Puppy 4.2 "Deep Thought" - Bugs & Fixes

[panzerpuppy]

try without pdev1=hda8

Doesn't help. I still get the Error 17: Cannot mount partition

[DaveS]

I use grub on the hd install, here are the relevant entries

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title           Puppy Linux 420 frugal SDA3
rootnoverify    (hd0,2)
kernel          /puppy420/vmlinuz pmedia=atahd psubdir=puppy420 nosmp
initrd          /puppy420/initrd.gz

title           Puppy Linux 410 frugal
rootnoverify    (hd0,2)
kernel          /puppy411/vmlinuz pmedia=atahd psubdir=puppy411 nosmp
initrd          /puppy411/initrd.gz

I have a 5 sec time-out set to allow me to choose which Pup to boot.
The USB install boots straight to the 4.2 splash screen, which is not present on the HD install. I dont have Grub on the USB.
The USB 'home' includes a little program called boot.msg, which is probably the splash screen, but this is missing from the HD 'home'

aah, so you boot from usb with syslinux, and you're talking about the 4.2 splash screen, the gfx graphics....well, i'm not in puppy now, but I remembered that if you go to home/boot/grub directory, you'll see a menu.lst example...you then copy the line gfxmenu /boot/grub/deep_stage1 and off course copy the deep_stage1 to the right path also....

second thing, i think nosmp is needed for usb frugal only?

Thanks Trio. I dont yet know what I need to do to fix it, but at least I now know it is the instruction I have put into Grub. I will figure it out now I hope.........

[WhoDo]

Thanks Trio. I dont yet know what I need to do to fix it, but at least I now know it is the instruction I have put into Grub. I will figure it out now I hope.........

Here is something "off the wall", but logically it could work. Try NOT using the psubdir= boot parameter. Why? Well psubdir= may start from the directory that the vmlinuz and initrd.gz files live in, and you have these all in the same directory. IOW, it may be looking for psubdir UNDER your /puppy420 directory instead of under / directory. Just a thought. No reason why it should work. It's just an idea.

Hope that helps.

[Ray MK]

Hi

Try changing "hda" to "sda" - usually needed with 4.xx

Hope that helps

Ray

[Ray MK]

Hi again

Another thought - if puppy files are in folders on sda3 - you might need to renumber drives

ie change (hd0,2) to (sd0,4) - grub numbering conventions etc.

Hope thats helpful

regards - Ray

[DaveS]

Thanks for all these replies guys, but I think I described the problem poorly. It is not that I cant boot from the HD, that is fine, and grub works just as it should with proper time out and selection of distro from the menu.
When I boot using grub on the frugal HD install, once I have selected the distro from the grub menu, it boots straight away. I DONT get the option page allowing me to select the way it boots, ex pfix=ram.
With my USB install, I get a time out and splash page at start of boot which gives me these options. Is it possible to also set this up on the frugal HD install using the grub bootloader?
The USB install boots using syslinux and does not touch the HD or grub.

[WhoDo]

When I boot using grub on the frugal HD install, once I have selected the distro from the grub menu, it boots straight away. I DONT get the option page allowing me to select the way it boots, ex pfix=ram.
With my USB install, I get a time out and splash page at start of boot which gives me these options. Is it possible to also set this up on the frugal HD install using the grub bootloader?
The USB install boots using syslinux and does not touch the HD or grub.

Aha! Now I get what you're after. Grub and syslinux are doing the same job, essentially. The difference is that it is very clear with the syslinux screen in the USB install exactly where you should put the pfix=ram option. You certainly CAN do the same with Grub, but you need to handle it slightly differently.

Add an entry to your Grub menu.lst file with all the same parameters as a normal boot EXCEPT also append the pfix=ram option to the kernel line.

Alternatively, when you boot with Grub there is an option to edit the boot string - can't remember exactly what key it is, but it offers to let you edit the boot string and can be found at the bottom of your Grub splash screen. Choose that option (C is it?) and then add the pfix=ram option to the boot string before pressing b to boot with the extra option.

Hope that helps.

[DaveS]

Thanks Whodo. From what you say, it seems that using grub, it is not possible to halt the boot process, display the Puppy boot options page, and supply input to continue the boot process. It sounds like I would effectively need to create a grub entry for each boot option I might need. I figured this might be the case as that is the way Ubuntu sets grub up to allow different boot options, but was not sure. Seems a bit archaic, but hey, if it works and is robust....................

[rhadon]

Hi DaveS,

another possible solution is to use a dummy_pupsave.2fs built e.g. by geany (only .2fs is important). Then you can choose to use your pupsave, the dummy (doesn't work ot course) or '0' for no pupsave file.

If you often use it, you can make a new entry in your menu.lst including pfix=ram.

~ Rolf

[WhoDo]

From what you say, it seems that using grub, it is not possible to halt the boot process, display the Puppy boot options page, and supply input to continue the boot process.

On the contrary:

1. It IS possible to halt the grub boot process

2. It is NOT possible to display the Puppy boot options page, at least not without some messing about

3. It IS possible to supply input to continue the boot process.

So you have to know which option you want to supply e.g. pfix=ram but you can still do it.

a. Highlight the grub boot entry for the Puppy version you want to boot

b. Press the key to edit the grub command line ('C' I think but it's on the bottom of your grub boot screen)

c. Add the pfix=ram or whatever to the backend of the grub command line

d. Press b to continue booting with that option appended.

Alternative, use Rolf's method of creating a dummy pup_save.2fs file - you won't get the ability to use other Puppy kernel boot options, but you will get to choose 0 to boot without a pup_save.2fs which is the same as pfix=ram.

Hope that helps.

[DaveS]

OK, thanks everybody. I rarely use pfix=ram, but it is a handy option to have..........

[trio]

1. It IS possible to halt the grub boot process
yes, just move up and down at grub menu
2. It is NOT possible to display the Puppy boot options page, at least not without some messing about
possible if DaveS mean the gfxmenu, just add:
gfxmenu /boot/grub/deep_1 (forgot the file name?)

3. It IS possible to supply input to continue the boot process.

So you have to know which option you want to supply e.g. pfix=ram but you can still do it.
Yes--read below
a. Highlight the grub boot entry for the Puppy version you want to boot
Yes--read below
b. Press the key to edit the grub command line ('C' I think but it's on the bottom of your grub boot screen)
No, E key, to edit, then highlite the kernel line, press E again
c. Add the pfix=ram or whatever to the backend of the grub command line
after finish, press enter
d. Press b to continue booting with that option appended.

Hope that helps.

[raffy]

I have the very stable firefox 2.0.20 running in the eeePC 4G. Mozilla lib is untouched (kept along with seamonkey). When I suddenly move the mouse right to top something happens: the firefox window disappears but the browser's outer frame is still there. I can kill firefox then restart it, but I wonder if the pwidgets bar can cause this (activated when moving to the right)?

EDIT: Never mind, minimizing then restoring Firefox solves the problem.

[big_bass]

DaveS wrote:
When I boot using grub on the frugal HD install, once I have selected the distro from the grub menu, it boots straight away. I DONT get the option page allowing me to select the way it boots, ex pfix=ram.
With my USB install, I get a time out and splash page at start of boot which gives me these options. Is it possible to also set this up on the frugal HD install using the grub bootloader?
The USB install boots using syslinux and does not touch the HD or grub.

Hey DaveS

there's an easy way also
what I do is just leave the live CD in and reboot
puppy auto detects your frugal pupsave
you have a 5 second window to type
your

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puppy pfix=whatever you need goes here

you don't even need grub that way

BTW to be clear this is not a 4.2 bug fix I posted
the above way works on every puppy version

big_bass

[vg1]

The key to press at the interested grub entry is 'e' [edit]. 'C' opens the grub console. So:
- select the entry
- press 'e'
- select/highlight the kernel line, press 'e' again; takes you to the end of line, if not press 'end', add pfix=ram or whatever
- when done press enter, it takes you back to the full entry
- press 'b' [boot]

Note that this is 'on the fly' edit, good only for that boot. Next boot you are back to the original entry [ie without pfix=ram, or whatever you changed]. So once you are satisfied that the change works edit your menu.lst with a text editor to make it permamnent.

vg

[8-bit]

Is MD5SUM broken in busybox?
The reason I ask is that I downloaded the kernel source code and checksum file for Puppy 4.1 and it appears that the md5sum is truncating the filename to 13 characters and extension.
I keep getting a file not found and it shows the file name truncated.
It did fine on checking the devx file I downloaded.
I am using 'md5sum -c [md5sum text file]' after opening a terminal in the directory containing the file and checksum file.
This is not good!
Check it out and report back.
PS.
I also booted from the live cd to verify this and got the same result.

[ttuuxxx]

Is MD5SUM broken in busybox?
The reason I ask is that I downloaded the kernel source code and checksum file for Puppy 4.1 and it appears that the md5sum is truncating the filename to 13 characters and extension.
I keep getting a file not found and it shows the file name truncated.
It did fine on checking the devx file I downloaded.
I am using 'md5sum -c [md5sum text file]' after opening a terminal in the directory containing the file and checksum file.
This is not good!
Check it out and report back.
PS.
I also booted from the live cd to verify this and got the same result.

couldn't you use gtkhash? It comes with its own hash dependencies
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=32700
ttuuxxx

[8-bit]

tuxx:
I downloaded and used that utility. It worked although the first time, the file selection window was oversize and mostly off my desktop.

But my point was that the md5sum should have worked with the long filename.
Also, by using md5sum -c [filename.md5.txt] I was given an OK if the checksum matched and did not have to visually compare the checksum given.
What you gave me is a workaround solution.
That does not solve a possible problem with busybox.

[ttuuxxx]

tuxx:
I downloaded and used that utility. It worked although the first time, the file selection window was oversize and mostly off my desktop.

But my point was that the md5sum should have worked with the long filename.
Also, by using md5sum -c [filename.md5.txt] I was given an OK if the checksum matched and did not have to visually compare the checksum given.
What you gave me is a workaround solution.
That does not solve a possible problem with busybox.

Maybe busybox was busy? lol
I don't know I use md5sum via the command line and it works,
Also that program you used, you can configure via the menu, it will give you about 20+ different kinds of 'sums' kind handy and you can setup it up like in a advanced mode that gives you a different screen size.
ttuuxxx

[mawebb88]

Hope I am not duplicating a previous reported bug but rcrsn51 over in a printing thread I initiated found that clicking on a deb file in 4.2.0 does not open Xachiver whereas 4.1.2 does.

Rgds Mike