HOWTO create easy multi-boot USB Puppy from Windows

[rcrsn51]

Sadly, defragfs just uses cp -a and relies on the filesystem to do the actual defrag.

Agreed. I looked at defragfs and couldn't see how it would ever be useful. It just seemed to copy a contiguous temporary copy of the file back into a fragmented filesystem. Which immediately fragmented it again.

This means that once the drive has been filled once to the last sector, the free space will be fragmented, and any new files will also be fragmented.

Does this mean that a FAT32 filesystem will not reuse empty space at the start of the drive until it has used all the "virgin" space?

This would explain why I can delete files and add new ones in a large FAT32 partition without fragmenting. I was concerned that something as simple as updating a menu.lst file might cause fragmentation, but maybe that's not a problem.

An easier solution, if you are unlucky enought to still be using windows, is to use a defragger within Windows.

I haven't tried this yet, but I wonder how fast it is working on flash media. It might be just as fast to backup-reformat-restore. Especially if it takes you 10 minutes just to start Windows.

[Scooby]

Sadly, defragfs just uses cp -a and relies on the filesystem to do the actual defrag.


River~~

I never checked how it works, remember I am from windows.

If it only uses cp -a doesnt matter for me.

On FAT32 it fixed my ISO's.

So youre saying when filesystem gets fragmented enough it wont work.



Well it works some which is better than nothing?

If someone *did* write such a thing, it would be very useful on a project like this. Ideally we'd be able to defrag just a single file in a FAT fs. If you have written it already, or if you have found one that someone has written, please please please pm me as well as posting here Smile

I'll look into it

[rmprep]

Easy2Boot v1 BETA versions are now available. Menu has been revised. You can easily configure it for your own hi-res wallpaper, colours, menu box, etc. Linux ISOs are added to main menu or 2ndary menu, Windows install ISOs can be added, add Fedora with persistence and several other linux distros with persistence. See http://www.rmprepusb.com/tutorials/72-- ... o-maintain.

[Scooby]

Added new "Try Puppy Installer"

see 1st post