linux-image-2.6.20-grml: grml.04

A new full-featured version of 2.6.20-grml (revision grml.04) is available in the grml-testing pool. It’s based on 2.6.20.6 and I plan to use it as stable kernel for the new develrelease grml 0.9-7, the upcoming grml 1.0-rc1 and the final stable version as well if everything works as expected. It’s already integrated within my latest devel-ISO and I’m working on the last few issues on the todolist. Expect to get a new develrelease within the next few days…. Same applies to grml64 and grml-small as well… Now going back to work…

using grml as rescuesystem in a datacenter

Marc ‘Zugschlus’ Haber wrote a very nice article named ‘using grml to prepare LVM surgery’ where he describes how he is using grml as rescue system in the datacenter of the well known german ISP named Strato. It’s definitely worth reading the article. Thanks for the nice article, Marc!

new develrelease: grml 0.9-6

After uploading grml64 I also uploaded a new develrelease of grml (the 32bit version ;-)) for beta-testers and developers. So, what’s new? Read yourself:

This release is a very special one for me. There are many updates,
fixes, addons - I could remove most of the release-stoppers
(http://bts.grml.org/release-stoppers). From my POV we are pretty
close to grml 1.0-rc1 now. But due to several updates it needs heavy
testing of course. So if you want to help us please test this
release and report *anything* you find and think should be fixed for
grml 1.0!
Main changelog:
===============
  * update of kernel 2.6.20-grml, now based on 2.6.20.3
    You're missing a feature/module/...? Report!
  * grml-terminalserver: big improvements like better module loading
    and switch to atftpd (thanks gebi) - give it a try!
  * grml2hd: added grml-setservices (interface for basic
    configuration of system startup/shutdown via
    /etc/runlevel.conf), improved grub code, some minor stuff...
  * added bootoption 'qemu', currently it does nothing else than
    copying /etc/X11/xorg.conf.example to /etc/X11/xorg.conf (if you
    have further ideas please inform me)
  * grml-autoconfig: dropped userspace/powernowd stuff in
    cpufrequeny scaling in favour of the ondemand-governor. If you
    notice any problems with powermanagement on your laptop please
    let me know.
  * news from grml-scripts:
    - added dirvish-setup: a simple script for setting up a basic
      configuration for backup software dirvish.
    - grml-setlang: do not set $TZ anymore, we want to handle it via
      /etc/timezone instead of /etc/default/locale; notice: the
      timezone configuration has been documented detailed at
      https://grml.org/faq/#timezone and within 'grml-tips timezone'
      Questions? Problems? Report!
    - integrated grml-quickconfig within zsh-login. grml-quickconfig
      has been contributed by Michael Schierl - thanks! [Needs some
      more tweaking though...]
    - added iso-term (wrapper script to run x-terminal-emulator in
      iso885915 mode).
    - added alignmargins (adjust the margins and the position of the
      printed contents on the paper)
  * /etc/zsh/zshrc: added aliases for better iso<->utf handling
    (term2iso, term2utf, utf2iso, iso2utf), big update of swspeak
    alias, added function ytdl (download video from youtube), and
    tons of other fixes, updates, additions...

grml64 - 64 bit version of grml

Yes - that’s correct: grml64 - a 64 bit version of grml - is on its way.

I’ll upload the first official develrelease today so beta-testers and developers can grab it. If you want to test the 64bit version of grml too just join #grml.

grml at chemnitzer linuxdays 2007

Chemnitz Linuxdays 2007 were great. Several grml developers (including myself) have been there, we even had our own grml booth:

We had two Efika boards at the grml booth (one from formorer and the other one from myself).

Formorer and me did some further work on the ppc-port of grml:

The grml-team had the chance to test one server of the Linux cluster in chemnitz [Chemnitzer Hochleistungs-Linux-Cluster (CHIC)] with grml. The server is a IBM System x3455 featuring Dual-Core AMD Opteron Processor, DDR2-RAM and AMD’s virtualization technology ‘Secure Virtual Machine’ (SVM).

The cluster machine running grml:

Output of /proc/cpuinfo running grml:

The server at the grml booth:

Oh, and as you can see in the last picture we had CDs of a special grml release (0.9-5) at the grml-booth!

grml in tecchannel compact magazine

A short article about grml is available in the tecchannel compact magazine, edition ‘april/mai/juni 2007’, the grml-ISO is part of the CD shipped with the magazine as well. Thanks a lot especially to Moritz Jäger for the voucher copy!

grml2hd screenshot gallery

A screenshot gallery showing details of the grml2hd process is available online. (Notice: you’ll see the features of the current grml2hd version which supports grub already.)

new build of 2.6.20-grml

I worked on a new version of 2.6.20-grml. The kernel features 2.6.20.1, plus iteraid and unionfs now. Several external modules are available as well, some few are missing though (due to API changes in 2.6.20). I just uploaded all the debian packages of 2.6.20-grml to the grml-testing pool.

new grml-script: dirvish-setup

I just wrote a small script named dirvish-setup which sets up basic configuration for use with the rsync based backup software named dirvish. Testers welcome, please report feedback.

new develrelease: 0.9-3

We have a new develrelease. grml 0.9-3 is available for beta-testers and grml-developers. Quoting the main changelog:

  * kernel 2.6.20-grml
    Notice: not all *extra*, external modules are available yet but
    I think the most important ones are there, see
    http://dufo.tugraz.at/~prokop/grml-kernel/2.6.20-grml/ for details
  * several updates regarding utf8 handling: all known issues should
    be resolved now - if you notice any further problems regarding
    utf8/language/... please report them!
  * grml2hd: support for grub and use of UUID by default
    /archives/225-grml2hd-supports-grub-and-rootUUID.html
    Notice: the grub code is new, there *might* be bugs present
    even though I tested it carefully, so don't use it on your
    productive environment unless you really want to. :)
  * fixed issues known from previous develreleases
  * several updates of configuration files
  * Does anyone of you suffer from the "timezone problem" with grml?
    http://bts.grml.org/grml/issue82
    If so please contact me! Thanks to Jan-Pieter Jacobs we might
    have a fix for the problem but I need your feedback.

grml2hd supports grub and root=UUID

I just finished main work of supporting grub directly within grml2hd and uploaded grml2hd_0.9.3_all.deb to the grml-testing pool in those minutes. Now there’s a new dialog in grml2hd which lets you choose between lilo and grub as bootloader:

Notes:

• using grub on SW-RAID devices is not yet supported
• grub configuration does not provide artwork currently. I’d be happy if someone could contribute a nice bootsplash for grub at grml!
• please do not use the testing version of grml2hd on your productive environment yet! It needs some further heavy testing before entering stable… any feedback is welcome of course.

Oh, and another nifty feature within grml2hd: installation now uses root=UUID by default. This feature requires an initrd/initramfs so we use initramfs by default now (a dialog less within grml2hd) but you can make sure booting your grml system always choses the right partition, no matter how you are booting your system (like via external usb device):

first version of 2.6.20-grml

A first version of kernel 2.6.20-grml is available:

Linux grml 2.6.20-grml #1 SMP PREEMPT Thu Feb 8 00:15:11 CET 2007 i686 GNU/Linux

Some external, extra modules are missing currently (compare with grml.org/kernel/) due to API changes. Anyway, I’d like to base grml 1.0 on kernel 2.6.20-grml so expect several updates in the next few weeks.

new devel release: 0.9-2

We have a new develrelease. grml 0.9-2 is available for beta-testers and grml-developers. Quoting the main changelog:

  * *no* kernel update, I'm lacking time and 2.6.20 should be
     available soon, I don't want to put further work into 2.6.19 now
  * some updates for "utf8 mode by default", main issues should be
    resolved now (some problems are present inside GNU screen though)
    [notice: handling of unicode_start for hd-installation is on the
    todo-list: http://bts.grml.org/grml/issue75 ]
  * several bugfixes and updates in grml-network's netcardconfig,
    in grml-rebuildfstab and grml-scanpartitions
  * extended zsh configuration
  * big update and rewrite of zsh-lovers, thanks to Christian Schneider:
    /archives/221-update-of-zsh-lovers-in-asciidoc-format.html
  * added script gsuggest.pl: google suggest - ask google for
    keyword suggestions
  * Packages removed since 0.9 (excluding lib* and 2.6.18-grml):
    ethereal-common linux-wlan-ng linux-wlan-ng-firmware lout
    lout-common olsrd-plugin opie-server unionfs-utils xen-tools
    xen-utils-common
  * Packages added since 0.9 (excluding lib* and 2.6.19-grml):
    advchk cryopid dnsproxy fatresize flashplugin-nonfree funionfs
    gatling gems genisoimage icedax imsniff keyutils keyutils-lib
    kvm mcabber ncc olsrd-plugins pnputils python-urwid
    recordmydesktop scalpel smbnetfs tesseract-ocr-data uncrustify
    urlscan vde2 vinetto xserver-xorg-input-aiptek
    xserver-xorg-input-elo2300 xserver-xorg-input-elographics
    xserver-xorg-input-hyperpen xserver-xorg-input-joystick
    xserver-xorg-input-penmount xserver-xorg-input-void xwatchwin

grml user survey

The first grml user survey is online. The purpose of this is to help grml developers gain a better idea of what the grml user community is really doing and using, and what aspects people would most like to see improved. Please contribute!

update of zsh-lovers - in asciidoc format

It was on my todolist for ages, thanks to Christian ‘strcat’ Schneider we have the zsh-lovers manpage in asciidoc format now. asciidoc provides much smoother output than my nroff hacks. :-) Adding new tips is much easier now as well, especially since we maintain the manpage within a mercurial repository (hg.grml.org/zsh-lovers). Get the zsh-lovers manpage in manpage format, as HTML or PDF from grml.org/zsh/, a Debian package is available via the grml-testing pool as well of course.