Installing Puppy - Which file system to use? Fat32 or ext2/3

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Sky Aisling · #101 Post by **Sky Aisling** » Fri 03 Dec 2010, 21:20

@rcrsn51 I see you post with the download. Will do tonight. Thank you.

Sky Aisling · #102 Post by **Sky Aisling** » Fri 03 Dec 2010, 22:19

@rcrsn51

Ok, I couldn't wait. I've fired up the machine for a just a little while.
I am writing this from the Tosheba 2805. The CD took fine.

Downloaded menu.lst replaced menu.lst on sda1 /mnt/home/boot/grub

BTW there also is a file called *menu.lst.old*.

Here is a screenshot of /mnt/home.

Do the files listed outside the boot folder need to be inside the boot folder?
initrd.gz
pup-431.sfs
pupsave
pupswap.sw
vmlinuz

rjbrewer · #103 Post by **rjbrewer** » Fri 03 Dec 2010, 22:20

RetroTechGuy wrote:
looseSCREWorTWO wrote:All screened out, huh ???

MBR is the Master Boot Record. When you install Windows or
Ubuntu, they put their own bootloader into the MBR (without even telling you - which I think is a bit rude).
Years ago, when I tried Ubuntu, it also made multiple, multiple partitions, and created it's own flavor of "ext2" (are you listening, Ubuntu??? If you're going to change the format, call it something else!!!), which other versions (e.g. my old Debian v1.3, Tom's Root Boot, etc.) couldn't read.

I didn't want that many partitions, and I didn't want incompatible partitions, but Ubuntu wouldn't leave my setup alone, so I dumped it immediately.

I don't even bother trying to install to a drive that's had Ubuntu
on it until I wipe it with Dban first.

Sky Aisling · #104 Post by **Sky Aisling** » Fri 03 Dec 2010, 22:59

SUCCESS!!!!!!

Puppy on HDD!

Karl Godt · #105 Post by **Karl Godt** » Fri 03 Dec 2010, 23:28

The boot grub menu.lst needs to contain the correct path to the file vmlinuz and for frugal installs to the file initrd.gz

if the files are on top on '/' the menu.lst would look like

title Linux (on /dev/sda5)
root (hd0,4)
kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/sda5 ro vga=normal

for full installs
and

title Puppy Linux 005 frugal in sda5 dir dpup005
rootnoverify (hd0,4)
kernel /vmlinuz pmedia=atahd psubdir=dpup005 debug panic=9
initrd /dpup005/initrd.gz

for frugal installs

if the vmlinuz and initrd.gz are in whatever directory
it would look like

title Linux (on /dev/sda5)
root (hd0,4)
kernel /boot/PUPPY/431/KERNEL/ORIGINAL/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda5 ro vga=normal

and frugally

title Puppy Linux 009 frugal in sda5 dir dpup008
rootnoverify (hd0,4)
Karl Godt wrote:kernel /dpup009/KERNEL/DEFAULT/vmlinuz pmedia=atahd psubdir=dpup009 debug panic=9
initrd /dpup009/KERNEL/DEFAULT/initrd.gz
[edit=2012-08-15] since i found out that the init script has a -maxdepth 2 option passed to find command it should be
kernel /dpup009/KERNEL/vmlinuz pmedia=atahd psubdir=dpup009
initrd /dpup009/KERNEL/initrd.gz

The directories can have any name you like but of course have to created manually first if you like to have it that way.
and do not forget to install to Master Boot Record :
sometimes say no to a dog !

looseSCREWorTWO · #106 Post by **looseSCREWorTWO** » Sat 04 Dec 2010, 00:09

@sky aisling
Congratulations.

@rcrsn51 wrote

looseSCREWorTWO wrote:
These are blank "marker" files needed to boot Puppy.

Not true.

Then why does Puppy Universal Installer always create them ? Is this a hangover from Puppy 2 series or something ?

Sky Aisling · #107 Post by **Sky Aisling** » Sat 04 Dec 2010, 00:55

Well, I've given Puppy quite a run-around this old Tosheba 2805. All seems to be ok. I've taken the system down and up with no issues. There are some minor issues with some apps but I don't think it's system related.

Puppy moves fast on this machine. I've had Xubuntu running on prior to putting Puppy on. Xubuntu was slower than mollases compared to Puppy.

RetroTechGuy · #108 Post by **RetroTechGuy** » Sat 04 Dec 2010, 01:10

Sky Aisling wrote:Well, I've given Puppy quite a run-around this old Tosheba 2805. All seems to be ok. I've taken the system down and up with no issues. There are some minor issues with some apps but I don't think it's system related.

Now the last thing to do is "puppy pfix=ram" and make a copy of that working pupsave! Then if the system crashes, you can recover (I typically have at least 3 pupsaves on my drives: the main one, the backup one, and a 32MB one that I mount when I want to copy one of the first 2)

RetroTechGuy · #109 Post by **RetroTechGuy** » Sat 04 Dec 2010, 01:13

rjbrewer wrote:
RetroTechGuy wrote: I didn't want that many partitions, and I didn't want incompatible partitions, but Ubuntu wouldn't leave my setup alone, so I dumped it immediately.
I don't even bother trying to install to a drive that's had Ubuntu
on it until I wipe it with Dban first.

I don't believe that Dban existed when I was trying it. I had to hammer the MBR with multiple tools to break it sufficiently that it could be cleaned (the Ubuntu MBR mods were almost as stubborn as a virus).

Sky Aisling · #110 Post by **Sky Aisling** » Sat 04 Dec 2010, 01:38

RetroTechGuy writes:

Now the last thing to do is "puppy pfix=ram" and make a copy of that working pupsave! Then if the system crashes, you can recover

Where do I enter 'puppy pfix=ram'?

The Toshiba splash screen offers me one option and that is to choose how to boot the system. (F2). There is no menu or edit choices such as I have seen on other computers. I would think it is in the puppy script somewhere?

Is 'puppy pfix=ram' entered through a console? I've seen it before but can't recall where I find it.

There is a gray screen box that comes up part way through the boot that shows one bar 'Puppy Linux Frugal' with the instructions to use up or down keys to select a highlighted entry. Enter = boot, e = edit, c = command. Is this where?

RetroTechGuy · #111 Post by **RetroTechGuy** » Sat 04 Dec 2010, 01:59

Sky Aisling wrote:RetroTechGuy writes:

Now the last thing to do is "puppy pfix=ram" and make a copy of that working pupsave! Then if the system crashes, you can recover

Where do I enter 'puppy pfix=ram'?

The Toshiba splash screen offers me one option and that is to choose how to boot the system. (F2). There is no menu or edit choices such as I have seen on other computers. I would think it is in the puppy script somewhere?

It sounds like that F2 is the Toshiba itself, not Puppy. Is that correct? If that doesn't appear when it's showing the initial boot screen, that may be a Puppy prompt.

Is 'puppy pfix=ram' entered through a console? I've seen it before but can't recall where I find it.

There is a gray screen box that comes up part way through the boot that shows one bar 'Puppy Linux Frugal' with the instructions to use up or down keys to select a highlighted entry. Enter = boot, e = edit, c = command. Is this where?

This is booting from your HDD now, right? (not the CD?)

This sounds slightly different than my setup, but I'm guessing if you select "command", you may be able to enter "puppy pfix=fsck".

Note: once you get a second pupsave, it will ask which one you want to load (which makes this operation much easier).

Sky Aisling · #112 Post by **Sky Aisling** » Sat 04 Dec 2010, 02:09

yes, booting from HDD.

RetroTechGuy · #113 Post by **RetroTechGuy** » Sat 04 Dec 2010, 02:25

Sky Aisling wrote:yes, booting from HDD.

One of those should give a command prompt.

However, I just realized a different solution. I have created a blank 4 MB file, formatted it as ext2 and then copied the files from my tiny (32MB), new/blank boot file that I use to copy (I keep this small file around soley for the purpose of copying my pupsaves). It will complain that you are almost out of space, which isn't surprising, since you only have 4MB to start (and the files use about 2MB).

If you unzip and drop this file into your /mnt/home/ folder, you should be able to boot onto it (reboot, and select). Then you can open /mnt/home/, where you can make a copy of the working pupsave (pupsaves should only be copied when they are unmounted).

Sky Aisling · #114 Post by **Sky Aisling** » Sat 04 Dec 2010, 02:40

The command choice in the gray box sent me to a confusing page way beyond my education. Instructions said: [ minamal BASH-like line editings supported For the first word, TAB lists possible command completions....]

Perhaps it is in there somewhere but I was afraid to poke around as nothing made sense to me.

Couldn't find the pfix=ram screen on 4.3.1 on this machine. However, I did find it on Puppy 4.2.1 running on my old Compaq. It's on Puppy 4.2.1 splash screen. The screen that stops and asks what boot options the user wants. The instructions to use it are in plain English.

Is this gray screen necessary for the non-geek user? It would be a lot smoother bootup if the system would just go on to the desktop. Or, present a easy to understand splash screen like 4.2.1 does.

Sky Aisling · #115 Post by **Sky Aisling** » Sat 04 Dec 2010, 02:46

Thank you RetroTechGuy,
I'll download but first, I must go to dinner. Skipped it and lunch yesterday! Not missing dinner today.

Sky

rcrsn51 · #116 Post by **rcrsn51** » Sat 04 Dec 2010, 02:57

Because of the issue with your CD-ROM drive, you cannot use "pfix=ram" the way most Puppy users do. (Its purpose is to boot your system in "safe mode".) So you need to be very careful about any changes you make to your current system. If something goes wrong, you will have to repeat this whole adventure to get a working system again.

If you want, I can suggest some modifications to your menu.lst file. Also, does this machine have working USB ports?

RetroTechGuy · #117 Post by **RetroTechGuy** » Sat 04 Dec 2010, 03:06

rcrsn51 wrote:Because of the issue with your CD-ROM drive, you cannot use "pfix=ram" the way most Puppy users do. (Its purpose is to boot your system in "safe mode".) So you need to be very careful about any changes you make to your current system. If something goes wrong, you will have to repeat this whole adventure to get a working system again.

If you want, I can suggest some modifications to your menu.lst file. Also, does this machine have working USB ports?

With your script setup, I'm assuming that if another pupsave is in the folder, the system will still ask which one to load?

If so, the above 4MB pupsave should give a different mount point, where a copy of the working pupsave can be made (not fancy, but a quick and easy "patch").

Sky Aisling · #118 Post by **Sky Aisling** » Sat 04 Dec 2010, 06:25

Yes, machine has 2 working USB ports. But, no boot option from USB port.

I tried a 'burned' Live CD (not the pressed CD we've been dealing with) of 4.3.1 out on another machine. That 4.3.1 had a similar splash screen as does 4.2.1. It has the pfix = options easily available and explained in plain language.

I intend on taking the suggestion of making a WakePup2 Floppy transferring it to a USB stick for backup.

Sky Aisling · #119 Post by **Sky Aisling** » Sat 04 Dec 2010, 06:46

I don't think the CD drive is broken on this machine.

I keep finding this information on the web:

Toshiba DVD-ROM SD-C2402

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/s ... /index.htm

Is the media disc the correct format for the type of system that you are using? (i.e. on a PC an ISO9660 IBM compatible PC format as opposed to Apple/Mac HFS disc or UNIX disc formats which will not function).

Sky Aisling · #120 Post by **Sky Aisling** » Sat 04 Dec 2010, 07:05

Ah! I think I just learned a bit more about encryption. I discovered that RetroTechGuy has his text encrypted. Am I right? I attempted a copy of your text explaining your pupsave download you sent me. When I went to paste it to an edit doc it was all gooblegook.

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Installing Puppy - Which file system to use? Fat32 or ext2/3