How To - smxi Install and Setup

[VastOne]

NOTE - smxi and all it's powerful scripts are already installed in VSIDO.  You will not need to install it, but this guide can help you through the initial setup and understand smxi. Simply start at Step 2

This is for anyone wanting to use smxi to manage kernel installs, kernel updates, nVidia, ATI, Radeon, Intel driver installations and the dkpg process for these when you update your kernel.

smxi is a set of incredible scripts developed here

Theses include the smxi, sgfxi, svmi, rbxi, and inxi scripts and have been developed for years.

There is also a really good wiki and doc collection here

VSIDO comes with unzip installed, but if your distro does not have it, you will need to install unzip

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sudo apt-get install unzip

Step 1: Installing smxi

At the first login screen, do not log in. Instead, hit

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ctrl + alt + f1

to take you to tty1 since smxi is best used outside of Xorg

Login as you and then:

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sudo su

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cd /usr/local/bin && wget -Nc smxi.org/smxi.zip && unzip smxi.zip && smxi

This will install and run smxi for the first time.  The first time run is where you tell smxi your options.

NOTE - these settings can be changed at any time within smxi after this first run through

Step 2: Setting up smxi

The first step any time smxi is run is to exit the X/Desktop, as it needs to perform outside of Xorg

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1) shutdown-desktop-and-continue

Next is confirming what distro you are on and that you want to run smxi

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1) continue-no-change

Next is to add Liquorix Kernel Sources.  I use Liquorix Kernels and this is the primary reason why I use smxi.  It is entirely up to you on this choice.  You can add the Liquorix Kernel sources and still use the Debian Kernel and switch between the two at any time using smxi.

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1) yes-add-liquorix-sources

apt-get update will now automatically run and the liquorix keyring will be added if you chose liquorix sources.

Next smxi needs to know what kernel you are going to use.  There are four choices, the only two that matter now is either 2 or 3 depending on what you are going to use

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1) no-kernel
2) debian
3) liquorix
4) continue

Next smxi needs to know if you want to use apt-get or aptitude as  package manager.  It is strongly recommended by the script developer to use apt-get

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1) apt-get

Now smxi needs to know if you want to use dist-upgrade or upgrade.  I have always used dist-upgrade

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1) dist-upgrade

Next smxi needs to know your Distro level identification. Since Waldorf is based on testing smxi detects that and your choice here should be debian-testing. If you are using Debian sid, then select debian-sid

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2) debian-testing

Next smxi needs to install dctrl-tools and gawk to run properly

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1) yes-install

Next you can and should select your closest debian mirror.  Since I am in the US I choose

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36) us:United-States

NOTE - Some users report that keeping US as the default works best because some of the foreign mirrors are extremely slow

Next Are the Kernel Upgrade Options.  If you selected the debian kernel, smxi would now find the latest kernel and install it.  If you selected to use Liquorix, it would install the latest Liqourix kernel

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Enter to Continue

Recommended Step

smxi now will do a dist-upgrade to make sure everything is up to date

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1) continue

Enter to Continue

Y to any questions asked

When done you will be presented choices, select

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4) continue

After the dist-upgrade is done, select

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6) kernel options

This is where you can update to your latest kernel

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1) install-apt-kernel

then

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1) yes-install-kernel

Once the kernel is updated you can now proceed to

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7) continue-to-graphics

Now you are presented with several choices to install your video drivers. Since I use nVidia, my choice is

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6) current-nvidia

1) yes-create-xorg-conf-file

Enter

Now the driver will be downloaded and installed to your current kernel.

When nouveau is used, it will report a failure to remove.  This is normal.  Just select

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2) reboot

Log back into the new kernel you just installed and at the login screen hit ctrl alt f1 again

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login as you

sudo su

smxi

2) continue-no-dist-upgrade

7) continue-to-graphics

6) current-nvidia

Enter

Now the driver is installed

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1) start-desktop

That is it...  You are now using the latest kernel and the current nVidia drivers.

NOTE - If at any time you login during the process to a blinking cursor on the top left, just do

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ctrl alt f1

login as you

sudo su

smxi

2) continue-no-dist-upgrade

7) continue-to-graphics

6) current-nvidia

Please feel free to comment on how this can be improved.

Thank You!

[jedi]

Actually VO, I'm not sure if it can be improved.  Works great right out of the box!

[Sector11]

Yea, this has save my  more than once!