How to make a GNU/Linux frugal installation with copy-to-R.A.M. mode system: PuppyLinux

Revision [9232]

This is an old revision of InstallationFrugal made by coolpup on 2010-09-09 10:47:30.

Frugal Installations

Apart from running Puppy Linux from a full hard disk drive (H.D.D.) installation or from a LiveDVD, it is also possible to run it as a frugal installation, performed by extracting the contents of the container ISO or ZIP file to virtually any type of FAT32, NTFS, or EXT2/3/4 formatted partition.

When a frugal installation is desired it is convenient to have a LiveDVD because it can be used to install the required boot loader (either GRUB, SYSLINUX, or EXTLINUX depending on the formatting of the installation partition). Instructions are also provided below for situations when not using an optical drive.

First acquire the container file (either iso or zip) of the desired Puppy Linux, e.g. Fluppy, Puppy 5 or Puppy 5 with extra multi-lingual keyboard support.

If the target partition or drive contains any files copy them elsewhere if required, because they will be destroyed when formatting.

Installation to any partition using GRUB and with an optical drive

Flash tutorial

Installation to a U.S.B. flash drive using Syslinux and without an optical drive

From within Puppy Linux

Follow the instructions at: Menu > Setup > BootFlash

Click on the Puppy iso (or zip) file to open its contents

Copy to the U.S.B. flash drive the files: vmlinuz, initrd.gz, and all those with the extensions .sfs, and .cfg

Rename isolinux.cfg to syslinux.cfg

Edit syslinux.cfg in a text editor: change "pmedia=cd" to "pmedia=usbflash"

Reboot computer with U.S.B. flash drive connected

From within Microsoft Windows

Format the drive or partition to FAT32

Download and extract syslinux to a folder, e.g. C:\syslinux

Then go to directory C:\syslinux\win32\
```
cd C:\syslinux\win32\
```

Then run the syslinux command to make the drive bootable (where X: is the drive letter for the target drive or partition)
```
syslinux.exe -m -a X:
```

Open the Puppy iso (or zip) file to view its contents, using e.g. 7-zip, (it is important that the original file names be kept)

Copy to the U.S.B. flash drive the files: vmlinuz, initrd.gz, and all those with the extensions .sfs, and .cfg

Rename isolinux.cfg to syslinux.cfg

Edit syslinux.cfg in a text editor: change "pmedia=cd" to "pmedia=usbflash"

Reboot computer with U.S.B. flash drive connected

If the computer does not boot into Puppy Linux from the U.S.B. flash drive follow the instructions in Appendices 1 and 3 at LiveDVD.

References

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=46129
http://www.puppylinux.org/main/index.php?file=Manual-English05.txt
http://aronzak.wordpress.com/2008/10/07/usb-linux-howto-puppy-41/
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=54826

Appendix

Format the drive or partition to FAT32 by using: Menu > System > GParted

Ensure that the boot flag is set: Menu > System > GParted > Partition > Manage Flags > boot

Download and install recent Syslinux version (>=4.02)

Make the drive bootable with syslinux, assuming the target partition is located at /dev/sdb1
```
syslinux -i --stupid /dev/sdb1
```

Determine the device name of the U.S.B.flash drive using probedisk2, e.g.:

# probedisk2
/dev/sda|drive|ATA HTS726060M9AT00 
/dev/sdb|usbdrv|ST9500325AS 
/dev/sr0|optical|TSSTcorpCDW/DVD TS-L462