How do I make a bootable USB stick of XenialPup 32?

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olddog
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How do I make a bootable USB stick of XenialPup 32?

#1 Post by olddog »

I can't find an ISO for this. I can make a bootable USB for Tahgpup, but it has an ISO file. The 32 bit non-UEFI Xenial does not. There is an SFS file, but I can't find any explanation of how to make use of it,

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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olddog
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Re: How do I make a bootable USB stick of XenialPup 32?

#2 Post by olddog »

olddog wrote:I can't find an ISO for this. I can make a bootable USB for Tahgpup, but it has an ISO file.
TAHR, not Tahg of course.
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bigpup
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#3 Post by bigpup »

The Puppy versions that have UEFI in their name will work on any bios.

The ones that are UEFI, just have added files needed for UEFI, but they work on anything.

Here is the Xenialpup 7.5 (32bit) iso repository.
http://distro.ibiblio.org/puppylinux/puppy-xenial/32/

Xenialpup 7.5 iso
http://distro.ibiblio.org/puppylinux/pu ... 5-uefi.iso
The things they do not tell you, are usually the clue to solving the problem.
When I was a kid I wanted to be older.... This is not what I expected :shock:
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oui

#4 Post by oui »

I assume you download the iso directly into your home (in Puppy /root)
Then transfer it to you stick with dd (all actual data on it will be erased! save then before to do it!)

Code: Select all

dd if=xenialpup-7.5-uefi.iso of=/dev/XXX
XXX is your USB place where the stick comes into (IMPORTANT: don't confuse with an other place - dd erases it!)

It can need a long time...

Reboot

First, adapt you computer to run from USB if not already so and/or re/start

olddog
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#5 Post by olddog »

Thanks, but I am not having much luck with that. I tried it before using Etcher, and the program said something was missing and the result would not be bootable. It refused to continue.

Using Unetbootin with Puppy the process finished, but the result fails to boot on two different machines (which happily run Puppy and boot from USB when required).

Can I use the SFS file, and how?


bigpup wrote:The Puppy versions that have UEFI in their name will work on any bios.

The ones that are UEFI, just have added files needed for UEFI, but they work on anything.

Here is the Xenialpup 7.5 (32bit) iso repository.
http://distro.ibiblio.org/puppylinux/puppy-xenial/32/

Xenialpup 7.5 iso
http://distro.ibiblio.org/puppylinux/pu ... 5-uefi.iso
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Smithy
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#6 Post by Smithy »

Old dog,
This is the tried and trusted method posted by Bill, it means you don't have to touch the MBR which breaks dual boot hard drives I have found.
I think they have removed syslinux bootloader package from newer puppies...

In order to proceed, the following things must be true.

1. Your flash drive has the standard DOS/Win boot code on its MBR.

2. The flash drive partition is flagged as bootable. Check this with Gparted.

3. Your Linux has the syslinux bootloader package. It probably does.

Here are the steps.

1. Determine the device name of your flash drive partition. It should be something like sdb1. But making a mistake with the device name can cause bad things to happen. Buyer beware.

2. Plug in the flash drive but don't mount it. Type in the Terminal:

Code:syslinux /dev/sdxy

where sdxy is the flash drive partition. i.e sdb1,etc
This installs the syslinux bootloader.

3. Mount the flash drive and make a file named syslinux.cfg containing the following lines:

default puppy
display boot.msg
prompt 1
timeout 50

F1 boot.msg
F2 help.msg
F3 help2.msg

label puppy
kernel vmlinuz
append initrd=initrd.gz pmedia=usbflash


4. Copy these files from the wanted Puppy to the flash drive -
boot.msg, help.msg help2.msg, logo16, adrv, fdrv, these are optional.

The following Three files ARE needed as a minimum.
vmlinuz, initrd.gz and pupxxx.sfs.

6. Unmount everything and boot off the flash drive.

If it won't boot, here are some trouble-shooting questions.

Do you know for sure that your machine supports USB bootability? Many older machines (and some newer ones) don't. The best scenario is where the BIOS detects the flash drive as a secondary hard drive.

Have you modified your BIOS boot priority list to enable USB booting?

How is the flash drive formatted? Some users report better results with fat16 than fat32.

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bigpup
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#7 Post by bigpup »

Using Unetbootin with Puppy the process finished, but the result fails to boot on two different machines
Does it tell you why or give any error?

Is this on a USB drive that has been able to boot using some other Puppy version?

Is this a brand new USB drive that has never been used to boot?
The things they do not tell you, are usually the clue to solving the problem.
When I was a kid I wanted to be older.... This is not what I expected :shock:
YaPI(any iso installer)

olddog
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#8 Post by olddog »

It's a drive that has been used to boot other Puppies.

I have just tried Smithy's method, and I get a message saying:

Loading Puppy. Failed. No such drive or directory.

It's very annoying because I have been booting puppies for years from USB sticks with no problem.

I am just going to meet some friends for supper, and will try again later.

Thanks for helping.
Linux novice with too many Thinkpads, mainly running Xenialpup
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oui

#9 Post by oui »

Did you try some time the "dd" method I did name you (the device is PROBABLY /dev/sr , or perhaps /dev/sr0 / /dev/sr1)?

only that short line to copy (not to write per hand! I did give you a finish directly operable text excepted the 2 character "s" "r" . hm ... and that is to difficult for you?)

I did inform you that you have to wait for a long time (depending of the specification of your usb port and the specification of your usb stick!): as long as the cursor is not coming back! If no message, the stick is finish and good, in the other case, look what the message says (and report it here if you don't understand!)

no list of complicated commands and preparations at all... you need not more than 3..5 min + download time (if not already happened) and + writing time on the stick (can be long, but the running system is free for somewhat else...)

we all try to help and invest time to explain you step by step. can you follow us with some action please else it is nonsens pure to require help and nothing more excepted we have loose our time!

after success, please rapport which way did success and reedit the 1st message to add [solved] left in the title line, thank you for that...

Note: in Puppy you see the name (in Puppy! it can differ in other Linux) of your usb device under the icon appearing at the bottom left (in the most Puppy's, sorry, not in all, as soon you stick an operable data stick into the usb port :wink:

olddog
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#10 Post by olddog »

Oui,

I will try your suggestion next.

I do have a day job, and at night I tend to sleep, so sometimes I am unable to respond immediately! However, I am trying the suggestions, and am grateful for them!
oui wrote:Did you try some time the "dd" method I did name you (the device is PROBABLY /dev/sr , or perhaps /dev/sr0 / /dev/sr1)?

only that short line to copy (not to write per hand! I did give you a finish directly operable text excepted the 2 character "s" "r" . hm ... and that is to difficult for you?)

I did inform you that you have to wait for a long time (depending of the specification of your usb port and the specification of your usb stick!): as long as the cursor is not coming back! If no message, the stick is finish and good, in the other case, look what the message says (and report it here if you don't understand!)

no list of complicated commands and preparations at all... you need not more than 3..5 min + download time (if not already happened) and + writing time on the stick (can be long, but the running system is free for somewhat else...)

we all try to help and invest time to explain you step by step. can you follow us with some action please else it is nonsens pure to require help and nothing more excepted we have loose our time!

after success, please rapport which way did success and reedit the 1st message to add [solved] left in the title line, thank you for that...

Note: in Puppy you see the name (in Puppy! it can differ in other Linux) of your usb device under the icon appearing at the bottom left (in the most Puppy's, sorry, not in all, as soon you stick an operable data stick into the usb port :wink:
Linux novice with too many Thinkpads, mainly running Xenialpup
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oui

#11 Post by oui »

ok!

reading again, I see I did forget a details:
oui wrote: First, adapt you computer to run from USB if not already so and/or re/start
- some PC requires you have to press on some special key (F10 or F12 for ex.) in the long first seconds from boot starting before the USB drive/stick itself can boot the PC (forgetting that makes that nothing happens :cry: )! Inspect the boot screen for such instructions or see in the handbook...

good luck!

olddog
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#12 Post by olddog »

OK, I am sorry too say that that has failed too (using D to make the USB stick boot Xenial).

The DD command worked, and the full 665100+0 files were transferred.

However, I still can't get it to boot.

So, I then tried again with Tahr on the same computer and same stick, using the same DD method, and it worked.

Given that Etcher claims that there is something wrong with the ISO, I wonder if somebody else could try it.

Because if Tahr works and Xenial doesn't, using the same method on the same machine, I can't think of any other explanation than a dud ISO.
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olddog
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#13 Post by olddog »

I meant to type DD, not D.
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olddog
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#14 Post by olddog »

I should just like to add that I have been trying various Puppies on various machines over a number of years, starting with an EEEPC, so, while far from an expert, I have managed to successfully perform this task many times.
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musher0
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#15 Post by musher0 »

Hello OldDog and all.

Bookmarking this interesting thread.

Not so long ago, forum member Burn_IT wrote something about SOME
thumbnail drives NOT being bootable no matter what.

(When I find it, I'll put here the URL of his post about this.)

BFN.
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6502coder
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#16 Post by 6502coder »

musher0 wrote: Not so long ago, forum member Burn_IT wrote something about SOME
thumbnail drives NOT being bootable no matter what.
That would be this post, and the subsequent very informative discussion:
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 54#1021154

olddog
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#17 Post by olddog »

Interesting stuff, but I don't think it's relevant to my problem. The stick in question happily boots Xenialpup 64 and Tahrpup. It's the Xenial 32 that it doesn't like.

6502coder wrote:
musher0 wrote: Not so long ago, forum member Burn_IT wrote something about SOME
thumbnail drives NOT being bootable no matter what.
That would be this post, and the subsequent very informative discussion:
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 54#1021154
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bigpup
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#18 Post by bigpup »

Do you have any other USB drives plugged in when you try to boot Xenialpup 7.5?
If yes.
Only have the Xenialpup one plugged in.
The things they do not tell you, are usually the clue to solving the problem.
When I was a kid I wanted to be older.... This is not what I expected :shock:
YaPI(any iso installer)

olddog
Posts: 64
Joined: Wed 21 Dec 2016, 11:19
Location: UK

#19 Post by olddog »

No.

I do believe the ISO is dud. Now I am just waiting for somebody to try it for themselves.

Just to repeat; the same flash drive happily boots other varieties of Puppy in the same computers. I can't see any other possibility.

bigpup wrote:Do you have any other USB drives plugged in when you try to boot Xenialpup 7.5?
If yes.
Only have the Xenialpup one plugged in.
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musher0
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#20 Post by musher0 »

Hello, olddog and all.

I do have a somewhat similar problem getting puduan-7000a22 to boot from
any disk. It only boots from CD or DVD. This Puduan-7 and your Xenial-7
were "woofed" around the same period.

Could it have to do with the new Grub4Dos version 0.4.6-something with the
new 320Kb < gbldr >? That version is pretty fussy, IMO.

BFN.
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~~~~~~~~~~
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