How-To Install Puppy in MS-DOS without a CD-ROM or Floppy

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Bruce B

How-To Install Puppy in MS-DOS without a CD-ROM or Floppy

#1 Post by Bruce B »

HOW TO INSTALL PUPPY IN MS-DOS WITHOUT A CD-ROM OR FLOPPY DRIVE

A step by step tutorial


INTRODUCTION

The Purpose of this little HOWTO is to explain how to install Puppy on an
MS-DOS machine without needing to use or even have a CD-ROM or floppy disk.

I hope this will help solve some installation problems users may have due to
factors such as not having a bootable CD-ROM, floppy disk drives and etc.

BASIC CONCEPT

The basic concept is to download the the Puppy.iso file to your computer (or
copy it to your hard drive somehow), boot the computer to MS-DOS, mount the
.ISO file to gain access to the files inside, extract the necessary files for
what is called a 'type 1' install, then boot Puppy from DOS using GRUB for DOS.

ABOUT THE ATTACHED FILE "DOSPUPPY.ZIP"

Attached to with post is a file called dospuppy.zip which contains the
following DOS files (all freeware).

SHSUCDHD.EXE - software for mounting puppy???.iso
SHSUCDX.COM - software for mounting puppy???.iso
SHSUCDHD.TXT
SHSUCDX.TXT

GRUB.EXE - DOS version of GRUB for MS-DOS
MENU.LST - menu for GRUB
DOSPUPPY.TXT - a copy of this post

Original file sources:

GRUB.EXE from ftp.ibibilio.org under micro in the freedos section

SHSU utilities by Jason Hood also from ftp.ibiblio.org in the micro
freedos section

MENU.LST AND DOSPUPPY.TXT written by Puppy user Bruce B on May 28, 2005

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

* MS-DOS : the preferred (necessary?) version is 7.10 which is the DOS that
comes with Windows95b or Windows 98. It is (unfortunately) essential that you
have MS-DOS because the GRUB.EXE file requires MS-DOS to run.

* YOURSELF : must have fair aptitude for working in DOS mode, not much, but
some.

* HARD DRIVE : FAT32 partition with enough free space to install Puppy. I
think about 350 MB is sufficient.

* PHYSICAL RAM : I don't know the 'bare minimum' necessary to run Puppy from
hard drive with a type 1 installation. Check with the web pages, wikis and
user forums if you think you may not have enough RAM and/or NEED a swap file.

* SWAP FILE FOR PUPPY : My personal opinion is I like having a swap file
for Puppy, but it is not necessarily required. If you don't have much RAM you will
probably need one. Again, check other sources because this subject is not covered
in this how-to.

PREPARING MS-DOS

1) You will probably want to have your computer boot directly into DOS as
opposed to Windows. In order to prevent Windows from booting automatically
edit the BootGui= line in C:\MSDOS.SYS to a value of 0

After booting DOS you will type GRUB at the prompt to run Puppy. Type WIN to
run Windows. (Of course you probably won't want to run Windows much after you
get Puppy installed, but that's another story.)

2) Alternately you could have a CONFIG.SYS menu system. Here is a template
for you to use:

[menu]
menuitem=puppy, Puppy
menuitem=windows, Windows
menucolor=7,0
menudefault=puppy,10

[puppy]
; note the semi-colons are used as comments

install=c:\boot\grub\grub.exe
;or you can use the shell command
;shell=c:\boot\grub\grub.exe

[windows]
;place your usual config.sys commands here such as:
;DOS=HIGH
;LASTDRIVE=Z
;DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS

When you computer boots you will be presented a menu to choose which OS to
run. In this setup you could run windows with MSDOS.SYS BootGui=1

INSTALLING GRUB FOR DOS

1) make a directory C:\BOOT\GRUB (it MUST be in exact directory location)

2) copy all files from DOSPUPPY.ZIP to this C:\BOOT\GRUB

3) add C:\BOOT\GRUB to you path in autoexec.bat. you could use the
following command:

SET PATH=%PATH%;C:\BOOT\GRUB

4) Before running Puppy you will want to edit C:\BOOT\GRUB\MENU.LST
to have the correct booting drive and partition, Linux file locations,
pup file name and size

The 'default' menu.lst included with the zip package has the follow
instructions:

-------------

timeout 0
default 0

title Puppy RAM
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/ram PFILE=pup001-none-262144 PHOME=hda1
initrd /image.gz

-------------

This is as simple a menu.lst file as you will find. Please free to make it
more complex, as you wish.

GRUB seems to be the best loader I've found in my testing for booting Puppy. It
hasn't even made difference if I had lots of DOS TSRs and devices loaded when I
issue the command GRUB - Puppy just boots without problems.

INSTALLING THE PUPPY FILES

At the DOS prompt issue the following commands where C:\PUPPYxyx.ISO is the
actual name of you Puppy .ISO file.


SHSUCDHD /F:C:\PUPPYxyz.ISO
SHSUCDX

Note: Do this without any CD-ROM drivers installed

After running these commands your Puppy ISO file will (should) be mounted as
a virtual file system on the next available drive letter. You will need to
copy three files from the mounted ISO. Typically you would copy them to C:\,
but it could be any other DOS FAT32 partition with sufficient space.

List of files to copy (about 60 MB):

* vmlinux
* usr_cram.fs
* image.gz


YOU ARE DONE!

You can reboot the computer. If you made a CONFIG.SYS menu system as I
outlined, you can select Puppy. If you boot to the DOS prompt then just type
GRUB when you want to run Puppy.

Note: Don't run GRUB with Windows running. I don't know what will happen
because I don't have Windows installed. I just don't think you should
try it. Make sure you are in REAL DOS mode when you run GRUB.

In my experience, GRUB doesn't seem to need a 'clean boot', for this reason I
think you could boot out of Windows into REAL DOS and then run GRUB if you
want.

If you are using another DOS you can still use this 'basic' procedure but
you will need to find another program to load Puppy.

User avatar
BarryK
Puppy Master
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Location: Perth, Western Australia
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#2 Post by BarryK »

Bruce B,
That's great stuff!
This should go into the Wiki.

User avatar
Lobster
Official Crustacean
Posts: 15522
Joined: Wed 04 May 2005, 06:06
Location: Paradox Realm
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go on - av a go . . .

#3 Post by Lobster »

If someone wants to have a go at creating or adding to a wiki page - this is your chance

- just post if you are gonna do it - and contact me if you have any questions or difficulties . . .

8)

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danleff
Posts: 294
Joined: Sun 08 May 2005, 13:11
Location: Albany, NY
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#4 Post by danleff »

If Bruce can't do it for some reason, i will give it a go. Let me know Bruce.

More practice needed for this wiki newbie!

If so, Lobster, I may take you up on some tips that I may need.
I love it when a plan comes together

--Hannibal Smith

User avatar
Lobster
Official Crustacean
Posts: 15522
Joined: Wed 04 May 2005, 06:06
Location: Paradox Realm
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Publish that howto

#5 Post by Lobster »

Hi Danleff

Just add it to the Howto section :)

Edit is on the bottom
If you find a page is restricted then register on the wiki (this will give you edit rights)

If you are unsure add it to comments
great place to browse that wiki

How is info stored? Freeform . . .

Also your page could be moved to a How to
or Faqs page
http://www.goosee.com/puppy/wikka/DanLeff

Here is info on using the wiki
http://www.goosee.com/puppy/wikka/UsingThisWiki

Guest

#6 Post by Guest »

Ok, I got it started. I will PM you with any questions. I have to sort out some minor editing issues.

Thanks Lobster!

Bruce B

It is good with me

#7 Post by Bruce B »

That's good with me if you put in in Wiki. I was going to do it but I don't know Wiki and I'd have to go through a little learning curve.

For an addendum - you can also use GRUB for DOS if for some reason you need to have multiple boot programs such as LILO and GRUB.

In this scenerio LILO would be on the MBR and GRUB would be in C:\BOOT\GRUB. What you would do is select MS-DOS from the LILO options menu. Then boot to MS-DOS , run GRUB and boot Linux.

It actually works!

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danleff
Posts: 294
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Location: Albany, NY
Contact:

#8 Post by danleff »

It should be finished later this evening. I will place a reference in the wiki faq index to the how-to, with the full name of the article, under the Installation section.

EDIT: The how-to is up. I need to figure out how to insert a hyperlink in a table, but the link is there for the dospuppy.zip file, as a hyperlink below the table.

main wiki page--> faq link--> Installation

Let me know if any editing needs to be done to fine tune it.
I love it when a plan comes together

--Hannibal Smith

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Hugh
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Joined: Sat 24 Jun 2006, 21:53
Location: Imperial Warmongering Dystopia of Amerika

#9 Post by Hugh »

Bruce B and all,

Thank you for the "How To" instructions to get Puppy running on a Dos
Machine. I found your procedure very helpful in getting (after some
experimentation and research on partitions) Puppy 2.00 to work from the HD
on my machine.

Since the second partition on my drive C: is an extended partition, in order
to enable GRUB to find the necessary files for Puppy I had to modify
Menu.lst as follows:

timeout 0
default 0

title Puppy RAM
rootnoverify (hd0,4)
kernel /vmlinuz root=/def/ram PFILE=pup_save-none-524288 PHOME=hda5
initrd /initrd.gz


I had gotten the live cd from Barry so I copied the necessary files from it
into the root of my hard drive partition which is now devoted to Puppy:

vmlinuz
pup_200.sfs
initrd.gz

The save file, created when I ran Puppy from the boot cd, had already been
saved to the partition (Puppy asks where you want to save it upon exit)
when I exited Puppy from running the cd initially:

pup_save.3fs

Its a large file, 500MB, which seems to be the default size; but this was not
a problem as I had cleared out the partition (1.2 GB) in advance and had
plenty of free space.

I modified my CONFIG.SYS file as you showed in your example, and now
I am able to boot Puppy from my HD!

Puppy Linux is a new experience for me and it is proving to be most
enjoyable. Until now I had been running Win98 mostly and occasionally
some DOS applications. I suppose most of you are already aware of how
troublesome Win98 can be - when it decides to be "difficult" and suddenly
"crash" unexpectedly - or do something strange. Therefore, I finally decided
to give Linux a go and fortunately, discovered Puppy while searching for
a driver to use in my Win98 Rescue Diskette. Funny how on the Web one
thing leads to another!

So far I am very favorably impressed by the Puppy 2.00 package and all
that it is capable of. I have a feeling I'll be using it far more often than
Win98 from now on.

c_dimitrios
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri 31 Dec 2010, 18:12

Re: How-To Install Puppy in MS-DOS without a CD-ROM or Floppy

#10 Post by c_dimitrios »

[quote="Bruce B"]HOW TO INSTALL PUPPY IN MS-DOS WITHOUT A CD-ROM OR FLOPPY DRIVE

A step by step tutorial

Dear all,

I just register and i want to ask something. It may sound stupid but i can't really find where the attachment(.zip) is. This post is what i really need to finally install and try puppy on my old machine but i can't find the attachment. Please help me

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