How to Find Corrupted Files/ Setting a Restore point.

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Ardee · #1 Post by **Ardee** » Sat 21 Apr 2007, 14:24

I'm using 2.14 and, after an unsuccessful attempt to install wine, neither pup-be-gone or the PETget package manager are working. Rather than do a complete re-install once again, I'd like some help to find and solve the problem, if possible.

If I try and run pet-be-gone, I get a window of script headed "Usage for Xdiialog".
If I run the PETget package manager, it gets as far as showing the list of packages, but any mouse click anywhere within the window closes it. Does this point to a problem with a particular file?

Also, is there a way of setting a restore point before installing new programs, to avoid this sort of problem?

Sit Heel Speak · #2 Post by **Sit Heel Speak** » Sat 21 Apr 2007, 17:01

The simplest way to "set a restore point" (on the usual "frugal" install, not the "full HD install" (for which Puppy was never intended, anyway)) is to boot with the kernel-line parameter

pfix=ram

for example, during the 5-second pause when booting from liveCD, enter

puppy pfix=ram

or else put pfix=ram in the kernel= line in grub's menu.lst configuration file.

This will cause Puppy to not mount and draw info from the pup_save.2fs file. Then, mount whatever drive pup_save.2fs is on, and copy it to say pup_save2fs.lastknowngood. If your new addition messes things up, simply boot once again with pfix=ram and copy pup_save2fs.lastknowngood back over to pup_save.2fs and you're resurrected.

#3 Post by **BÃ©Ã¨m** » Sat 21 Apr 2007, 17:38

What I have done already, before installing new things, is to go during the Puppy session to pup_save and rename it.

I don't know if I risk something, but up to now, Puppy contih nues witthe new name.

On next boot I can see the old one also to choose from.

bostonvaulter · #4 Post by **bostonvaulter** » Sat 21 Apr 2007, 18:14

just a side note, pfix=ram hasn't seemed to work for 2.14 or 2.15CE

http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?p=110939

Sit Heel Speak · #5 Post by **Sit Heel Speak** » Sat 21 Apr 2007, 18:28

Odd. pfix=ram works as advertised for me, not seeing the pup_save's but just going ahead and booting as if fresh, on both these systems:

2.14 booting from liveDVD, entering puppy pfix=ram at the 5-second pause, on a 3-disk machine with 1 or 3 pup_save's of various names (including pup_save1.2fs.lastknowngood) on 2 of the disks (the other disk is a Gentoo install).

2.15CE on usb stick, frugal install, using pfix=ram in linld.cfg so it doesn't see pup_save.2fs on the usb stick, with no pup_save on the system's single hard disk.

HairyWill · #6 Post by **HairyWill** » Sat 21 Apr 2007, 18:31

It works for me in both and according to your link there is only a problem if PMEDIA is specified as well.
This is not a bug, it doesn't make sense for the two tags to be used together anyway.

Sit Heel Speak · #7 Post by **Sit Heel Speak** » Sat 21 Apr 2007, 19:33

Yes, get rid of the PMEDIA= part in grub's menu.lst kernel= line, or linload's linld.cfg file, or whatever you are using for a boot configuration file. Otherwise it trumps the pfix=ram parameter and searches for pup_save's anyway.

Ardee · #8 Post by **Ardee** » Sat 21 Apr 2007, 21:51

Sorry, I should have stated that I am using a full HD install, which seems the perfect match for a Pentium 2. If I copy the root and everything in it to a USB stick, could I just load Puppy in RAM and delete everything in the HD root, then copy everything back from the USB stick? Or is there a better way?

Sit Heel Speak · #9 Post by **Sit Heel Speak** » Sun 22 Apr 2007, 00:04

mmm....dunno, it's beyond my experience. I have a similar window-disappearance-upon-mouseclick problem with the Network Wizard in a frugal install of 2.15CE. I'm not really expert here, but the fact that two of us have the same problem on two different gtk dialog boxes suggests to me that perhaps there is a version-dependencies mismatch in the underlying gtk lib(s) --which, if I'm not mistaken, both the PetGet and Network control panels rely on. If v.-d.m. is indeed the problem, then the unsophisticated, temporary, ad hoc solution to both our glitches would be to revert to Puppy 2.13 (or, in my case, simply accept that I must manually edit the nic's config file and not depend on the wizard).

Since I don't know your system's hardware profile, it's hard to recommend alternatives. On my system, I'd do this:

1. boot a liveCD of 2.13,
2. puppy pfix=ram at the 5-second pause,
3. use GPartEd to create an ext2 or ext3 filesystem on the usb stick,
4. mount and copy the Puppy 2.14 install in its entirety up to the stick.

And then carry on with the experiments on the hdd install.

But I don't know whether you can just load your 2.14 full hd install into ram and copy the whole thing up to usb stick all-at-once while it's running. In particular, I don't know whether any of the files in /proc or /dev would thereby be harmed or are locked.

Anybody?

bostonvaulter · #10 Post by **bostonvaulter** » Sun 22 Apr 2007, 01:09

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=17473

upgrading your installation is easy. Just use the universal installer again and choose normal, then it will ask you if you want to upgrade or replace your current installation, just choose upgrade.

It would still be wise to back up important documents.

Thats for upgrading to 2.15, i'm not what would happen if you try to "upgrade" from 2.14 to 2.14. There is also a pfix=clean boot option but i'm not sure if that works on full installs.

Sit Heel Speak · #11 Post by **Sit Heel Speak** » Sun 22 Apr 2007, 02:24

...i'm not sure what would happen if you try to "upgrade" from 2.14 to 2.14.

Ah, but that is exactly what he is trying to do, therefore the other thread doesn't help.

I guess you'll just have to try what you're contemplating, Ardee, and accept the consequences if it destroys your install. Let us know. You can always tell the pioneers; we're the ones with the arrows in our backs.

Ardee · #12 Post by **Ardee** » Sun 22 Apr 2007, 07:36

I tried upgrading 2.14 to 2.14 and it didn't fix my problem. I had to wipe the partition and re-install. It's very frustrating that just as I'm getting things as I want them, everything falls apart and I have to start again. I'm getting pretty good at installing Firefox and its plug-ins, though, if nothing else. I'm surprised that more people don't use Puppy on a hard disc once they have evaluated it.

Sit Heel Speak · #13 Post by **Sit Heel Speak** » Sun 22 Apr 2007, 13:48

I wonder if you would do me a favor. Puppy developer Dougal is looking for some info on usb hard drives. Please go over to the thread

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=17500

and post there the ouput of

test-scsi
and
probedisk

(both run from the Utilities - rxvt command line)

to help with Dougal's PUI project. Thanks.

Ardee wrote:...I had to wipe the partition and re-install. It's very frustrating that just as I'm getting things as I want them, everything falls apart and I have to start again...

That's the beauty of the frugal ("Coexist" or "Option 1") install. Save a spare copy of pup_save.2fs under another name and if your next mod breaks things, simply delete the newest (broken) pup_save.2fs and revert to the previous state by using the old savefile. Multi-session Puppy on a CD or DVD offers the same advantage.

Ardee · #14 Post by **Ardee** » Mon 23 Apr 2007, 08:08

[quote="Sit Heel Speak"]I wonder if you would do me a favor. Puppy developer Dougal is looking for some info on usb hard drives. Please go over to the thread

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=17500

and post there the ouput of

test-scsi
and
probedisk

All done but, just for future reference, is there a way to copy and paste text from the Rxvt window?

bostonvaulter · #15 Post by **bostonvaulter** » Mon 23 Apr 2007, 08:22

yeah, just highlight it (in rxvt) and then middle click to paste it in your browser.

Ardee · #16 Post by **Ardee** » Mon 23 Apr 2007, 11:33

bostonvaulter wrote:yeah, just highlight it (in rxvt) and then middle click to paste it in your browser.

Thanks, I had set the mouse wizard for middle button emulation, but never understood how to use it or what it did. This thread:

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 449&t=9494

explained it all, but it seems that the answer to the last message is still "no".

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How to Find Corrupted Files/ Setting a Restore point.

How to Find Corrupted Files/ Setting a Restore point.