 years now. Nobody can expect to move from a complex application to another, just in "two clicks"... :) It's painful and frustrating and you feel "back to square one"...
I'll do my best to retest it. Maybe things have changed though.
I also checked the Repository and it is available through Synaptic. Maybe two minor versions behind the download page, but... still!
...Quick-test:
Joining two video files, worked good. Fast export. Has also an option for parallel computing and hardware encoding. Looks it has evolved since my last tests.
The interface is a little more complicated than I like, but... So far, so good! :)
Second test:
14:10" vdeo project, 720p, mp4 export took 03:28" to export. Minimum editing (Transitions, clip trimming, clip joining). Pretty good! I used hardware acceleration and parallel processing (4 cores, 8 threads). Compression, looks also good: 609.5 MB. Openshot gets an output of some 1.2... 1.6 GB, depending on the video duration (12... 20 mins).
Testing the animation capabilities, takes a long time though. For the actual purpose, I think it's a fair choice. Migrating from OpenShot, might take a few days, two weeks, tops.
The interface is a little more complex that in OpenShot. Gets closer to KDEnlive.
Best regards! :)
Post by: Artim on October 01, 2022, 06:41:42 PM
Post by: Jerry on October 01, 2022, 06:48:20 PM
My "review" of LL 6.2 RC1 is posted here (https://technophobeconfessions.wordpress.com/2022/10/01/testing-linux-lite-6-2-release-candidate/). Kind of a non-technical look at my own experience of it so far.Cheers
The Taskbar issue is known and previously mentioned. I contacted the head of XFCE some time ago about it. So far, no response. Sent from my Mobile phone using Tapatalk
Post by: Byk Fernando on October 02, 2022, 03:55:10 PM
Post by: Jerry on October 02, 2022, 05:36:25 PM
All application in Little Software will be updated to new version stable version, or just Chrome and Libre Office?
Version numbers are in the release announcement.
Post by: Artim on October 02, 2022, 06:04:30 PM
Post by: Jerry on October 02, 2022, 06:08:46 PM
Post by: vint on October 03, 2022, 12:06:58 AM
I would like to know if with the new version ( 6.2 ) if anything is being improved for acquiring drivers for printers that are missing in Linux. I've been having a driver issue since I downloaded LL back in February 2022. Many printers are supported but mine is not, Canon has the driver and I downloaded it but was only able to get the scanner to work. Also, Libre Office in 5.8 never seems to update. I understand it is a custom download but the version is 6.4.7.2, is it ever going to be updated or will I have to go to the 6.0 series to get current updates? Thanks for considering my question.
Best regards,
Post by: Artim on October 03, 2022, 05:41:16 AM
Snap <---> PPA's damned if you do, damned if you don't. The individual has plenty of information from me (Lite Software warning, release announcement) to make their own decision. Cheers :)
You're right, of course. I guess for me, PPAs are the lesser of two evils.
You have to make some hard choices as the main developer, and then put up with criticism from a technophobe who knows very little about developing an OS. I know I have been a bit of a hypocrite with my criticisms, I know, first "damning" PPAs and now advocating for their use over snaps.
But I hope some of my observations and opinions are still helpful somehow.
Post by: Şerban S. on October 03, 2022, 06:33:07 AM
My "review" of LL 6.2 RC1 is posted here (https://technophobeconfessions.wordpress.com/2022/10/01/testing-linux-lite-6-2-release-candidate/). Kind of a non-technical look at my own experience of it so far.
:) I read it! Nice touch!
The Panel problem appears heretically, though. I had it many times, even in my Linux Mint time (that is: since July 2012) then got away then got back, etc...
For the last 12 months or so, I got a quiet time though. Hope it will last longer. But... Since nothing is "nailed", anything is possible.
As Jerry said, the XFCE team seems to put it under the rug... Nothing to do, but wait for a real fix.
Thanks for your work and
Best regards! :)
Post by: Jerry on October 03, 2022, 08:14:50 AM
Sent from my Mobile phone using Tapatalk
Post by: Şerban S. on October 03, 2022, 11:37:55 AM
I spent some time to test Linux Lite RC 1.
I did it in a virtual machie and I made a video.
I hope you will enjoy it!
Bottom line:
Everything went OK: UEFI, GPT partitioning, using Network (LAN) during install and after, Update (21 items), Lite Software, Chrome, etc. It's all in the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQUlMk47_6U
Best regards! :)
Post by: Jerry on October 04, 2022, 12:40:32 AM
Post by: Şerban S. on October 04, 2022, 05:06:48 AM
Well done :)Thanks! :)
I just noticed I forgot to start System Monitoring Center, to show some machine data while running the OS and Apps...
Maybe I'll add a short video to show this too.
Best regards! :)
Post by: Jerry on October 04, 2022, 05:09:09 AM
Sent from my Mobile phone using Tapatalk
Post by: Şerban S. on October 04, 2022, 08:36:28 AM
Most of the data is accurate. The Memory is not. That will get sorted out in the future.
Sent from my Mobile phone using Tapatalk
I've done my best to get to the closest setup in VBox, to be able to emulate some old computer. I figured out that a 1 CPU 1 thread and 8 GB of RAM, would be close to a Dual Core / Core2Duo, 2 core 2 threads or even 4 threads and 4 GB RAM DDR 3. In a previous test with 4 GB RAM, it also worked, but was visibly slower.
Watching again the performance video, I noticed that the RAM consumption went from 900 - 950 up to 1500 MB, using Chrome, OpenShot (2.6.1 AppImage), SimpleScreenRecorder, System Monitoring Center, DoubleCommander and having VLC opened, but idle. I also used a HDD instead of SSD emulation (.vdi).
The lowest level, was at about 780 - 800 MB, on idle (almost, except for System Monitoring Center). Nothing on Startup though, except for Keyboard layout applet.
What was "on the brink" was CPU load: 100% for each active application, whatever was that.
This leads me to the conclusion that LL 6.x works fine on any machine around 2010, maybe even older, but having a 64 bit CPU and 4 GB RAM.
I can test on an ASUS M200A (Celeron N2830, 2 GB onboard RAM) but it will take some time to do all required tasks.
It's kind of a netbook (12" display). I think it is a 2014 - 2015 machine. I had some LL 3.6 ... LL 4.x versions on it. The latest I had on it, I guess was LL 5.6. All worked well enough, except Chrome, that eats tons of RAM and slows down everything. Still, I never got any RAM warnings. I remember setting some 6 or 8 GB of swap so maybe this was helpful.
Now, depending on how much spare time I can put into this idea, we'll see how this works on a low resources, old machine.
Thanks for the answers! :D
Best regards! :)
Post by: Şerban S. on October 04, 2022, 02:08:54 PM
I finally managed to install the LL 6.2 RC 1 on ASUS X200 MA.
I also posted the Lite Info report on the hardware database.
You can see the all the specs here:
https://www.linuxliteos.com/hardware_results.php?q=celeron+n2830#search_results (https://www.linuxliteos.com/hardware_results.php?q=celeron+n2830#search_results)
It is the first entry on the 4th of October 2022, at 19:45' (server time, I guess) .
I hope this is enough proof that LL 6.x can run on old machines, like from 2014, and with as low as 2 GB (1,8 actually!) of RAM DDR 3.
The only downside, is internet browsing with Chrome, which is very slow, but still usable.
Maybe using Brave, works better. Still have to test it.
Best regards! :)
Post by: vint on October 04, 2022, 03:23:14 PM
This is all very good info for us old machines, Chrome is a no go for me and if I were to step up to LL 6.0 I would uninstall and use Mozilla. My Compaq Presario has 2ghz and 4 GB of ram and I don't have much trouble with LL 5.8 doing anything that I use a computer for so I appreciate your work keeping all of old machines updated. By the way I updated to Mozilla 105.0.2 this morning without any problems, thanks.
Best regards,
Post by: Şerban S. on October 04, 2022, 05:42:48 PM
@Serban,
[...] My Compaq Presario has 2ghz and 4 GB of ram.[...]
Thanks for the reply! :)
The idea of installing it, was to see if it still works, given the low amount of RAM: 1,8 GB with some MBs shared for the video chipset (128 MB I guess, dynamically allocated). Which represents THE problem...
However, for other tasks, office like, it is still good enough!
I can watch YouTube videos, but this requires closing all other running Apps, and having a single document in Chrome, two, at most...
[...] By the way I updated to Mozilla 105.0.2 this morning without any problems, thanks.
Oh, that is great news! So, we made some steps forward, using (the) new(est) software on old hardware! :)
Best regards! :)
Șerban
Post by: f23948 on October 05, 2022, 12:54:29 AM
Post by: Şerban S. on October 05, 2022, 07:52:50 AM
Very nice!
Thanks! That's kind from you! :)
I hope I'll be able to upload the second video, with Linux Lite 6.2 RC 1 running on a real hardware machine, ASUS X200 MA.
Best regards,
Șerban.
Post by: Şerban S. on October 05, 2022, 11:43:42 AM
Hello! :)
I managed to do the necessary stuff for the second video on Linux Lite 6.2 RC 1.
Everything went very well. Excepting the low level of the available resources, my conclusion is that Linux Lite 6.2 RC 1 can be used decently on this class of machines.
See the specifications in the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NypE2bMd53Y
Enjoy watching! :)
Post by: rgr2552 on October 07, 2022, 01:57:27 AM
https://github.com/hakandundar34coding/system-monitoring-center/blob/master/Changes.md
I think SMC in 6.2 RC1 is older than v1.11. Because the charts are not interactive in the installed software.
Will the task manager be updated in the 6.2 stable release?
Post by: Jerry on October 07, 2022, 02:26:34 AM
Hello. I tested the 6.2 RC1 version. There are changes and updates. But the task manager SMC is not updated. There are a lot of bug fixes and some new features.I will have a look and test it at some point, but it will take some time as I had to modify it to display Linux Lite information properly.
https://github.com/hakandundar34coding/system-monitoring-center/blob/master/Changes.md
I think SMC in 6.2 RC1 is older than v1.11. Because the charts are not interactive in the installed software.
Will the task manager be updated in the 6.2 stable release?
Sent from my Mobile phone using Tapatalk
Post by: Şerban S. on October 07, 2022, 07:24:27 AM
[...]I think SMC in 6.2 RC1 is older than v1.11. [...]
Hello!
I am confused regarding the version.
On the site, it says about 1.27.0.
The Application though, shows this:
(https://i.imgur.com/q5SP3Ao.png)
So... How do you get the real version? How do you know "it is an older version"?
This is what GDebi Package Manager says on attempting to install 1.27.0:
(https://i.imgur.com/lcmCRi8.png)
The latest version, according to the developer, is (as of 07 Oct 2022, 13:39, GMT+3) 1.27.0. :o
Best regards! :)
Post by: Jerry on October 07, 2022, 07:39:42 AM
Post by: rgr2552 on October 07, 2022, 08:29:42 AM
So... How do you get the real version? How do you know "it is an older version"?
It was forked. Also there are a lot of feature differences between these versions. You can view the version times from this link:
https://github.com/hakandundar34coding/system-monitoring-center/releases
New version numbers can be like 1.27.0-linuxlite. But I do not know if this version numbers cause problems.
I do not know if there will be there problems when the software is updated from 6.8 to 1.27... version.
Post by: Şerban S. on October 07, 2022, 11:02:59 AM
[...]I will have a look and test it at some point, but it will take some time as I had to modify it to display Linux Lite information properly.[...]
Hi, Jerry! :)
I figured that out!
You tweaked the code a lot, as I see it! :)
I downloaded the latest version.
I've noticed three things:
1. A nice conky was added, titled "Summary". Looks great! :)
2. The OS version is wrong. This is where you changed the code... :)
3. The GPU graph code, has been commented out. I belive that writing the code fot the Summary section to add a GPU gauge, takes time and has been postponed for the future releases. It implies the rewriting of all the code related to the video subsystem.
The Repository version (6.8 ), comes (I guess) from Linux Lite 6.x and the minor, is the current build... 8 so far...
Will the new version be included in LL 6.2?
Frankly, I doubt it. It's too much to do and the time frame is "narrow", so to speak. I'd rather expect it as an update, along the way.
Best regards! :)
Șerban.
Post by: Jerry on October 08, 2022, 03:15:06 AM
Hello. I tested the 6.2 RC1 version. There are changes and updates. But the task manager SMC is not updated. There are a lot of bug fixes and some new features.
https://github.com/hakandundar34coding/system-monitoring-center/blob/master/Changes.md
I think SMC in 6.2 RC1 is older than v1.11. Because the charts are not interactive in the installed software.
Will the task manager be updated in the 6.2 stable release?
I've looked at it, and the reason we'll be staying with the current version is because it more closely resembles what the Windows version looks like. And that's one of the aims of this OS, to give people familiarity.
Post by: Şerban S. on October 08, 2022, 06:55:33 AM
[...]I do not know if there will be problems when the software is updated from 6.8 to 1.27... version.
There will be.
I tested the 1.2.7 version and the GPU graph, has been disabled. See my post here:
https://www.linuxliteos.com/forums/release-announcements/linux-lite-6-2-rc1-released/msg59373/#msg59373 (https://www.linuxliteos.com/forums/release-announcements/linux-lite-6-2-rc1-released/msg59373/#msg59373)
Anyway, you can manually install this version and use both versions alternately, for your convenience. At least, till Jerry gets the time to work to the new Linux Lite's next version (6.9 or higher).
Best regards,
Șerban
Post by: rgr2552 on October 08, 2022, 08:26:05 AM
There will be.
I tested the 1.2.7 version and the GPU graph, has been disabled.
...
Anyway, you can manually install this version and use both versions alternately, for your convenience. At least, till Jerry gets the time to work to the new Linux Lite's next version (6.9 or higher).
Hello,
The GPU tab design is changed. FPS counter is removed. GPU load, memory and frequency information is added.
https://github.com/hakandundar34coding/system-monitoring-center/blob/master/Changes.md#v1120
But it does not work same for all GPUs. There is an explanation at the end of the page:
https://github.com/hakandundar34coding/system-monitoring-center
I will not insist. I am not owner of Linux Lite. I installed SMC 1.27. Because a lot of bugs are fixed. You can see the changelog.
Post by: Jerry on October 08, 2022, 07:54:24 PM