Hiding previous multi-session saves on a live disc

Discuss anything specific to using Puppy on a multi-session disk
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tallboy
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#21 Post by tallboy »

Flash, what happens if you set bootmessage pfix=1 to the DVD with many saves on it?

It is a pity the construction don't work properly, and especially without having a dialog window informing of the situation, and asking if you want a .badfolders file written. I thought that only the boot process noted that file(s) should not be loaded, and that it was strictly for the running session only. I can see why we need such a function, to avoid loading the last saved file that may contain settings for another machine with a different cpu. It will be difficult to understand for someone not being aware of the fact that all modifications and settings in the file marked bad are gone, just because he/she saves again.

Isn't there a file describing which files that are saved in a normal session save? Then there is possibility to omit the .badfolders. That action also need a dialog window.

I still don't understand the reason for 'Kernel panic - not syncing: Attempt to kill init!'

Tallboy.

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Flash
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#22 Post by Flash »

tallboy wrote:Flash, what happens if you set bootmessage pfix=1 to the DVD with many saves on it?
...
If there's more than one saved session, Puppy skips the last saved session. If there's only one saved session, Puppy goes into a panic. I don't know why. :?

As for the rest of it, a bit of experimentation with a DVD+RW, followed by a period of contemplation, should clarify things. :)

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8-bit
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#23 Post by 8-bit »

In my case, first, I am using a DVD +RW media and going multisession with Puppy Lucid 5.2.0.
I got most things settings done on the first boot with Pfix=ram and then doing a SAVE.
I then went back after finding my wifi was not supported to the extent of not showing up.
I used ndiswrapper and got everything set up and saved before saving back to the DVD.
But....
Upon a reboot, later after adding some SFS files, my network settings had disappeared.
I noticed the order the sessions were loaded was latest first and then older sessions in order.
So are the older sessions overwriting the network settings when loaded?
I currently have 4 sessions on the DVD so I assume to use the most current one and ignore the older 3 I would boot with "pfix=3" to get the others blacklisted.

And FYI, if one installs the latest version of sfs_load a right-click on an SFS file will offer to load it with a warning of it being experimental.
But I was able to load SFS files that way.
SFS_Load-on the fly will not see SFS files on the DVD though that I have in my /root/my-documents directory.
I have 4gigs of memory on the laptop so putting them in the session did not bother me.

I still have to try putting the SFS files in the root of the DVD not to be confused with /root to see if it messes up booting ability.

What I do not understand though is to why the sessions are loaded in reverse order of the dates.
If they were instead loaded in earliest to latest order, it seems like the changes one made to network settings would stick.
Currently, I have to go through the whole network setup process every time I boot the DVD.

Jasper

#24 Post by Jasper »

Hi 8-bit,

Your assumption is wrong, "puppy pfix=3" loses the latest 3
and retains the original of your four sessions. You can
confirm this by pressing F2 on boot and reading.

BarryK, and others, understand the multisession boot
order - and it works. Do not worry about the "experi-
mental" note either.

My regards

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#25 Post by Flash »

I wondered why multisession Puppy loads the sessions in counterintuitive order when it boots. A few years ago I actually modified a Puppy so it loaded the saved sessions first-to-latest. It made no difference. I posted my findings somewhere in this forum. Then someone who knows more than I do said that the reverse order was done on purpose. The upshot is, the way multisession Puppy combines them when it boots is indifferent to the order sessions are loaded.

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8-bit
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#26 Post by 8-bit »

You have lost me on that one then.
That is to say if I have 4 sessions with say first, second, third, and fourth that using pfix=3 will blacklist second,third,and fourth using only first?
It would seem that the pfix=3 should instead use the fourth one and ignore first, second, and third.
IOW, how do I know that the earlier sessions when loaded are not overwriting my network settings that are contained in both the third and forth, but not the first and second?
As I had previously stated, I am using ndiswrapper, blacklisting eth0, and using a windows driver for my wifi.
It does work when I set it up. But the network settings I made are not being loaded from the fourth session.
I am shown as not having a network connection on booting and eth0 shows up as the only wifi interface.
Having to set up my network settings each time I boot is not something I should have to do!

And how, would one use just the fourth session while ignoring the first three in that case?

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#27 Post by Flash »

Sorry, I was only talking about the order in which multisession Puppy loads the sessions when it boots without using the pfix option.

gcmartin

#28 Post by gcmartin »

Linux does not approach the use of the copy command in the same vane as Microsoft.

This is why it starts with the very last Savefile first; thus anything from older saved files will NOT overlay an existing (potentially newer) file in any of the folders.

In Microsoft, a copy operation would be done starting with the oldest to achieve the very same thing; thus it would overlay something from an older folder with the contents of the newer.

Hope you understanding the differences in copy operation across the OSes.

Here to help

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#29 Post by Q5sys »

gcmartin wrote:Linux does not approach the use of the copy command in the same vane as Microsoft.

This is why it starts with the very last Savefile first; thus anything from older saved files will NOT overlay an existing (potentially newer) file in any of the folders.

In Microsoft, a copy operation would be done starting with the oldest to achieve the very same thing; thus it would overlay something from an older folder with the contents of the newer.

Hope you understanding the differences in copy operation across the OSes.

Here to help
I think you are confusing the cp command with using a layered file system. Might want to go back and read up on that one.

gcmartin

#30 Post by gcmartin »

Q5sys wrote:
gcmartin wrote:Linux does not approach the use of the copy command in the same vane as Microsoft.

This is why it starts with the very last Savefile first; thus anything from older saved files will NOT overlay an existing (potentially newer) file in any of the folders.

In Microsoft, a copy operation would be done starting with the oldest to achieve the very same thing; thus it would overlay something from an older folder with the contents of the newer.

Hope you understanding the differences in copy operation across the OSes.

Here to help
I think you are confusing the cp command with using a layered file system. Might want to go back and read up on that one.
Have you looked at the file structure of the Save-session files on the Livemedia of 32bit PUPs? Could that be a clue of the command use?

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#31 Post by Flash »

As I evidently failed to make clear in my previous post, the order that sessions are loaded from the DVD into RAM when Puppy boots doesn't seem to matter. Puppy's layered filesystem combines everything correctly no matter what. So that, for instance, if a file from an earlier session is deleted in a later session, that file does not show up after multisession Puppy boots.

Exactly how the layered filesystem works its magic I do not know. I believe there are several threads in the forum that discuss it in some detail. Good luck finding them. :lol: They are several years old. I think Puppy originally used Aufs for its layered filesystem, but then that was dropped in favor of a simpler method. I could be wrong. There may be something in Barry's blog about it. Look in his blog's archives.

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#32 Post by 8-bit »

Flash,

But what about a system configuration file that was edited and saved in two separate sessions.

If the order of loading the sessions does not make any difference, then it is feasible that an earlier not wanted version of the file could replace the wanted version of the file.

I am still trying to get the multi-session DVD with Slacko 5.4 to remember and use my WIFI settings that I am using ndiswrapper with.

When I set it up, it works. I save the settings. But on the next boot, the wifi hardware is not seen and not set up automatically.

I have to set it up each time and that does not seem right to me.

So do I have to make a new multi-session DVD and set up everything all at once before it saves the first session?

This is bugging me as it does not seem to work at all like a hard drive frugal install with use of a pupsave file.

Jasper

#33 Post by Jasper »

Hi 8-bit,

Open your DVD and post a screen shot.

My regards

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8-bit
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#34 Post by 8-bit »

I think the mind is the first thing to go!
I stated the multi-session DVD was Slacko 5.4 when it instead was Puppy Lupu 528.

But you asked for a screen shot, so here it is.
Attachments
capture23400.png
My multi-session DVD contents as a screen shot.
(27.22 KiB) Downloaded 959 times

Jasper

#35 Post by Jasper »

Hi 8-bit,

Your screen shot looks fine and there is no problem with
cumulative loading sequence, whatever and whenever you added
or deleted anything. Trust BarryK - it works.

With "puppy pfix=1" you will have the cumulative effect of
your first three files - pfix=2 your first two November files
and pfix=3 your original file - pfix=4 would be pointless, and
ordinary mortals should accept this order,

You might see how big your December folders are and you
could click to open them and check if your nds wrapper
details are as you expect them to be.

We can explain how to start again from any of your
existing four (or any subsequent) saves. However I have
never used an nds wrapper, so I'm out of touch there, at
least for now.

The whole multisession system works superbly for Flash and
myself and I have some 40 sfs files stored in a flash stick,
but with your 4 GB RAM (just over 3 GB usable) you
could use pets galore.

See if you can see or think of anything which might help us
to help you.

My regards

gcmartin

#36 Post by gcmartin »

I have and cintinue to use live media where I save back to the media versus to the USB/HDD.

Questions
  • Is the problem you share unique to 528, unique to Slacko54 or is it happening to all PUPs you use?
  • Is this where the system is NOT remembering the wireless SSID requiring re-running of "Setup Networking (task bar)" or is it requiring re-install of the driver PET for the wireless support?
  • Do you see prior session save files on your LIve media?
  • Does all of the other PETs you install behave as you expect when you reboot (for example you browser add-ons, etc.)?
Here to help.

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#37 Post by Flash »

8-bit wrote:...I am still trying to get the multi-session DVD with Slacko 5.4 to remember and use my WIFI settings that I am using ndiswrapper with.

When I set it up, it works. I save the settings. But on the next boot, the wifi hardware is not seen and not set up automatically...
I'm no expert in using wireless. I toyed with it for a while but then lost interest. My WAG (Wild-Ass Guess) is that the problem is not in the settings you are saving, but rather is something more subtle. Perhaps the connection wizard is not being given enough time to establish the wireless connection when it boots? I really don't know. :?

Maybe you'd get more competent advice if you started a new thread with the title something like "Multisession Lupu 528 doesn't restore wireless settings." Or whatever is most appropriate for your problem.

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#38 Post by tallboy »

This thread is old, and it started with a question:
Brown Mouse wrote:Could anybody please remind me how to go about hiding/deleting previous multi-sessions save directory's on a live disc?
The use of a .badfolders file has been mentioned, and here are some pics of how it looks on a dpup485 DVD-R that I play with.

I accidentally forgot to remove a 240 Mb .iso image from /root before saving the session to the DVD, so I blocked that session from loading at next bootup with 'puppy pfix=1' as boot message.

When saving that session containing a blocked savefile, I actually forgot that a .badfolders file was created in /, so that was saved too - an important issue to remember if you only want a savefile blocked for one session! If you want to access the blocked file again, you have to remove the lines from the .badfolders file and save another session, or you have to block the file containg the badfolders file from loading with 'puppy pfix=1'.
The problem then is that you also omit all the other saved files from that session!

Are there any other boot messages that can be used to block a savefile from being read at bootup? I tried using a savefile's 'name', i.e. it's creation date&time, but that did not help. A list of savefiles that could be blocked for the session, appearing in the boot dialog, would be nice...

There are also other ways to save files, so that they don't turn up at boot time, see this link: Save directories to DVD+RW as sessions, using growisofs

tallboy
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badfolders2.png
(182.27 KiB) Downloaded 909 times
True freedom is a live Puppy on a multisession CD/DVD.

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#39 Post by 8-bit »

I have a number of session folders on my Lupu DVD disk and thought I would try booting with "pfix=4" to blacklist the last four sessions.
That worked fine other than since only changed and new files get saved when saving a session, files or pets that were added/installed in previous sessions that you blacklist may not appear.
But, I also found that unless you save the newly created .blacklist file by saving the current session, the .blacklist file disappears on the next boot.
So in some ways, this answers anothers question about if the blacklisted sessions would be temporary and only for the current session.

Also, again, remember that blacklisting previous sessions may remove files and installed pets that were done in the blacklisted session.
Just remember NOT to save when rebooting if you want the .blacklist to be temporary.

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#40 Post by tallboy »

Just remember NOT to save when rebooting if you want the .blacklist to be temporary.
Yes, but also remember that /.badfolders is just another file that may be edited and modified or even removed, if you need to save the next session. That is part of the Linux advantage!

tallboy
True freedom is a live Puppy on a multisession CD/DVD.

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