Puppy REALLY Quickset!

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jrb
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Puppy REALLY Quickset!

#1 Post by jrb »

For some time I've found setting up new puppies tedious. Seems like there's a new one coming out every week and I always go through the same procedure: English language, US keyboard, GMT+8, modify ROX, modify jwm, change icons, install the same pets, reboot and save. I began to wonder if I couldn't automate the process? After trying a number of ways, here's the one that I like best:

I took all my pets and combined them into jpack.sfs which includes
  • dir2sfs_nover-j0.2
    edit_sfs-j0.1
    leafpad-j08.17
    pet2xarc-0.1
    pwidgets-2.2.7j4
    samba-tng-rcrsn-0.5-rc-j2
    SFS-TCZ_Linker-1.9
    tightvnc_viewer-1.3.9
    txt2audbk-0.3j2
    wget-list2
    x11vnc_server-0.9.4B
    xarchiver-0.5.2-i386-v4
.
As well I included a setup script, /usr/local/bin/jpack_setup, and linked it into /root/Startup. It contains all the pinstall.sh files from the .pets as well as sed and echo commands to modify ROX and jwm. It also includes:

Code: Select all

if [ -f /etc/jpack.done ]; then exit; fi
and

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echo -e "jpack.sfs has been installed" >> /etc/jpack.done
so that it only runs once on the first use of the jpack.sfs.

Then I created a very basic save-jpk.3fs and removed everything except the settings required to set my Language, keyboard, timezone, and the setting for Bootmanager to load jpack.sfs.

Now when I want to use a new quirkypup I rename this save file qrkysave-jpk.3fs and place it where quirky can find it. I place jpack.sfs on the same drive as the save file as this will become /mnt/home. I boot, quirky finds the save file, installs the jpack.sfs, runs the setup script and almost all my setup chores are done. Abra Kadabra.

Surprisingly it works equally well to rename save-jpk.3fs to warysave-jpk.3fs and lupusave.3fs and run those puppies.

I'm offering this as a concept. Creating the setup file, jpack.setup, was a major exercise in learning to use sed and is probably beyond newbies. I think it has possiblities though and may be of some use to developers.

I have uploaded http://puppylinuxstuff.meownplanet.net/ ... /jpack.sfs and http://puppylinuxstuff.meownplanet.net/ ... ve-jpk.3fs if you want to try them out. The md5 files are at the same website, http://puppylinuxstuff.meownplanet.net/ ... ick_setup/

I'm not sure where this fits in the Puppy pantheon but I find it very useful. :D

Cheers, J

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DaveS
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#2 Post by DaveS »

Some months ago I did the same thing but in the form of a .pet. I has been surprisingly successful. I just load this one .pet, re-start X, and bingo, fully customised Puppy including browser/bookmark configurations and all. Have not yet figured out what I need to do to include my printer yet though.
Spup Frugal HD and USB
Root forever!

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jrb
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Location: Smithers, BC, Canada

#3 Post by jrb »

DaveS wrote:Some months ago I did the same thing but in the form of a .pet. I has been surprisingly successful. I just load this one .pet, re-start X, and bingo, fully customised Puppy including browser/bookmark configurations and all. Have not yet figured out what I need to do to include my printer yet though.
Hi Dave, Provided its the same version of cups you can take a /etc/cups/ from the save file of a successfully installed printer setup and copy it over the top of the default /etc/cups and then run:

Code: Select all

/etc/init.d/cups restart
. Thanks for mentioning that, If wary and lupu have the same cups, I'll add it to my jpack.sfs

nooby
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#4 Post by nooby »

I think this is great. We need even more varieties of this.

Does not a lot of regular users tells us in the forum that they move as much as possible out of pupsave and that way having important programs in Home makes it possible to use them by all new puppies and no need to install everything again.

Maybe one need to make a lot of symlinks but these can be automated in same way as you guy describe now?

I fail to get what is most easy for a persistent newbie like myself to learn.

Both making sfs and pets seems difficult to me because I never have done it.

To move directories out of pupsave and make a symlink I managed once to do but now I ahve forgot how I did it again. So I need to learn it again.

But it was very handy and I need it when next lupu comes around.
I use Google Search on Puppy Forum
not an ideal solution though

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DaveS
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#5 Post by DaveS »

Nooby, Petmaker Plus is great for making .pets and SFS files. It is here:
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?p=290171
Spup Frugal HD and USB
Root forever!

nooby
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#6 Post by nooby »

Thanks I make a bookmark to that thread.

jrb proposed something that works for him.
That is very good. Others on that level can use it.

DaveS, should you start a new thread maybe and describe how to?

In what way is your system better than the one I remember that others use?

Okay both yours and jrb's do all the changes automatically for each new puppy.

While what I referred to one have to set up country and keyboard and many other things manually.
I use Google Search on Puppy Forum
not an ideal solution though

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Bert
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#7 Post by Bert »

Looks like jrb has done it again! Come up with something really useful and innovative. I think we all recognize the need for something like this...

Either your proposal or Puppy becomes a rolling release :) , the latter not being in the foreseeable future..

I wonder how this could be "universalized" as a sort of "MyPuppyPassport" or "MyPuppyFingerprint" or simply "MyPup.sfs" working on all pups, without the need to rename, etc. Just a simple sfs or pet that works anywhere;

One of the first questions is: how to keep this up to date? ( bookmarks, Pet-versions, etc)

Shinobar is doing a brilliant job with the new First Run Dialogue aka "Personalize Settings", making some of the settings we've always got to go through totally easy. But there's plenty of other personal stuff we want to include in any Puppy, so I think your idea is a very potent one.

I can only hope some of the other devs will chime in here.
Thanks for your creative thinking.

PS Nooby, Petmaker Plus is also available from QuickPet (under SFS :roll: because it also does SFS :) ),, pointing to the same thread Dave posted.

nooby
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#8 Post by nooby »

so we have four different ways of doing something similar now?

JRB's suggestion that maybe need some experience but maybe can be automated?

What DaveS suggested using the pet and sfs program but that needs some instruction on how to apply it.

And the old manual way that I try now and succeeded for Sylpheed but failed with FireFox so I need to learn it better, could have done wrong order or soemthing.

Thanks Bert,

yes I only need to get over my fear of failure.

I did try to relearn how to place FireFox and Sylpheed outside of pupsave yesterday and succeeded with mail but failed with FireFox so I must have done something wrong and have to start all over again.

I am not good at remembering the order that one have to do something and I have no patience in writing each step down either. ADHD like
I use Google Search on Puppy Forum
not an ideal solution though

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DaveS
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#9 Post by DaveS »

Bert wrote: I wonder how this could be "universalized" as a sort of "MyPuppyPassport" or "MyPuppyFingerprint" or simply "MyPup.sfs" working on all pups, without the need to rename, etc. Just a simple sfs or pet that works anywhere.
I had trouble with the sfs approach in that it seemed ok for adding programs, but failed for me in modifying configuration files, so I went with .pet. I have a .pet which does the following to any virgin Puppy install I have tried it with (of course, being a .pet it should also work with full as well as frugal installs):

Adds a launchbar to top of screen with all my favourite shortcuts
Installs and sets wallpaper
Sets global font size
Installs and sets jwm theme
Installs and sets desktop
Installs easytag mp3 tag editor
Installs TK Spider card game
Installs TK/TCL runtime environment
Installs Ubuntu font
Installs full config including addons for Seamonkey
Sets up transparency in JWM
Installs links to downloads folder and bookmarks for SM from outside save file
Installs modified icon themes
Installs configuration files for geany, rox, gnumeric
Installs petmaker
Installs Dougals remaster
Installs a bunch of home greated scripts

Probably other stuff too, but it takes a fair bit of setting up and maintaining. However, if you do loads of fresh installs it really helps. I will gladly do a tutorial if anyone wants it.
Spup Frugal HD and USB
Root forever!

nooby
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#10 Post by nooby »

Dave,

I guess a lot of people would see such description as helpful.

I doubt me could follow it without a lot of questions.

As now I managed to move sylpheed outside of pupsave so I can use it as a generic mail for all puppy that it is compatible with. New versions of luci at least.

But when I did the same with Firefox then something happens that makes it fail to start up. So I have to experiment until I find out what I did wrong.

But I derailö this thread too much
I use Google Search on Puppy Forum
not an ideal solution though

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Bert
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#11 Post by Bert »

DaveS wrote: Probably other stuff too, but it takes a fair bit of setting up and maintaining. However, if you do loads of fresh installs it really helps. I will gladly do a tutorial if anyone wants it.
Dave, thank you.
I would definitely be interested in such a tutorial. But please don't invest your time in writing it, if I am the only person interested. :)

nooby
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#12 Post by nooby »

DaveS, as you know I fail more times than I succeed but sure it would be cool to read what you have in mind there and it will help otehrs that get it better than I do. So go fir it when you feel for it.
I use Google Search on Puppy Forum
not an ideal solution though

Jim1911
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#13 Post by Jim1911 »

DaveS wrote:Nooby, Petmaker Plus is great for making .pets and SFS files. It is here:
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?p=290171
I agree, Trio's utility is great, however, it needs update. I used it to try to install an sfs on a full install of luci-235. Started the operation and left for a few hours. When I returned, not only had the sfs not installed, but it wiped two partitions clean. That bad experience hasn't stopped me from using Petmaker Plus to prepare pets and sfs though. It'd be great if someone updated it's sfs install feature. Don't use the sfs install feature on the newer distributions.

Jim

nooby
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#14 Post by nooby »

Jim very good you warn us. I am in no hurry.

Usually I prefer the way RC... I fail to rememer his handle. rcrn120 sometbing.

How on earth does one remember his name? I guess me should write it in a file on the desktop so I never forget it .

But he has described how to do things manually and I prefer such because then one almost get what one do. If one do CLI or Script or some automatic thing then at least I fail to get what I do.
I use Google Search on Puppy Forum
not an ideal solution though

Jim1911
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#15 Post by Jim1911 »

nooby wrote:Jim very good you warn us. I am in no hurry.

But he has described how to do things manually and I prefer such because then one almost get what one do. If one do CLI or Script or some automatic thing then at least I fail to get what I do.
Petmaker Plus is great for making .pets and SFS files and very simple to use. Just drag and drop the files and directories that you want in your .pet or sfs. Only problem is the install sfs to full hd feature.

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