I am a new user trying to install Slacko Puppy on an old computer to learn about Linux. With good advice from mikeslr, Moat, and bigpup, I have been able to make live CDs that boot the computer with Slacko 6.3.2 and 5.7.1. I've used the Universal Installer in each to make live USB flash drives that will boot to a new Windows 10 computer, but they won't boot with the old computer.
When I open Puppy from the live CDs, the desktop shows icons for the HDD, CD/DVD, and 3.5" floppy, but not the USB. When I try to boot the computer from the live USB drive, it beeps once then freezes on a dark window with a flashing dash or underscore in the upper left corner. The light on the USB drive, which normally goes slowly from dim to bright and back when the drive is not active, stays bright but nothing else happens. The esc, break, and cntrl-alt-delete keys have no effect. When I pull the drive out, a message (maybe "operating system load error" flashes and the computer then boots to Windows XP.
The computer is a 2003-vintage Gateway E6000 with Pentium 4, 150GB hard drive, and 512MB RAM. The Intel BIOS release date is 9/19/02.
BIOS settings include:
Boot from CD is supported
Selectable boot is supported
USB legacy is supported
Rapid boot disabled
Silent boot disabled
USB boot disabled
The boot device priority is Removable devices, CD-ROM, Hard Drive, Network.
I cannot find the USB drive specifically identified. Under Hard Disk Drives the only thing listed is !st Hard Disk Drive [WDC WD160...]. Under Removable Devices the only thing listed is 1st Removable Device [1st floppy drive].
When I exit BIOS, it says "USB Legacy enabled".
I apologize for being long-winded. I just don't know what information's important and what isn't.
Has anyone on the forum experienced this before? If so, would you suggest how I can correct this problem or point me to a site where I can find a solution? Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Bill3
Old computer won't boot Puppy from USB (SOLVED)
Old computer won't boot Puppy from USB (SOLVED)
Last edited by Bill3 on Sat 20 Oct 2018, 17:23, edited 1 time in total.
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ITSMERSH
Hi.
You would need to use Plop Bootmanager.
Plop Bootmanager booting from CD will give a boot menu to choose a boot device.
This menu then will give options to boot from USB devices.
I've used this a lot for some years.
Worked great!
Edit:
Here's the ISO uploaded, I've used for that. It will stay at least for 30 days after last download (I think).
Just burn it to a CD and boot from that CD.
You would need to use Plop Bootmanager.
Plop Bootmanager booting from CD will give a boot menu to choose a boot device.
This menu then will give options to boot from USB devices.
I've used this a lot for some years.
Worked great!
Edit:
Here's the ISO uploaded, I've used for that. It will stay at least for 30 days after last download (I think).
Just burn it to a CD and boot from that CD.
Try changing USB boot to enable in the bios.BIOS settings include:
Boot from CD is supported
Selectable boot is supported
USB legacy is supported
Rapid boot disabled
Silent boot disabled
USB boot disabled
Also, do you know if the USB drive partition is flagged boot?
Try plugging the USB drive into a different USB port on computer.When I open Puppy from the live CDs, the desktop shows icons for the HDD, CD/DVD, and 3.5" floppy, but not the USB.
Try a port on the back of computer.
The ones on the front are attached to the motherboard by a cable. The cable may have come loose.
The USB ports on the back are on the motherboard.
The things they do not tell you, are usually the clue to solving the problem.
When I was a kid I wanted to be older.... This is not what I expected
YaPI(any iso installer)
When I was a kid I wanted to be older.... This is not what I expected
YaPI(any iso installer)
Hi, bill3
If I may:
Another thing is that the USB partition itself has to be flagged "boot". Else,
the OS thinks that USB is a data disk only, and will skip it.
I know it is simple enough to set the "boot" flag on a USB partition with
the GParted partition manager, but bigpup would know if the Universal
Installer also takes care of it. (I.e. I don't, sorry.)
IHTH.
If I may:
Another thing is that the USB partition itself has to be flagged "boot". Else,
the OS thinks that USB is a data disk only, and will skip it.
I know it is simple enough to set the "boot" flag on a USB partition with
the GParted partition manager, but bigpup would know if the Universal
Installer also takes care of it. (I.e. I don't, sorry.)
IHTH.
Last edited by musher0 on Wed 10 Oct 2018, 23:26, edited 1 time in total.
musher0
~~~~~~~~~~
"You want it darker? We kill the flame." (L. Cohen)
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"You want it darker? We kill the flame." (L. Cohen)
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ITSMERSH
Thanks for the good suggestions. I apologize for mistyping and not doing adequate proofreading. The USB boot is actually enabled in the BIOS. There is only one partition on the USB. It was created with GParted and has the boot flag checked. The only thing that surprised me when I looked for the boot flag check is that the partition shows up as Fat32. I thought that I had called for Fat16. Could this be a problem?
I can read and copy files from the USB flash drive in the USB port I'm using, so I believe that the port is working okay.
I'll proceed with trying Plop Boot Manager and report the results. Thanks.
Bill3
I can read and copy files from the USB flash drive in the USB port I'm using, so I believe that the port is working okay.
I'll proceed with trying Plop Boot Manager and report the results. Thanks.
Bill3
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ITSMERSH
Specs:
https://www.cnet.com/products/gateway-e-6000/specs/
"""""
Just check anyway...probably a later model but......
" Thanks for all the replies. Fortunately, the BIOS was fine.
There was a setting in another part of the BIOS
(not under Boot)
where I had to set it to emulate the USB as a hard drive.
Once this was done it showed up in the boot menu."
https://www.cnet.com/forums/discussions ... ay-514868/
"""""
"It was created with GParted and has the boot flag checked."
Is LBA checked as well?
You are using USB 2 device.Not USB 3.0 ???
I would not go past 4 gigs on such old hardware.
:::::
" When I open Puppy from the live CDs, the desktop shows icons for the HDD, CD/DVD, and 3.5" floppy, but not the USB. "
That told you straight away...if Puppy could not find it...Problem.
So use back port when booting live cd...are we there yet?
https://usermanual.wiki/Gateway/Gateway ... 740055.pdf
USB ports USB 2.0 >> Plug USB (Universal Serial Bus) devices
(such as a joystick or digital camera) into these ports.
The front USB ports are USB v2.0.
Any USB device will work in any USB port.
Iffy.
Maybe try different ports...any on the back????
And see the diagram >> page 166 out of 190
>> C USB ports (USB v1.1)
Ah! hah!
See ...you must use USB port >>> G on the back of the PC..
My work is done.
""""""""""
I know it sounds stupid.
If it still won't boot a usb...
Turn off the pc.
Turn a/c POWER OFF.
Hit >> POWER BUTTON and hold a minimum of 30 seconds
while power is off to drain it.
Turn power back on and enter bios.
See if USB shows.
F1 key .>> page 122 on the manual.
If not...
Take phone pics of your bios details.
Boot etc so you don't stuff up.
Then hit bios defaults and save it.
Reboot...enter bios again and change the boot settings again.
Chris.
https://www.cnet.com/products/gateway-e-6000/specs/
"""""
Just check anyway...probably a later model but......
" Thanks for all the replies. Fortunately, the BIOS was fine.
There was a setting in another part of the BIOS
(not under Boot)
where I had to set it to emulate the USB as a hard drive.
Once this was done it showed up in the boot menu."
https://www.cnet.com/forums/discussions ... ay-514868/
"""""
"It was created with GParted and has the boot flag checked."
Is LBA checked as well?
You are using USB 2 device.Not USB 3.0 ???
I would not go past 4 gigs on such old hardware.
:::::
" When I open Puppy from the live CDs, the desktop shows icons for the HDD, CD/DVD, and 3.5" floppy, but not the USB. "
That told you straight away...if Puppy could not find it...Problem.
So use back port when booting live cd...are we there yet?
https://usermanual.wiki/Gateway/Gateway ... 740055.pdf
USB ports USB 2.0 >> Plug USB (Universal Serial Bus) devices
(such as a joystick or digital camera) into these ports.
The front USB ports are USB v2.0.
Any USB device will work in any USB port.
Iffy.
Maybe try different ports...any on the back????
And see the diagram >> page 166 out of 190
>> C USB ports (USB v1.1)
Ah! hah!
See ...you must use USB port >>> G on the back of the PC..
My work is done.
""""""""""
I know it sounds stupid.
If it still won't boot a usb...
Turn off the pc.
Turn a/c POWER OFF.
Hit >> POWER BUTTON and hold a minimum of 30 seconds
while power is off to drain it.
Turn power back on and enter bios.
See if USB shows.
F1 key .>> page 122 on the manual.
If not...
Take phone pics of your bios details.
Boot etc so you don't stuff up.
Then hit bios defaults and save it.
Reboot...enter bios again and change the boot settings again.
Chris.
The Plop Boot Manager works. The live USB flash drive boots without any problem, except that bypassing the BIOS leaves NumLock turned off and I keep trying to use the keypad without it.
RSH, I did not understand your question about a USB HD. Are you asking about a USB-connected hard disk drive? I have such a drive that I use to back up my other computer, but I haven't used it with the old computer I'm using for Linux.
Thanks for all your help and patience, ITSMERSH, musher0, and bigpup.
Bill3
RSH, I did not understand your question about a USB HD. Are you asking about a USB-connected hard disk drive? I have such a drive that I use to back up my other computer, but I haven't used it with the old computer I'm using for Linux.
Thanks for all your help and patience, ITSMERSH, musher0, and bigpup.
Bill3
I have a computer where I was able to boot from fat16 with grub4dos but not fat32 using grub4dos. Most computers though I've had will boot from linux paritions using syslinux which is installed when one uses unetbootin
Try this:except that bypassing the BIOS leaves NumLock turned off
In whatever version of Puppy you have booted to desktop.
menu>Setup>QuickSetup First Run settings
Check the option Keyboard Numlock
Select OK.
Reboot.
That should turn numlock on.
The things they do not tell you, are usually the clue to solving the problem.
When I was a kid I wanted to be older.... This is not what I expected
YaPI(any iso installer)
When I was a kid I wanted to be older.... This is not what I expected
YaPI(any iso installer)
-
ITSMERSH
Just because USB flash drives are different to USB HD drives. I assumed probably it will recognize and boot from a USB HD drive (i.i.r.c. first there was USB HD then came USB flash drive?)?RSH, I did not understand your question about a USB HD. Are you asking about a USB-connected hard disk drive?
Never mind, since the Plop seems to work.
BigPup, thanks for the input. I had looked at the First Run settings screen enough that I should have noticed that NumLock setting myself.
Chris, thank you for the manual. I hadn't been able to find one. The RAM and HDD sizes are different, but everything else looks like it ought to work for my machine.
I wish bobdobob5 had said where he found a setting to "emulate the USB as a hard drive." I went back through my BIOS and couldn't find anything like that.
I also went back and checked the LBA flad in GParted, but it made no difference.
I tried all six USB ports. The light on the flash drive acted differently on the USB 1.1 ports. Otherwise, I there was no change.
I shut the PC down, disconnected the AC cable, leaned on the power button for 60 seconds, and tried to boot again. Also no change.
I haven't tried resetting all of the BIOS settings yet. Plop Boot Manager is working for me right now and some other things need to be done first. I'll reset the BIOS eventually and try to remember to report the results.
Bill3
Chris, thank you for the manual. I hadn't been able to find one. The RAM and HDD sizes are different, but everything else looks like it ought to work for my machine.
I wish bobdobob5 had said where he found a setting to "emulate the USB as a hard drive." I went back through my BIOS and couldn't find anything like that.
I also went back and checked the LBA flad in GParted, but it made no difference.
I tried all six USB ports. The light on the flash drive acted differently on the USB 1.1 ports. Otherwise, I there was no change.
I shut the PC down, disconnected the AC cable, leaned on the power button for 60 seconds, and tried to boot again. Also no change.
I haven't tried resetting all of the BIOS settings yet. Plop Boot Manager is working for me right now and some other things need to be done first. I'll reset the BIOS eventually and try to remember to report the results.
Bill3
Hi Bill3,
Thanks for reporting your success using PLOP. But do advise us about your continuing efforts.
It's been quite a while since the need to use PLOP has come up. Memories fade and old post get buried.
Perhaps you could edit the title of your original post to indicate SOLVED. And comment in the Subject description that PLOP was employed. That might help other in the future having a similar problem searching for a solution,
Thanks for reporting your success using PLOP. But do advise us about your continuing efforts.
It's been quite a while since the need to use PLOP has come up. Memories fade and old post get buried.
Perhaps you could edit the title of your original post to indicate SOLVED. And comment in the Subject description that PLOP was employed. That might help other in the future having a similar problem searching for a solution,