What is the best Puplet for limited access over a Dial-Up link

PeterWashington · 07-27-2009, 06:29 AM

Hi Folks,

I'm a Linux newbie, (although I've been using Unix/Linux off and on for several years), but I've just started a new job and I have a requirement to take an embedded PC and collect files from it over a Dial-Up link.

A friend recommended using Puppy because the Embedded PC is using Compact Flash rather than a hard disk, and I certainly like the look of Puppy and it's definitely a good fit for the environment.

My friend also suggested that I establish a TCP/IP link over PPP then use rsync over ssh to periodically collect changes to the files on the remote unit. I'd also want to be able to dial in as a non-root user for obvious security reasons.

This sounds like a very tried and tested set of techniques and applications so I now need help to determine the best choice of Puplet to provide this particular set of functionality !

So does anyone have any suggestions for me please ?

Cheers Peter.

linus72 · 07-27-2009, 06:33 AM

Welcome to LQ PeterWashington!

Now, diggin the dog
I think you should try
Browserpuppy49

it's already got flash 10, firefox 3.5
but no printing, or other BS

Don't know about the ssh stuff with browser
but sure it's available
check it out
Same guy makes WebserverPuppy too
http://www.browserpuppy.com/server.html
http://www.browserpuppy.com/

PeterWashington · 07-27-2009, 09:39 AM

Hi Linus72,

Thanks for the information.

Funnily enough I'd already downloaded the WebServer Puplet because that is pretty much what I'm trying to do, make a lightweight webserver that can accept the Dial-Up connection, (VERY old fashioned I know, but we've got to contend with legacy kit), and collect any new data for centralised storage and later analysis.

Unfortunately my webserver ISO didn't seem to boot properly, unless I completely mis-understood how it should behave, it presented me with an error message :-
"pup_412.sfs not found. Dropping out to initial ramdisk console...",
followed by :-
"/bin/sh: can't access tty; job control turned off".
This was displayed a "#" prompt, at which point I had to concede defeat.

I had expected the grey screen with the Puppy logo in the top right hand corner to appear :-(

I think I'll try and contact the author of WebSrver Puppy and see if he thinks that is what I want.

Thanks again for the support Linus72.

linus72 · 07-27-2009, 09:49 AM

Errr...

sounds like a bad cd burn

how did you burn the iso to cd?
in linux or windows?

do you have usb?

I have a nice puppy remaster script
if you wanna make your own puplet too

PeterWashington · 07-27-2009, 11:03 AM

I can't rule out a bad burn, but I don't think that's the answer.

I AM burning from Windows, because thisa is being done at work and I'm using the company laptop which runs Windows, (surprise, surprise), the Embedded PC that Puppy is intended to run on is sat alongside the laptop, but I'm not allowed to connect it to the company network and therefore it has no Internet connection ;-(

The problem /seems/ to be that the SFS files are suffixed with either 'B' for Browser Puppy or 'W' for Webserver Puppy, (PUP_412W.SFS, as displayed by Windows), but the boot process is looking for "pup_412.sfs", this may be a complete red herring, but to try and find out I've copied the files onto my Windows hard disk, renamed the sfs file and now I've got to remember how to create a bootable CD !! |8-(

I /could/ copy the ISo to a USB stick and transfer it to the Embedded PC which has a USB Burner attached, (for development purposes), and try burning it from there, but I'd have to get my original Puppy working again first !

Once I've established what I actually want to have in my Puppy, I will want to create my own, so I'll need to learn about remastering then, but I think I'd rather wait a while for that, let my head cool down a bit first ;-)

Anyway thanks again for the support.

linus72 · 07-27-2009, 11:18 AM

That's strange
I'll drop a note to maker puppymartin
and download both and see

my RescuePuppy49 is a remaster of browserpuppy49
and does work
it's browserpuppy, plus a game like "dig dug", dvddisaster, dd rescue
testdisk, photorec, etc

it's gonna be part of my new bad-ass cd/usb "Thor's Hammer"
http://multidistro.com/tinycore-shots/tc-scrnshots.html

my older download
with rescue puppy too
is here
and Just rescuepuppy iso too
http://multidistro.proboards.com/ind...play&thread=10
the remaster script is in the "my-documents" folder when you get to desktop

check it out

fyujj · 07-27-2009, 02:43 PM

I've never used that particular puplet but if you're getting that kind of error while trying the cd you better check it's thread in murga-linux (down, for maintainance I guess) or if it was properly burnt.
You can also create a Windows installer (.exe file) for any Puppy. It's straightforward and installs a frugal mode Puppy inside Windows (98, 2k and XP). Its original forum thread is here (down at the moment): http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=44098

But there's a Portuguese version (read the original files to understand its functioning in pw32-inst/Read me first/OriginalTutorial.html and pw32-inst/Puppy-Win32-Installer/original-pup-installer.readMe ) at http://www.divshare.com/download/7994602-371

PeterWashington · 07-27-2009, 03:50 PM

Thanks to both Linus72, (Bryan), and Fyujj for your help and comments.

I'm pretty sure that the burns were successful, even though they were done under Windows, simply because all 4 of them, (different versions of browser and webserver puppy), exhibited exactly the same problem and used exactly the same process as my original Puppy Linux 4.2.1 ISO burn which works fine.

I've downloaded the RecoverPuppy ISO mentioned by Linus72 and I will try that out once I get to work tomorrow and burn another CD.

I ought to have said before that this is aimed at a commercial development, but it will be replacing Windows XP Embedded in order to save about 100 GBP per system and it will be first time this company has used Linux, so it's quite important that I get it right !!

What I need at the end of the day is a nice reliable, all solid state, embedded system, installed on a Wafer Atom 5.25 inch embedded motherboard, running a N270 Atom at 1.6 GHz with 1 GB of RAM and either 4 0r 8 GB of Compact Flash, that I can Dial-Up from a centralised PC to collect data for off-line analysis. So any advice on packages like rsync, ssh, PPP servers etc. would be gratefully appreciated.

Cheers Peter.

linus72 · 07-27-2009, 04:10 PM

I wouldn't recommend puppy
as for that use
it's repositories are limited
and there always seems to be a depends issue somewhere..

you need something small and light like puppy or what?

fyujj · 07-27-2009, 04:45 PM

Ok, sorry for not having said that earlier. I had this problem with browser puppy too when trying to boot from a frugal install (initrd.gz, vmlinuz and pup_xxx.sfs copied to a directory in a linux / partition). The problem is the file was called PUP_412.sfs and I had put pup_412.sfs in GRUB's menu.lst. So it seems the cd booting (I think its syslinux) is having the same problem.
Maybe you could try isobuster http://www.isobuster.com/isobusterdownload.php (you only need the free version) to rename the file, create a new .iso and burn the cd again.

I know it's not your case, but if it's only to try some puppies, if you create a Windows installer you won't have this problem.
In any case, you may install this frugal Slaxer Pup for Windows (uninstallable through 'Add/Remove Programs') and then you'll have the Puppy's tools if you need them (only for Win 98, 2k and XP)
http://www.divshare.com/download/7994250-ae1

colorpurple21859 · 07-27-2009, 08:08 PM

at the boot prompt when the cd first boots type in
puppy pfix=ram
that is suppose to stop the cd from looking for puppy files. if it boots up you can delete the puppy files of the version you don't want, and redo a fugal install with the version of puppy you want to use. I've had problems before with puppy cds starting up when using versions puppy of different from the version already installed.

linus72 · 07-27-2009, 08:13 PM

yep,
thanks colorpurple21859

for instance here's my puppy isolinux and syslinux.cfg
note the "pmedia=?"
usb first. syslinux.cfg

Code:

label puppy-usb
menu label RescuePuppy49 RestoreSave
kernel /vmlinuz
append initrd=/initrd.gz pmedia=usbflash pfix=copy

label puppy-ram-usb
menu label RescuePuppy49 NoRestore
kernel /vmlinuz
append initrd=/initrd.gz pmedia=usbflash pfix=ram

label puppy-nox-usb
menu label RescuePuppy49 RestoreSave No X
kernel /vmlinuz
append initrd=/initrd.gz pmedia=usbflash pfix=copy,nox

label puppy-ramnox-usb
menu label RescuePuppy49 NoRestore No X
kernel /vmlinuz
append initrd=/initrd.gz pmedia=usbflash pfix=ram,nox

and islonux.cfg

Code:

label puppy
menu label RescuePuppy49 RestoreSave
kernel /vmlinuz
append initrd=/initrd.gz pmedia=cd pfix=copy

label puppy-ram
menu label RescuePuppy49 NoRestore
kernel /vmlinuz
append initrd=/initrd.gz pmedia=cd pfix=ram

label puppy-nox
menu label RescuePuppy49 RestoreSave No X
kernel /vmlinuz
append initrd=/initrd.gz pmedia=cd pfix=copy,nox

label puppy-ramnox
menu label RescuePuppy49 NoRestore No X
kernel /vmlinuz
append initrd=/initrd.gz pmedia=cd pfix=ram,nox

so, pfix=copy means go to ram and restore saves
pfix=ram, as colorpurple said, will ignore any save sessions

the "nox" option means just boot to command line.

PeterWashington · 08-04-2009, 11:01 AM

Many thanks to Linus72, fyujj and colorpurple21859, but what all I really need is a Puplet that will run on a remote, embedded PC, that I can dial from a standard PC into and access files on the remote Puppy via FTP.

So I've downloaded Webserver Puppy, but I've had some hardware issues with the Embedded PC so I haven't yet had a chance to test it.

Anyway any help will be gratefully accepted.