Bizarre results attempting tahr-6.0.6 install to flash drive

[B.K. Johnson]

I have been rolling along with tahr-6.0.5 for quite a whle.
I thought I'd try out tahr-6.0.6 but it hasn't worked out so far - not on my flash drives, though the burnt CD works fine, So, it must be the method of installation although I think I have followed the same procedure I have used in the past. That is, format as FAT with gParted, set boot flag and copy initrd.gz, vmlinuz, puppy _tahr_6.0.6.sfs from the iso to a tahr606 directory in the boot flash drive. (see populated_drive.png)

There are some things in the iso that are new to me and may not have been handled correctly - (a)- where to place (or not place) efi.img (b) vesamenu.32, grub, isolinux whereas I use a syslinux menu (see syslinuxcfg.png).

I can't capture the screen output when it fails, but here are a few lines:

Code: Select all

Waiting for USB storage
Finding puppy main sfs file      [color=red]failed[/color]

Dumping lines of /tmp/bootinit.log
lines of text follow
Dumping lines of kernel log
lines of text follow
sda1 /puppy_tahr_6.0.6.sfs not found

Why looking in sda1 (Windows hard drive)


I saved zz_initrd_tmp as the text suggested.. (see zz_initrd_tmp.png).

===================
Can anyone suggest what I am doing incorrectly?

I never used isobooter before, but decided to do so now using the iso for tahr-6.0.6 and slacko700_rc3.
That failed too with similar type output.

[rockedge]

try doing exactly what you have been doing. Format USB stick with GParted to ext4 (your choice) set the boot flag then create a directory.
open the tahr 6.0.6 iso and copy all the contents to the directory you have created.
Now run GRUB4DOS just searching the USB stick. Let it finish and install an mbr.

Now try and boot into tahr 6.0.6 on the USB stick.

let me know if you make it! Good Luck.

[B.K. Johnson]

@rockedge
Thanks for your interest and suggestion.

I did as you suggested. Got a nice looking menu, but soon thereafter, the same output I described in my first post.

[backi]

Hi !
Maybe try to place init.gz puppy_tahr_606.sfs vimlinux and zdrv_tahr_606.sfs
outside (without) the tahr606 folder and use grub4dos again.
Had once similar problem.Or maybe try to rename tahr606 Folder to just tahr (without numbers ).....as far as i remember ......changing folder name without numbers did somehow help .

[rcrsn51]

@B.K.: I set up an ISObooter flash drive with tahr606. It worked correctly for me in both "splashscreen" modes.

Since you reported that you can boot successfully off a CD, I would try ISObooter again with "splashscreen=y".

If that method still fails, I'm guessing that your machine has some kind of conflict with the USB detection stuff in new Puppies.

[jeff757]

@B.K.
In your syslinux.cfg please place psubdir=/tahr606 before pmedia=usbflash, this is needed by the new init search routine.
Posting from live tahr606 test using syslinux. My only difference is I use one line for initrd and one line for append


jeff

[gyro]

@B.K.
I wouldn't hurt to add a "pupsfs=sdb1" as well.
Tell "init" where your puppy files are.
gyro

[bigpup]

Try using this installer run from the Tahrpup CD.
Yapi
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=107601
It will install Grub4dos bootloader, but the advanced menu does give you some troubleshooting ways to boot if something goes wrong with the install.

The newer Puppies do have more needed files, because they are tweaked for booting in computers with UEFI bios.
It is best to just copy all that is in the ISO.

[8Geee]

What else is is on sda1???
Win10
Win8
Win7
Other pups?

Do the formats in sda1 and sdb1 match?

I also note the devx_sfs is loaded in sdb1.

Regards
8Geee

[B.K. Johnson]

Apologies guys for my unavoidable delay in reporting back!

@backi
Your suggestion of no directory did not work. It got to the grub menu and shortly after the timeout for it to go to the tahr, it crashed out as before. Same result when I selected the advanced menu.

I rebooted, but this time selected Windows.
It was slow getting to the log-in. The mouse froze there but came alive after a couple minutes and then went on to complete the boot. It was extrely slow, much slower than I remember from my last use. I escaped from the Windows world as fast as I could when bombarded with a host of warnings, notifications and the like.

@rcrsn51
Slow read/write on FAT32 is of no concern to me. Neither do I want to use save folder/directory. So this time, I followed your tutorial
here
rather than the multiple pups I tried before. Furthermore, you were successful with it. I answered 'n' rather than 'y' as you suggested. It worked!

I would like to suggest a review of your tutorial for clarification/completeness. It appears that when you defined the method for pupfolder, you included a new step/question (Choose a partition for Puppy save files [1,2,3]) but didn't include it at the main
thread. Also, 1,2,3 etc. is appropriate for multiple installations but only 1 for single installs. See the screenie, missing_from_isobooter_tuto.png, attached.

Thanks for helping.
I am still intrigued as to what could be the cause of the earlier results.
I am wondering if the fact that my tahr-6.0.5 was arrived at by updating 6.0 to 6.0.3 to 6.0.5 via quickpet was a contributing factor. A latent bug may exist therein. I'll get around to doing the 6.0.6 installation from a pristine tahr-6.0.5.

BK

[B.K. Johnson]

@jeff757
Nice catch. At some time in my ordeal, the thought came to mind but slipped by.
I'll try it on my first flash drive set up for multiple puppies.

@ gyro
Thanks. "pupsfs=sdb1" is new to me; I am aware of "psubdir=sdb1" with a syslinux menu as jeff757 suggested. If this is not a "lapsus fingerosa" , in which bootloader do I use pupsfs? syslinux, Grb4Dos or either? How?

@bigpup
Thanks for your input. I'll try Yapi.

@01micko, mavrathol and the other CE honchos
Is it time to look at the Puppy installer that comes standard with puppies?

[rcrsn51]

@B.K.

That's good news. I have added an additional step to the main instructions.

BTW, you can still have multiple Puppy ISOs on a one-partition setup, but you would be limited to using savefiles.

I am still intrigued as to what could be the cause of the earlier results.
I am wondering if the fact that my tahr-6.0.5 was arrived at by updating 6.0 to 6.0.3 to 6.0.5 via quickpet was a contributing factor. A latent bug may exist therein. I'll get around to doing the 6.0.6 installation from a pristine tahr-6.0.5.

I ran my tests with a pristine Tahr 6.0.6 ISO and a clean flash drive. So I cannot comment on the problems you had with your updated setup.

[B.K. Johnson]

@8Geee
You asked:

What else is is on sda1???

WinXP

Other pups?

No! All my pups run from a flash drive, some drives with multiple pups.

Do the formats in sda1 and sdb1 match?

Yes! Both are FAT32 formatted.

I also note the devx_sfs is loaded in sdb1.

devx is not really loaded. It is on the drive in anticipation that when I got tahr-6.0.6 up and running, I would need to do some work with ndiswrapper to get internet access. That's a long story if you haven't been around.

BFN
BK

[B.K. Johnson]

@rcrsn51
I reported that the flash drive I created with isobooter worked for it booted OK, I connected to the internet, downloaded and installed. Then I ceased playing with it, intending to go back when time allowed.

I have now noticed something strange: When I boot from both the CD and flashdrive, it is the sda1 which is displayed with the boot drive indicator, not the boot drive (flash).
Screenies attached show:
Using 606 CD

sda1-as-boot-drive-via-CD.png

Using isob made flash

drives-via-isob.png
remains-after-umount-all.png

Compare with this screenie of my tahr-6.0.5 flash drive booter which has sdb1 with the boot indicator, not sda1.

no indicator on sda1 normally.png

@bigpup
Bad news! I could not get YaPI to work. After a long time searching, I got a xdialog error. When closed, I got pop-up messages of 'Bye'! and 'No isos found'-. Zigbert's pfind tells me that I have 28 isos on my drive. I had 2 copies of the tahr-6.0.6 as shown in the screenie,

where-are-isos.png


As an aside: A Browse button would have been a better design choice than to search all mounted drives. Most people would know where the target ISO is located. And search and list seems to me a bad choice especially since the search is nor particularly fast.

What's your experience?

[rcrsn51]

That tab on the drive icon indicates that Puppy found some core files on that drive, like the main SFS file, and mounted it.

If you look on sda1, I'm guessing that you will find some core Puppy files.

Look at ISObooter's menu.lst entry. It probably has "pmedia=cd". This has traditionally been Puppy's most aggressive search method when looking for SFS files. Some older Puppies need it for ISObooter to work correctly. Also, some users prefer to put the SFS file on the hard drive where it will load faster.

Change it to "pmedia=usbflash".

[B.K. Johnson]

rcrsn51

That tab on the drive icon indicates that Puppy found some core files on that drive, like the main SFS file, and mounted it.
If you look on sda1, I'm guessing that you will find some core Puppy files.

Correct. There is a copy of puppy_tahr_6.0.6.sfs and also zdrv_tahr_6.0.6.sfs. I have no idea how they got there.
Then when I created the CD, I chose to save so booting would be faster. Apparently, tahrsave-cd606.4fs was saved then.

Look at ISObooter's menu.lst entry. It probably has "pmedia=cd".

Correct again!

Change it to "pmedia=usbflash".

I'll do that, but the change ought to be really done in the ISObooter script (line 63), don't you think?

I will redo both the CD and the flash drive with a modified ISObooter and the core files in sda1 removed. But that will be in the evening.

If anything else comes to mind, please let me know.

Thanks.
BK

[rcrsn51]

I'll do that, but the change ought to be really done in the ISObooter script (line 63), don't you think?

Not at all. I have already explained why "pmedia=cd" is the preferred default choice.

When you put some core Puppy files on the hard drive (accidentally or not), ISObooter honours that decision. It sets up a boot sequence that will look for those files.

[rcrsn51]

Is this discussion done?

[B.K. Johnson]

@rcrsn51

Is this discussion done?

No! Gosh Bill, do you have to be so impatient?

As I posted earlier, I assumed isobooter had to be changed, duly did so along with changing pmedia=usbflash in menu-lst as you suggested. I got the same error that made me post to this thread the frst time. You intimated that isobooter should not be changed, so I reverted, but the error persisted. I started from scratch about 5 times before having success. I don't know what to attribute the success to. The only thing I did differently this last time was to relocate the flash drive to my USB hub instead of one of the USB ports on the desktop.

Having changed pmedia=usbflash in menu-lst and deleted the iso in sda1, I now have the tab appearing only on the boot drive as it ought.

I am curious about a couple things. Answer if you care to.
1. The copy of the iso remains on the flash drive (sdb1). Can it be deleted now? If not, why? All the component files are in the sdx4. It seems somewhat superflous to have both.
2. Your tutorial indicates that multiple ISOs can be installed with isobooter. I only placed one. Can others be now added? If so, how?(Please provide a link if it is already in the thread). TIA.

BK

[B.K. Johnson]

@backi
[Update]
I tried your suggestion again: no tahr partition; tahr-6.0.6 iso contents placed in the boot partition. See the screenie.
Inexplicably, I now have tahr-6.0.6 working; I am posting from it. Thanks for your guidance.

I have always had my multiple pups in separate directories on a single drive. It is a precaution I take against a single pup going berserk and wiping out my whole kennel. So despite this success, I am still in the hunt for a way to "contain" each puppy in its own directory (not partition) and have the common files (menu, config, splash screen, wi-fi driver for ndiswrapper etc.) in the boot partition. The hunt continues.

Now that isobooter's and your approach are done, it's on to YaPI, then back to the container approach, this time with vesamenu.c32.
BK