Feedback, Booting and Screen Blanking.

[Lessss]

Installer failed when I told it to use the entire disk - conked out about 12%, restarted it, failed again but never really told me it failed. Killed it restarted and it worked when I manually configured it.

Running the commodore OS updater... It looks like it has stalled or failed..... I suggest adding a button to allow the user to see what is currently running. Preferably with a progress percentage....
It took a REALLY long time but did eventually finish.

Had to use a USB to install because the only burnable dvds I have are 4.7gig. Please consider modifying the iso to fit on 4.7 discs.... Perhaps don't install so much software but instead have a utility to run that asks what to install in terms of browsers, programming language and perhaps even emulators.

Odd choice to lock down the themeing. I'm sure people will eventually want to make custom changes, but apparently some changes can be made under look and feel

Well done
Enjoying it so far.

[LeoNigro]

I've never had problems with the installer having installed COS at least 50 times.
It might be worth checking your drive.

Yes, I've acknowledged I got a little too clever with the updater and will unhide what it is doing in the next version or update.
However it's not much more than a:

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get update 
sudo apt-get upgrade

This updates all the existing software packages and it will only really take some length of time the first time you run it.
From then on updates will be minimal.

The original COS1.0 was typically installed from DVDs and the 2011 C64x contained a DVD or Bluray drive on it's left side.
There were 2 DVDs for COS1 and to install the content from the second DVD (called Extras), which I firmly believed completed the experience, was cumbersome.
The ISO file size back in 2011 was limited to the size of a DVD (4.6GB) and we barely scraped in.
Nowadays the ISO can be any size which means I don't have to make any sacrifices, or stuff around with alternate loaders like I now do with the Linux Games, which really should have been included within the ISO image, and might be in the next.
If they were pre-configured my OCD brain would have pre-categorised the games by Genre for a neater user experience, instead of lumping then together by default in the Games menu like the installer does.
Also, nowadays, DVDs are almost obsolete, and fewer people have DVD drives than USB ports.
Its far easier and particularly less error prone to write to a cheap 8GB reusable USB stick than a DVD.
I guess I could have made a smaller ISO, and then prompted people to optionally install even more later, but it wasn't the goal.
The primary goal was to create the base installed OS experience for the Commodore 64x, so ISO size really wasn't a concern.

While the Blue/Cyan theme is the main recommended theme, deliberately drawing from the C64 welcome screen colors or the original Workbench, the theming most certainly isn't locked.
A quick way to change the window content theme, the background, the fonts, the icons etc is by right clicking the background and selecting "Change Desktop Background". (explosion sounds abound, and I have no idea why)
However, the Window title and border graphics are managed by Emerald which I have renamed for simplicity to "Window Theme Manager" in the "Look and Feel" menu (use at own risk). You can even make COS look like a MacOS, Windows Xp or Vista, if you want.
Back in COS 1.0 there was a mechanism to select one of our pre-built Commodore themes which were in different colours, and it would modify both technologies at once, including the menu bar graphic.
Unfortunately, that functionality is disabled, as the exact themes from 2011 are no longer available (because they're incompatible).
I would like to get some semblance of that functionality back.

[Lessss]

Sorry it looked locked (appearance) because System> CommodoreOs>change commodore desktop themes brings up message "this function is currently not available..."
and
System> CommodoreOs>change boot screen - gives "this function is currently not available..."

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How to stop Screen saver from starting when using musing player and have visualisation turned on? I don't see a setting in the music player and don't see an option in the screen saver. I suspect a minor deficiency of the screen saver and the music player chosen not the os itself.

Where do I select wifi or change wifi drivers?
I have a win7 laptop Dell inspiron n5010 I installed commodore OS on and unfortunately no wifi... Broadcom 14e4:4313 should use firmware-b43-installer this is already installed apparently... but no wifi added a wifi system>prefs>advanced network but (I see no way to select wifi manually over ethernet on the netwrk connections window) all I see in the top of screen selector is ethernet>wired, disconnect and vpn
Minor annoyance I use the laptop to read pdf while at dialysis. Being able to go on internet would have been nice but not essential. I suppose I can always pick up a cheap chinese wifi dongle but likely won't bother as the power supply on this laptop is on it's way out.

Agreed about categorising the games menue but well I suppose we can all figure out how to edit a mate menu like we can an xfce one.

[LeoNigro]

The wifi widget is on the the menu bar on the top right of the screen.
I would look like a symbol like the following. <-> or if it is searching there will be a spinner icon.
Your wifi networks will appear in a menu once you left click on the widget.
You can also turn your wifi on and off by selecting from a menu displayed by right clicking on the widget.

The screen blanker delay can be set via the following procedure.
This can be done via Power Management which unfortunately is missing. Doah!!!
To obtain the Power Management functionality please issue the following command from the command line.

Code: Select all

sudo apt install -y mate-power-manager

The Power Management icon should now be present in the Control Center under Hardware.
Or in the top menu via:
System --> Preferences --> Hardware --> Power Management

I'll have to remember to include this in the next version.

The screen saver delay time can be set from the Visual Effects Manager accessed via the top menu via:
System --> Preferences --> Look And Feel --> Visual Effects Manager
This is where the compiz desktop effects settings are. (modify at your peril as it may cancel effects out)

Within the resulting window you then need to navigate to Extras where you will see the Screen Saver icon.
You can turn the screen saver off altogether via the checkbox or you can enter settings by clicking on the icon.
You will find the delay "after" time under the General tab.
You may also select another screen saver from this section and alter other characteristics.

I will add these things to the official guides.

[Lessss]

Yes I found the <-> wifi icon.
but as I said... previously

all I see in the top of screen selector is
ethernet
wired
disconnect
vpn


Nothing for wifi.

I'm encountering the old linux vs proprietary hardware issue
Broadcom 14e4:4313 should use firmware-b43-installer this is already installed

[Lessss]

Boot animation. The blue sun and solar flares is cool.
Might I suggest a spinning neutron star that morphs into the commodore symbol....

[aartjansen]

I haven't enjoyed using an OS so much since my youth, thanks to the people who created this !
I fucking love it.

[Lessss]

screen keeps blanking on me. I've turned off the screen saver, I've gone into control center power management on ac power and set both to never

Greeter settings misc - tried setting to never - it blanks in about 5 minutes, set to 60 min it blanks in about 5 minutes..... what other place is there a setting on blanking the screen???

[LeoNigro]

try:

Code: Select all

xset s noblank

[LeoNigro]

It just occurred to me....It could be a setting in your BIOS Power Management options, if you have it.