Has anyone dual booted Puppy + Ubuntu with GRUB2?

Under development: PCMCIA, wireless, etc.
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DaveS
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#91 Post by DaveS »

Béèm wrote:
rjbrewer wrote:I've shrunk partitions a number of times using gparted in 4.1.2.

Haven't tried 4.3.1 gparted though, it creates partitions with
256 inodes, which can cause problems trying to boot earlier
puppies unless grub from 4.3.1 is also installed to mbr.

I'll give it a shot and see what happens.
I am always afraid that files are fragmented and that shrinking a partition could lead to loss of data.
Am I too afraid?
I never had a problem that way Beem.
Spup Frugal HD and USB
Root forever!

tlcstat
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Joined: Mon 29 Oct 2007, 00:56
Location: SW Virginia mountains

Grub 2 This works!

#92 Post by tlcstat »

Greetings,
This is working perfect for me.

menuentry "Puppy Linux Fatdog SDA2"{
set root=(hd0,2)
linux /FatdogFrugal/vmlinuz pmedia=satahd psubdir=FatdogFrugal
initrd /FatdogFrugal/initrd.gz
}
menuentry "Puppy Linux 431 SDA2"{
set root=(hd0,2)
linux /puppy431/vmlinuz pmedia=satahd psubdir=puppy431
initrd /puppy431/initrd.gz
}
EOF

Booting with Grub2 on an Ubuntu 9.10 system.
I have both frugal installs on a separate 5Gig EXT2 partition created with the Puppy 431 CD.
Each directory has a blank text file named "SATAHD".
If you have a IDE drive you may need to rename this to "IDEHD".
Note that the psubdir doesn't have the root indicator "/".
Also, I was getting poor boot performance until I deleted my save file and started over with a new save file. With the new save file there are no boot irregularities {period!].
Have fun.
TLCSTAT

tlcstat
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Joined: Mon 29 Oct 2007, 00:56
Location: SW Virginia mountains

Ubuntu 9.10 Grub 2 Update

#93 Post by tlcstat »

Greetings,
My Ubuntu 9.10 Update just [yesterday] came up with a Grub2 patch that allows the option for scripting in grub.conf. It is an update option. In other words you can install the update to revert to scripting or keep the new grub2 format. Either way the update-grub will apply. I choose to use the new format to put Puppy in the 40_custom file. Life goes on so might as well learn the new format. I'm a new Linux user anyway so no big deal. Just as a side note, I have deleted all of my M$ partitions, so I am now 100% Ext2,3,4. I found out that "Avast has a Linux version and my Serial works for both versions, so I installed Avast in my Ubuntu and now I don't know what to do with it! If I could move it from the virtual to the material I would use it for a door stop.
tlcstat

Jim1911
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Location: Texas, USA

#94 Post by Jim1911 »


nooby
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#95 Post by nooby »

Within a few days? we get Ubuntu 10.04 with Grub2 coming and a lot of us want to dualboot ubuntu and puppy and most likely Linux Mint 9 that also will have grub2?

Do easy to follow instructions would be cool to have.

We seems to have to learn to do the UUID thing too

By accident I happen to find out how one did it and now I have already forgotten about it again.

I never managed to do the updating of grub. I had to cheat by manually forcing the config to accept a frugal Puppy and then keep a back up of how one does it in case next automatic update erase or delete my manual cheat code entry.
I use Google Search on Puppy Forum
not an ideal solution though

Jim1911
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Joined: Mon 19 May 2008, 20:39
Location: Texas, USA

#96 Post by Jim1911 »

Ubuntu 9.10 also defaulted to GRUB2. The solution to keeping GRUB.097 is to have a separate boot partition and not allow the new installation to update grub.

However, you must manually edit the menu.lst file and make necessary corrections including the UUID (noted by nooby). This is easily accomplished using a puppy installation. Gparted will provide the UUID information needed. Just highlight the partition, then select Partition > Information.

Personally, I have tried GRUB2 and found that on my system that it is extremely slow compared to GRUB.097, so I reverted back.

Jim

tlcstat
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Joined: Mon 29 Oct 2007, 00:56
Location: SW Virginia mountains

#97 Post by tlcstat »

Greetings,
I have been running Ubuntu 10.04 Beta2 from a 16gig PNY pendrive for a month and it is faster running from the pendrive than 9.10 from my hard drive. So last week I installed the 10.04 beta 2 over my 9.10. The new release in Beta 2 is very crisp and doesn't have the memory leaks that are common on 9.10. Also, it seems to dualboot puppy without the swapfile problems that I was having in the earlier release. I use Grub2 with no problems. I learned long ago that history moves forward not backward. This is just as true for linux as it is for windows.
tlcstat

nooby
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#98 Post by nooby »

Heheh I love this one:
I learned long ago that history moves forward not backward. This is just as true for linux as it is for windows.
tlcstat
So let us all vote for a Grub3 where the problem with grub2 are solved.
Instead of being difficult to use manually

we need a Grub3 that is even easier to use
for a newbie to install any kind of OS on USB
or DVD or HDD than current Grub Legacy or
Grub4DOS is and it should have no need for
experteeze knowledge to accomplish it.


So let us " move forward not backward. This should be true for linux as for any kind of OS

Not criticising you tlcstat. I think that Barry did something very good with Puppy and AntiX seems to have liked some feature and have incorporated it in AntiX so hopefully many other devs would follow through too.

AntiX is still too difficult for me to use. I have installed it on two computers bot full and frugal but too much to learn. I had to give up on it.

Even puppy are too difficult. So much to keep in head. My brain fail to remember all the details. Maybe I have an early dementia or something. Too bad.

Think like a newbie
but code like a Pro!
I use Google Search on Puppy Forum
not an ideal solution though

tlcstat
Posts: 87
Joined: Mon 29 Oct 2007, 00:56
Location: SW Virginia mountains

#99 Post by tlcstat »

Greetings,
Wow! finally a linux user that is concerned that it [linux] is too technical! And I was just getting to like it. Ubuntu 10.04 goes a long way toward solving some of these problems for the crossover user and puppy has been working along those lines for a long time also. Regarding legacy grub, I do "get it". The users that have been scripting for ages aren't going to want to change. That's fine with me. I was just sharing my own experience as a user and that is what forums are for. Sorry I got your dander up.
tlcstat

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don570
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Location: Ontario

grub2 install in frugal installation

#100 Post by don570 »

I just installed ubuntu 10.04 lucid and Grub2 was automatically installed.
It was setup to bootup Ubuntu not Puppy linux.I had to go to the Ubuntu support pages and find out about Grub2. It's quite simple to setup.
First the setup file has been already been created at installation of the system software, so while running the Ubuntu operating system[not puppy] open the file up with the terminal command:

sudo nano /etc/grub.d/40_custom

Let's say I have 2 folders named lighthouse443 and quirky1 on the first partition of the first hard drive(sda1) containing the relevant puppy kernels.
I write the following script:

Code: Select all

#!/bin/sh
echo "Adding 40_custom menu entries." >&2
exec tail -n +3 $0
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries. Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment. Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.

menuentry "lighthouse" {
set root=(hd0,1)
linux /lighthouse443/vmlinuz pmedia=atahd psubdir=lighthouse443
initrd /lighthouse443/initrd.gz
}

menuentry "quirky1" {
set root=(hd0,1)
linux /quirky1/vmlinuz pmedia=atahd psubdir=quirky1
initrd /quirky1/initrd.gz
}

EOF
Now write out and exit. One last terminal command is needed:
sudo update-grub
You can now reboot.Hold the shift key down to get the grub screen and choose your operating system.
Note 1:The second line of script was a suggestion from Ubuntu to
provide visual notification that the '40_custom' file was being read
Note 2:The '40_custom' file is a script and must be made executable but
it is already so no need to worry, but if you aren't sure you can always run:
sudo chmod +x /etc/grub.d/40_custom
-----------------------------------------------------------
Added: once this configuration is done, I discovered that editing the file
named grub.cfg (located on Ubuntu bootup partition)is easy using Puppy Linux. Make modifications once you have booted up Puppy Linux. Ubuntu advises against this but I find that it is safe and convienient. The file `40_custom' can
lie dormant and unused if you make all changes in future from the Puppy OS.
Last edited by don570 on Sat 22 May 2010, 18:01, edited 4 times in total.

Jim1911
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Location: Texas, USA

#101 Post by Jim1911 »

Don,

Thank you for sharing your success story, your summary is concise, complete and provides helpful hints about setting up the "40_custom menu entries" file.

Jim

mama21mama

You can also see here

#102 Post by mama21mama »


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don570
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Location: Ontario

audacity install on lupu

#103 Post by don570 »

Thanks
Get more info on how to number hard disks go to
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1195275
Here's an exerpt from article:
# Note the new partition naming convention. Devices start counting from "0" as done previously.
sda is designated as "hd0", sdb is "hd1", etc. However the first partition is now designated as sda1.
Counting partitions does not start with "0".
sda5 is the fifth partition
# If the user wishes to get visual confirmation in the terminal that the 40_custom file contents
are being added when "update-grub" is executed, the following line can be added to the '/etc/grub.d/40_custom' file:

*

Code: Select all

echo "Adding 40_custom menu entries." >&2

* Place this line immediately after the first line - "#!/bin/bash" - and before the "exec tail -n +3 $0" line.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you're interested in the latest version of Audacity,
you should read my experience with Lucid puppy
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 220#417220
With the help of debian packages it is possible to install
quite a bit of cutting edge software on lupu.
This version of puppy has a lot of promise now.

Fishback
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Joined: Sun 24 May 2009, 06:08

Grub 2 with Lubuntu & Puppy 5.01

#104 Post by Fishback »

I'm using Grub 2 to dual-boot Lubuntu and Puppy 5.01 on an old laptop. All recently installed. Grub 2 is working OK but I have one problem. After shutting down Puppy, Lubuntu insists on a disk check - no matter whether it's a soft reboot or whether the laptop is first powered off.

I didn't have this problem several months back when I was using Grub 2 to dual-boot Xubuntu and older versions of Puppy. Does anyone have a guess as to what's going on? Is this a Grub problem, or is it more likely to be Lubuntu?

tx.

p.s. - I normally boot to Puppy but do occasionaly boot to Lubuntu, which has far better wireless support. And Lubuntu is very quick - much faster than either Ubuntu or Xubuntu but of course not quite as fast as Puppy.

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Varmint
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kisk numbering

#105 Post by Varmint »

I have an Asus Eee 701SD w/8gb SSD, 2gb ram.
I've installed Lucid Puppy 5.0.1 and Ubuntu 10.4 on this, giving 3gb to puppy and the rest to ubuntu. Ubuntu was installed last, and I used it's default grub installer to dual-boot these two distros. Both booted properly, but I don't like the boot order or naming conventions in this file. Like the Debian on which it is based, ubuntu puts itself first regardless of what order you want, so I popped in the lucid pup installation cd and did something we are not supposed to do. I manually edited the grub.cfg file, changing both boot order and the name for my puppy partition, which I use by default on all systems here. I also changed the timeout from 6 seconds to 30, because I'm a slow old fart that wants to mash things that try to hurry me up. I didn't have any problems with this, by the way, but your mileage may vary, as they say, so don't do something hairy unless you're willing to re-install things. I fiddle with my netbook constantly and don't care if I garf something like an OS, as I'll simply re-install. Also, I never noticed the new naming conventions until someone pointed them out. How bizaarre and un-unix-like. I wonder what ever prompted them to do THAT?! Were the old ones somehow not good enough anymore? Or is this an attempt to make things "easier" for the rank novice? Are they going to change this in the future to a dos prompt or win-doze naming system to make it even easier? Hmmmm.....:-)

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DaveS
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Re: kisk numbering

#106 Post by DaveS »

Varmint, on my system, I loaded file manager as root, (sudo nautilus). Navigate to the grub.conf file and right click on it. Change the permissions to allow you rather than root to change it, and from then on, you can edit it directly in Ubuntu by just clicking on it and loading it into the text editor :)
Risky? Doubtful as only I use the PC.
Spup Frugal HD and USB
Root forever!

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Varmint
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dual-booting

#107 Post by Varmint »

I just did some more fiddling with my Asus netbook, and used puppy to install grub. As I mentioned previously, Puppy is on the first partition, while Ubuntu is on the second partion. Here is the code from /boot/grub/menu.lst:

# linux bootable partition config begins
title Puppy Linux 5.01 (on /dev/sda1)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda1 ro vga=normal
# linux bootable partition config ends
# linux bootable partition config begins
title Ubuntu 10.4 (on /dev/sda2)
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-21-generic root=/dev/sda2 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-21-generic
# linux bootable partition config ends


As it now stands, I'm seeing puppy boot normally, while ubuntu insists on running a disk check. While it says to "Hit C to cancel...." it continues on merrily and slowly with the disk test regardless of how many times you punch that key. Weird. Almost guarantees I won't bother with booting into ubuntu, as it takes about 15-30 minutes to run that silly test. I'll have to look at this to see what causes it, and find a workaround. I really resent any process running without my authorizations. But it DOES boot, and I'm not sure if it will do that test every time I boot into ubuntu or not. I'll update this post when I know.

Grace and peace

UPDATE: I just rebooted and find that ubuntu didn't need to run the disk check this time. Perhaps it was a one-time thing since I switched from using ubuntu's grub to using puppy's version of grub. My guess is that this changed warranted the test, and now my system boots normally. Sweet, indeed.

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DaveS
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#108 Post by DaveS »

Varmint......... I think Ubuntu runs diskcheck to a schedule. Default is every 30th boot as far as I can remember. Not such a bad thing really............
Spup Frugal HD and USB
Root forever!

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Varmint
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RE: Puppy & Ubuntu

#109 Post by Varmint »

DaveS wrote:
"....I think Ubuntu runs diskcheck to a schedule. Default is every 30th boot as far as I can remember."

My reply:
That's a very good thing, imho, and thank you for sharing that information here. I have an older Ubuntu (9.04) on a usb stick, but I've only used it a couple times, and keep it for demos for other interested parties. I notice it seems to do the complete disk check, and not just it's own partition. Is that correct? I've been getting aquainted with the vagaries of ubuntu the past few days. The fact that it had updated wifi support led me to install lucid puppy in place of the old acer remix2 I had with it. I've tried out the software manager and found it pretty nice to use, and the programs seem to be pretty responsive and easy to update. This should make either of these two fine distros a first-in-line choice for new Linux users, as far as I'm concerned. For the more serious user, I'd still recommend the Debian on which these are based, or Slackware (for the VERY serious), but these two will introduce ANYONE, regardless of their technical prowess (or lack thereof) to linux in great style, while maintaining good reliability and rock-solid stability. Now don't I sound like a "horn-blower"?

I still plan to put a 32gb ssd in my netbook soon, and then I'll have room for Backtrack 4 & Slackware 13.1, both of which I've tried on this machine with success. If only these devices were designed to handle about 4gb ram, how sweet it would be, but they do function great even now, and without a swap partition. Now then....at least I got to drop a couple toes on two ways of using grub, so others can duplicate my efforts with a minimum of effort.

I've no reason to think that Ubuntu, being Debian-based, will have trouble setting up other distros alongside it. I've used debian, and now ubuntu, with slackware, backtrack, helix, bsd, and a couple others I can't remember, so don't feel intimidated when making whatever installation you want....someone here has the info you need, or at least can point the way for you to find it!

Thanks again for your input, DaveS. I'm off to have some fun and surf the forums for a bit....

73

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DaveS
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Re: dual-booting

#110 Post by DaveS »

Varmint wrote:ubuntu insists on running a disk check. While it says to "Hit C to cancel...." it continues on merrily and slowly with the disk test regardless of how many times you punch that key. Weird.
I did some experimenting with this and....... the command is wrong! Dont hit 'C', press the 'Esc' key to abort.
Spup Frugal HD and USB
Root forever!

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