Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

Fox7777 · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 132 Location: Lacey, WA

We have a 1996 Dell Optiplex GMT 5166 computer that we installed Puppy Linux 1.0.1 on (1.0.2 didn't work on it). We initially had to use a boot floppy to boot the CD for installation but when the hard drive install was finished we still had to save a couple files to a boot disk to start it instead of booting directly from the hard drive which seemed very unusual. Is there a way to install Puppy Linux 1.0.1 so you can boot directly from the hard drive?

Bruce B · Posted: Wed 01 Jun 2005, 19:48 Post subject: Re: Direct boot from hard drive?

Fox7777 · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 132 Location: Lacey, WA

We don't have DOS & would like to have everything on one partition. We now have Puppy installed on a partition but have to use the floppy to boot. Is there a way to use Puppy to install Grub on this computer & then perhaps move the files on the floppy to the same partition so that we could turn on the computer and have the Grub menu come up with Puppy on the menu?

Bruce B · Posted: Thu 02 Jun 2005, 12:03 Post subject:

I don't know if you have a Linux partition. If you have a Linux partition maybe Puppy can install GRUB for you.

If you were running 1.0.2 there is a program called grubconfig. It will install GRUB for you. Maybe it is also in 1.0.1 - check and see by typing grubconfig on the command line.

Fox7777 · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 132 Location: Lacey, WA

Puppy 1.0.1 is installed on a Linux partition on the hard drive & we currently have to use the boot floppy to boot.
grubconfig didn't work on this Puppy 1.0.1 system. There is apparently no grub or boot files. Also there is no option to setup grub like there apparently is in Puppy 1.0.2.

Could we use PupGet to download grub & set it up? If so, what about the files on the boot floppy? We think the real value of Puppy (or DSL) is the abiity to install on old computers so they are still useful for the average computer user & don't end up in landfills. Considering this, will we be able to install future versions of Puppy on these old computers?

danleff · Joined: 08 May 2005 Posts: 294 Location: Albany, NY

What happened that Puppy 1.0.2 would not work on this system?

Bruce B · Posted: Thu 02 Jun 2005, 17:16 Post subject: Re: Direct boot from hard drive?

Fox7777 · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 132 Location: Lacey, WA

When we try to boot Puppy 1.0.2 on the above computer with the necessary boot floppy, it downloads a couple files from the CD & gets to the point where the kernel is starting & just sits there with the cursor flashing. We don't see any place to enter the above commands. What is the solution?

danleff · Joined: 08 May 2005 Posts: 294 Location: Albany, NY

I think Bruce may have hit on it, maybe an acpi issue. Bruce, do you know where to add the arguments on the floppy? Can it be done in Tiny?

The new Puppy iso is also finicky about the speed that the iso file is burned at. Older cdrom drives sometimes have trouble reading home made cdr disks, even worse, cdrw disks. I had to burn mine at 1X or 2X speed to get it to work. This is not too much of an issue, as the file is small enough not to take too much time to burn properly.

If you want to see if this is an issue and don't mind burning another cdr disk, try that. If it does not work, you know that the problem is acpi. Then, if someone knows how to add the arguments to the floppy, try acpi=off first. laptops usually need the noalpic option.

Fox7777 · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 132 Location: Lacey, WA

We tried writing the CD at 2X speed with but that didn't make any difference. The CD writer has performed very well so it would be a surprise if that was the problem. We also tried inserting acpi=off in autoexec.bat & config.sys on the floppy not knowing what we were doing but that didn't make any difference either. We still need a solution.

Bruce B · Posted: Thu 02 Jun 2005, 22:24 Post subject: Re: Direct boot from hard drive?

Fox7777 · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 132 Location: Lacey, WA

We copied the 3 files by opening up two rox windows & dragging from the Puppy 1.0.2 cdrom to /(Thumbs). Hopefully that is OK.

Update: The key is installing Grub to the master boot record in these older computers. Problem solved.

PeterSieg · Joined: 04 May 2005 Posts: 361 Location: Germany, 37603

Hi Fox7777.

search this forum for grubhd.zip.
get it to /root.
unzip it there. Don't delete the zip!
run the install-grubhd.sh script.

There are 2 scripts. One for type 2 install, one for type 1 install.
Both will install grub as boor manager on hdd. The script assumes
that Puppy is the only OS on the hard disk (But can handle multiple
instances of Puppy Smile

!

This works only with 1.0.1!
In 1.0.2 Barry has incorporated this with
grubconfig.

PS

Bruce B · Posted: Fri 03 Jun 2005, 02:44 Post subject:

I didn't know about the grubhd.zip package someone put together. That would install grub on the hard disk.

I just put a package together which will install a complete grub boot manager on the floppy disk. You can find it in the How To section.

Now you have a range of options!

babbs · Posted: Fri 03 Jun 2005, 11:54 Post subject:

If you can still boot from the CD, you might want to try the 1.0.2-Opera version since it has a startup menu were you can boot without acpi to see if that is the issue between 1.0.1 and 1.0.2. In the end, that may be the easiest way to install grub.