First, minimal test ISO is uploaded for the December stable ISO release. Plan is to still release this year, but might not make it in time to get all the needed testing done, so might be a January release.

This time test cycle is running a bit different, since there are so many changes which relate to hardware-detection, graphics, and so on, that the first ISO uploaded is NOT intended to be used for an installation. Please test in Live mode only.

What needs testing:

  • The overlay image used in ISO creation is AUFS based, this was always added to the kernel as a module. New now is to have it just build-in, which reduces the amount of needed patches drastically.
  • With Linux 5.4, module signing is added. All modules are now signed, in-tree build and external modules (like nVidia & virtualbox). Testers are needed for non-free nVidia to see if all signing is working
  • Major changes to the graphics stack, libgl is replaced with vendor neutral libglvnd. This allows for full and automated hybrid graphics support. Testers are needed with hybrid cards & the use of non-free
  • Virtualbox changed the UEFi boot support, testing so far shows that existing systems need their vbox UEFI boot order adjusted.
  • Intel driver is not included, plan is to use the modesetting driver for intel graphics

To help with testing, please report back for any booting issues into Live mode. If no booting issue, please check for any unsigned kernel modules. The next line should return empty:

for mod in $(lsmod | tail -n +2 | cut -d' ' -f1); do modinfo ${mod} | grep -q "signature" || echo "no signature for module: ${mod}" ; done

Post the content of cat /var/log/used_gfx, and post the output of inxi -G.

This first ISO is using the linux-next kernel 5.4.5 (linux has not moved to 5.4 yet, ISO testing is first needed before that will be done), that means the installer can't be used, since it is not adjusted to run with linux-next.

Expect a lot more changes during this test cycle, so no included packages list yet.

https://sourceforge.net/projects/kaos-test/files/iso/KaOS-2019.12.19-x86_64.iso
SHA256Sum:

dba5b7b9e5c2c2f8803a199f7b3eafab40064ba048968e1b1389b7e736ef2d03  KaOS-2019.12.19-x86_64.iso

Im on the nonfree live session. Here are the outputs:

 live  ~  for mod in $(lsmod | tail -n +2 | cut -d' ' -f1); do modinfo ${mod} | grep -q "signature" || echo "no signature for module: ${mod}" ; done

 live  ~  
 live  ~  cat /var/log/used_gfx
  Driver: "nouveau"
  Driver: "i915"
 live  ~  inxi -G
Graphics:  Device-1: Intel HD Graphics 530 driver: i915 v: kernel 
           Device-2: NVIDIA GM204M [GeForce GTX 970M] driver: nouveau v: kernel 
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.6 driver: modesetting unloaded: vesa resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz 
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 530 (Skylake GT2) v: 4.5 Mesa 19.2.8 

Ping me if you need anything else. Ill be on irc too.

[EDIT] Ok, I booted up on free drivers and, unsurprisingly, had the same output on those commands.

  • demm replied to this.

    eqlucky Im on the nonfree live session. Here are the outputs:

    Can you boot in non-free one more time and post the output of pacman -Q prime? Need to check if the hardware-detection for hybrid failed, or just the installing of nvidia packages (you might get usefeul output from sudo systemctl status live, looking for a line NVIDIA hybrid hardware detected and post the contents of /var/og/pacman.log).

      demm Here it is:

      live  ~  sudo pacman -Q prime
      error: package 'prime' was not found
       live  ~  sudo systemctl status live
      ● live.service - Run live script
         Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/live.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
         Active: inactive (dead) since Sat 2019-12-21 14:52:03 UTC; 4min 21s ago
        Process: 439 ExecStart=/etc/live (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
       Main PID: 439 (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
      
      Dec 21 14:51:59 localhost live[439]: Detecting video & input hardware
      Dec 21 14:51:59 localhost live[439]: Your screen will probably flicker for a moment, don't panic :)
      Dec 21 14:52:03 localhost live[439]: Using display driver: modesetting
      Dec 21 14:52:03 localhost live[439]: Using builtin X.org display detection
      Dec 21 14:52:03 localhost live[439]: >>> [DONE]
      Dec 21 14:52:03 localhost live[439]: Configuring video driver
      Dec 21 14:52:03 localhost live[439]: ...
      Dec 21 14:52:03 localhost live[439]: >>> [DONE]
      Dec 21 14:52:03 localhost systemd[1]: live.service: Succeeded.
      Dec 21 14:52:03 localhost systemd[1]: Started Run live script.
       live  ~  cat /var/log/pacman.log
      cat: /var/log/pacman.log: No such file or directory

      Ive searched for a pacman.log on /var/log. No success.

      • demm replied to this.

        eqlucky Ive searched for a pacman.log on /var/log. No success.

        This means hardware-detection changes did not work for hybrid systems, the non-free section did never run, thus nothing done for pacman.
        I will need to get the info from:
        https://github.com/KaOSx/hardware-detection/blob/master/hooks/hwdetect_7_graphics#L59
        https://github.com/KaOSx/hardware-detection/blob/master/hooks/hwdetect_7_graphics#L61
        and
        https://github.com/KaOSx/hardware-detection/blob/master/hooks/hwdetect_7_graphics#L137
        to figure why it fails. Might be easier in IRC.

        Second minimal ISO is up, this time the ISO is installable and back to regular kernel. Since the first minimal ISO changes were made to hardware-detection and installer for non-free drivers. Virtualbox needs a different video driver when the vmwglx driver is used (vmware), installer is adjusted for that. LLVM/Clang have just moved to 9.0.1, kernel to 5.4.6.

        On this ISO you will find:
        Linux 5.4.6
        systemd 243
        gcc 9.2.0
        Qt 5.14.0
        Frameworks 5.65.0
        Plasma 5.17.4
        KDE Applications 19.12.0
        Calamares 3.2.14
        Octopi 0.9.0 with sysinfo & cachecleaner tool

        SHA256:

        b22a217add9c11e47bcca6dc5c4cb430cb605a7684c6ca1a3eba50f2c42a4c60  KaOS-2019.12.22-x86_64.iso

        https://sourceforge.net/projects/kaos-test/files/iso/KaOS-2019.12.22-x86_64.iso

        Known issues:

        • The vboxguest module is not signed yet
        • When using the new default virtualbox display setting VMSGA, seamless mode & full screen do not work. Set to VBoxVGA or VBoxSVGA for now.
          6 days later

          demm

          new pacman.log output:

           live  ~  cat /var/log/pacman.log
          [2019-12-28T15:19:17+0000] [PACMAN] Running 'pacman -Rdd --noconfirm xf86-video-intel'
          [2019-12-28T15:19:18+0000] [PACMAN] Running 'pacman -Rdd --noconfirm xf86-video-nouveau'
          [2019-12-28T15:19:18+0000] [PACMAN] Running 'pacman -Ud --noconfirm /opt/kdeos/pkgs/nvidia-utils-1:440.44-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz'
          [2019-12-28T15:19:18+0000] [ALPM] transaction started
          [2019-12-28T15:19:24+0000] [ALPM] installed nvidia-utils (1:440.44-2)
          [2019-12-28T15:19:24+0000] [ALPM] transaction completed
          [2019-12-28T15:19:24+0000] [PACMAN] Running 'pacman -Ud --noconfirm /opt/kdeos/pkgs/nvidia-1:440.44-3-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz'
          [2019-12-28T15:19:24+0000] [ALPM] transaction started
          [2019-12-28T15:19:25+0000] [ALPM] installed nvidia (1:440.44-3)
          [2019-12-28T15:19:36+0000] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] In order to use nvidia module, reboot the system.
          [2019-12-28T15:19:36+0000] [ALPM] transaction completed
          [2019-12-28T15:19:36+0000] [PACMAN] Running 'pacman -Ud --noconfirm /opt/kdeos/pkgs/prime'
           live  ~  inxi -G
          Graphics:  Device-1: Intel HD Graphics 530 driver: i915 v: kernel 
                     Device-2: NVIDIA GM204M [GeForce GTX 970M] driver: nvidia v: 440.44 
                     Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.6 driver: modesetting unloaded: vesa resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz 
                     OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 530 (Skylake GT2) v: 4.5 Mesa 19.2.8 
           live  ~  xrandr --listproviders
          Providers: number : 1
          Provider 0: id: 0x47 cap: 0xf, Source Output, Sink Output, Source Offload, Sink Offload crtcs: 3 outputs: 5 associated providers: 0 name:modesetting 
          live  ~  lsmod | grep nvidia
          nvidia              20357120  0
          ipmi_msghandler        57344  2 ipmi_devintf,nvidia

          First full ISO is now up. Corrections needed for the output from a PRIME system from the above post are included.
          Seafile is now again included, since it recently moved to python3. Nvidia 340xx is updated and no longer needs any kernel patches.
          Calamares includes what should be the final release notes (and more changes to work with new prime option).
          If all goes well, then this will be the final ISO, released in 1-2 days.

          https://sourceforge.net/projects/kaos-test/files/iso/KaOS-2019.12.28-x86_64.iso
          SHA256:

          30fadfcca2bb4f8d7397249b4fb3aeaa1f93b80b6d9ffaf05468e5513ba003c2  KaOS-2019.12.28-x86_64.iso

          Too many bugs found on the ISO from yesterday, so a second full ISO is needed, changes since yesterday:

          • NVIDIA 390xx no longer fails to install
          • Creation of xorg.conf is no longer done, this fixes setting a wrong screen driver for hybrid systems/PRIME
          • Virtualbox modules are now signed too

          https://sourceforge.net/projects/kaos-test/files/iso/KaOS-2019.12.29-x86_64.iso
          SHA256:

          9f7cd94cd972b1d7b213f7b7a656724c1c19bf41d60a28bbf782924118707612  KaOS-2019.12.29-x86_64.iso

            demm
            Well, good news, everything's working on the non-free live session.
            I just installed it, and I noticed there is no prime or propietary drivers installed. I don't know if this is intended or not.

            
             eqlucky  ~  sudo pacman -Q prime
            error: package 'prime' was not found
             eqlucky  ~  inxi -G
            Graphics:  Device-1: Intel HD Graphics 530 driver: i915 v: kernel 
                       Device-2: NVIDIA GM204M [GeForce GTX 970M] driver: nouveau v: kernel 
                       Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.6 driver: modesetting unloaded: vesa resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz 
                       OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 530 (Skylake GT2) v: 4.5 Mesa 19.2.8 
             eqlucky  ~  xrandr --listproviders
            Providers: number : 2
            Provider 0: id: 0x47 cap: 0xf, Source Output, Sink Output, Source Offload, Sink Offload crtcs: 3 outputs: 5 associated providers: 0 name:modesetting
            Provider 1: id: 0xcf cap: 0xf, Source Output, Sink Output, Source Offload, Sink Offload crtcs: 4 outputs: 1 associated providers: 0 name:modesetting
            • demm replied to this.

              eqlucky no prime or propietary drivers installed

              Please post the /var/log/installation.log (from installed system), maybe it will show why non-free module did not install nvidia & prime.
              And were you presented with the License page and accepted the license?

              EDIT:
              The License page could not have been shown since nvidia-prime was not added to the Calamares launch script, thus the non-free module stopped with License Declined. You can test the install again, with the current ISO by starting the installer with sudo calamares -d, that way the license page will show, and you can test the prime/non-free install. Even better would be if you would edit /usr/bin/launch-calamares.sh and make line 3 into:

              if [ ! -f /var/log/nvidia ] && [ ! -f /var/log/nvidia-prime ] && [ ! -f /var/log/nvidia-340xx ] && [ ! -f /var/log/nvidia-390xx ];

              then start Calamares as normal from the Welcome app. Stop with the install, if the License page still doesn't show.

              A new ISO will be coming for this (I want to have the prime option working on next stable ISO).

                eqlucky
                Almost there!
                I installed the system twice again, one with the command suggested and the other with the fix. Both installed detected the nvidia card and installed the propietary drivers, but prime wasn't installed.
                I'm posting the installation.log output and some useful command outputs:

                new installation log

                 eqlucky  ~  sudo pacman -Q prime
                error: package 'prime' was not found
                 eqlucky  ~  xrandr --listproviders
                Providers: number : 1
                Provider 0: id: 0x47 cap: 0xf, Source Output, Sink Output, Source Offload, Sink Offload crtcs: 3 outputs: 5 associated providers: 0 name:modesetting
                 eqlucky  ~  inxi -G
                Graphics:  Device-1: Intel HD Graphics 530 driver: i915 v: kernel 
                           Device-2: NVIDIA GM204M [GeForce GTX 970M] driver: nvidia v: 440.44 
                           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.6 driver: modesetting unloaded: nvidia,vesa resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz 
                           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 530 (Skylake GT2) v: 4.5 Mesa 19.2.8 
                 eqlucky  ~  lsmod | grep nvidia
                nvidia_drm             49152  0
                nvidia_modeset       1101824  1 nvidia_drm
                nvidia              20357120  4 nvidia_modeset
                drm_kms_helper        180224  2 nvidia_drm,i915
                drm                   475136  12 drm_kms_helper,nvidia_drm,i915
                ipmi_msghandler        57344  2 ipmi_devintf,nvidia

                Test cycle is now 2020.01.....
                New full ISO is up, changes since ISO from Dec 29:

                • Kernel moved to linux 5.4.7
                • FFMPEG 4.2.2 (plus needed rebuilds)
                • Sudo 1.8.30
                • Libarchive 3.4.1
                • All system data moved to 2020 (filesystem, release notes, calamares, kinfocenter)
                • Calamares launcher script fixed to show needed license page for NVIDIA/PRIME
                • Calamares non-free module adjusted to properly install prime

                This should be the final ISO, release set for tomorrow or Saturday.
                https://sourceforge.net/projects/kaos-test/files/iso/KaOS-2020.01.02-x86_64.iso
                SHA256:

                8a145dfae21ca77b1a6afe656ec0bf5d65bc371b48e392067780cbad159a654d  KaOS-2020.01.02-x86_64.iso

                  demm
                  Downloaded, booted, installed and... perfect! Prime out of the box!
                  I'll be working here this evening, so if I find anything weird, I'll post here. But no issues so far.
                  Great work!

                  A question just out of curiosity, will kvantum be implemented as an option, will it continue with qtcurve, both options, kvantum will not be implemented, only breeze will remain?

                  • demm replied to this.

                    jomada A question just out of curiosity, will kvantum be implemented as an option, will it continue with qtcurve, both options, kvantum will not be implemented, only breeze will remain?

                    This test cycle was really for 2019, new theme will be for 2020, so yes, next ISO will have new theme with kvantum and hopefully new wallpaper. Expect that for February/March.
                    Welcome app will have a new look/new options too, see https://github.com/KaOSx/welcome_qml/blob/master/README.md for how it looks now (also not on the current test ISO). Added is a package list page.