Arnt Karlsen wrote on 28/04/17 04:02:
> [cut]
>
> ..this is getting hilarious, I now have the mousepad working in
> X, but not the keyboard joystick nor any keys or buttons.
> Everything except the keyboard joystick and the top 3 buttons on
> the mousepad, works in the console.
> In my last goof boot, I found the hardware sound volume buttons
> cleared the frame-buffer ;oD, so I carried on.
>
> ..and, I'm getting confused, I need your vdev-0.1.1, _and_ udev?
> Which version, udev 220:3.2.2-2 amd64?
>
> ..udev whines about missing vdev's hwdb, should udev not have
> its own hardware database? Or is that gone away into systemd?
>
> ..I have:
> root@box:~# dpkg -l |grep -w udev |fmt -tuw 140 |cut -d" " -f 1-4
> ii hdmi2usb-udev 0.0.0+git20161124-2 all
> ii libeeze1:amd64 1.8.6-2.5+b2 amd64
> ii libinput-bin 1.6.3-1 amd64
> ii sg3-utils-udev 1.42-2 all
> ii system-config-printer-udev 1.5.7-3+b1 amd64
> iF udev 220:3.2.2-2 amd64
> ii udev-discover 0.2.2-1.2 amd64
> root@box:~# dpkg -l |grep -w vdev |fmt -tuw 140 |cut -d" " -f 1-4
> ii vdev 20161228-jessie1 amd64
> ii vdev-assistant 20161228-jessie1 all
> ii vdev-dbgsym 0.1.1 amd64
> root@box:~#
>

Yes, and maybe we should continue off-list as people might run out of
popcorn soon :-)

Though your system still seems to have an interesting combination of
hotplug handling, but it does seem to be primarily Gnuinos' vdev.

1. > iF udev 220:3.2.2-2 amd64
That is the "udev" package, and it's not fully installed. "iF" means
that you've tried installing it, and it's now "half-configured".

2. > ii vdev 20161228-jessie1 amd64
    > ii vdev-assistant 20161228-jessie1 all
I think those are Gnuinos' vdev, and there might be a third package 
"libudev1-compat" belonging to it. It seems to still be installed.

3. > ii vdev-dbgsym 0.1.1 amd64
This relates to Devuan's vdev, though I think it's "debug symbols" only,
and not the actual package, which is called just "vdev".

But it's not the same as the "vdev" you have installed (with version
code 20161228). Here we have a package naming conflict. The Devuan vdev
package has version code "0.1.1".

Now, as I don't know the exact details of Gnuinos' package(s), I can
only suggest that you firstly make the system go back to only having
"udev", and be rebootable with that. In connection with that, you should
purge all vdev packages, (including any libudev1-compat package).

Only thereafter should you install Devuans' "vdev" from "experimental"
(only "vdev" is needed; not "vdev-dbgsym").

Then your system will have "udev" installed as well as "vdev". But only
"vdev" is in operation, because when it is installed, it tucks away all
"udev" control files so as to "render it harmless". However, since many
other packages declare a dependency on "udev", this is left as if
installed for the package management system. In other words, "udev"
shows up as installed, but it is not in use.

At that point, it's also useful to "pin" udev, so as to avoid it being
upgraded and taking over (eventually you'll need it upgraded, but "vdev"
includes a special handshake for that).

Another thing to note is that the above installations and purges will
rebuild initrd several times. That's no worry if it works nicely, but as
precaution, it's good to make copies of intermediate, working initrd.

(I ran out of time here... need to rush)

Ralph.