hi, i just picked up a maxterm 8300 thin client from ebay and would like to install LighthousePup3.01 in it. It has an 800MHz processor, 512MB ram, 64 bit unknown graphics card, and boots windows XP from an embedded 512mb cf card. i plan too delete XP and install puppy on it. i am just wondering, is there a special distro i need too install it on there?
i have a seperate computer setup with a cf to ide reader on it now so i can just insert the cf card into it,boot a live cd and install puppy.then if it goes good just transfer it over too the thin client. ive never done an embedded system, so i was just wondering if anyone can help me with my first system? here is a picture of the system:
ok ill try it out.i just wasnt sure if the installer would setup the partitions automatically for me or not.once i get it setup ill tell u how it went.
well,i booted the newest version of puppy linux to get it installed but ran into some problems.when i ran the universal installer it said there were no partitions on the cf card and it said it was setup for vfat i think.i dont know.was i supposed too add the new partitions before i tried running that?if so how would i set it up for my 512mb card?also what program would allow me too do that?
iam gonna get a usb cf reader instead i think cause i had too tear my main computer apart too get too the ide slot. other than that there were some other options for bootloaders,so i just chose the first one.it didnt seem to work.maybe cause the card wasnt setup right.can anyone give me any advice?
cadogan18, I have done this very successfully with a VIA embedded board and a CF to IDE adaptor. used my normal PC to boot puppy and then used the universal installer to install via a CF card via USB reader.
To important points to consider...
1) When running off CF Puppy needs to KNOW it's on CF so it minimises writes to the CF card this is done with the "pfix" option set at boot - the installer does all this for you.
2) if you have the card already in an CF-IDE adaptor puppy does not know it's CF it just appears as another drive so it's important to select the CF in IDE option. This basically does a "frugal" install using a pup_save.2fs save file
You should have only one partition on the card - as if it were a "normal" card as used from a digital camera (that's where my 512Mb one came from!) mine was Vfat and I had no problems. You could try deleting all partitions in Gparted and try again (or format the card in a camera)
thanks alig,ill have too try that out .i was running it from the live cd and had a cf to ide connector inplace at the time. iam kinda confused when u were talking about booting with the pfix and cf to ide option command.which one of the commands were u talking about off this picture?
the last time i tried too install,i just ran puppy by pressing enter(normal boot)i guess the card was good since it had the vfat also.one more thing is what will be the total file size after installation of puppy on the cf card?thanks
The screen shows the options I am talking about, however I don't normally see them. If you boot from the CD and then install to the CF card using the universal installer it will set the correct boot options in the syslinux.cfg file for you.
The size of the pup_save.2fs file can be set by you - when you first shut down puppy it will prompt you to save - this then lets you pick a file size. I have 256mb on mine.
A nice feature if you can take the CF card out of the embedded machine, put it into a card reader and make a copy - it backs up all your changes.
Pic below shows the option to select when doing the install the highlighted one if using a USB card reader, the IDE flash drive if the CF card is already installed
I'm running Puppy 3.01 on the internal CF in a Maxterm 3500, which is basically the same box with a 1GHz processor. Makes a real nice web client, nice for browsing and internet radio. Also serves as a print server for my wireless notebook, which is running Puppy 4 Alpha (Dingo). The notebook is also running a 1GHz VIA processor.
Just create your CF with the USB, later move to IDE option as shown in the last post. Also, I reformatted the CF's for Ext3, though I'm not sure that step is required. GParted (In the System menu) makes that real simple to do.
Just checked EBay, see several 8300's listed for $39- That's dirt cheap for a system of this quality, and the CF adapter makes it super easy to install and upgrade Puppy.
ill try too look for that command when i boot the cd up again. i just ordered a usb cf reader so i think ill have better luck doing it that way.ill keep a look out for the 3500 series,those sound nice.ill try that out with formatting the ext3 with that program u were talking about.iam just gonna have too wait until they come in the mail before i can really work on it.
how well does the puppy 4 alpha run on those machines?also do u know if the 8300 series uses a via motherboard?[/code][/u]
hi,i finally got puppy 3.01 installed. i formatted the card and setup a ext3 partition for the whole 512 card, then ran the installer.the only problem i see now is when it boots up you have too go through both of the video settings too get to the puppy desktop.thats not bad,its just everytime i restart the system i have to do it over and over again.also changes too the wallpaper and stuff dont save the only other problem i noticed was that when i goto shutdown the system it hangs on a blank screen,and doesnt shut off.i cant manually turn it off either,unless i pull the cord out.
i was wondering should there be a second partition setup for all of the things i edit so they can save?
i think i finally got it working right. it turns out why i was having so many problems was becuase the video drivers were crashing.i had too set it up for the second video drive xvesa i believe.after that it powered off just fine and allowed me to create my savefile.puppy runs very good.thanks for the help everyone.
iam back.lol.iam having some more problems with my system.when it boots it hangs and says something about the unionfs files or something.do u think the cf card is going bad?i cant figure this one out.
other than that there were some other options for bootloaders,so i just chose the first one.it didnt seem to work.maybe cause the card wasnt setup right.can anyone give me any advice?
.i was running it from the live cd and had a cf to ide connector inplace at the time. iam kinda confused when u were talking about booting with the pfix and cf to ide option command.which one of the commands were u talking about off this picture?
i formatted the card and setup a ext3 partition for the whole 512 card, then ran the installer.the only problem i see now is when it boots up you have too go through both of the video settings too get to the puppy desktop.thats not bad,its just everytime i restart the system i have to do it over and over again.also changes too the wallpaper and stuff dont save 
the only other problem i noticed was that when i goto shutdown the system it hangs on a blank screen,and doesnt shut off.i cant manually turn it off either,unless i pull the cord out.
