X-Git-Url: http://pere.pagekite.me/gitweb/homepage.git/blobdiff_plain/6623ab1de9f44be03db27f1854ef4718382974b0..51d98ae3ba2fce3ed076d15c5ec88521669bccbc:/blog/archive/2013/06/06.rss diff --git a/blog/archive/2013/06/06.rss b/blog/archive/2013/06/06.rss index 9498afe8f3..630638ad8f 100644 --- a/blog/archive/2013/06/06.rss +++ b/blog/archive/2013/06/06.rss @@ -6,14 +6,262 @@ http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/ + + Automatically locate and install required firmware packages on Debian (Isenkram 0.4) + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Automatically_locate_and_install_required_firmware_packages_on_Debian__Isenkram_0_4_.html + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Automatically_locate_and_install_required_firmware_packages_on_Debian__Isenkram_0_4_.html + Tue, 25 Jun 2013 11:50:00 +0200 + <p>It annoys me when the computer fail to do automatically what it is +perfectly capable of, and I have to do it manually to get things +working. One such task is to find out what firmware packages are +needed to get the hardware on my computer working. Most often this +affect the wifi card, but some times it even affect the RAID +controller or the ethernet card. Today I pushed version 0.4 of the +<a href="http://packages.qa.debian.org/isenkram">Isenkram package</a> +including a new script isenkram-autoinstall-firmware handling the +process of asking all the loaded kernel modules what firmware files +they want, find debian packages providing these files and install the +debian packages. Here is a test run on my laptop:</p> + +<p><pre> +# isenkram-autoinstall-firmware +info: kernel drivers requested extra firmware: ipw2200-bss.fw ipw2200-ibss.fw ipw2200-sniffer.fw +info: fetching http://http.debian.net/debian/dists/squeeze/Contents-i386.gz +info: locating packages with the requested firmware files +info: Updating APT sources after adding non-free APT source +info: trying to install firmware-ipw2x00 +firmware-ipw2x00 +firmware-ipw2x00 +Preconfiguring packages ... +Selecting previously deselected package firmware-ipw2x00. +(Reading database ... 259727 files and directories currently installed.) +Unpacking firmware-ipw2x00 (from .../firmware-ipw2x00_0.28+squeeze1_all.deb) ... +Setting up firmware-ipw2x00 (0.28+squeeze1) ... +# +</pre></p> + +<p>When all the requested firmware is present, a simple message is +printed instead:</p> + +<p><pre> +# isenkram-autoinstall-firmware +info: did not find any firmware files requested by loaded kernel modules. exiting +# +</pre></p> + +<p>It could use some polish, but it is already working well and saving +me some time when setting up new machines. :)</p> + +<p>So, how does it work? It look at the set of currently loaded +kernel modules, and look up each one of them using modinfo, to find +the firmware files listed in the module meta-information. Next, it +download the Contents file from a nearby APT mirror, and search for +the firmware files in this file to locate the package with the +requested firmware file. If the package is in the non-free section, a +non-free APT source is added and the package is installed using +<tt>apt-get install</tt>. The end result is a slightly better working +machine.</p> + +<p>I hope someone find time to implement a more polished version of +this script as part of the hw-detect debian-installer module, to +finally fix <a href="http://bugs.debian.org/655507">BTS report +#655507</a>. There really is no need to insert USB sticks with +firmware during a PXE install when the packages already are available +from the nearby Debian mirror.</p> + + + + + The value of a good distro wide test suite... + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/The_value_of_a_good_distro_wide_test_suite___.html + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/The_value_of_a_good_distro_wide_test_suite___.html + Sat, 22 Jun 2013 07:00:00 +0200 + <p>In the <a href="http://www.skolelinux.org/">Debian Edu / +Skolelinux</a> project, we include a post-installation test suite, +which check that services are running, working, and return the +expected results. It runs automatically just after the first boot on +test installations (using test ISOs), but not on production +installations (using non-test ISOs). It test that the LDAP service is +operating, Kerberos is responding, DNS is replying, file systems are +online resizable, etc, etc. And it check that the PXE service is +configured, which is the topic of this post.</p> + +<p>The last week I've fixed the DVD and USB stick ISOs for our Debian +Edu Wheezy release. These ISOs are supposed to be able to install a +complete system without any Internet connection, but for that to +happen all the needed packages need to be on them. Thanks to our test +suite, I discovered that we had forgotten to adjust our PXE setup to +cope with the new names and paths used by the netboot d-i packages. +When Internet connectivity was available, the installer fall back to +using wget to fetch d-i boot images, but when offline it require +working packages to get it working. And the packages changed name +from debian-installer-6.0-netboot-$arch to +debian-installer-7.0-netboot-$arch, we no longer pulled in the +packages during installation. Without our test suite, I suspect we +would never have discovered this before release. Now it is fixed +right after we got the ISOs operational.</p> + +<p>Another by-product of the test suite is that we can ask system +administrators with problems getting Debian Edu to work, to run the +test suite using <tt>/usr/sbin/debian-edu-test-install</tt> and see if +any errors are detected. This usually pinpoint the subsystem causing +the problem.</p> + +<p>If you want to help us help kids learn how to share and create, +please join us on +<a href="irc://irc.debian.org/%23debian-edu">#debian-edu on +irc.debian.org</a> and the +<a href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-edu/">debian-edu@</a> mailing +list.</p> + + + + + Debian Edu interview: Victor Nițu + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Debian_Edu_interview__Victor_Ni_u.html + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Debian_Edu_interview__Victor_Ni_u.html + Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:50:00 +0200 + <p>The <a href="http://www.skolelinux.org/">Debian Edu and +Skolelinux</a> distribution have users and contributors all around the +globe. And a while back, an enterprising young man showed up on +<a href="irc://irc.debian.org/%23debian-edu">our IRC channel +#debian-edu</a> and started asking questions about how Debian Edu +worked. We answered as good as we could, and even convinced him to +help us with translations. And today I managed to get an interview +with him, to learn more about him.</p> + +<p><strong>Who are you, and how do you spend your days?</strong></p> + +<p>I'm a 25 year old free software enthusiast, living in Romania, +which is also my country of origin. Back in 2009, at a New Year's Eve +party, I had a very nice <strike>beer</strike> discussion with a +friend, when we realized we have no organised Debian community in our +country. A few days later, we put together the infrastructure for such +community and even gathered a nice Debian-ish crowd. Since then, I +began my quest as a free software hacker and activist and I am +constantly trying to cover as much ground as possible on that +field.</p> + +<p>A few years ago I founded a small web development company, which +provided me the flexible schedule I needed so much for my +activities. For the last 13 months, I have been the Technical Director +of <a href="http://ceata.org/">Fundația Ceata</a>, which is a free +software activist organisation endorsed by the FSF and the FSFE, and +the only one we have in our country.</p> + +<p><strong>How did you get in contact with the Skolelinux / Debian Edu +project?</strong></p> + +<p>The idea of participating in the Debian Edu project was a surprise +even to me, since I never used it before I began getting involved in +it. This year I had a great opportunity to deliver a talk on +educational software, and I knew immediately where to look. It was a +love at first sight, since I was previously involved with some of the +technologies the project incorporates, and I rapidly found a lot of +ways to contribute.</p> + +<p>My first contributions consisted in translating the installer and +configuration dialogs, then I found some bugs to squash (I still +haven't fixed them yet though), and I even got my eyes on some other +areas where I can prove myself helpful. Since the appetite for free +software in my country is pretty low, I'll be happy to be the first +one around here advocating for the project's adoption in educational +environments, and maybe even get my hands dirty in creating a flavour +for our own needs. I am not used to make very advanced plannings, so +from now on, time will tell what I'll be doing next, but I think I +have a pretty consistent starting point.</p> + +<p><strong>What do you see as the advantages of Skolelinux/Debian +Edu?</strong></p> + +<p>Not a long time ago, I was in the position of configuring and +maintaining a LDAP server on some Debian derivative, and I must say it +took me a while. A long time ago, I was maintaining a bigger +Samba-powered infrastructure, and I must say I spent quite a lot of +time on it. I have similar stories about many of the services included +with Skolelinux, and the main advantage I see about it is the +out-of-the box availability of them, making it quite competitive when +it comes to managing a school's network, for example.</p> + +<p>Of course, there is more to say about Skolelinux than the +availability of the software included, its flexibility in various +scenarios is something I can't wait to experiment "into the wild" (I +only played with virtual machines so far). And I am sure there is a +lot more I haven't discovered yet about it, being so new within the +project.</p> + +<p><strong>What do you see as the disadvantages of Skolelinux / Debian +Edu?</strong></p> + +<p>As usual, when it comes to Debian Blends, I see as the biggest +disadvantage the lack of a numerous team dedicated to the +project. Every day I see the same names in the changelogs, and I have +a constantly fear of the bus factor in this story. I'd like to see +Debian Edu advertised more as an entry point into the Debian +ecosystem, especially amongst newcomers and students. IMHO there are a +lot low-hanging fruits in terms of bug squashing, and enough +opportunities to get the feeling of the Debian Project's dynamics. Not +to mention it's a very fun blend to work on!</p> + +<p>Derived from the previous statement, is the delay in catching up +with the main Debian release and documentation. This is common though +to all blends and derivatives, but it's an issue we can all work +on.</p> + +<p><strong>Which free software do you use daily?</strong></p> + +<p>I can hardly imagine myself spending a day without Vim, since my +daily routine covers writing code and hacking configuration files. I +am a fan of the Awesome window manager (but I also like the +Enlightenment project a lot!), +<a href="http://www.claws-mail.org/‎">Claws Mail</a> due to its ease of +use and very configurable behaviour. Recently I fell in love with +<a href="https://launchpad.net/redshift">Redshift</a>, which helps me +get through the night without headaches. Of course, there is much more +stuff in this bag, but I'll need a blog on my own for doing this!</p> + +<p><strong>Which strategy do you believe is the right one to use to +get schools to use free software?</strong></p> + +<p>Well, on this field, I cannot do much more than experiment right +now. So, being far from having a recipe for success, I can only assume +that:</p> + +<ul> + +<li>schools would like to get rid of proprietary software</li> + +<li>students will love the openness of the system, and will want to + experiment with it - maybe we need to harvest the native curiosity + of teenagers more?</li> + +<li>there is no "right one" when it comes to strategies, but it would + be useful to have some success stories published somewhere, so + other can get some inspiration from them (I know I'd promote + them!)</li> + +<li>more active promotion - talks, conferences, even small school + lectures can do magical things if they encounter at least one + person interested. Who knows who that person might be? ;-)</li> + +</ul> + +<p>I also see some problems in getting Skolelinux into schools; for +example, in our country we have a great deal of corruption issues, so +it might be hard(er) to fight against proprietary solutions. Also, +people who relied on commercial software for all their lives, would be +very hard to convert against their will.</p> + + + Debian Edu interview: Jonathan Carter http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Debian_Edu_interview__Jonathan_Carter.html http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Debian_Edu_interview__Jonathan_Carter.html Wed, 12 Jun 2013 09:50:00 +0200 <p>There is a certain cross-over between the -<ahref="http://www.skolelinux.org/">Debian Edu / Skolelinux -project</a> and <ahref="http://www.edubuntu.org/">the Edubuntu +<a href="http://www.skolelinux.org/">Debian Edu / Skolelinux +project</a> and <a href="http://www.edubuntu.org/">the Edubuntu project</a>, and for example the LTSP packages in Debian are a joint effort between the projects. One person with a foot in both camps is Jonathan Carter, which I am now happy to present to you.</p> @@ -232,6 +480,12 @@ developers did to handle this, and this can give a clue to the KDE developers? Or you know where in KDE the screen brightness is changed during login? If so, please update the BTS report (or get in touch if you do not know how to update BTS).</p> + +<p>Update 2013-07-19: The correct fix for this machine seem to be +acpi_backlight=vendor, to disable ACPI backlight support completely, +as the ACPI information on the machine is trash and it is better to +leave it to the intel video driver to control the screen +backlight.</p>