Puppy - Pen Drive and FAT 16/32 File System

[waynev]

The below is copied from elswhere:

Note however, as it is a DOS-based system WakePup can only recognise ISO9660 and FAT filesystems. CDs use the ISO9660 filesystem for holding files, so that is okay. USB pen drives are usually formatted with FAT16 filesystem, so that is also okay. MSDOS and Windows 95/98 installations are in hard drive partitions with FAT filesystems, so again okay.
Thus, WakePup will not recognise Puppy installed in a NTFS (Windows XP) hard drive partition, nor a Linux partition

Question:

I ask this question because the above makes me believe that Puppy will full install into new and fresh FAT 16/32 partition, and, out of frustration, I'm willing to seem demented

[rcrsn51]

I ask this question because the above makes me believe that Puppy will full install into new and fresh FAT 16/32 partition

No. You can only do a full install of Puppy into a Linux-type partition like ext3. The Wakepup diskette is designed to boot frugal installs. However, you can make a GRUB boot diskette that will launch a full install.

Your title refers to pen drives. Were you thinking about trying a full install into a pen drive? This is only possible by making extensive modifications to the core Puppy files.

[waynev]

No. You can only do a full install of Puppy into a Linux-type partition like ext3. The Wakepup diskette is designed to boot frugal installs. However, you can make a GRUB boot diskette that will launch a full install.

Obviously I did not have a clue. This helps me a great deal.

Are you saying if it's a frugal install on a pen drive formatted FAT/16-32 the WakePup would be used to boot the Pen Drive.

Your title refers to pen drives. Were you thinking about trying a full install into a pen drive? This is only possible by making extensive
modifications to the core Puppy files.

[So] for a Pen Drive, when using the universal installer the install is frugal and the file system is FAT

[rcrsn51]

...for a Pen Drive, when using the universal installer the install is frugal and the file system is FAT?

Precisely. However, you don't always need the Wakepup diskette to boot it. Most newer computers will support USB booting from the BIOS.

[rjbrewer]

Waynev;

If you have a fresh usbdrive and use the universal installer to
install puppy to a fat partition, it makes a frugal install: except
it's not necessary to install grub to the drive in order to use it.

It can be booted straight into a windows computer that is
capable of booting usb; or booting into a linux partitioned
computer by using a wakepup floppy or the cd using: puppy
pmedia=usbflash; if the computer does not have usb-boot
capability.
Rcrsn51 has a whole package of different booting options.

rjb

[waynev]

...for a Pen Drive, when using the universal installer the install is frugal and the file system is FAT?

Precisely. However, you don't always need the Wakepup diskette to boot it. Most newer computers will support USB booting from the BIOS.

This really helps, thanks.

My machines are old and like me they need all the help they can get

[waynev]

Waynev;

If you have a fresh usbdrive and use the universal installer to
install puppy to a fat partition, it makes a frugal install: except
it's not necessary to install grub to the drive in order to use it.

It can be booted straight into a windows computer that is
capable of booting usb; or booting into a linux partitioned
computer by using a wakepup floppy or the cd using: puppy
pmedia=usbflash; if the computer does not have usb-boot
capability.
Rcrsn51 has a whole package of different booting options.

rjb

Thank you, this really adds to the tool box I can use to get this USB Pen Drive working. rcrsn51 is posting here, is this the same Rcrsn51 you mention regarding different booting options

[waynev]

Used the universal installer and installed puppy on Pen Drive Fat Partition. Since I wanted to boot Pen Drive into a linux machine, I used WakePup. The boot did not complete. It hung itself and the green lite on the Pen Drive remained on. It required a hard reboot to exit. I tried three different WakePup options 1, 2, 3 and non worked. The closest I came was WakePup telling me it could not find Pup files on any drives and wanted a path to a sub directory. I finshed pulling out what hair was left and moved on

pmedia=usbflash. I tried booting with CD typing Pmedia=usbflash at the boot prompt, no good, the machine continued to boot the HDD.

This hp does not offer USB in the boot order, but mentions USB a lot otherwise

Is there any possibility that this will ever happen or are we simply wasting our time

[cthisbear]

Have you tried GParted after universal install to see that

LBA and Boot??? are checked.

Some USBs are rubbish and you have to try different install options.

You have tried different USB ports???
This is critical sometimes.

Could you get another cheap USB to try.

I have 4 USBs working with different Puppies.

I would try again if none of the above work.
Let GParted format your USB again.
Don't format your hard drive.

OR here is the old reliable HP formatter.

Chris.

[waynev]

cthisbear

I'm at work now but will follow up on your suggestions tomorrow.

BTW My office has new hp machines and these machines allow changing of the boot order. I have changed the boot order on my machine and tried a couple others without any successful boot for the Pen Drive.

It's interesting because previous to installing puppy, SliTaz Cooking was installed, although SliTaz did not boot at least the computer reconized SliTaz as being on the Pen Drive and puppy is not reconized.

I appreciate your help on this cthisbear

Wayne

[rjbrewer]

A post I made on another thread.

There is one point during the usb flash install using the installer
and cd that caused me a few problems at first.

At the final stage, when making the save-file, it takes 15 or 20
minutes for the file to be made. Then the screen goes black, and
I assumed it was finished. It wasn't; takes another 10 minutes or
so before it really is. Removing the cd and rebooting fails without
waiting until the very end.

rjb

[waynev]

rjbrewer

When using the installer, I opted not to make the save-file could this be the problem

[rjbrewer]

I'm not sure; but when I deleted the save file from one of my
flash drives, it wouldn't boot after that.

Also: when I tried making a maximum size save file it wouldn't
work.

rjb

[waynev]

cthisbear

Let GParted format your USB again.
Don't format your hard drive.

[SO] I run Gparted and delete what is on the USB and the let Gparted format the USB drive FAT 16 or 32?

A bit confused on what you mean "Don't format your hard drive."

After the new FAT format by Gparted I then use the universal installer to install puppy without a save-file.

The USB is Dell 64MB, can you or any one recommend a puppy. I thought of Johns 50MB MeanPup. The USB is loaded now with ( I forgot its name) Puplet 3.0.1 under 50MB.

Cheers

[rjbrewer]

A 64 mb flash drive??

rjb

[cthisbear]

The USB is Dell 64MB :

Stone the crows!

OK! ........Puppy 4 Alpha4 but can't see it.

///////

This is the standard Puppy 4.1.2 retro but without the fat

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=37570

""""""""""

50MB Puplet for Business CD's

White Fang 0.2

http://www.puppylinux.asia/tpp/bugs/ISO ... ng-0.2.iso

///////

Old versions of GParted didn't ask you what drive to look at.
Unless you dropped down you couldn't see other drives.

That HP booter formatter sometimes just get's Humpty Dumpy USBs
to finally work.

Go for Fat16 on your USB ....it does not install...
the HP is just an execute file.

Chris.

[rcrsn51]

USB is Dell 64MB

You aren't going to find any Puppy that will fit in 64 MB and have room for an adequate pup_save file.

You are experiencing one of the ongoing problems with the Puppy Universal Installer. It does not appear to check if the target drive has enough space to accept the install.

[waynev]

A 64 mb flash drive??

rjb

Yes 64 mb. It's the pen drive that came with my wife's new Dell, and the machine is at her office an unavailable to me, I have to wait until I'm at work before such machines are available. So I'll use the 64mb with the ultra lite distros to experiment with this love hate relationship booting USB.

An attachment of the flash drive. John's MeanPup is installed.

When cthisbear mentioned boot flag, I checked and the drive was not flagged.

I used Puppy412 Gparted to delete and format a new Fat-32 with the boot flag. I did not add the flag lba? Then used universal installer, and installed the distro. Gparted insisted upon a disk label so I let it create an msdos label?

Tried to boot this into Puppy412 using WakePup, no good. It cannot find the puppy files on any drive .

I'll be satisfied if I can simply boot this flash drive using a new machine which offers all the bells and whistles.

[waynev]

USB is Dell 64MB

You aren't going to find any Puppy that will fit in 64 MB and have room for an adequate pup_save file.

You are experiencing one of the ongoing problems with the Puppy Universal Installer. It does not appear to check if the target drive has enough space to accept the install.

I simply want to get the thing to boot. I don't care if it saves unless a save-file is absolutely necessary to make this work. It seems to me the installer should install all of John's 50mb puppy on a 64mb drive But heck what do I know

I suppose I should follow cthisbear recommendation and redo the flash drive using FAT-16

[rjbrewer]

Assuming "meanpup" is exactly 50mb and the smallest save
file you can make is 16 mb; it still won't fit.

One gb flash-drives sell for 5 dollars or less now.

rjb