Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

[Rattlehead]

I am very happy with my Puppy 4.3.1 frugal, and I have working several things difficult to install/configure, so I've made several attempts to remaster my system, just in case, without success so far. The issue has risen again recently because my laptop screen has started to do weird things now and then.

Here is a report of the latest things I've tried. I used the Pupremaster script that allows rename options (http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=46739&start=15), to prevent some sort of problem with a "_" that should be a "-". I thought that was the key problem, but I didn't get it right this time either.

Attempt 1:

I follow the instructions.
Set recording area to mnt/home (there is enough space to create the iso)
When it reaches the burning moment, a message via console (not GTK message) says something like 'the device is not a recognized burning device' and quits immediately; without a message I'm taken back to the desktop, there is no pupremaster process in execution, and there is no /mnt/home/puppylivecdbuild directory anymore.

Attempt 2:

Repeat process but, when it offers the options to burn a cd, a dvd or create the iso, I open pburn and manually burn the files contained in /mnt/home/puppylivecd.
The dvd gets recorded fine, but it fails to boot. The unit moves, attempts to read, and then Puppy starts a normal boot using the usual 4.3.1. frugal files installed in the hard disk.
Inspecting the files burnt inside the dvd and comparing it to my 4.3.1. original cd (the one downloaded as an iso from the Puppy Linux Web), i discover that some files are missing in the dvd:

boot.cat
boot.msg
help.msg
logo16

Attempt 3:

Repeat process but, when prompted, I select 'create an iso' instead of burning, and then burn it to DVD via burniso2cd.

The resulting DVD boots, with no puppy logo, only the line saying 'normal boot will start in 5 seconds'.
Previously, the remaster script warned that, as the sfs files have been added to the new iso, it could create problems with the ones in the computer memory, so I select the pfix=ram option
Boot process goes along until this message pops up: 'pup-431.sfs file not found'

As I mentioned above, the remaster script I use starts with an option to rename the pup-431.sfs file, which I did (to 'bkpup-431.sfs').That makes me think maybe that could be the cause of this error, although it seems a bit strange that a program allows you to rename a file only to tell you later that it can't find it. Anyway, I have to try it so...

Attempt 4:

Repeat process but, when prompted at the beginning of the script, I do not modify the name of the sfs to be created (which thus remains: 'pup-431.sfs').
I create an iso
I burn it with burniso2cd
I boot
I set the 'puppy pfix=ram' option
booting fails here:

copying to ram...
Setting up the layered filesystem
Performing a "switch_root" to the layered system... kernel panic - not syncing: attempt to kill init!

(Arg!)

I've invested a considerable amount of time and DVDs and this time I'd like to get right once and for all this remaster feature, unique to puppy AFAIK. Previously, I used puppy 2.16. and I didn't succeed either. I don't remember what happened then exactly, but I can say I tried both the in-built create live CD option and Dougal's script. It's been some time now and I can't remember the exact problems, but I can say they happened while trying to boot the newly created live CD or DVD: I never got to boot a copy of my system via DVD reader.

So, what am I doing wrong? Did I skip something previous to execute the script? Maybe someone can tell me the bash instructions to make a manual copy? I'd greatly appreciate help because I find the information on the issue quite scattered; try multiplying the number of puppy versions mentioned by the 3 different scripts around, and then take it to the eighth power due to English not being my mother tongue... I'd like to have the final, 'official' version once and for all. Thank you, and sorry for the long post, but I wanted to provide as much information as possible, and I'm sure it could be useful for other users too.

[emil]

I know that remaster procedure is not always so easy.

Without going in detail, just about one of your issues:
creating an iso does not mean to create a bootable iso!
I use something like:
mkisofs -R -b grldr -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -o MyPupplet.iso /mnt/home/test
this is for grub4dos bootloader, a similar command creates a bootable iso for isolinux (default bootloader for puppy 4.31)

Some links:
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=55381
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=61132
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=64353&sid=34558cd3cab8bf9031f1f1f3a80ea800

Maybe a suggestion - before burning a CD or DVD i usually:
a) test remaster as a normal frugal install
b) test the iso in a virtual machine (Qemu, Virtualbox or VMware)

Good Luck

[Dougal]

I find the best way is to do it manually...

First, copy the filesystem to the harddrive:

[oui]

Hi Rattlehead

The method given by Dougal is really good.

Thank you Dougal.

If Puppy is already installed (frugal, of course) ...

... you don't need to continue until the ISO or to burn a DVD or CD!

It is enough to remaster the main *.SFS file of Puppy and to interchange it (rename the old before you interchange; don't write on it!) in the directory where puppy is installed

and you can preserve the content of your temporary directory

/mnt/home/puppyfilesystem

a certain time to have the possibility to change directly some details like links etc. depending what you are changing in Puppy. diverse applications are declared as default application and need to be adapted in the certain situations in the directory /usr/local/bin and /usr/bin or /usr/lib!

and I recommend you to better start RAM only to be certain don't to save private things in the new *.SFS if you transmit it to other persons!

in that case the system is clean at beginning time and you have no risk to include things you would regret later...

good luck

bye

PS I find the distribution of linux live systems having mainly to run in RAM as frugal system as ISO file not optimal and would prefer a ZIP archive better because it is non sens to use a fresh CD each time you will test a new puppy, quirky, wary etc... windows and linux can both use wget to download the zip, unzip and start the frugal installation directly in the partition where you are, probably a windows system (reason of my precedent link)! no CD no rest in the environment! only install grub4dos and restart. nothing to burn

[Lobster]

Dougals method and more links here:
http://puppylinux.org/wikka/Remastering

[rjbrewer]

[Bruce B]

[Bruce B]

Also, ISO images can be easily mounted in Linux or Windows. Then the
contents copied out of them.

With this in mind, the zip archive doesn't offer any advantage, especially
because the ISO gives a dual option, to burn or just copy files out of it.

~

[Rattlehead]

Thank you very much people, what a bunch of great resources are here. This forum is gold.

Sorry for the time it took me to answer. Now I have a decent time slot to try out these instructions, and find the first hurdles:

1)
@Dougal:

[Dougal]

[RetroTechGuy]

[`f00]

Another option is using a swapfile (it rarely gets used on most 'endowed' machines but can be handy for largish operations like this). I use one on the usb sticks - pretty dumb as stick is definitely not as fast as hdd .. but it does work albeit a tad slow .. hmm, dumb and slow pup looks a lot like the 'master', but they're all good loyal dogs

[Flash]

Rattlehead. Dude, I really think multisession Puppy will solve all your problems. Just burn the Puppy iso of your choice to a DVD using Burniso2cd. Boot the newly burned DVD in a DVD burner in a computer with at least 512 MB of RAM, install whatever programs you want, get Puppy all set up the way you want, then save to the DVD when you shut down. That's all there is to it. Puppy's layered filesystem takes care of the details each time you boot the multisession DVD.

[trio]

This link might help you:

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=64864

[Rattlehead]

Thanks again for the info, and the suggestions, and the patience. Sorry I've been so busy these days.

I followed step by step Dougal's instructions but I did not succeed. My kernel panicked again when booting from the new DVD. (My installation is in the hard drive, btw).

While copying the files, I just skipped some obsolete programs or minor text files; with my current level of knowledge I could not take the risk of deleting something else that might be important.

So, unless someone has a pretty straightforward and simple idea, I guess I'll have to climb the whole learning curve about Linux system files and variables before I can take a snapshot of the system... See you in a year and a half or so, then

Re: multisession. Thanks for the suggestion, Flash, I guess I'll finally have to do that, although it defies my whole initial purpose (like my fellow countryman Salvador Dalí, I'm going to quote myself: )