(old)Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

Robin2 wrote:All of this could be done just as easily from Windows if (as I believe) there is a Windows version of syslinux.

That's exactly what Windows programs like Unetbootin already do. Are you suggesting that Puppy should reinvent the wheel and provide its own custom Unetbootin?

It should be mentioned that I have been unsuccessful in creating a bootable USB with Puppy Installer. I have a feeling it wasn't properly tested for the USB part of the program prior to release.

rcrsn51: Recreating the wheel is what puppy does best. Especially when the wheel gets a little bit better each time....

rcrsn51 wrote:Are you suggesting that Puppy should reinvent the wheel and provide its own custom Unetbootin?

No. I'm suggesting that there could be a simpler wheel.

And I think Unetbootin does more than syslinux - but I may be wrong as it is a few years since I used Unetbootin.

...R

Robin2. This might be of interest. Using various live USB creator's under Windows to boot other operating systems. http://www.portablefreeware.com/index.php?sc=262

I'm in the process of finding out myself >> https://github.com/cyberorg/live-fat-stick

Then there's this GUI to write .img files to USB on Launchpad.

Not so much for the OP, but the community.

Just out of pig-headed curiosity I booted this netbook in Windows 7 and downloaded syslinux.exe (which was a real PITA because it comes with a load of other irrelevant stuff - and was not actually in the first download) and then formatted a 16GB USB stick with Windows (which took forever).

But when I got all that sorted out (and figured the need for admin privilege) the USB stick was syslinuxed in an instant.

I confess I copied the other Puppy files after rebooting in Linux - but AFAIK Windows can copy as well as Linux.

Presumably it would be legal for the Puppy website to have a copy of syslinux.exe for download.

...R

I always thought puppy should have its own in house installer arrangements to cover the various combinations.... see a need and fill it.... and this has been one of them...sad that some related wizards have gone but I digress.

You may be interested in grub4dos too Robin2.... main attraction is those nice menus I suppose and ease of booting windows with it.

It may appeal...

bootlace.com /dev/sdb
for adding the mbr code ...note that this binary that comes in the package can also be run from windows.... dos like mode anyway like syslinux...neat huh... the id for the drive changes thats all.

Then you have the grldr file and a menu of yer systems...thats it...plonk it on ntfs it cares not... fat is fine and yer posix ones... so one binary does all... why its a bit popular around here after the initial hostility.

You might like to play... its commonly used as the basis for simple installers and has always worked for me on usb. (and hard drives/cf cards/CD.

To be perverse you can have the windows mbr on usb and then chainload it.

mike

mikeb wrote:You may be interested in grub4dos too Robin2....

Thanks Mike, but Grub is way out of my league. No way I am I taking responsibility for screwing up someone's expensive Windows installation.

...R

grub4dos is not your standard-issue grub.

I use it. It's almost completely idiot-proof.

And it can boot Windows, too...

I'm using ntldr to boot the latter. Yep! Perverse..

Thanks Mike, but Grub is way out of my league. No way I am I taking responsibility for screwing up someone's expensive Windows installation.

you would find it EASIER than syslinux.... and it was suggested for usb use.
You could just as easily screw a hard drive with syslinux...

perhaps you are thinking of grub2.....

mike

I confess I copied the other Puppy files after rebooting in Linux - but AFAIK Windows can copy as well as Linux.

It can BUT

And it is a BIG BUT.

Windows does not distinguish between upper and lower case characters, but Linux DOES.
Windows will copy files OK, but will capitalize the NAMES of them. This means that when Puppy/Linux looks for a file with a lower case name, it cannot find it because the name is now upper case.

see: http://www.techsupportalert.com/content ... u-want.htm

And it is a BIG BUT.

who has a big butt?

NTFS is case sensitive apparently...just MS decided not to enable it to keep in the DOS way of doing things... bit crappy really and part of their 'Dumb It Down Badly ' approach to computing perhaps

Actually ISOmaster in puppy is badly broken when it comes to case handling...try editing a CD using grub4dos...it fails as half the resultant files magically become upper case DOS style !! Did bill G write this program? Also I assume why isolinux is still used as it does not care about case either...this is posix/linux we are using here right?

all fun and games

mike

who has a big butt?

I do. I keep rainwater in it.

I got big butts and I cannot lie.....

I love them...they never fully emptied all year

Water is so precious that 99% of it goes down the drain

mike

mikeb wrote:Also I assume why isolinux is still used as it does not care about case either...this is posix/linux we are using here right?

?????

Puppy boot discs are traditionally made using "DOS" compatibility. Every disc contains a readme file that explains the reason.

But you can make a perfectly good boot disc using isolinux and "XP" compatibility where the files are named correctly in Windows.

mikeb wrote: You could just as easily screw a hard drive with syslinux...

perhaps you are thinking of grub2.....

mike

No, I was only thinking of USB sticks.

The point someone made about Windows potentially naming files incorrectly is something I had not thought of. But I suppose Puppy could choose file names with Windows-compatible file names.


...R

Caps Lock.....

Well if a puppy iso is edited using ISOmaster it still will boot ok since isolinux ignores the case changes. I surmised since that application is normally included it may have some effect on the choice of boot loader.

If grub or grub4dos is used as the boot sector on the disk ISOmaster with cause boot failures.

Ok probably not the reason but it seems there were these linux tools that ignored or mishandled cases which means the long standing approach is sort of necessary.

Anyway Robin2..grub4dos makes a nice usb boot loader and is easy to implement... you might like it.

Mike


synchronous posting.... my toes lock if I self induce cramp...

[quote="mikeb"]Anyway Robin2..grub4dos makes a nice usb boot loader and is easy to implement... you might like it.[quote]

I will have a look at it.

(I wonder would a 55 year old Windows user be able to use it - the PC equivalent of the man on the Clapham Omnibus)

...R