From Human to puppy: please hold my hand

[Basu]

Hello all. First, a big thank you for making such an innovative and new distro.

Now on to my story. I first started using Linux (Ubuntu) about a year ago. Today in the morning I set up mom's spare computer in my room, hoping to use it as a test system to test out various Linux/BSD distroes. But to my horror I found that the hard drive was well and truly dead. After spending an hour in extreme depression, I remember reading a review of your distro in a computer magazine a few months ago. In minutes I was on the way, being pointed here from DistroWatch, and what can I say, you guys saved my life!

I don't have enough pocket money to buy a new hard disk, and I'm always one for a challenge. So Puppy Linux here I come! i've checked out some posts on the forum, but I'm a bit confused about some things and I was hoping to sort it. Here goes:
1. I'll need Puppy on a multi-session CD-RW. Can I use 109CE for this or is there a special ISO for multi-sessions?
2. Can I use run Pupget or install dotpup packages right while I'm on the CD, or do I need to go onto the HDD first? Is KDE, C++ and Python available as dotpup/pupget packages (I think yes)?
3. What I really want to do is listen to music. So once Puppy is booted can I remove the CD and pop in a music CD and take it out when I have to save stuff? If not, can I do this if I run off a USB stick? Can I play a CD with mp3s?
4. Is it possible to install things like FF extensions and KDE themes without using a hard disk?
5. I have an ADSL modem for my broadband line. Can I connect using adsl-start (which I use on Ubuntu) or is there something else?
5. Finally thanks again for making such a mighty distro!

[MU]

almost all: yes.
Get multisession 109CE here:
http://dotpups.de/puppy-releases/1.0.9-CE/ISO/

Burn and run it.
Play around with it.
Use roaring penguin for adsl, or this dotpup:
http://dotpups.de/dotpups/Internet/adsl-start.pup

KDE is here:
http://www.murga.org/~puppy/viewtopic.php?t=6771

pyhon:
http://dotpups.de/dotpups/Programming/
There is a huger python somewhere else, if this is not sufficient.

More answers later, this should be enough "food" for the beginning

Ask again, when you got a bit common with your new Puppy
Mark

[MU]

oh, one important thing:
when I use adsl-start , I must delete /etc/resolv.conf and /etc/ppp/resolv.conf and restart X.
If I don't, I get an internet-connection, but mozilla finds no websites.
I think with roaring penguin you will not need to do that.

Mark

[Dougal]

I don't have enough pocket money to buy a new hard disk, and I'm always one for a challenge.

Look around in dumpsters... No kidding, you can easily find a 10GB HD in some old computer.

[Pizzasgood]

Make sure you check what the harddrive really is if you get an unknown old drive before you dismiss it. My computer came with what I thought for two years was a 2GB drive, but it was actually 13GB with a single, small partition on it. I only noticed a couple months ago.

[Flash]

Try to mount your old hard drive with Puppy and see if you can rescue anything from it.

As for multisession Puppy, it works best from DVD. If you can find a DVD burner I highly recommend using multisession Puppy on a DVD. I've used DVD-RW, -R, +RW and +R. They all work. My DVD burner seems to like + better than -, but it's a small difference if any.

[Basu]

Thanks for all the help guys! I'm having too much fun with my Puppy right now to worry much about my hard-drive. Just popped in to say that I wrote a post on my blog about my new Puppy that I thought you guys might like.
Check it out!

(and please leave a comment)