[SOLVED] PuppyLinux (Wary 5.5)

prb123 · 03-29-2014, 06:53 PM

Hi everyone!

I'm a Linux newbie and I've not been able to get Wary Puppy 5.5 running on my netbook. I've downloaded the following 3 files:

a) the ISO file (wary_5.5.iso, from http://linux.softpedia.com/dyn-postd...=63884&t=0&i=1)

b) the SFS file (devx_wary_5.5.sfs, from http://iso.linuxquestions.org/downlo...x_wary_5.5.sfs)

c) and finally, the MD5 file (md5sums.txt, from http://linux.softpedia.com/dyn-postd...=63884&t=0&i=2)

Note: the download location for items a) and c) only offered the ISO and MD5 files, so I had to find the SFS file from somewhere else. I was wondering if that was a problem, but then I compared the MD5 file contents from the two download sites and they were identical. So, I think it should be OK. BTW, I don't know what to do with the MD5 file.

ANYways...

***** FYI, here's my computer/BIOS setup: *****

1. Hardware configuration setup
My computer is an ASUS Eee netbook with 2GB of RAM and 160GB of HDD space, and the Intel Atom N280 CPU running at 1.66GHz. The USB stick (which is otherwise functioning well) is a Kingston DT 1GB USB2.0

2. BIOS ("American Megatrends BIOS Revision 0602") setup

Boot Device Priority: USB first (actually, it says "Removable Dev."), Hard Disk second, and CD-ROM third.

Hard Disk Drives: 1st Drive = Hard Disk; 2nd drive = Disabled.

***** that concludes my computer/BIOS setup *****

Now, onto the problem. Here's what I've done so far:

Step 1. Installed Ubuntu (which seems to be working fine), and removed WinXP completely.

Step 2. Installed Linux Mint, which also seems to be working well.

Step 3. Downloaded the 3 Wary Puppy files from the locations I mentioned near the top of this post, and copied them onto the Kingston USB drive.

Step 3. Attempted, unsuccessfully, to install the Wary Puppy. What happens is, after inserting the USB drive and powering on, it goes straight to the Boot Loader (the place where I can choose whatever OS I want to load), where I can see the Linux Mint and the Ubuntu - but there's no Puppy. So, it's bypassed the USB stick! It was flashing blue quite a bit when I turned on the power but alas, it seems to have been ignored.

Thanks for your suggestions... and have a great day!

colorpurple21859 · 03-29-2014, 08:05 PM

Where are you wanting to install puppy, usb, on a separate partition or with in one of the already installed distos? If you want to install to the hard drive the following is a brief of how to install.

Create a /puppy directory on the partition you want use, mount the iso and copy vmlinuz, initrd.gz and sfs files from the mounted iso file to /puppy, create a grub entry for puppy in /etc/grub.d/40_custom, run update grub and your done.

After booting puppy you can install to puppy to usb with the use of the iso.

Things to consider: If you install within one of the other distros and decide to install another disto over it you will loose your puppy install. To install to a separate partition you will need to create a new partition with gparted. If you need more details on how to do any thing post back.

prb123 · 03-30-2014, 12:01 AM

Hello Colorpurple21859 (and everyone else!),

Thanks for replying. I'd like to respond to each of your points (your suggestions are in red, my responses are in green):

Where are you wanting to install puppy, usb, on a separate partition or with in one of the already installed distos? If you want to install to the hard drive the following is a brief of how to install.

I'd like to install it to the hard drive, because then it would run faster than from a DVD or a USB drive (I believe that's what you meant when you said "on a separate partition", right?). Your third option - "within one of already installed distos" - I don't understand what you mean (I do know, at least, what "distos" means :-)... as you've seen, I've already installed Ubuntu and Linux Mint on the hard drive; are you saying that I'd be installing Puppy inside one of those two? Sounds a bit complicated to me; I'd like to keep it simple by having Puppy Linux on one partition, Linux Mint on a second partition, and Ubuntu on a third one (in other words, installing each of the "flavors" of Linux in its own separate partition). Please let me know if you don't recommend doing this, for any reason.

Create a /puppy directory on the partition you want use,

I don't know how to do this. I've installed "GParted", but I have no idea how to use it. Or, would I use something else to create this directory? What partition should I create the /puppy directory in, and how (i.e. what tool would I use?) would I create this directory? In the diagram below, you can see what GParted is showing me:

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Then you said I should
mount the iso

Does it matter whether the ISO file is on a DVD or on a USB drive? Does "mount" simply mean "stick the DVD in the drive" (if the ISO is on a DVD) or "plug in the USB stick" (ir the iso is on the USB stick)?

and copy vmlinuz, initrd.gz and sfs files from the mounted iso file to /puppy,

I think I know how to do this - it's by using the "File Manager", right? Anyways, I'll give it a try...

create a grub entry for puppy in /etc/grub.d/40_custom,

I have no idea how to do this. I understand that "grub" is something related to the bootup process, right?

run update grub

Again, I don't know how to do this. (sorry!)

and your done. After booting puppy you can install to puppy to usb with the use of the iso.

Do you mean simply copying the Puppy's ISO file (I've already got it on a DVD) onto the USB that I want to be able to boot Puppy from?

Things to consider: If you install within one of the other distros and decide to install another disto over it you will loose your puppy install.

You're talking about the third installation method (the one you mentioned at the beginning of your reply), right? Well, that method seems the most complex to me, so I'll likely just install Puppy to the hard drive initially, and then to the USB drive after that.

To install to a separate partition you will need to create a new partition with gparted.

As I mentioned before, I've installed GParted but I have no idea how to use it.

If you need more details on how to do any thing post back.

You're very kind... thanks so much for your help and putting up with my questions!

prb123 · 03-30-2014, 05:20 AM

Hello again

Colorpurple, I've made SOME progress, I believe. Following are some screenshots of where things are at now.

First, I shrank one of my partitions (using gParted) by about 3GB, and from the newly-unallocated space I created a partition called WARY:

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Then, I created a folder (called PUPPY) within WARY (I had to "open folder as root", which seemed a bit scary, in order to do this), and I copied those 3 files you mentioned into it:

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Finally, I opened up the /etc/grub.d/40_custom file, and this is all I can see:

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Name: Step 3 - contents of the 40_custom file BEFORE creatiing the GRUB entry for Puppy.png
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At this point I should be creating, in this file, a grub entry for "puppy". Well, I started to type inside this document but all of a sudden the editing window told me the file was "read-only", so it seems I can't edit the file.

What should I do next - how can I get permission to edit the 40_custom file, and then what should I put in for the grub command?

colorpurple21859 · 03-30-2014, 08:44 AM

To edit 40_custom as root open a terminal:

Code:

sudo nano /etc/grub.d/40_custom

Then add this to the file

Code:

menuentry 'puppy'{
set root=(hd0,3)
linux /vmlinuz
initrd /initrd.gz
}

when your done editing ctrl-x and yes to save.
Don't forget to run sudo update-grub.

prb123 · 03-30-2014, 01:44 PM

Hello again colorpurple,

I think we're almost there! First, I executed sudo nano /etc/grub.d/40_custom and added the lines that you specified...

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... and then I executed sudo update-grub

(this command appeared to run successfully but I don't have a screenshot because I was afraid to execute it again, just for the sake of getting a screenshot!)...

... and when I rebooted, here's what I saw...

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Name: Step 3 - new GRUB screen with puppy at bottom.jpg
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By the way, as you know, I have already successfully installed both Ubuntu (first) and then Linux Mint. It looks like perhaps I installed Ubuntu twice? (notice how there only two lines in the GRUB screen for Linux Mint, but there are FOUR for Ubuntu?)

...if I did install Ubuntu twice, then should I remove one of them? (if yes, then I'll just do my own research instead of bothering you with this, colorpurple! lol )

Anyways, so I clicked on "puppy" and all I saw was this:

error: file not found
error: you need to load the kernel first.

Press any key to continue...

Hmmm... I think I've almost got it running! ...

aristocratic · 03-30-2014, 04:07 PM

I am very much enjoying this thread. I am going to attempt something similar in the future, so thank you for the info!

colorpurple21859 · 03-30-2014, 08:34 PM

Quote:

error: file not found

is the result of me getting in a hurry while posting.

Quote:

linux /vmlinuz
initrd /initrd.gz

should be

Code:

linux /puppy/vmlinuz
initrd /puppy/initrd.gz

sorry about that.

prb123 · 03-31-2014, 01:11 AM

FINALLY.... it WORKS... I'm IN!!

Colorpurple, you've been a fantastic help, and thanks again for taking the time to reply to my posts!

I hope that one day I can help other Linux newbies as you have done for me. In the meantime, I'm sending you a freighter full of Good Karma.

Best wishes to you and wow, this has been a nice introduction to the LinuxQuestions forum.