Which CPU does work with Trisquel?
Hello.
First of all, thanks all developers here for Trisquel 9. GREAT system with a lot of potential. I successfully built from source new golang version 1.14, newest version of Codelite (fantastic!!! recommended). And a lot of other wonderful things. Java works really great.
I going to buy new powerful desktop for job. My work is connected to a lot of mathematical calculations, that needs a lot of power, 64+ RAM because a lot of virtual machines with different OS for testing this heavy programs. And I am absolute devotee of completely free software and I wish to fully own my OS. So no proprietary firmware on host OS (windows and related crap only with nested virtualization in disposable guests).
I have a choice between AMD Ryzen 3700 8 cores/16 threads and intel i7 9700 8 cores. But I have doubt especially with Ryzen. Do any of you have these or any other new powerful CPUs for job or any new Ryzen at all working with any free OS? Does it work on it not demanding any proprietary firmware to boot? Does it access internet via Ethernet without a problem?(i agree to sacrifice wifi, but I need stable working Ethernet). Do any of you have any success with any powerful modern maths orientated CPU with your OS?
Please share your experiences. I am literally looking for powerful machine working with free software. Thank you.
I heard some here talking about AMD Ryzen 8 cores / 16 threads and probably had to rebuilt linux-libre 5.7 for it. How does it work now? Are you success? Is it true that Ryzen 8/16 demands linux-libre 5.7? Or does Trisquel's 4.15 kernel work?
https://trisquel.info/en/forum/new-member-who-needs-helpadvise#comment-138279
Right now I tested Trisquel on some weak laptops and i can tell, netbooks have problems with Ethernet in Trisquel 9 (even Mini). It is unstable. I would ask ethtool to be preinstalled in Mini because it can save situation and you can't install it since you can't access repo. (Wifi just does not exist since all wifi demands proprietary crap, that's why Ethernet is my last hope). I wish specifically Trisquel 9 because etiona has newer software than flidas.
Unfortunately such things as "free hardware with Trisquel and coreboot preinstalled" does not exist in my country. These companies you all buy your free hardware from do not ship here at all.
I have a Ryzen 2600X on a Gigabyte X470 Aorus Ultra Gaming motherboard that I can say boots into Trisquel 8.0 and 9.0 and the ethernet works. I haven't really tested it much further as my GPU in that system doesn't work with Trisquel (AMD 5700 XT). This testing was doen on stock kernels so with 4.4 and 4.15. There is a possibility that performance may be affected as certain features of the CPU may not work on a libre kernel but it's hard to say what at this point. I will do some more testing with my Ryzen 2600X and report back.
Thanks very much for the answers.
Glad to hear that a gaming computer works with free software.
Unfortunately I have no physical access to free hardware such as System76 and related. Even weak hardware I now use is non-free. I just deemed ADM Ryzen a less of two evils in this regard, but I may mistake. So what I am looking for is gigabyte Ethernet, nested virtualization, clear desktop performance, I can endure lack of wifi, I don't need games, so no need in fancy video card, instead I need CPU for mass calculations and heavy software being built and tested all the time on many virtual machines at once (at once because these machines will interact with each other). So I am going to organize something like Qubes on my desktop.
Well the gaming system does and doesn't, the GPU doesn't so far. I'm hoping if I can get the latest Linux libre kernel installed it may help with that but i'm not holding my breath.
As for GPUs to recommend with an AMD CPU I would say the Nvidia GT 710 or 730 as they are cheap and work with Trisquel. No AMD GPUs I have tested so far work with Trisquel. I have tried my 5700 XT; RX 580; an R7 370 and an old HD4350 and all are not recognized properly. Intel GPUs or the 700 series Nvidia cards seem to be the best bets so far for newer cards working with libre kernels. You don't even have to endure lack of wifi if you didn't want to as places like Think Penguin and Technoethical sell wifi adapters and cards that work with the libre kernel.
Unfortunately, with AMD, the problem is not only to have "fancy" graphics but also to have a reasonable resolution. On the contrary, Intel graphical chipsets perfectly work. That is why I would choose Intel.
As for the blobs in the two brands, they look equally bad to me (but I have never really studied the topic): see https://libreboot.org/faq.html#intel and https://libreboot.org/faq.html#amd
If stock Trisquel 9 does not provide all the shiny features the hardware should provide, you can follow the instructions on https://jxself.org/linux-libre/ to install a newer kernel.
Thank you very much.
I have a question about the kernel.
When I try to update from repositories mentioned in https://jxself.org/linux-libre/ in Trisquel 9, it says "repository does not contain a Release file". I tried
both txt
deb mirror://linux-libre.fsfla.org/pub/linux-libre/freesh/mirrors.txt freesh main
and all of them
deb https://mirror.cedia.org.ec/linux-libre/ freesh main
deb https://mirror.cyberbits.eu/linux-libre/ freesh main
deb https://linux-libre.fsfla.org/pub/linux-libre/ freesh main
deb http://linux-libre.gnulinux.si/ freesh main
deb http://ftp.linux.org.tr/linux-libre/ freesh main
deb https://mirror.linux.pizza/linux-libre/ freesh main
deb ftp://ftp.linuxliber.md/ freesh main
deb ftp://ftp.linuxliber.ro/ freesh main
deb https://mirror.uta.edu.ec/linux-libre/ freesh main
And this is what I got:
Err:11 http://linux-libre.gnulinux.si freesh InRelease
Could not resolve 'linux-libre.gnulinux.si'
Ign:12 http://ftp.linux.org.tr/linux-libre freesh InRelease
Err:13 http://ftp.linux.org.tr/linux-libre freesh Release
404 Not Found [IP: 193.140.98.183 80]
Err:14 https://mirror.cyberbits.eu/linux-libre freesh InRelease
Could not resolve 'mirror.cyberbits.eu'
Err:15 ftp://ftp.linuxliber.md freesh InRelease
Could not resolve 'ftp.linuxliber.md'
Err:16 ftp://ftp.linuxliber.ro freesh InRelease
Could not resolve 'ftp.linuxliber.ro'
Err:17 https://mirror.uta.edu.ec/linux-libre freesh InRelease
Could not resolve 'mirror.uta.edu.ec'
Err:18 https://mirror.linux.pizza/linux-libre freesh InRelease
Could not resolve 'mirror.linux.pizza'
Ign:19 https://mirror.cedia.org.ec/linux-libre freesh InRelease
Err:20 https://mirror.cedia.org.ec/linux-libre freesh Release
404 Not Found [IP: 201.159.221.67 443]
Ign:21 https://linux-libre.fsfla.org/pub/linux-libre freesh InRelease
Err:22 https://linux-libre.fsfla.org/pub/linux-libre freesh Release
404 Not Found [IP: 209.51.188.54 443]
Reading package lists... Done
E: The repository 'http://ftp.linux.org.tr/linux-libre freesh Release' does not have a Release file.
N: Updating from such a repository can't be done securely, and is therefore disabled by default.
N: See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user configuration details.
E: The repository 'https://mirror.cedia.org.ec/linux-libre freesh Release' does not have a Release file.
N: Updating from such a repository can't be done securely, and is therefore disabled by default.
N: See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user configuration details.
E: The repository 'https://linux-libre.fsfla.org/pub/linux-libre freesh Release' does not have a Release file.
N: Updating from such a repository can't be done securely, and is therefore disabled by default.
N: See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user configuration details.
Is there any instruction to build new kernel from source? Or do I do something wrong?
One more question please. If I do all heavy job in guests, do I need to install new kernel in both host and all guests? Or only in guests or only in host? (Xen technology) I ask because since I wish Trisquel 9 in host, I can use for example Arch or Gentoo in one of the guests with their new kernels. Or will guest new kernel also fail if host is old kernel?
In APT look at the first error message, not the last.
The "repository does not contain a Release file" only came up because it could not download the Release file after the earlier error message:
Could not resolve 'linux-libre.gnulinux.si'
So that is the *real* error. It sounds like there is a DNS or other networking problem going on, especially since there were problems with *all* of the mirrors. I have checked all of the mirrors and they are up and running so this seems to be a problem on your end.
Theoretically any x86 CPU (starting Pentium Pro or Pentium II/Celeron) should work. The problem is GPU. Stay away from any AMD card, or NVidia card newer than 2nd generation of Maxwell architecture (GM2xx). GTX750Ti (GM107-based) is recommended.
I successfully installed new kernel and guess what? Our old dream to have bitmask-vpn work on Trisquel came true.
All past errors including problem with ip6tables with bitmask/riseup on Trisquel happened to be kernel-related. Now with latest kernel bitmask-vpn built from source went smooth and worked great. I tested it only on Trisquel 9 because it is bionic. Now we have riseup networks!
As for resolv... it seems Trisquel 9 has some real problem with it because does not matter how I manipulate with extra DNS, I hardly get any internet. It shows "can't resolv" errors all the time. I just caught several minutes after reboot that I had some internet still and quickly got the kernel. There are times I can not even update from etonia. Trisquel.info is not blocked in my country, nor is libre-kernel. Seems it is not just problem with netbooks - any of my books has unstable internet after I upgraded to Trisquel 9. Even if I try to put DNS manually into Network Settings, they do not work. Please help.
I will share the performance on my new CPU when I test it.
Thanks everyone for advise!