Switch from puppy/dd in VB Win7 to frugal daily driver

[bark-woof-fetch]

Puppymasters united, what would be your preferred method to accomplish a smooth switch from Win7 virtualbox'ed puppy to a daily driver big frugal dog?

My laptop drive is NTFS with no extra space for a ext or similar partition.
I don't mind using USB mounted drives for puppy daily usage apps and data anyway.

Right now I need a Linux space to setup different website dev files and libs in a way where they don't conflict with each other. SFS seems like a straightforward alternative to docker/podman/lxc/d.
So one SFS holds f.ex. javascript libs and configs and project files, another Ruby, a third Python. Plus a generic toolbox SFS with atom, geany, git, browser, stuff like that.

All to be mounted, edited, saved, stored away on the fly. Is that do-able? Or do I need to setup diff grub entries or savefile USB partitions for each instead and then reboot when switching?

Hope so, seems simpler and leaner than taking a full VDI disk file from vbox and then mount that from a USB booted dog. Not frugal at all.

My base builder atm. is BusterDog and my re-master project goal is a debian openbox weedog from wiaks firstrib scripts. So no Fatdog slack packages or puppy pets por favor.

[mikeslr]

Hi bark-woof-fetch,

You've got so many ideas bouncing around that it took me two reads of your post to reach the conclusion, perhaps erroneous, that what you are actually asking is whether (a) a DebianDog can run from a USB-Key; and (b) whether various "SFS-Suites" can be used under such beastie.

If those are the questions the short answers are Yes and Yes.

Longer answer to follow but first a suggestion. The debiandogs are not Puppies. They are 'pure debian' with some 'home-grown' components enabling them to function like Puppies. They employ apt and synaptic to access debian or Ubuntu repositories. Suggest you work your way thru the "DebianDog HowTo" and Utilities threads, http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... 454#774454, http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 205#773205. After saintless started those threads, IIRC fredx181 added a second utility for creating SQUASHFILES --the name under which SFSes are created and/or used with debiandogs. Also worth examining are all the posts on rcrsn51's The Debian-Stretch-Live Starter Kit, http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... 654#983654 even if Debian-Stretch is not the 'Dog' you intend to use. Throughout that thread rcrsn51 has provided clear recipes for building applications; the instruction under a 'Dog' NOT Stretch should be (almost?) identical.

It is possible to use Application.SFSes built for Puppies. Sometimes, all that is necessary is to change the ending: e.g., LibreOffice.sfs to LibreOffice.squashfs ---especially those which are binary compatible to 'Ubuntu' or 'debian' Puppies. Other times, a dependency hunt may take longer than creating your own using your debian's tools.

Because of the substantial differences which do exist between Puppies and debiandogs, it is recommended that specific questions be posted in a relevant debiandog thread.

"and my re-master project goal is a debian openbox weedog from wiaks firstrib scripts". First-rib/weedog is sufficiently distinct from either Puppies or Dogs. To what extent your accomplishments under BionicDog will help you in that goal is a question --like all questions relating to first-rib/weedog-- best posted on its thread. IIRC, first rib has the ability to handle 'Containers' which may be a better alternative for 'portable' applications than Squashfiles. It may also have its own methods for creating and using Squashfiles -- or none-at --all. So unless you need a fleshed-out OS in a hurry [e.g. a debiandog] If a weedog is your ultimate goal perhaps the best way to go about that is to ignore the rest of this post and work your way thru the FirstRib thread.

[bark-woof-fetch]

thanks for your patience interpretation and thorough reply Mike, very much appreciated.

Should have left out considerations on Buster, Wee, etc. Right now I just need to figure out how to use SFS files as intended and understand frugal installs.

tbc, br

[bark-woof-fetch]

so to clarify:

I'm using BusterDog in virtualbox VM on Win7

I've used it to build my own beginner dog with Fred's https://debiandog.github.io/MakeLive/Re ... erdog.html script and tried that in another VM

I've rolled a WeeDog arch with wiak's patient assistance and docs and somehow understood how his firstrib bootstrap build script works. Eventually this is want to learn to create a debian WeeDog suited to my hardware specs and software prefs.

I want to use that puppy as a daily driver with various SFS modules and changes.dat files for different purposes and, in some cases, software libs and versions. Similar to how one would use a specific container or chroot I guess. That'w what brought me to puppyland in the first place plus the copy2ram options to assist my old i5 and slow sata and USB disks.

Before booting up from USB to bare metal happens I want to setup certain software libs inside the BusterDog VM and save them as SFS files that can eventually be transferrred to the daily frugal puppy.

[enrique]

I start by saying I am a BusterDog User my self. And I too have build my own using mklive-buster. Reason, well I am like autistic to many Installed programs that I never used well distract me, So I like to include only the ones I need, even if it take long to do it right.

Yes similar to you. Now I do not understand your point. Stop using VB and do a USB Installation. You claim you have a Win7 machine. I suspect then you have a good Legacy Bios.

1) So 1rst tell us what is your situation with UEFI vs Legacy Bios. Or just switch to unsecured boot.

2) To start just download one of the already made isos. Latter when you are comfortable then install your own build one

Code: Select all

https://github.com/DebianDog/BusterDog/releases/tag/v0.1

3) Then download rufus-2.18p to install the iso into the usb from win7.

4) Boot from USB and enjoy.

[bark-woof-fetch]

I start by saying I am a BusterDog User my self. And I too have build my own using mklive-buster. Reason, well I am like autistic to many Installed programs that I never used well distract me, So I like to include only the ones I need, even if it take long to do it right.

Yes similar to you. Now I do not understand your point. Stop using VB and do a USB Installation. You claim you have a Win7 machine. I suspect then you have a good Legacy Bios.

1) So 1rst tell us what is your situation with UEFI vs Legacy Bios. Or just switch to unsecured boot.

2) To start just download one of the already made isos. Latter when you are comfortable then install your own build one

Code: Select all

https://github.com/DebianDog/BusterDog/releases/tag/v0.1

3) Then download rufus-2.18p to install the iso into the usb from win7.

4) Boot from USB and enjoy.

ola enrique, thanks for your help

#1 Legacy, yes
#2-3-4 been there, done that

so now I need to wrap my head around how to use SFS/squash files and how to move them from one puppy or dog in a VM to a frugal install

still learning about that and next post for help will be more precise