Linux Lite 7.0 RC1 Released

[Şerban S.]

[...] What if you make that change on a system where the Lite-Tweaks works, like 6.6?

It doesn't. That is the problem.
It didn't on LL 6.4, and it still doesn't.
Anyway, it seems that it only affects the way the progress of the current task is displayed in the message box that appears.
So, with or without this string formatting error, the script does what is supposed to do: removes something or whatever the current task is.
The only approach to Lite Tweaks is see if the error comes from the upstream packages. It seems that this is the case.

[sqwuade]

Interesting Serban.  Did this change make any difference?  What if you make that change on a system where the Lite-Tweaks works, like 6.6?

Code: [Select]
  ( PERCENTAGE = (100 \* ${i} ) / ${TOTAL_LINES} )
As you can see, I moved the inner brackets to enclose the computation of the integer value of the number of lines, which is a runtime value.
But this has logic for me.
I'm curious if that checks though.

[Şerban S.]

[...] The "Lite Welcome" app (Similar in appearance to Lite-Tweaks) seems to be working fine in LL7 [...]

That is what I could see, too. Have to recheck it though. But so far, I can confirm.

[...] There were a lot of security changes in Ubuntu 24.04: [...]

As I said, I'm far from what you might call "programmer". Still, from my experience, the mess is generated by some user rights management.
Since policy has changed, it's difficult to know all implications on the old code.
Given the fact that the classes are based on inheritance, an error that never became obvious in the old code, might now lead to such results.
Here is one example: Line 1089, lite-tweaks-super:

Code: [Select]

  (( PERCENTAGE = 100 \* ${i} / ${TOTAL_LINES} ))
This generates the following output:

Code: [Select]

/usr/bin/lite-tweaks-super: line 1089: ((: PERCENTAGE = 100 \ 2 / 1 : syntax error: invalid arithmetic operator (error token is "\ 2 / 1 ")
The only thing I can do, is do a quick install of Lite 6.0 (I guess i still have it) and test if this error is present in which case, the error has been passed from version to version.
Sadly, there might be many more others.
What bothers me is that most people rely on Jerry to fix it (those?) but this is, to put it lightly, INHUMAN.
Since you looked at the code, you can imagine what kind of hell is to go line by line in a code like the "Lite Tweaks", let alone the whole suite "Lite..."
lite-tweaks-super alone, has 1,102 lines. Reviewing the whole code, takes simply put, a lot of man-power. Since we're dealing here with something different than chopping woods, well... Just being Schwarzenegger-like, helps nothing.

What is the correct form of this line?

Code: [Select]

  ( PERCENTAGE = (100 \* ${i} ) / ${TOTAL_LINES} )As you can see, I moved the inner brackets to enclose the computation of the integer value of the number of lines, which is a runtime value.
But this has logic for me.
I'm curious if that checks though.

Further more, the gauge implied here (PERCENTAGE has to be passed to some kind of control)... I neve remember seeing any % progress bar or the like.
A variation is a StatusBar that shows a string like PERCENTAGE + " %". Have you ever seen this? Otherwise, might be just an internal counter to trigger something else than showing the progress.

Șerban.

[sqwuade]

Could the Lite-Tweaks app be rewritten in Python?  The "Lite Welcome" app (Similar in appearance to Lite-Tweaks) seems to be working fine in LL7, but those are written in python while the Lite-Tweaks is written in bash?

   /usr/bin/lite-welcome-live
else
   /usr/bin/lite-welcome-installed

The conversion to Python looks like it would be a bit of work but it could be a possible solution?

There were a lot of security changes in Ubuntu 24.04:
https://ubuntu.com/blog/whats-new-in-security-for-ubuntu-24-04-lts

[sqwuade]

A lot of great posts here, thank you to all.
Not sure how I'm going to progress here with Lite Tweaks. It might be that it gets left out of 7x altogether.
If someone can come up with the solution, that's our only savior for now.

I'll take another look at it and see what I can find out.  I'm still betting the lite-tweaks issue is being caused by the the change of the polkit system.  That's the largest change to the base OS that I know of.  I haven't found a way (For testing purposes) to remove the new .rules system and rollback to the old .pkla system.  I'd like to see if the lite-tweaks would run on a system after doing that.

[Şerban S.]

A lot of great posts here, thank you to all.
Not sure how I'm going to progress here with Lite Tweaks. It might be that it gets left out of 7x altogether.
If someone can come up with the solution, that's our only savior for now.

I'm in doubt if there's anything with your work.
As I see it, the upstream packages are far from being to date.
I got some 21+ updates that I hold. As for yesterday at about 15:00 GMT+3. Might be more now though.
Among those, are also zenity components, but there are many other key components too.
I guess I posted the terminal output yesterday.

Would it be a bad idea to just wait and see what comes from Ubuntu Core and re-test, from time to time?
At least, that's what I'm going to do.
I'll fire the update and see what happens, if any change at all.
After writing the shell script and testing, at least I know I have some means to steal some info while running Tweaks.
Anyway, there's still time. it's only the 9th of May...
Things might still settle down in our favor.
I wish I was a better programmer, but this is it...

Best regards, Șerban.

[Jerry]

A lot of great posts here, thank you to all.
Not sure how I'm going to progress here with Lite Tweaks. It might be that it gets left out of 7x altogether.
If someone can come up with the solution, that's our only savior for now.

[Şerban S.]

ASUS Terminal output:

Upsteram bugs?

********************************
      TERMINAL OUTPUT 2:
********************************

Code: [Select]

Welcome to Linux Lite 7.0 serban
 
Wednesday 08 May 2024, 16:29:44
Memory Usage: 947/1853MB (51.11%)
Disk Usage: 9/30GB (34%)
Support - https://www.linuxliteos.com/forums/ (Right click, Open Link)
 
serban  ~  sudo apt upgrade
[sudo] password for serban:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
Calculating upgrade... Done
The following upgrades have been deferred due to phasing:
  gir1.2-glib-2.0 gir1.2-glib-2.0-dev libgirepository-2.0-0 libglib2.0-0t64 libglib2.0-bin libglib2.0-data libglib2.0-dev
  libglib2.0-dev-bin
The following packages have been kept back:
  inxi zenity zenity-common
The following packages will be upgraded:
  python3-apport python3-problem-report
2 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 11 not upgraded.
Need to get 116 kB of archives.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
N: Some packages may have been kept back due to phasing.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n]


********************************
      TERMINAL OUTPUT 1:
********************************

Lite Tweaks Issue...

Code: [Select]

Welcome to Linux Lite 7.0 serban
 
Wednesday 08 May 2024, 16:20:30
Memory Usage: 891/1853MB (48.08%)
Disk Usage: 9/30GB (34%)
Support - https://www.linuxliteos.com/forums/ (Right click, Open Link)
 
 serban  ~  sh /asus/Asus-Diverse/Weird-Lite-Tweaks-Spy-02a.sh
===========================================================

======ooo OOOOOO ooo======
Script to see what's wrong in Linux Lite 7.0 RC1 with Lite Tweaks
===========================================================
======ooo OOOOOO ooo======
    Get the machine and OS info:
Linux X200MA 6.8.0-31-generic #31-Ubuntu SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Sat Apr 20 00:40:06 UTC 2024 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
    Get the current user:
serban
    Run Lite Tweaks from CLI:
Waiting 1 sec...
    I am running Lite Tweaks now...
    Making the selections...

    This message only appears AFTER the Begin OR Quit button WAS CLICKED.
Waiting 1 sec...
   Checking the current USER, AFTER working with Lite Tweaks:
serban
    Run Lite Tweaks as Root:
[sudo] password for serban:
ls: cannot access '/root/.local/share/Trash/files/': No such file or directory
    Clicked some button: Begin OR Quit

===========================================================
          Weird-Lite-Tweaks-Spy-02a.sh
===========================================================
                       --- THE END! ---
===========================================================
              © Şerban Stănescu, Wed-08-05-2024
===========================================================
 serban  ~ 

If someone can get something out of that, I'll be glad to hear "SOLVED"

[Şerban S.]

One more test:

Still on LL 6.6.

Code: [Select]

sudo /usr/bin/lite-tweaks-super
[sudo] password for serban:
cat: /tmp/myltuser: No such file or directory
/usr/bin/lite-tweaks-super: line 1089: ((: PERCENTAGE = 100 \* 1 / 0 : syntax error: invalid arithmetic operator (error token is "\* 1 / 0 ")

Then:

Code: [Select]

sudo /usr/bin/lite-tweaks-super
cat: /tmp/myltuser: No such file or directory
/usr/bin/lite-tweaks-super: line 1089: ((: PERCENTAGE = 100 \* 1 / 0 : syntax error: invalid arithmetic operator (error token is "\* 1 / 0 ")


Code: [Select]

sudo /usr/bin/lite-tweaks
cat: '/root/.config/xfce4/panel/whiskermenu-*.rc': No such file or directory

Still, the zenity window appeared and is functional.
See previous post with the Terminal outputs.

[Şerban S.]

@Jerry

Getting angry

I wrote this simple script an ran it:

Code: [Select]

#!/bin/bash
# Weird-Lite-Tweaks-Spy.sh
# Script to see what's wrong in Linux Lite 7.0 RC1 with Lite Tweaks
#
# ======================
# ===  Wed-08-05-2024 ===
# ======================
# © Şerban Stănescu, 2024
# ---
# Version 0.1, Wed-08-05-2024
# # #
# #
# TESTED: Wed-08-05-2024;
#
# ======ooo OOOOOO ooo======
echo "==========================================================="
echo ""
echo "======ooo OOOOOO ooo======"
echo " Script to see what's wrong in Linux Lite 7.0 RC1 with Lite Tweaks"
echo "==========================================================="
echo "======ooo OOOOOO ooo======"
whoami
lite-tweaks
echo " Waiting 1 sec... "
sleep 1
echo "   Checking the $USER, AFTER working with Lite Tweaks "
whoami

echo ""
echo "==========================================================="
echo "      Weird-Lite-Tweaks-Spy.sh"
echo "==========================================================="
echo "                       --- THE END! ---"
echo "==========================================================="
echo "              © Şerban Stănescu, Wed-08-05-2024"
echo "==========================================================="


Now, things get really weird, and this is WHY:
I ran the script on the current machine, which is Linux Lite 6.6, on Dell Precision T1700 (see the left Forum widget)

Here is the output:

Code: [Select]

===========================================================

======ooo OOOOOO ooo======
Script to see what's wrong in Linux Lite 7.0 RC1 with Lite Tweaks
===========================================================
======ooo OOOOOO ooo======
serban
APTGETCLEAN|SYSDARCLOGS
/usr/bin/lite-tweaks-super: line 1089: ((: PERCENTAGE = 100 \* 1 / 2 : syntax error: invalid arithmetic operator (error token is "\* 1 / 2 ")
/usr/bin/lite-tweaks-super: line 1089: ((: PERCENTAGE = 100 \* 2 / 2 : syntax error: invalid arithmetic operator (error token is "\* 2 / 2 ")
REMKERNELS
tee: /tmp/ltlogs.log: Permission denied
tee: /tmp/ltlogs.log: Permission denied
/usr/bin/lite-tweaks-super: line 1089: ((: PERCENTAGE = 100 \* 2 / 1 : syntax error: invalid arithmetic operator (error token is "\* 2 / 1 ")
Waiting 1 sec...
   Checking the serban, AFTER working with Lite Tweaks
serban

===========================================================
      Weird-Lite-Tweaks-Spy.sh
===========================================================
                       --- THE END! ---
===========================================================
              © Şerban Stănescu, Wed-08-05-2024
===========================================================
Press ENTER to exit...

If you watch close the code, the $USER variable from the script, was replaced with the current user, which means that there is only one user on the machine, which is right.
But then, who wants to write into the file "/tmp/ltlogs.log" and gets kicked out: "/tmp/ltlogs.log: Permission denied"?
I created the file (see previous posts) without any problem, saved it so what ghost is this?!
"Who", is actually some process (PID). But how can a process be started by $USER = nobody, since even the most "nobody" user is $GUEST, and on this machine, there IS only ONE user: serban.

Confused...

I checked the rights on the sequence of scripts.
 $USER has rx rights, but lacks w. Meaning I can execute any of the scripts, but I am denied the writing rights.
This might generate the "/tmp/ltlogs.log: Permission denied", due to user/owner mismatch.
Yet, the Lite Tweaks works on Lite 6.6, even if it throws errors.
In Lite 7.0 RC1 Though, it crashes when pressing the "Begin" button.
The strange thing though, is that it only crashed on the tasks that require the $SUPER rights.
I have to check that again, too.
I have to move on ASUS X200MA to see what is the output of the script "Weird-Lite-Tweaks-Spy.sh".

Best regards!

[Şerban S.]

I noticed that too Serban.  I then looked at my LL6.6 system and when you initiate "lite-tweaks" from the terminal it kicks out those same messages/errors when you run the scripts; even when as the tasks run correctly...

lite-tweaks
HOSTNAME
/usr/bin/lite-tweaks-super: line 1089: ((: PERCENTAGE = 100 \* 1 / 1 : syntax error: invalid arithmetic operator (error token is "\* 1 / 1 ")
WHISKER
/usr/bin/lite-tweaks: line 578: ((: PERCENTAGE = 100 \* 1 / 1 : syntax error: invalid arithmetic operator (error token is "\* 1 / 1 ")

Thanks for testing!
I went a little further, but things are weird.
I'll post in a few minutes...

[sqwuade]

I noticed that too Serban.  I then looked at my LL6.6 system and when you initiate "lite-tweaks" from the terminal it kicks out those same messages/errors when you run the scripts; even when the tasks run correctly...

lite-tweaks
HOSTNAME
/usr/bin/lite-tweaks-super: line 1089: ((: PERCENTAGE = 100 \* 1 / 1 : syntax error: invalid arithmetic operator (error token is "\* 1 / 1 ")
WHISKER
/usr/bin/lite-tweaks: line 578: ((: PERCENTAGE = 100 \* 1 / 1 : syntax error: invalid arithmetic operator (error token is "\* 1 / 1 ")

[Şerban S.]

Yeah, Lite Tweaks is a weird one, hard to debug. Staring from a terminal gives no clues.
Thank you Șerban

Installed on ASUS X200MA = OK.

Takes long (some 50 minutes), but when running, it definitely runs faster than LL 6.4 / 6.6.
I found that accidentally. When I migrate my /home, this keeps my Chrome open-tabs list.
So when I opened Chrome, I had about 20 documents opened. On a machine like this, this is just insane! Yet, it worked!
The RAM load, said I still had some 300 MB of RAM free, out of 1,8 GB. I was running also DoubleCommander, gnome-system-monitor, Pluma. I guess that was all. Maybe the Terminal too.
SWAP use, was some 350 MB out of 4096 MB.

The Lite Tweaks thing:

I scavenged a little through my machine.
What I found is the source of the error

Code: [Select]

/usr/bin/lite-tweaks-super: line 1089: ((: PERCENTAGE = 100 \* 2 / 1 : syntax error: invalid arithmetic operator (error token is "\* 2 / 1 ")
I opened up the "lite-tweaks-super", which is a shell script.
Unfortunately, my programming skills are way below understanding the full code, or even parts of it. Yet...

Can you explain how this works?

Code: [Select]

while read  line
  do
    $line     # Execute functions one by one
    if [ $? = 1 ]; then
      zenity --info --title=" $_LT" --text="Error:\n${line}" 2>/dev/null
    fi
  let i++
  (( PERCENTAGE = 100 \* ${i} / ${TOTAL_LINES} ))
    echo "$PERCENTAGE"
    if [ "$PERCENTAGE" == "100" ]; then
      echo "#Done"
      sleep 1
    fi
done| zenity --progress --width="320" --window-icon="$_RUN_ICON" --pulsate --no-cancel --title="  $_LT" --auto-kill --auto-close 2>/dev/null

Namely:

Code: [Select]

  (( PERCENTAGE = 100 \* ${i} / ${TOTAL_LINES} ))

(( PERCENTAGE = 100 \* ${i} / ${TOTAL_LINES} ))

The snippet is supposed to return the value to increase the ProgressBar with PERCENTAGE.
I have a hard time understanding the RED character in the line:
What exactly does the integer division (\) with the *?
Wasn't this supposed to be... ?

Code: [Select]

  (( PERCENTAGE = 100 \ ${i} / ${TOTAL_LINES} ))
Just asking... Anyway, as I said, my programming skills are at a very low level.

Running Lite Tweaks

Bad luck!

This is what I got:

Code: [Select]

sudo lite-tweaks
ls: cannot access '/root/.local/share/Trash/files/': No such file or directory

---
Checked: "Log Archives", "Package Cache".
Click Begin: Crush.


What exactly means [ '/root/.local/share/Trash/files/': No such file or directory] ?
I wanted to check the availability of the /root/.local/share/.
I could access it.
"Trash" is missing, indeed, but the process is marked as Root so:
I could create the "Trash". So, what is the problem?
As I see it, chaining a large number of scripts, requires each time reissuing sudo whatever-script, because when exiting, previous-script releases the privileged process and another process is started, with the current-user ($USER I guess) privileges. While this works at install time, because $USER = $SUPER, at session level, the $USER is different than $SUPER. So it is the $HOME, for this matter.

Now, if I understood it right, then the sequence is (should be) this:

Code: [Select]

BeginButton_OnClick
ask-for-$SUPER-password

On the other hand, if the first line of code is:

Code: [Select]

BeginButton_OnClick

mkdir /root/.local/share/Trash/files/
ask-for-$SUPER-password

then the result is:

Code: [Select]

mkdir /root/.local/share/Trash/files/
mkdir: cannot create directory ‘/root/.local/share/Trash/files/’: Permission denied
This might trigger an ErrorMSG number that exits the BeginButton_OnClick code, and the whole procedure lite-tweaks.

Here it is the test result:

Code: [Select]

sudo mkdir /root/.local/share/Trash/files/
[sudo] password for serban:
 serban ~

The dir is obviously empty, but it's there!

What is really weird is this:

Code: [Select]

tmp/ltlogs.log: Permission denied

How come that?
I could create and save the file as $USER (serban, in my case).
As I understand, any process derived from the $USER, has the same rights as the $USER.
So, is there any other $USER than $USER = $SUPER = serban?
And if so, how is it possible?
If this is still possible, I see only one solution: some browser-side script hijacked into the system.
Or at least, created an open door to take some control of parts of the system.
If so, I'm already out. That's way beyond my knowledge and understanding.
I use encryption for my connection, but my level of skills in this branch, well, it's symbolic, to say it lightly...

[Şerban S.]

Please, delete this instance!

How do I delete a post that was accidentally published? This one had duplicate content.

[sqwuade]

I've installed LL7RC1 on a test box and confirmed the "Lite-Tweaks" apps aren't working.  They all work great on my 6.6 install - although I really haven't used them much; other than the "Taskbar Restore" tweak a couple of times.
I'm wondering if the issue might have something to do with the recent move of the policy manager from the old .pkla to the new JavaScript based .rules format?  Debian 12.5 uses .rules and I think the new Ubuntu 24.04 probably uses it now too, so LL7 is using it as well?
I'm wondering (For testing purposes) if we could revert a test system back to the old .pkla system and then see if Lite-Tweaks might start working?  It wouldn't be a fix (the JavaScript .rules system appears to be here to stay) but might lend some useful info as to the cause.

I'll see if I can move my LL7RC1 testbox back the .pkla system and see what happens.

Cheers!  Sqwuade

*Update - The directory /etc/polkit-1/localauthority/ doesn't exist on LL7 (It doesn't exit on Debian 12.5 either) - that's the directory I put .pkla files in w/ LL6.6 to grant permissions for xrdp etc.  I'm almost positive LL7 is using the .rules base policy kit.