Booting MX-19 with runit

[aldQueiroz]

(...) If you have older machines with fewer resources, you should try antiX which already has runit installation ISO's on this page: https://mirrors.evowise.com/mxlinux-iso ... it-buster/

antiX is a sister distro to MX, and has many of the same tools that you have gotten used to using in MX, but it is more minimalist and works well on lower resourced and older equipment. The fact that antiX has and supports runit already should make this an easy decision.

Thanks, andyprough ! I wish I knew it sooner! I should have tried antiX at first option to the oldest machine, with Sempro CPU and 3 GB DDR2 RAM (do you believe that system was meant to run "Windows 10" before? And with only 1 GB of RAM ?!..). I will download one of those antiX ISOs for tests later, but I'm afraid I won't install any of them right now. The machines running with MX Linux are functional (although some minor cons...) and I'm afraid it isn't worth to replace the whole OS just to try runit as init system (it took me two days configuring the oldest machine, which I'll donate to a 8 years old nephew...). However, if antiX had a runit liveUSB version, I could give a try!
By the way, which Desktop environment comes as default with antiX runit ISOs ? XFCE, I suppose.. That's ok to me. And, probably, the only feasible option for older machines. But I wish there was option for Plasma 5, or something else...

[seaken64]

There is a Live iso for antiX 19.2 runit version.

The default "desktop" in antiX is "rox-icewm", which is a Window Manager setup instead of a Desktop Environment. You can add XFCE or KDE using the repos. But antiX really shines because it does not use a Desktop Environment. It uses three Window Managers by default along with some alternatives and a couple of different file managers. IceWM, Fluxbox, and JWM, along with Herbstluftwm and ROX and SpaceFM. It's a little different approach than XFCE or KDE but it works very well. And it works in low memory much better than any of the DE's.

Seaken64

[andyprough]

Thanks, andyprough ! I wish I knew it sooner! I should have tried antiX at first option to the oldest machine, with Sempro CPU and 3 GB DDR2 RAM (do you believe that system was meant to run "Windows 10" before? And with only 1 GB of RAM ?!..). I will download one of those antiX ISOs for tests later, but I'm afraid I won't install any of them right now. The machines running with MX Linux are functional (although some minor cons...) and I'm afraid it isn't worth to replace the whole OS just to try runit as init system (it took me two days configuring the oldest machine, which I'll donate to a 8 years old nephew...). However, if antiX had a runit liveUSB version, I could give a try!
By the way, which Desktop environment comes as default with antiX runit ISOs ? XFCE, I suppose.. That's ok to me. And, probably, the only feasible option for older machines. But I wish there was option for Plasma 5, or something else...

antiX comes with icewm as the default desktop, but you can add any desktop you like. I don't have a copy of antiX running right now, but I think plasma and xfce are available along with some others like Mate.

[aldQueiroz]

There is a Live iso for antiX 19.2 runit version.

The default "desktop" in antiX is "rox-icewm", which is a Window Manager setup instead of a Desktop Environment. You can add XFCE or KDE using the repos. But antiX really shines because it does not use a Desktop Environment. It uses three Window Managers by default along with some alternatives and a couple of different file managers. IceWM, Fluxbox, and JWM, along with Herbstluftwm and ROX and SpaceFM. It's a little different approach than XFCE or KDE but it works very well. And it works in low memory much better than any of the DE's.

Seaken64

Thank you, pal! It's interesting, but I'm not sure if such approach would fit my immediate needs... The machine I'm configuring is meant to be used by my 8 years old nephew (it'll be his first computer, and must be used mainly for studying "online"), and it must be easy and intuitive to use by any Newbie (and fully localized in Portuguese_BR); I'm afraid an environment with only Window Managers won't suffice those requirements...

[aldQueiroz]

(...)
antiX comes with icewm as the default desktop, but you can add any desktop you like. I don't have a copy of antiX running right now, but I think plasma and xfce are available along with some others like Mate.

Thanks, again! If antiX runit edition proves to be more responsive (not only faster to boot, but faster to launch and run general applications!) than my current MX Linux, it is worth to give a try! But I prefer to do it with a liveUSB session. Some tip about how to make it?...

[andyprough]

Thanks, again! If antiX runit edition proves to be more responsive (not only faster to boot, but faster to launch and run general applications!) than my current MX Linux, it is worth to give a try! But I prefer to do it with a liveUSB session. Somo tip about how to make it?...

Just download the antiX runit full ISO from here: https://mirrors.evowise.com/mxlinux-iso ... 4-full.iso

And then go to the Main Menu on your MX system and select - MX Tools - MX Live USB Maker, which will make your live USB for you.

If you put XFCE on antiX and spent an hour setting up a nice theme and visuals and installing the programs you want, your son could use it just fine I'm sure. And then you would be using runit without any of the hassle of getting it running on MX.

[aldQueiroz]

(...) Just download the antiX runit full ISO from here: https://mirrors.evowise.com/mxlinux-iso ... 4-full.iso

And then go to the Main Menu on your MX system and select - MX Tools - MX Live USB Maker, which will make your live USB for you.

If you put XFCE on antiX and spent an hour setting up a nice theme and visuals and installing the programs you want, your son could use it just fine I'm sure. And then you would be using runit without any of the hassle of getting it running on MX.

"download antiX19-2-runit_x64-full.iso" : checked!!
"go to the Main Menu on your MX system and select - MX Tools - MX Live USB Maker, which will make your live USB for you." : next to go!!
If the antiX_runit proves to be faster, I shall use it at my own "production machine" as well!!
Thank you, andyprough!!
Regards!

[aldQueiroz]

Hi, a report of antiX+runit experience: I've made the liveUSB, did start a live session at my own desktop and... "man"!!! Where antiX was all my life?!? It did boot fast, as expected (thanks to runit, right?), and start "X" in less than 3 seconds!!! All applications launch fast too, even from the USB! I guess it will be even faster if properly installed at the HDD (or at a SSD, as I'm planning to do with my desktop!). I really wish I had known about antiX_runnit sooner! And I'm seriously tempted to change the current MX Linux 19-2 I'm configuring at that old Sempro CPU for antiX (replace the "Patito feo" for a "Roadrunner"!!!)

[andyprough]

Hi, a report of antiX+runit experience: I've made the liveUSB, did start a live session at my own desktop and... "man"!!! Where antiX was all my life?!? It did boot fast, as expected (thanks to runit, right?), and start "X" in less than 3 seconds!!! All applications launch fast too, even from the USB! I guess it will be even faster if properly installed at the HDD (or at a SSD, as I'm planning to do with my desktop!). I really wish I had known about antiX_runnit sooner! And I'm seriously tempted to change the current MX Linux 19-2 I'm configuring at that old Sempro CPU for antiX (replace the "Patito feo" for a "Roadrunner"!!!)

Yes, it is seriously fast. Zoom zoom.

[oops]

...Yes, it is seriously fast. Zoom zoom.

... I will try via a frugal install the x32 version of antix-19 runit.