Installing Frugal Wary and Retro Precise - severe issues!

[VictorVictor5]

Greetings Puppy community,

Before I get started on this - I want to thank user yorkiesnorkie for helping me out with this, but we are stumped and reaching out the forum. Who knows - maybe it's a bug.

Per my posts (and to summarize), I'm trying to put Puppy Linux on a Gateway Solo 9100 laptop. Before this post, I had three partitions, in which 2 partitions were WinXP and the last was a full install of Wary Puppy 5.3. Now, the reason I have 2 partitions of WinXP is that, in essence, they are the same partition, but the Gateway has an 8.4 GB limit on C: (or sda1 if you're in Linux), so the rest is in an extended partition. So, to summarize, WinXP occupied sda1 and sda5, and Puppy Wary was sda6.

Wary was fine until I started digging at it, and being a newbie and wanting to understand, I was curious on how to update things, but being told that Linux really doesn't linearly update. I also discovered a post about RetroPrecise which was a newer LTS version,and I was like, maybe I can frugal install Retro with Puppy Wary, which didn't work.

In a nutshell, I tried to reinstall Puppy Wary as a frugal install on sda6, but nothing work (yes I updated menu.lst and re-ran Grub4Dos). What I do note, which is odd, is 2 things:

1.) When I had Full Wary 5.3, I had it on sda6 and the boot flag was on sda1 - no problems there. My menu.lst was also in sda1, etc., but all of the Wary files were in sda6.

2.) For frugal install, I was able to boot into Retro when the files were in sda1 (or C: in WinXP), and the boot flag didn't matter (tried sda1 and sda6). I tried to moves the files off of sda1 to try and boot - nothing. Keep in mind I can't have too much on sda1 per the 8.4 GB limit.

So my question is, is it possible to even have a frugal install on my system, or, due to the fact that I have a 8.4 GB limit, do I have to have a full install?

Also, I am a noob so please go easy on me (I have learned a lot and am still learning! ) - I can provide anything (i.e., screenshots and such) or try anything. I can still boot into Windows fine, so I know Grub4Dos is ok.

Thanks!
VV5

[Dewbie]

So my question is, is it possible to even have a frugal install on my system, or, due to the fact that I have a 8.4 GB limit, do I have to have a full install?

Actually, it's the other way around:
Frugal installations take up much less space vs. full installations.
With frugals Puppy is compressed (in the SFS file).

[VictorVictor5]

Dewbie,

Right - sorry I should clarify. I wasn't having a problem with a full install, but when I tried to frugal install it on sda6 (where the full install was), that's when all hell broke loose.

What I was trying to ask was, since I have an 8.4 GB limit, and the rest of the HDD space is an extended partition, is there any way to frugal install on sda6 just like I had the Full install of Wary on sda6 without using sda1's space, sine sda1 has WinXP files on it already and I don't have that much room on it. sda6 - no problem in terms of space.

Thanks!
VV5

[Dewbie]

Have you reformatted only sda6 to erase the fully installed Wary files?
(before proceeding with the frugal install)

I believe there's a limit of four standard partitions (including swap).
This setup keeps things simpler in terms of partition numbering.
Extended partitions are better-suited for multiple-OS installations.

[VictorVictor5]

Dewbie,

Yes I did - I even took it out of the system, hooked it up to another IDE controller and in Manage in XP I erased it and reformatted it with Gparted for ext2, thus erasing the full Wary.

I can do it again if you'd like.

Thanks!
VV5

[Dewbie]

When you click on sda6, and then the Show / hide hidden files icon, nothing's there?
(If that's the case, reformatting shouldn't be needed.)

[rcrsn51]

Right - sorry I should clarify. I wasn't having a problem with a full install, but when I tried to frugal install it on sda6 (where the full install was), that's when all hell broke loose.

Please describe what went wrong.

Also, what new GRUB menu.lst entry were you using when you switched to frugal?

[VictorVictor5]

Dewbie,

When I click show/hide on sda6, I just have the wary53frugal install folder from when I just installed it - nothing else.

Let me know if you need a screen shot or somehow to wipe the drive and then reinstall. I can boot in from CD still, so we're good there.

Thanks!
VV5

[VictorVictor5]

rcrsn51,

Ok, first, on the menu.lst file - I am using the one that Grub4Dos generated after I installed Wary Frugal. I can attach that if you want.

Now, as to what happened - well, I wiped Wary full and proceeded to install frugal like full (i.e., format the partition to ext2, run Grub4Dos to generate the menu.lst file to put in the boot partition, etc.). My boot flag, when I had full Wary, was in sda1 (or C: in WinXP), and that was fine.

So I left that the same (the boot flag that is), and when I restarted the system after Wary frugal installed, when I select Wary frugal from the Grub4Dos menu, it just hangs. It says "Booting Wary Frugal 5.3..." but that's it. Nothing moves.


It's just odd that a full Wary install can work when I had it on sda6, but frugal can't. Weird.

Thanks,
VV5

[rcrsn51]

I would repeat the procedure.

1. Put the three core Wary files in sda6 - vmlinuz, initrd.gz, puppy_wary_5.3.sfs.

2. Run Grub4Dos again.

The location of the boot flag is irrelevant. Grub4Dos does not use it.

[VictorVictor5]

rcrsn51,

Ok, before I do that - there is a file called "vmlinuz" in sda1 in a folder called "boot" - I think this is from when I had full Wary.

Did you want me to delete that? The files you stated in your post are already on sda6, in fact I'm looking at them right now (messaging from a different system currently). Specifically they're in mnt/sda6/wary53frugal.

Please let me know if you need a screen shot of what I'm talking about.

Thanks!
VV5

[rcrsn51]

there is a file called "vmlinuz" in sda1 in a folder called "boot" - I think this is from when I had full Wary. Did you want me to delete that?

Yes. Also any other core Wary files that might be on sda1.

The files you stated in your post are already on sda6, in fact I'm looking at them right now (messaging from a different system currently). Specifically they're in mnt/sda6/wary53frugal.

Copy them again off the Wary CD to make sure you have good copies.

[yorkiesnorkie]

Initially, Jesse had a full install of wary on sda6 and grub4dos installed to sda1. Since wary was booting, my thought was not to disturb that and I suggested a frugal install of retro precise to sda1, unfortunately there isn't enough space there. The problem seems to be getting the boot stanza correct for sda6 because it can find the frugal install on sda1.

The computer boots retro precise on sda1 using the default grub4dos boot stanza. So, the grub4dos menu is the default one, i.e. the boot stanza has "find" in it. The boot stanza works with frugal installed on sda1, but not on sda6.

Jesse does have a couple of grub4dos artifacts on sda1 left over from his full install of wary which could use cleaning up.

A screenshot of Gparted Jesse sent shows sda1 as ntfs with a boot flag, followed by a second ntfs partition (sda5), and his ext2 partiton (sda6). There is a couple of megs of space between the partitions.

Instead of the find command in the boot stanza I suggested trying the commands set root, or root, but I'm not so sure about the equivalent numbering anymore. I would have thought sda6 to be (hda0,5)?

Greg

[VictorVictor5]

Ok,

Got rid of the old Wary files on sda1, reinstalled Frugal Wary on sda6 and ran Grub4Dos, and now I can't boot into anything (even Windows XP). Everything just hangs.

[VictorVictor5]

Quick update - got WinXP back - I had to change the uuid number (had my old menu.lst file saved) - that did the trick.

Keep you all posted if anything else changes.

[VictorVictor5]

Nah, Wary still hangs when I try to boot it. Back to the drawing board!

[yorkiesnorkie]

I wonder what the uuid number entry would be for sda6?

[rcrsn51]

Please post the entry from your menu.lst that is booting Wary.

Quick update - got WinXP back - I had to change the uuid number (had my old menu.lst file saved) - that did the trick.

I don't understand this. Why would the UUID have changed?

Grub4Dos automatically looks up the UUID's of the various partitions and inserts them into its menu.lst.

[L18L]

I have been following the discussion and successfully tried a frugal install to a logical partition

(just confirming rcsn51's advice )
copied the 3 files into
ext2 file system on sdb6 (six!)

started grub4dosconfig
activated: Search within only this device
OK

No need for setting of boot flag

grub4dos files have been placed into sdb1

posting now from sdb6

# cat /etc/rc.d/PUPSTATE
PUPMODE=5
PDEV1='sdb6'
DEV1FS='ext2'
PUPSFS='sdb6,ext2,/puppy_precise_5.4.2.sfs'
PUPSAVE=''
PMEDIA='usbflash'
#ATADRIVES is all internal ide/pata/sata drives, excluding optical, excluding usb...
ATADRIVES='sda '
#ATAOPTICALDRIVES is list of non-usb optical drives...
ATAOPTICALDRIVES=''

Hope that helps

# menu.lst produced by grub4dosconfig-v1.8.0
color blue/cyan yellow/blue white/black cyan/black
#splashimage=/splash.xpm
timeout 10
default 0

# Frugal installed Puppy

title Puppy precise 5.4.2 (sdb6)
uuid 28afc2de-0d44-484c-a1cd-a1e82531eacb
kernel /vmlinuz pmedia=usbflash pfix=fsck
initrd /initrd.gz

# Full installed Linux

title tcboot (sdb1/boot)
uuid 62ca5398-4d72-4e28-8696-9457343bc72c
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sdb1 ro

# Windows
# this entry searches Windows on the HDD and boot it up
title Windows\nBoot up Windows if installed
map (hd1) (hd0)
map (hd0) (hd1)
map --hook
errorcheck off
find --set-root --ignore-floppies --ignore-cd /bootmgr
chainloader /bootmgr
find --set-root --ignore-floppies --ignore-cd /ntldr
chainloader /ntldr
find --set-root --ignore-floppies --ignore-cd /io.sys
chainloader /io.sys
errorcheck on

# Advanced Menu
title Advanced menu
configfile /menu-advanced.lst
commandline

[VictorVictor5]

All,

Here is my current menu.lst file post Wary frugal install. The only 3 things I changed were the timeout, the title to Windows XP, and the uuid (I had the old one still handy from the old menu.lst file I have saved elsewhere, but the one Grub4Dos generated is commented out).

L18L,

My "sdb" is a floppy drive. I don't think that matters, but basically I think mine is similar to yours - please let me know if it isn't.

Thanks!
VV5

Code: Select all

# menu.lst produced by grub4dosconfig-v1.7.2
color white/blue black/cyan white/black cyan/black
timeout 30
default 0

# Frugal installed Puppy

title Puppy wary 5.3 (sda6/wary53frugal)
  find --set-root --ignore-floppies --ignore-cd /wary53frugal/initrd.gz
  kernel /wary53frugal/vmlinuz   psubdir=wary53frugal pmedia=atahd pfix=fsck
  initrd /wary53frugal/initrd.gz

title Puppy wary 5.3 (sda6/wary53frugal) RAM mode\nBoot up Puppy without pupsave
  find --set-root --ignore-floppies --ignore-cd /wary53frugal/initrd.gz
  kernel /wary53frugal/vmlinuz   psubdir=wary53frugal pmedia=atahd pfix=ram,fsck
  initrd /wary53frugal/initrd.gz

# Windows
# this entry searches Windows on the HDD and boot it up
title Windows\nBoot up Windows if installed
  errorcheck off
  find --set-root --ignore-floppies --ignore-cd  /bootmgr
  chainloader /bootmgr
  find --set-root --ignore-floppies --ignore-cd  /ntldr
  chainloader /ntldr
  find --set-root --ignore-floppies --ignore-cd   /io.sys
  chainloader /io.sys
  errorcheck on

# Boot from Partition Boot Sector

title Microsoft Windows XP Professional (sda1:PBS)
  #uuid A29805DA9805AE3B
  uuid 1C783A7B783A542C
  chainloader +1

# additionals

title Find Grub2\nBoot up grub2 if installed
  find --set-root --ignore-floppies --ignore-cd /boot/grub/core.img
  kernel /boot/grub/core.img

title Grub4Dos commandline\n(for experts only)
  commandline

title Reboot computer
  reboot

title Halt computer
  halt