How do I save my OS configurations between boots?

[jhsu]

I successfully installed Puppy Linux to my hard drive in the frugal configuration. However, every time I reboot, all of my settings (like the keyboard, video resolution, and Internet access) are lost, and I have to go through the configurations AGAIN every time I boot up. No matter what I do when asked about saving during the powerdown process, none of the configuration settings actually save.

Exactly what is the procedure for saving my configuration settings between boots? My available hard drive partitions are:
1. sda1: 300MB, contains the boot and puppy410 directories
2. sda3: the rest of the hard drive (except sda2, the swap partition), contains pup_410.sfs and pup_save.2fs

Please note that I want the settings saved on sda3, NOT sda1. sda1 is reserved for the GRUB bootloader and the CD ISO contents for the particular version of Puppy Linux (4.1 in this case).

In Damn Small Linux, you save settings through persistent home and persistent opt. The procedure is:
1. Open a root shell.
2. Enter the command "mkdir /mnt/hda3/opt"
3. Enter the command "cp -arv /ramdisk/opt /mnt/hda3
4. Open EmelFM as SuperUser.
5. Open the file /cdrom/boot/grub/menu.lst .
6. Add the following cheat codes to the end of the line preceding the first "initrd":
home=hda3
opt=hda3
mydsl=hda3/mydsl
7. Reboot.

What is the Puppy Linux version of persistent home and persistent opt?

[glassparrot]

Well it sounds as if the boot process is not finding your pup_save.2fs file. If you want a quick fix, just make sure pup_410.sfs and pup_save.2fs are in the same folder wherever grub is telling Puppy to look for them. I think you'll find things much easier that way.

[jhsu]

Well it sounds as if the boot process is not finding your pup_save.2fs file. If you want a quick fix, just make sure pup_410.sfs and pup_save.2fs are in the same folder wherever grub is telling Puppy to look for them. I think you'll find things much easier that way.

So it sounds like I need to modify something in grub to make this happen. The instructions for the frugal installation in the menu.lst file are:
title Puppy Linux 410 frugal
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
kernel /puppy410/vmlinuz pmedia=atahd psubdir=puppy410 nosmp
initrd /puppy410/initrd.gz

What do I need to change to get GRUB to look in sda3 instead of sda1?

Also, what do I need to do to make sure that Puppy Linux saves the pup_save file in sda3 and NOT sda1?

[glassparrot]

Code: Select all

title Puppy Linux 410 frugal 
rootnoverify (hd2,0) 
kernel /puppy410/vmlinuz pmedia=atahd psubdir=puppy410 nosmp 
initrd /puppy410/initrd.gz

Just change the rootnoverify line. And move the whole puppy410 folder over to the root of sda3. Make certain pup_410.sfs and pup_save.2fs are also in that folder. You do know how to edit these lines on the fly when you boot, if you need to correct something, don't you?

[HairyWill]

Please note that I want the settings saved on sda3, NOT sda1. sda1 is reserved for the GRUB bootloader and the CD ISO contents for the particular version of Puppy Linux (4.1 in this case).

I think that SitHeelSpeak has already told you that this scenario probably will not work. General practice is to put initrd.gz, vmlinuz, pup_xxx.sfs (and zdrv_xxx.sfs if there is one) in the same partition as you save the pup_save.2fs. I believe the init script expects them to be in the same partition.

If you are determined to get the behaviour you want, you may need to hack the init script in initrd. I suggest you stop assuming that puppy works in exactly the same way as dsl.

[jhsu]

Code: Select all

title Puppy Linux 410 frugal 
rootnoverify (hd2,0) 
kernel /puppy410/vmlinuz pmedia=atahd psubdir=puppy410 nosmp 
initrd /puppy410/initrd.gz

Just change the rootnoverify line. And move the whole puppy410 folder over to the root of sda3. Make certain pup_410.sfs and pup_save.2fs are also in that folder. You do know how to edit these lines on the fly when you boot, if you need to correct something, don't you?

I changed the rootnoverify line to reference hd2 instead of hd0, but GRUB absolutely refused to boot up Puppy Linux. The only way to boot up was to use the edit function to change it back to hd0.

[glassparrot]

Code: Select all

title Puppy Linux 410 frugal 
rootnoverify (hd0,2) 
kernel /puppy410/vmlinuz pmedia=atahd psubdir=puppy410 nosmp 
initrd /puppy410/initrd.gz

Oops, my mistake
Change around the 0 and the 2.
I'm glad you didn't have a disaster.

[jhsu]

Please note that I want the settings saved on sda3, NOT sda1. sda1 is reserved for the GRUB bootloader and the CD ISO contents for the particular version of Puppy Linux (4.1 in this case).

I think that SitHeelSpeak has already told you that this scenario probably will not work. General practice is to put initrd.gz, vmlinuz, pup_xxx.sfs (and zdrv_xxx.sfs if there is one) in the same partition as you save the pup_save.2fs. I believe the init script expects them to be in the same partition.

If you are determined to get the behaviour you want, you may need to hack the init script in initrd. I suggest you stop assuming that puppy works in exactly the same way as dsl.

So where is the init script in initrd, and where in it does it require all those Puppy Linux CD files to be in the same directory as the pup_save file?

I'll repartition the hard drive to give sda1 1-2GB, and keep the pup_save file in sda1 along with the Puppy Linux CD files. That said, I still don't understand why you're supposed to keep the settings and applications in the same partition as the Puppy Linux CD files. What happens if you run out of room? Why is it standard practice to have the settings and applications in the same partition as the Puppy Linux CD files and the data in the other Linux partition? Why isn't it standard practice instead to keep everything (except the swap partition, of course) in the same partition?

[jhsu]

Code: Select all

title Puppy Linux 410 frugal 
rootnoverify (hd0,2) 
kernel /puppy410/vmlinuz pmedia=atahd psubdir=puppy410 nosmp 
initrd /puppy410/initrd.gz

Oops, my mistake
Change around the 0 and the 2.
I'm glad you didn't have a disaster.

I changed hd0,0 to hd0,2. GRUB still refused to boot up Puppy Linux until I changed it back to hd0,0.

[glassparrot]

Why isn't it standard practice instead to keep everything (except the swap partition, of course) in the same partition?

I don't think there is a "standard practice." Puppy offers flexibility, more than anything else. Certainly it's fine to have everything in the same partition.

As far as grub goes... the key thing is to have ALL the puppy files together on the same partition in that puppy410 folder. Grub numbers the partitions from 0 for the first partition, 1 for the second, and so forth. There is a way to make sure you are pointing grub to the right partition. At the grub menu press "c", and then type

Code: Select all

find /puppy410/vmlinuz

[jhsu]

Why isn't it standard practice instead to keep everything (except the swap partition, of course) in the same partition?

I don't think there is a "standard practice." Puppy offers flexibility, more than anything else. Certainly it's fine to have everything in the same partition.

Can I still make seamless upgrades with a frugal installation if I have only ONE non-swap partition? How is this done?

[Sit Heel Speak]

Hi jhsu,

Actually, I did not say it won't work...

Puppy 4.11 should be able to find and use a pup_save on your sda3, with the vmlinuz etc. on sda1.

My objection was merely,..at least, this is how it is supposed to work...if the pup_save.2fs is not in the menu.lst kernel-line-shown psubdir, then the bootup process (if Puppy is working right) stops and asks you,

"Type a number to choose which personal file to use:
0 none (i.e. no loading from the pup_save this session)
or
1 sda3 the pup_save over on the other partition?
(or...any other pup_save's you have)"

This is inconvenient, because you must wait for that question to appear, and answer with a keypress. But it does work this way OK--as Béèm says.

If Puppy is not finding the pup_save at all, even if it is on sda3, then something is not working right.

What filesystem did you choose (ext2, ext3, vfat, or...?) for sda3? If vfat, did you format the partition after creating it?

[jhsu]

My objection was merely,..at least, this is how it is supposed to work...if the pup_save.2fs is not in the menu.lst kernel-line-shown psubdir, then the bootup process (if Puppy is working right) stops and asks you,

"Type a number to choose which personal file to use:
0 none (i.e. no loading from the pup_save this session)
or
1 sda3 the pup_save over on the other partition?
(or...any other pup_save's you have)"

I never received ANY such prompt during the bootup process.

If Puppy is not finding the pup_save at all, even if it is on sda3, then something is not working right.

What filesystem did you choose (ext2, ext3, vfat, or...?) for sda3? If vfat, did you format the partition after creating it?

I'm using the ext2 file system, and I did format the partitions (mk2fs and mkswap commands) after creating them.

[Sit Heel Speak]

!!!

jhsu is right...I just tried making a frugal install to sda1 of Puppy 4.11, with the pup_save.2fs created on sda3...and the bootup does not look for any pup_save!!!

Something has gone amiss in the initrd's init since Puppy 4.10 ***edited --or maybe before.--***

I will look further into this...

[Sit Heel Speak]

@jhsu:

Try reformatting sda1 to ext2 and see if you can now see a pup_save.2fs placed on sda3. ***EDITED--um, I see you are using ext2***

If that doesn't work, try reformatting sda1 to vfat.

It seems there is a bug in Puppy 4.11's handling of ext3 partitions. I did not know about this bug, when I advised you in the other thread to use ext3.

Try vfat and see if that works. But this is a serious bug, it will have to be stomped if Puppy's reputation is to live this down...

[jhsu]

Actually, I used ext2 for both Linux partitions. So reformatting sda1 to vfat will be my next step.

[Béèm]

The principle of your setup is comparable with mine except my sda1 is ntfs (windows partition), I have a swap file no swap partition, and my multiple pup_save's are on sda2 vfat.

If there is really that serious issue with ext3, then it should be reported in the bugs forum, the sticky thread about 4.1.1

[Sit Heel Speak]

If there is really that serious issue with ext3, then it should be reported in the bugs forum, the sticky thread about 4.1.1

Done.

[Béèm]

Done.

Thanks.
Hopefully there is a cure in the 4.2 (or 4.1.2, I loose track)

[Kal]

In my playing with this, I have two Puppy 406s, one full and the other frugal, another partition with Debian and then a swap partition.

Rearranged frugal install and changed grub menu.lst. I had no problem placing the install with the vmlinuz and initrd.gz in one partition as a boot, the pup_XXX.sfs and pup_save-XXX.2fs in another partitions manually. I had all files on the top layer, with the grub pointing to vmlinuz and initrd.gz in the boot partition, without using sub-directories. I made changes and they were saved.

I am using reiserfs partitions and the newer kernel, if that matters, or maybe I just don't understand what is going on here.

The frugal auto mounted the partition, where the pup save file is.

Things that did go wrong were. I was using my puppy hard drive install as my boot partition, after placing two pupsave in the other save partition for the frugal, it failed on the choice of 0, the other choices for the saves worked. It then changed my PUPSTATE to 6 instead of 2 on the hard drive install, as a by-product, because of the 0 choice failure.

It said that the modules were not found when I tried the 0 choice or pfix=ram, I believe this is because of the integration of the modules, instead of being in a separate file as they were at one time.

Just did it for interest. Anyway, I put all of it back to normal.

Good Luck, Kal

PS: By reading Barry's info on pupstate, I get the idea that pup_XXX.sfs should be on the boot partition.