Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

greengeek · Joined: 20 Jul 2010 Posts: 1184 Location: New Zealand

Hi Les, can you clarify the method you would use to testdrive Puppy in this way please? Did you mean drag the iso intact, or did you mean strip the sfs out of it?

Les Kerf · Joined: 24 Jun 2012 Posts: 84

gcmartin · Joined: 14 Oct 2005 Posts: 2635 Location: Earth

Hi @Les Kerf.

This idea, you share, has good emphasis for test along with widespread use.

I think you could help all here if you would explain what boot manager you used, and what the bootmanager's configuration looks like to accomplish ISO file boots to RAM. In short, what did you have to do so that the PC would boot an ISO directly.

Thanks in advance for more useful information.

Ray MK · Joined: 05 Feb 2008 Posts: 672 Location: UK

[url]Easy2Boot[/url] - 1st post, 1st page

gcmartin · Joined: 14 Oct 2005 Posts: 2635 Location: Earth

Thanks @Ray MK.

I forgot. I read it couple weeks ago, had plan to test it, and forgot that it had been described.

My forgetting is probably due to the amount of alcohol I have consumed in University.

THANKS! ... for the reminder.

Scooby · Joined: 03 Mar 2012 Posts: 188

linbie · Joined: 09 Jan 2010 Posts: 59

I can't get this to work - followed both the Linux and windows methods. I end up with grldr not found. If I copy the grldr from the created folder it will run and I get a message "try (h0,0)" and then blank screen. With the Windows method I get a message along the lines "limited Grub editing available" with an open console looking like

GRUB:>

Scooby · Joined: 03 Mar 2012 Posts: 188

I am happy you ask questions, This tutorial was made with intention that everyone can do it.
You can help me improve it.

Lets try the windows version first!
Did you follow all 4 steps?

Steps 3 and 4 is under the picture.

in Step 3 there is a warning, Did you follow it?
(you must hit the Enter key when requested - do not just quit the console window!).

Did you download and extract Easy2Boot-grub4dos_v0.5.zip to USB memory stick?

Do you have many partitions on USB?

Which files and dirs do you have in root folder of USB

Which files and dirs do you have in /grub folder of USB

Les Kerf · Joined: 24 Jun 2012 Posts: 84

I don't get to town often so it has been a while since I was on the internet.

On a whim, I tried this method on an old IDE 40 GB hard drive I had lying around, and it worked! I have an old Frankenstein computer I built out of junk parts attached to a piece of plywood.

I formatted the hard drive as FAT 32, then installed Grub4Dos, deleted the files that Grub4Dos had installed, then dragged the Easy2Boot file onto the hard drive, unzipped it, then proceeded to drag over 40 ISO's into it. Most of them boot (Lighthouse 64 obviously needs different hardware).

When I had additional hard drives connected, I had to use a PLoP boot floppy, followed by a Grub4Dos boot floppy to get it to boot, but with no other hard drives attached it booted just fine.

I actually got Hiren's Boot ISO to boot, also the Ultimate Boot CD (UBCD), Darik's Boot and Nuke (DBAN), Linux Mint 11, Ubuntu, and FreeDos ISO's. Mint, Ubuntu, and FreeDos all wanted to install themselves to the hard drive.

Anyway, this gives me a handy place to store ISO's, and also test them.
Les

Les Kerf · Joined: 24 Jun 2012 Posts: 84

Scooby · Joined: 03 Mar 2012 Posts: 188

I am fiddling with some upgrades of Easy2Boot and I intend to make .pet for a graphical installer.

Feedback of difficulties are desired so they can be fixed.

My intention is a really easy way of doin it.

I'm thinkin of conjuring up a bat file for windows so its easy to start of trying puppies
when you only got windows and little or no knowledge of Linux. Maybe one version with a puppy onboard.

Do you have any suggestions of which puppy is easiest for a beginner?
Perhaps carolina or lina-lite?

Ray MK · Joined: 05 Feb 2008 Posts: 672 Location: UK

hi scooby
have a look at Magoo - runs the best on my ram challenged kit - and so easy to setup and use.
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=82607

HTH - very best regards - Ray

I prefer v6 - good for netbooks as well as laptops.

gcmartin · Joined: 14 Oct 2005 Posts: 2635 Location: Earth

kooliepup · Posted: Thu 07 Feb 2013, 05:14 Post subject:

This is a bit of a diversion, which is not intended to demean the project at hand.
I also am keen to see a .pet to enable HDD ISO booting.
My machine does not boot from USB.

The way I do it is I keep a directory called TESTRUN for testing new Puplets, and I put the 3 needed files from the ISO in there.
Nothing more has to be done.

This is my menu.lst entry:
Your uuid will be different.

title TESTRUN
uuid 65a8ce93-769e-425a-b02b-e32494af59ef
kernel /TESTRUN/vmlinuz psubdir=TESTRUN pmedia=atahd
initrd /TESTRUN/initrd.gz

It may be an option for some of you to do it this way.

greengeek · Joined: 20 Jul 2010 Posts: 1184 Location: New Zealand