GetPupSave 3.0 Pet

[johnywhy]

What is it? this pet is a command which returns the partition, file-system, and path to your active PupSave file or folder.

Why use it? it's handy if you multiboot several frugal puppies, and you forgot which one you are booted into . the advantage of the getpupsave command is that it's a command-- more convenient than remembering and manually digging into system files.

requirements tested only on xSlacko so far.

you use it like this:

Code: Select all

# getpupsave

sample output:

Code: Select all

# getpupsave
PUPSAVE='sda1,ext2,/xSlacko/slackosave-My'
#

enjoy


Technical details

puppiness quotient: 1 line of code.

this pet puts a file in your bin containing the following script:

Code: Select all

#!/bin/bash
# read PUPSAVE value from file /etc/rc.d/PUPSTATE
cat /etc/rc.d/PUPSTATE | grep PUPSAVE

3.0 has been changed to safer code. Code base has been reduced by 50% -- from 2 lines to 1 line

[nilsonmorales]

Nice job johnywhy
You're becoming a hacker
nice nice, congrat

[johnywhy]

thx Nilson!

i thought it might be cool if i attach the actual pet file :/

see OP

[johnywhy]

Version 3.0 released, changed to safer, shorter code:

Code: Select all

cat /etc/rc.d/PUPSTATE | grep PUPSAVE

pet in op

[musher0]

Hello, johnywhy.

And it is important to do this because... ? (In other words: I'm a sceptic.)
There's already all sorts of info concerning the Puppy at
/etc/DISTRO_SPECS and at
/initrd/tmp/PUPSAVES

BFN.

musher0

[johnywhy]

I'm a sceptic.)
There's already all sorts of info concerning the Puppy at
/etc/DISTRO_SPECS and at
/initrd/tmp/PUPSAVES

thx for pointers!

the purpose of my getpupsave command is that it's a command-- more convenient than remembering and manually digging into system files.

your suggestion, /etc/DISTRO_SPECS, does not contain the pupsave path. it contains:

#for the partition, path and actual files loaded, see PUPSFS and ZDRV in /etc/rc.d/PUPSTATE

so, it is is telling me i'm looking in the right place: /etc/rc.d/PUPSTATE

your suggestion, /initrd/tmp, is a temp directory, and i've always been taught to be skeptical about the contents of a temp directory-- it's a scrap dir, a throwaway dir, not a reliable source of system data.

so, i feel confident using /etc/rc.d/PUPSTATE. G agrees:
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... 608#844608

thx!

[musher0]

Hi, johnywhy.

Yes, /etc/rc.d/PUPSTATE is a good source of info in this case.

Beware, though: not all temp files contain junk. Some temp files contain
very important information, some transient information for a particular
script or operation -- sometimes, but also some important info your entire
Puppy session.

Look in your /tmp directory and you'll find many temp files for Internet or
wifi connection, or for mounted partitions (usb and hard drives), for
example. They are temporary files, but you need them, they're not junk.

The same is true for the files at /initrd/tmp/. They contain usual
information about your Puppy and your partitions, among other things.

In console, type

Code: Select all

cd /initrd/tmp
more *

and see for yourself.

BFN

musher0

[johnywhy]

Beware, though: not all temp files contain junk. Some temp files contain
very important information

For sure, i understand that they are important. But they are transient, and serve specific applications. they are not intended for general use. There's no guarantee they will exist tomorrow, there's no guarantees they will be up-to-date. They are created as transient resources for specific apps, so i don't think it would be a save idea to use Temp dirs for any process that needs to be reliable. Temp files are not meant for that.

thx!

[musher0]

Beware, though: not all temp files contain junk. Some temp files contain
very important information

(...) They are created as transient resources for specific apps, so i don't think it would be a save idea to use Temp dirs for any process that needs to be reliable. Temp files are not meant for that.

thx!

Hi, johnywhy.

I beg to differ. In addition to the folders that I mentioned earlier, /var is
full of temporary files that are quite reliable... But I don't want to get into
a verbal fight with you! Like the apprentice sorcerer who doesn't want to
believe what the master sorcerer is telling him , you'll have to discover
the true nature and usefulness of temporary files by yourself!!!

Now, for the purpose of education, please find, make a note of and then
delete ALL the temporary files on your Linux system, one after the other,
very methodically, and see what happens!!! I guarantee you a
very reliable crash before you're finished!!!

musher0

[johnywhy]

master

you clearly have experience and knowledge, and i value that.

i don't want to have an argument either. but i value intellectual debate, or at least different perspectives. i appreciate your opinions -- you make me think.

i understand temp files can be very important. i did not say they are not important. yes, i agree with you, i think you're correct.

just saying that the owners of files in temp directories may do whatever they want to those files. Apps have no "contract" to fulfill any user expectations about files in temp. A new version of some app might have different temp files than the last version. Therefor, as a programmer, i would be inclined not to depend on them. Safer to use non-temp files -- just my opinion.

And it is important to do this [pet] because... ? (In other words: I'm a sceptic.)

i'm glad you're a skeptic! skeptics help me do things that are useful and sensible. mainly, i do what's useful and sensible for me, and if someone else finds it useful, great! if not, don't matter

My theory is, if i make something because i need or want it, then it's more likely that someone else will also want it.

quoting my OP-

it's handy if you multiboot several frugal puppies, and you forgot which one you are booted into. the advantage of the getpupsave command is that it's a command-- more convenient than remembering and manually digging into system files.

You might not need it, but for me it's very helpful. Lately i've been multibooting like 10 different OS's, and sometimes forget which one i was booted into

cheers!

[musher0]

Hello, apprentice

Indeed, if you have 2 or 3 pupsave files, this little script can be useful
to refresh your memory.

BFN.