Posts by Altoid

Altoid · Installation

Hello:

Aside from a post post by Ralph Ronnquist from early 2023, I have not seen or read about anyone using it.

Q: anyone using overlayroot?

Asking because I will most probably not upgrade to Excalibur, Daedalus works perfectly well with my ca. 2007 hardware, just like it did with Jesse / ascii onwards.

Best,

A.

Altoid · Installation

Hello:

amaro wrote:

Is this an issue?

Not necessarily, more so if your graphics are working properly.

I had the same issue with my Nvidia Quadro FX 580s and Nouveau drivers.

amaro wrote:

If so, how to fix it?

See here: https://dev1galaxy.org/viewtopic.php?pid=51169#p51169

Best,

A.

Altoid · Devuan

Hello:

blackhole wrote:

Stability, simplicity,code correctness, robustness and reliability ...

Could not have said it better.
+10

Best,

A.

Altoid · Hardware & System Configuration

Hello:

Calamity wrote:

... seems to occur due to some changes (or bugs) in XFCE's power management.

I got rid of all XFCE power management stuff back in ascii, it was a PITA.

Best,

A.

Altoid · Devuan

Hello:

@blackhole: agree on all, good analysis.
Seems we are more or less on the same page.

blackhole wrote:

... if you're just a desktop user ...
... except for perhaps slightly faster boot times.

Yes, perhaps is the right word.

And even then, just how much faster?
5 to 10s (!) less boot time?

Every morning, I switch on my box and go see if my moka pot has finished brewing my coffee.
I'm ready to log in when I sit down, mug in hand.

Best,

A.

Altoid · Hardware & System Configuration

Hello:

... two commands I have tried did not work.
The screen went black again. Whatever that means.

Means the same thing as before: screen is going to sleep. 8^°

As you can see from your printout ...

--- snip ---
DPMS (Display Power Management Signaling):
  Standby: 0    Suspend: 0    Off: 0
  DPMS is Enabled
  Monitor is On
--- snip ---

... DPMS is/was enabled.

What does $ xset q say now?
ie: after the commands.

BTW: what desktop have you installed?

If XFCE, have you read this? it is in the body of https://dev1galaxy.org/viewtopic.php?pid=31558#p31558

I wrote:

XScreenSaver
If xscreensaver is installed and runs alongside Xfce Power Manager, it may not be clear which application is in control of blanking and DPMS as both are competing for control of the same settings. Therefore, in a situation where it is important that the monitor not be blanked (when watching a video for instance), it is advisable to disable blanking and DPMS through both applications. To know more about XScreenSaver options, see XScreenSaver#DPMS and blanking settings.

Best,

A.

Altoid · Hardware & System Configuration

Hello:

Screen Saver:
  prefer blanking:  yes    allow exposures:  yes
  timeout:  600    cycle:  600

There you go ... 8^D
Your screen is blanking because it is set up to do so every 600 seconds.

As to why it did not happen before (Daedalus) and is happening now (Excalibur), I have no idea.

The solution is probably here ...

https://dev1galaxy.org/viewtopic.php?pid=31539#p31539
... or here:
https://unix.stackexchange.com/question … acking-out

I have no experience with how to set those parameters, maybe someone else can chip in.

Best,

A.

Altoid · Documentation

Hello:

ralph.ronnquist wrote:

Pity to miss "man pages" ...

8^)

Best,

A.

Altoid · Hardware & System Configuration

Hello:

archaeon wrote:

... new to the forum ...

Welcome to Dev1.

archaeon wrote:

... my screen, while in the X environment, randomly (could be 1 minute, could be 20 minutes…) turns to black.

There is (in all probability) nothing wrong with your screen, it is just going to sleep.

Proof: it comes alive after touching the pad.

See this thread: https://dev1galaxy.org/viewtopic.php?id=4502

There may be an answer on how to stop this behaviour there.

Edit:
Please open a terminal and run ...

~$ xset q

... then post the output so we can see what is going on with the settings.

Specific to what is going on with your screen are these:

--- snip ---
Screen Saver:
  prefer blanking: xxx    allow exposures:  xxx
  timeout: xxx            cycle:  xxx
--- snip ---

Best,

A.

Altoid · Devuan

Hello:

Camtaf wrote:

... sysV for many years without any problems, so see no reason to change.

Indeed.

Like I wrote elsewhere:

Choosing anything other than the default Devuan [ext4] filesystem implies that you are absolutely sure that you have a use case that really justifies your doing so, a second implication being that you are sufficiently versed in the options being considered.
This (quite obviously) also applies to choosing any init package other than the default Devuan [sysvinit], something of a trend in the last few years.
From where I see it, keeping the default options is a basic part of the KISS principle.
ie: if it works as advertised / needed, is adequately supported and has not given you any grief, use the default.
In my case as a 100% Linux user for the last 14 years (the last 8 or so with Devuan), I have never (ever) had any isssues with [sysvinit] or [ext4].

Of course, 'choice' is a good thing to have.
For when it is needed and you absolutely know why you need it.

Not just for the sake of it.

Best,

A.

Altoid · Devuan

Hello:

recklessswing wrote:

Runit seems fine.

Sure ...
Would not be in the repositories if that were not so.

Sysvinit also seems fine.
Being the default init package in Devuan since my first installation (jesse), it has always been what my systems used.
Other pre-systemd distributions I went through also had it as the default, again with no issues.

I never saw/noticed/came across any problem found to be related to sysvinit.

I cannot see a use case for any other init package.
ie: works as expected out of the box with no issues.

Best,

A.

Altoid · Other Issues

Hello:

Red_Fir wrote:

... Dell 9020 reboots on every shutdown unless I explicitly hit the power button after shutdown ...

I have had a similar issue with my Sun U24 WS for years, fortunately it is not at every shutdown but just when the %$#"¿ crap BIOS feels like it.

I have found that it occurs when there are sharp changes in ambient temperature between booting and shutting down, most probably due to a badly written BIOS + a faulty/wrong on-board sensor spec, so it is an issue I decided to ignore.

That said, yours seems to be a well known issue with that Dell rig.
A quick web search with the unsolicited Google IA intervention (?) brought up this*:

Google search wrote:

If your Dell OptiPlex 9020 is randomly rebooting on Linux, it is usually triggered by a kernel panic upon hardware conflict, failing storage, or power supply issues.

* to be taken with a few grains of salt. 8^°

See here.

If sudo halt works, you may want to write up a script to shut it down via sudo halt && sudo shutdown -now.
Check the respective man files for the proper syntax.

Best,

A.

Altoid · Off-topic

Hello:

And quite relevant at that.

Article by Liam Proven in today's edition of The Register.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That an app 'Fits on a Floppy' is still a useful measure in 2026
In a world of mass-produced bot-slopware, small is more beautiful than ever
by Liam Proven Published Fri 29 May 2026 // 09:15 UTC
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Have a good week-end.

Best,

A.

Altoid · Installation

Hello:

I wrote:

No idea as to why it is there.

Doing some more digging found that, at some point and for reasons unknown, I did ...

# ldconfig -p
#

... which can only be executed with elevated priviliges.

From man ldconfig:

man ldconfig wrote:

-p
--print-cache
Print the lists of directories and candidate libraries stored in the current cache.

As it was just a print I tried it, with the result being a huge printout in the terminal:

[root@devuan ~]# ldconfig -p
1442 libs found in cache `/etc/ld.so.cache'
	libz3.so.4 (libc6,x86-64) => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libz3.so.4
	libz3.so.4 (libc6) => /usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libz3.so.4 ...
--- snip ---
        ld-linux.so.2 (ELF) => /lib/ld-linux.so.2
	ld-linux-x86-64.so.2 (libc6,x86-64) => /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2
Cache generated by: ldconfig (Debian GLIBC 2.36-9+deb12u14) stable release version 2.36
[root@devuan ~]#

No idea as to how that got in the /root directory but I deleted it.
The cache itself is in /etc/ld.so.cache.

That's all I could find, so I guess I can mark it solved.

Best,

A.

Altoid · Installation

Hello:

fsmithred wrote:

What kind of file is it?

It has no extension.
According to mc:

Size: 106771
Modify time: Apr 26 2025

fsmithred wrote:

Can you see inside it with ...

Yes.

blackhole wrote:

... text editor and have a look?

It has some code (?), starting with the string glibc-ld.so.cache1.1 and ending with ldconfig (Debian GLIBC 2.36-9+deb12u10) stable release version 2.36.

No idea as to why it is there.
Can't remember what I was doing last thursday, much less on Apr 26 2025.
My guess is that it can be safely deleted but I have been wrong many times so I thought I's ask. 8^°

Thanks to both for the fast reply.

Best,

A.

Altoid · Installation

Hello:

Doing some clean-up of leftovers from the various dist-upgrades I have gone through since jesse/ascii (actually found a netscape.desktop file) I came across a strange file.

#/root/fpv

Any idea as to what it is?
I cannot find a reference to it save 'first person view' drones setups which I do not have.

Please advise.

Best,

A.

Altoid · Hardware & System Configuration

Hello:

Gnostic wrote:

"but wouldn't boot cleanly"
... should have been more explicit.

Indeed ... 8^D

Gnostic wrote:

... would boot as far as GRUB ...

Ahh ...

So, as I thought, the system did boot.

You just did not get a desktop because (most probably)* as you did not install the GRUB bootloader, the system booted into GRUB2.
No fault of yours as it seems that the GRUB package is not included in the available installation images from Daedalus onwards.

See here:
https://dev1galaxy.org/viewtopic.php?id=7970
https://dev1galaxy.org/viewtopic.php?pid=63791#p63791

Probably because ... 'reasons'?
ie: the desperate need of imposing all that UEFI crap of anyone and everyone.

* My memory is a bit hazy, the last Linux Devuan I installed on a clean drive was either Jesse or ascii, long ago.
From then on, it has been dist-upgrades for my BIOS (non-UEFI) Sun U24 WS.

Gnostic wrote:

... lacked the skills or knowledge to get it go any further.

At this point it does not matter.
ie: you have installed Mint, which found a Devuan installation and solved the issue you had by installing the GRUB bootloader*.
* educated guess, corrections welcome.

If interested in learning your way around a non-systemd Linux, you may want to read up on how to properly install Devuan from the various files available for download.

Mint doing everything on 'automatic' is nice and straightforward.
But you won't learn much. 8^°

Best,

A.

Altoid · Hardware & System Configuration

Hello:

Gnostic wrote:

... my surprise when the Linux Mint installation told me I already had Devuan installed ...

As you surely know, Mint is a systemd distribution and I cannot but wonder if HP UEFI just plays nicer with systemd present than when it is not.

Just a thought.

When you say "but wouldn't boot cleanly" I understand (like the Mint installer) that Devuan was installed and actually booted, albeit with something not being right.

Could you please tell us just what you are making reference to?

Best,

A.

Altoid · Installation

Hello:

greenjeans wrote:

... metric-ton of dev packages ...

Same here.

greenjeans wrote:

... and none end in ".devel".

But ...
Have you searched for packages using *-devel?*
* maybe not enough Joe? 8^P

My TimeShift snapshots stash say my system had these two years ago:

$ locate *-devel
/2024-03-09_07-37-32/localhost/usr/share/doc/libfontconfig1-dev/fontconfig-devel
/2024-03-09_07-37-32/localhost/usr/share/doc-base/fontconfig-devel
/2024-03-15_08-30-04/localhost/usr/share/doc/libfontconfig1-dev/fontconfig-devel
/2024-03-15_08-30-04/localhost/usr/share/doc-base/fontconfig-devel
/2024-05-23_08-50-02/localhost/usr/share/doc/libfontconfig1-dev/fontconfig-devel
/2024-05-23_08-50-02/localhost/usr/share/doc-base/fontconfig-devel
$

That said, my present Daedalus system has nothing with *-devel in the name.

A very quick look at the web (whatever that is these days) found that -dev is Debian/Ubuntu ware and -devel is RedHat/CentOS/Fedora ware. Take it with a few grains of low sodium salt.

Best,

A.

Altoid · Installation

Hello:

deepforest wrote:

... understood ...

No, I'm afraid you have not understood.

Maybe it is a language problem, the answers posted somehow lost in translation?
No idea.

deepforest wrote:

... but why exactly lasted hplip do not want to install at Devuan ...

The answer to your question is really quite simple:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The package you are attempting to install has not been packaged for Devuan by the Devuan maintainers.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you want to know why the hplip-3.25.8 package you downloaded (which is not a *.deb file) will not "install at Devuan" you will have to ask the maintainers:

https://sourceforge.net/projects/hplip/ … ip/3.25.8/

To be able to do that you have to join the sourceforge.org mailing list:

https://sourceforge.net/projects/hplip/lists/hplip-help

Once you have joined, you can log-in:

https://sourceforge.net/auth/

And post the question:

https://sourceforge.net/p/hplip/mailman/hplip-help/

Your argument [... debian repos always have unfresh old software.] is quite clearly not a valid one.
The hplip package in the Devuan repositories works as intended and (for the moment) is the only one available for Devuan.

I hope I have cleared up your doubts.

Best,

A.

Altoid · Installation

Hello:

RedGreen925 wrote:

... for the most part those packages will install and work.
... .run file which is going to do nothing but pollute the system ...

+1

Best,

A.

Altoid · Off-topic

Hello:

From yesterday's edition of The Register:

---

Brit mathematician lets AI agent loose with credit card – cue password leaks, CAPTCHA chaos and more
Professor Fry's AI experiment shows light and dark sides of agentic tech
by Richard Speed

---

https://www.theregister.com/software/20 … rd/5228654

Quite revealing ...

And here is the British mathematician herself explaining what went on:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnzR5aOElvw

Yet more revealing ...

Best,

A.

Altoid · Desktop and Multimedia

Hello:

amaro wrote:

... updated some packages ...
Is this a problem?

Yes, I would say so.

amaro wrote:

...how to fix it?

I'm afraid that you are not giving us enough information.

That said, something does seem to be amiss.

To wit:
My latest (recently updated) Devuan Daedalus system has a /lib/modules/6.1.0-45 directory.

$ uname -a
Linux devuan 6.1.0-45-amd64 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Debian 6.1.170-1 (2026-04-30) x86_64 GNU/Linux
$ 
$ ls /lib/modules
6.1.0-45-amd64
$

A VM I run on an updated Devuan Chimaera system has a /lib/modules/5.10.0-9 directory

$ uname -a
Linux chimaera 5.10.0-9-amd64 #1 SMP Debian 5.10.70-1 (2021-09-30) x86_64 GNU/Linux
$ 
$ ls /lib/modules
5.10.0-9-amd64
$

See the inconsistency?
ie:
Daedalus -> 6.1.0-45-amd64
Chimaera -> 5.10.0-9-amd64

What package are you attempting to install in your Devuan Daedalus system?
Is it from the Devuan repositories and installed through synaptic, apt or apt-get?

Best,

A.

Altoid · Hardware & System Configuration

Hello:

chomwitt wrote:

But after:
# apt-get install firmware-ath9k-htc firmware-atheros 
it works ok in either usb3 (blue) and usb2 (black) ports.

If your sources are the proper ones (Devuan), the firmware installed should be without any issues.

chomwitt wrote:

... how that happened.

Maybe you purchased a counterfit Techno N150?
Your description of the packaging would seem (?) to point in that direction.

That said, a USB wi-fi adaptor with 'N150' in the label could be one of a great many brands using that Atheros chipset in different physical formats.

eg:
https://tehnoetic.com/tehnoetic-wireles … earch=N150
https://tehnoetic.com/tet-n150hga?search=N150

You may want to contact Tehnoetic to ask if what you purchased is genuine.
ie: send photos of the hardware, the packaging and a *.txt file with the terminal printout when you run:

~$ lsusb

Best,

A.

Altoid · Packaging for Devuan

Hello:

pequi wrote:

... can't find any references to deborphan ...

Note that it is available but (presently) not for excalibur.

Devuan Package View wrote:

deborphan
1.7.35 http://deb.devuan.org/merged daedalus/main amd64
1.7.33 http://deb.devuan.org/merged chimaera/main amd64
1.7.31 http://archive.devuan.org/merged beowulf/main amd64
1.7.28.8-0.3+b1 http://archive.devuan.org/merged ascii/main amd64
1.7.28.8-0.1 http://archive.devuan.org/merged jessie/main amd64

In all probability, because it is not (presently) listed in the Debian Trixie repository:

Debian - Package search results wrote:

Package deborphan
bullseye (oldoldstable) 1.7.33: amd64 arm64 armhf i386
bookworm (oldstable) 1.7.35: amd64 arm64 armel armhf i386 mips64el mipsel ppc64el s390x
sid (unstable) (admin): 1.7.35+b1 [debports]: riscv64

Maybe they are looking for a way to make it dependent on systemd. 8^D

Best,

A.

The officially official Devuan Forum!

#1 Installation » overlay-root » Today 12:42:00

#2 Re: Installation » missing firmware /lib/firmware/i915/ » Yesterday 13:18:13

#3 Re: Devuan » Why not use runit? Do you guys use runit? » 2026-06-08 21:57:35

#4 Re: Hardware & System Configuration » [SOLVED] Screen randomly turns black » 2026-06-08 20:59:22

#5 Re: Devuan » Why not use runit? Do you guys use runit? » 2026-06-08 18:24:22

#6 Re: Hardware & System Configuration » [SOLVED] Screen randomly turns black » 2026-06-08 14:54:27

#7 Re: Hardware & System Configuration » [SOLVED] Screen randomly turns black » 2026-06-08 13:33:14

#8 Re: Documentation » Exploring Help systems semantics » 2026-06-08 13:05:37

#9 Re: Hardware & System Configuration » [SOLVED] Screen randomly turns black » 2026-06-08 12:41:02

#10 Re: Devuan » Why not use runit? Do you guys use runit? » 2026-06-08 11:42:19

#11 Re: Devuan » Why not use runit? Do you guys use runit? » 2026-06-08 09:25:55

#12 Re: Other Issues » [SOLVED] Unintended reboot » 2026-06-04 11:11:33

#13 Off-topic » Off Topic but relevant. » 2026-05-29 17:22:55

#14 Re: Installation » [SOLVED] Unknown file » 2026-05-22 14:07:23

#15 Re: Installation » [SOLVED] Unknown file » 2026-05-21 17:36:07

#16 Installation » [SOLVED] Unknown file » 2026-05-21 11:10:00

#17 Re: Hardware & System Configuration » Accidental success: Devuan on a HP ZBook » 2026-05-17 00:19:26

#18 Re: Hardware & System Configuration » Accidental success: Devuan on a HP ZBook » 2026-05-16 20:59:07

#19 Re: Installation » How install hplip-3.25.8? » 2026-05-15 12:35:56

#20 Re: Installation » How install hplip-3.25.8? » 2026-05-13 23:20:50

#21 Re: Installation » How install hplip-3.25.8? » 2026-05-11 09:41:21

#22 Off-topic » Cassandra » 2026-05-06 12:21:23

#23 Re: Desktop and Multimedia » daedalus mkinitramfs warning » 2026-05-06 11:08:07

#24 Re: Hardware & System Configuration » (HW compatibility test) Wifi usb adaptor Techno'sN150 » 2026-05-05 10:54:38

#25 Re: Packaging for Devuan » [SOLVED] Deborphan - why is it not listed? » 2026-05-02 11:04:23

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