Fix once, break many.

Egzoset · Post by **Egzoset** » Tue Mar 15, 2022 11:00 am

Salutations,

Recent evaluation of LMDE 4 urged me to register in order to add feedback, my point being that i don't think it would take much at all to complete said evaluation - because right now it's AMI's Aptio Setup Utility of 2016 is searching for 'bootia32.efi' (and possibly more) and the x86_64 .ISO lacks this tiny ~2 MB feature - which does exist in the equally official 32-bits alternative, by the way!

I swear, i've seen Linux boot, install and reboot successfully before!!

...

M'well, this is supposed to be a presentation, so here it is just in case, from Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia exactly:

4x Intel(R) Atom(TM) x5-Z8300 CPU @ 1.44GHz
1958MB memory (811MB used)
1920x1080 pixels OpenGL
Mesa DRI Intel(R) HD Graphics (Cherrytrail)

Bingo!

It's some odd 32/64 bits UEFI ia32 boot-loading system with a 64-bits processor suitable for x86_64 flavours of .ISO, which many Linux releases can deal with right now "out of the box", actually.

Windows user wanting to perform a transition to Mint - Debian don't want to be told their Full-HD transformer tablet ain't holy enough or something while evidence shows maybe there's still hope - and i call that manualy patching. The trick is to copy a couple files to /efi/boot/ besides the other 2 .EFIs, that's all. Too bad though when i try there no way i can even copy 2 files manually into said directory!

Yet that normally works just fine with other Debian/Ubuntu releases that i couldn't keep installed only because "updates" killed the beast. Simple as that, hence my title.

But please don't be alarmed. Sure enough i intend to put "bootia32.efi" into the search field and see what's next to happen... But not now, except i simply want to point out the required space only "weights" 1944752 or ~1.9 Mega Bytes. That's not a lot by today's standards really! Not to mention that leaves half of a 4 GB thumbdrive absolutely free for more off-line resources. So please! It's no large gap to bridge IMO, just tell me where the sugestion box to add my own feedback sample! Hoping it won't take another 3 years, having the intuition this LMDE 4 thing might have gained the edge it takes to rank as my next favourite.

Good day, have fun!!

deepakdeshp · Post by **deepakdeshp** » Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:23 am

It Looks like an old system. Let's know how you progress.

Egzoset · Post by **Egzoset** » Thu Mar 17, 2022 12:20 am

All right.

Well, it was on the machine before and i'd have let it there forever considering the challenge this used to be back then, i mean just to find one working combination of Windows + .ISO simply capable of booting on it - imagine install permanently, reboot and even complete some on-line upgrade once done loading a friendly Xfce façade.

A couple dozen downloads later i was still reluctant to revisit, thinking nothing lasts forever i guess, but this time felt right: the experience almost seemed solid enough to keep it around in case i might want to introduce linux to close 3rd-age relatives...

One important feature for me was the user-installation of a few programs like VLC, XNView-MP and ultimately HardInfo if all else went fine - and it did! So here come the details:

Insignia NS-P11W7100 runs LinuxMint Xfce v20.3 (Una), its American Megatrends Inc. BiOS of 2016 supports UEFI-ia32 booting ONLY and it's called 'Aptio Setup Utility'. Processor is an Intel Atom Baytrail (Cherry Trail x5-Z8300) Quad-Core with 1G85 RAM (31.9% busy) cadenced @ 1G44 Hz. Display rates as "Full-HD" 1920 x 1080 @ 60 Hz, power by i915 Integrated "HD Graphics"; OpenGL is OKay.

Permanent data storage is eMMC-based and known as an "NCard", something about "H200" as i vaguely recall... Total space 28G91 and a possibility of extension via the internal uSD card flash reader (< 128 GB). Wireless phones connect by Bluetooth 2 and usually does its trick, so in essence what i have now is a wireless Gramophone/Radio/TV entertainment unit ready for a grandma, or a grandpa, or both if one manages to configure 'paprefs' in order to connect both headphones simultaneously, so they can enjoy TV together - bone conduction open-ear devices are a wonder in such case IMO.

Fingers crossed hoping the next update doesn't erase GrUB files or something similary suicidal, unless we got the scripts really teaked to perfection. Time will tell!

Good day, have fun!!

Egzoset · Post by **Egzoset** » Tue Apr 05, 2022 4:06 pm

ADDENDUM:

Salutations,

The initial setup is built around an Intel-based (Core i3) motherboard featured both with MBR "Legacy" and GPT "UEFi" support, its AMi "BiOS" dates back to March 2016 and on-board display resolution is set to 1680x1050 because of a TV screen doubling as computer monitor... This is a multi-purpose desktop also intended to serve for silent TV-watching, e.g. depending on 1 or 2 wireless Bluetooth earplug(s), essentially. Eventually i'd also use it as a multi-media station capable of feeding private TV-watching locations connected by WiFi, but still using my TV remove (through an IR-radio extender).

Processing gets performed by an "i3-4130" @ 3.40GHz with 8 GB RAM, TV signals come either from local storage, the web or a local ATSC network-enabled tuner.

Viewing can be properly achieved on my Atom Cherry Trail tablet but i sure wouldn't want to mess with the streaming of video, even if only "analog" (e.g. "SD" resolution) - which needs not exceed an old router's own streaming capacity. So, that i3 PC should do fine i guess and that's why i'm now trying to decide which Linux to adopt before my Microsoft Windows 10 system is finally retired anyway.

Next, these 'HardInfo' figures were collected simultaneously to watching full-screen TV video (using VLC, or MPV + Celluloïd if not)
with 1 BT earphone active, all connected to the antenna device.

But 1st lets check if i got those HardInfo-specific factors sorted out right:

Higher is better -- CPU ZLib, CPU Cryptohash, GLMark2
Lower is better -- CPU Blowfish, CPU Fibonacci, CPU N-Queens, FPU FFT, FPU Raytracing

My numbers:

LMDE 4 (debbie), Kernel v4.19.0-8 --> 4.19.0-20 --> 4.19.235-1
0G875 RAM used, 6G283 Free RAM

CPU Blowfish 3.52
CPU CryptoHash 601.66
CPU Fibonacci 0.60
CPU N-Queens 5.13
CPU Zlib 0.62
FPU FFT 1.66
FPU Raytracing 1.56
GPU Drawing 6669.30

Mageia 8, Kernel v5.15.4-1 --> 5.10.16-1 --> 5.15.32-1
0G700 RAM used, 6G537 Free RAM

CPU Blowfish (Single-thread) 10.37
CPU Blowfish (Multi-thread) 32.02
CPU Blowfish (Multi-core) 20.61
CPU Zlib 28.59
CPU CryptoHash 611.91
CPU Fibonacci 0.42
CPU N-Queens 5.13
FPU FFT 1.58
FPU Raytracing 2.30

Debian GNU/Linux 11 (bullseye), Kernel v5.10.0-13 --> 5.10.106-1
1G335 RAM used, 5G107 Free RAM

CPU Blowfish 3.60
CPU CryptoHash 1213.91
CPU Fibonacci 0.41
CPU N-Queens 5.14
CPU Zlib 0.63
FPU FFT 1.64
FPU Raytracing 2.15
GPU Drawing 5522.34

Linux Mint 20.3, Kernel v5.4.0-91 --> 5.4.0-105 --> 5.4.0-107
0G903 RAM used, 6G608 Free RAM

CPU Blowfish 3.50
CPU CryptoHash 461.52
CPU Fibonacci 0.60
CPU N-Queens 5.08
CPU Zlib 0.61
FPU FFT 1.63
FPU Raytracing 1.54
GPU Drawing 6651.57

OpenSuSE Leap 15.4 Beta, Kernel v5.14.21-150400.1 {Filesystems --> MACHTYPE --> x86_64-suse-linux}
0G703 RAM used, 6G592 Free RAM

CPU Blowfish 3.352
CPU CryptoHash 451.264
CPU Fibonacci- 1.355
CPU N-Queens 4.578
FPU FFT 0.772
FPU Raytracing 3.127

XUbuntu (Ubuntu) 20.04.4 LTS, Kernel v5.13.0-39
0G874 RAM used, 5G488 Free RAM

CPU Blowfish 3.67
CPU CryptoHash 435.41
CPU Fibonacci 0.61
CPU N-Queens 5.10
CPU Zlib 0.56
FPU FFT 1.65
FPU Raytracing 1.60
GPU Drawing 6247.41

Zorin OS 16.1 (Ubuntu v20.04.1), Kernel v5.13.0-39
1G315 RAM used, 5G132 Free RAM

CPU Blowfish 3.53
CPU CryptoHash 445.10
CPU Fibonacci 0.64
CPU N-Queens 5.01
CPU Zlib 0.60
FPU FFT 1.60
FPU Raytracing 1.57
GPU Drawing 6331.64

---

Well, hoping no errors of my own were added (...), it's still not all too clear what a definitive conclusion should be. Which brings this simple suggestion: based on hints as these, wouldn't it prove most useful if some eventual 'HardInfo' extension could actually collect data destined to get further valorized in deciding which Linux "flavour" rated best overall1?! Then comes to play many other subjective preferences anyway.

...

Good day, have fun!!

Post by **karlchen** » Tue Apr 05, 2022 5:24 pm

Hello, egzoset.

Sorry, I may be slow in the uptake. Yet, I wonder what the essence of your posts is. If someone were to ask me to give a summary of your thread, I would not be able to do so.

What is your suggestion, if there is any? Or what is your feedback? Feeback on what percisely?
What is the purpose of thise thread?

Regards,
Karl

Egzoset · Post by **Egzoset** » Wed Apr 06, 2022 4:49 am

Euh...

The feedback illustrates potential for an eventual extension of 'HardInfo', as some user-feedback suggestion of mine.

Perhaps giving the user an option to choose where to keep intermediary results, while getting collected for ulterior analysis, to help decide which Linux flavour ranked best, or maybe find out what worked well, etc.

So, ain't that a fairly good suggestions?

Post by **xenopeek** » Wed Apr 06, 2022 4:53 am

Egzoset wrote: ⤴Wed Apr 06, 2022 4:49 amThe feedback illustrates potential for an eventual extension of 'HardInfo'

Hardinfo isn't developed by Linux Mint. I doubt its developers would find your suggestion here. If you have a suggestion for the hardinfo developers, you'll have to engage with them. Their development project is on GitHub: https://github.com/lpereira/hardinfo

Egzoset · Post by **Egzoset** » Wed Apr 06, 2022 3:41 pm

xenopeek wrote: ⤴Wed Apr 06, 2022 4:53 amIf you have a suggestion for the hardinfo developers, you'll have to engage with them.

Good point.

There's something else i could suggest but i'll bet that's to be debated elsewhere too: Ventoy.

M'well, at least i feel something was done right considering instead of installing from USB i did directly from the .ISO via Ventoy which i had pre-installed after initializing the GPT drive. Installation was so much more convenient this way, so please keep an eye on future compatibility being preserved. Just last night i've d/l LMDE5, so far so good.

Post by **xenopeek** » Wed Apr 06, 2022 3:59 pm

Egzoset wrote: ⤴Wed Apr 06, 2022 3:41 pmThere's something else i could suggest but i'll bet that's to be debated elsewhere too: Ventoy.

I don't know but yes if it is a feature request or suggestion for Ventoy software, they have a forum https://forums.ventoy.net/ and GitHub https://github.com/ventoy/Ventoy.

RollyShed · Post by **RollyShed** » Wed Apr 06, 2022 5:19 pm

karlchen wrote: ⤴Tue Apr 05, 2022 5:24 pmSorry, I may be slow in the uptake. Yet, I wonder what the essence of your posts is. If someone were to ask me to give a summary of your thread, I would not be able to do so.

In case you wondered, you are not alone.

The mention of Ventoy versus a USB. If trying different versions, surely a USB is the way to go. Boot off the USB and if it works on the computer it is being tried on, yes, it works. No installation commitment.

As for the title, fix once, if done properly, and it should keep going.

Egzoset · Post by **Egzoset** » Fri Oct 28, 2022 8:28 am

>> As for the title, fix once, if done properly, and it should keep going.

But it's NOT and months later it still self-destroys over a script being unable to find a couple "ia32" missing files, which was the intial purpose for this post.

Presently using LUbuntu patched with those require files found in Debian Live i386, simply copied on a Ventoy USB drive once the .ISO was edited with 'ISO Master', as i recall... M'yeap!! Months later it's still nothing else than some broken script thing, the command once booting reached the GrUB CLI prompt was:

configfile (cd0)/boot/grub/grub.cfg

Because somehow the obscure script was rendered disfunctional in Linux Mint and not in LUbuntu, for some reason... So please search nowhere else for an explantation, find the script man to address *HIM* with whatever comes out... YouYouMi tactics failed.

Good day, have fun.

Egzoset · Post by **Egzoset** » Sat Oct 29, 2022 11:22 am

Addendum:

With LUbuntu fully installed after booting an .ISO located on some amovible 'Ventoy' GPT UEFi partition of an external USB drive it was possible to split the eMMC drive of my transformer tablet and manually force Linux Mint 21 to complete its installation process as well, which caused the boot menu just to disapear afterwards: no boot!! Only the UEFi shell... But LUbuntu actually survived this so i managed to repair my dual boot setup somehow, euh... Using the very same magic spell except blank screens can be deceiving, but it's reasonably functional now, enough to update and add a few favourite applications, 'HardInfo' for example:

Code: Select all

Atom CherryTrail (x5-Z8300, Insignia NS-P11W7100)


HardInfo Benchmarks

			Linux Mint 21 (Linux 5.15.0-41-generic x86_64		LUbuntu 22.10 (Linux 5.19.0-23-generic x86_64)
			Multi-media via VLC video + BlueTooth headphones	Multi-media via VLC video + BlueTooth headphones
			On-line TV via Hypnotix + BlueTooth headphones		n/a
                    
CPU Blowfish:		7,86							11,73
CPU CryptoHash:		139,96							100,12
CPU Fibonacci:		2,11							2,41
CPU N-Queens:		30,31							20,57
CPU Zlib:		0,18							0,13
FPU FFT:		8,90							11,39
FPU Raytracing:		10,84							11,88
GPU Drawing:		734,92							782,60

So, briefly put, it's still a human being required to perform the work of a machine for a machine...

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