Livecd boot on Pentium M Dothan

[bebop]

good day, I'm trying boot a puppy linux live cd on and laptop:
Acer Travelmate 3202XCi
Pentium M 725 (core Dothan)
1,5gb RAM
160gb HDD
NOT capable of usb boot

I can't boot the live cd due the PAE error, that suggest using forcepae parameter.
from my understanding, this error on Pentium M (technically PAE capable) is due to the processor not showing the PAE flag, but Dothan revision afaik has the PAE flag enable, so I can't understand this error.

btw, I'm not practical with command line parameters/grub config etc, my experience with linux is limited to using livecd/usb and installing some common distros lixe Kubuntu, Fedora, Suse, to revive old computer and for personal interest.

I kindly ask for help to how and when use the forcepae parameter to let puppy linux boot from livecd on this machine, and eventually install it.

[mikeslr]

Hi bebop, and to the Forum.

I'm writing pre-1st-cup of coffee. So the world has not yet become completely in focus. Hopefully someone will respond soon to clear up any mess I make.

The first question I had was why you couldn't boot from a USB-key. Checking, the Acer Travelmate 3202XCi has 2 USB-ports, https://www.productindetail.com/cn/comp ... te-3202xci. Are they functional? There's usually a key-press option to initiate a 'one-time' boot menu so that you can choose the media to boot from other than the following defaults: 1st CD, then Hard-drive. Sometimes that key is 'delete', sometimes 'F2', sometimes something else. Usually for a couple of seconds as the computer boots a display will tell which key. There's usually also a way to change bios's boot-priority. IIRC, to select a USB-Key, it has to be plugged in when you start the computer.

If your Acer just can't boot directly from a USB-Key, there's a program named PLOP that can provide a work-around. viewtopic.php?t=1133&sid=258f3cab31c338 ... 894060ee48, But to explain how to use PLOP we'll have to know what 'resource' you currently have: that is, what operating system (Windows?) did you use to 'burn' the CD.

Being able to boot from a USB-Key greatly simplifies getting you from where you are to where you want to be. USB-Keys are writable. CD's aren't.

The following idea is more 'fuzzy'; I have little ability to remember code, it's been a long time since I had to use this routine, and I never had to execute the forcepae command in this way. . But as I recall there is a way to edit the 'boot-commands'' Edit: See bigpup's post here for the proper procedure. https://www.forum.puppylinux.com/viewto ... 390#p98390

[wizard]

@bebop

We really need to know more information to get you a fix. See here:
viewtopic.php?t=218

Regardng the Pm with Dothan, I have a Dell 700m, cpu = Pentium M (Dothan), ram = 2gb running Friendly Bionic32 from here: viewtopic.php?t=5188

It did require editing the grub file: menu.lst.
Here is an example kernel line from my menu.lst:

Code: Select all

kernel /fb32/vmlinuz    psubdir=/fb32 pmedia=atahd pfix=fsck forcepae acpi=off

The part that was added is: forcepae acpi=off

wizard

[wizard]

@bebop

Without knowing which Puppy you're trying, I'd suggest you create a CD with:
viewtopic.php?t=165
or
viewtopic.php?t=5188

Boot from the CD and at the menu:
-press: tab
-press: space
-type: forcepae acpi=off
-press enter

The computer should boot.

Given your hardware spec, you would need to do some tweaking to get any performance. Would really help to install Puppy to the HD and increase your ram to 2gb.

wizard

[bebop]

Hi bebop, and to the Forum.

I'm writing pre-1st-cup of coffee. So the world has not yet become completely in focus. Hopefully someone will respond soon to clear up any mess I make.

The first question I had was why you couldn't boot from a USB-key. Checking, the Acer Travelmate 3202XCi has 2 USB-ports, https://www.productindetail.com/cn/comp ... te-3202xci. Are they functional? There's usually a key-press option to initiate a 'one-time' boot menu so that you can choose the media to boot from other than the following defaults: 1st CD, then Hard-drive. Sometimes that key is 'delete', sometimes 'F2', sometimes something else. Usually for a couple of seconds as the computer boots a display will tell which key. There's usually also a way to change bios's boot-priority. IIRC, to select a USB-Key, it has to be plugged in when you start the computer.

If your Acer just can't boot directly from a USB-Key, there's a program named PLOP that can provide a work-around. viewtopic.php?t=1133&sid=258f3cab31c338 ... 894060ee48, But to explain how to use PLOP we'll have to know what 'resource' you currently have: that is, what operating system (Windows?) did you use to 'burn' the CD.

Being able to boot from a USB-Key greatly simplifies getting you from where you are to where you want to be. USB-Keys are writable. CD's aren't.

thanks for the welcome and for the reply.

yeah the notebook has 2 usb, but I think that the bios is not enabled for the boot from usb, in fact I can't find any options in the bios boot menu or boot order menu, beside the usual hdd and dvd/cdrom boot.

also, I don't know why, but this notebook refuse to go past the POST screen when any usb stick is inserted on power on, and doesn't matter if is a bootable or data usb, the pc just sit indefinitely in the post screen, after the usual device and ram check, just before the eventual usb mouse is detected. I think that the usb stick somehow prevents the correct initialization of the usb ports. once it boot (winxp) and I insert an usb stick, everything works correctly.

I can try PLOP, the Acer has WinXP SP3 on board, but just to let you know I have several other pcs with more recent windows (10/11) and a couple with linux distros (ubuntu and kubuntu, both latest versions).

@bebop

We really need to know more information to get you a fix. See here:
viewtopic.php?t=218

Regardng the Pm with Dothan, I have a Dell 700m, cpu = Pentium M (Dothan), ram = 2gb running Friendly Bionic32 from here: viewtopic.php?t=5188

It did require editing the grub file: menu.lst.
Here is an example kernel line from my menu.lst:

Code: Select all

kernel /fb32/vmlinuz    psubdir=/fb32 pmedia=atahd pfix=fsck forcepae acpi=off

The part that was added is: forcepae acpi=off

wizard

than you wizard

here the missing infos:
Puppy versions that I tried to boot, from cd:
Slackware 15.0 x86 32-bit S15Pup32 22.12
Ubuntu Bionic x86 32-bit BionicPup32 8.0
both downloaded from the Puppy linux “about” page in the download section.

To complete the pc hardware infos missing from the above post:
graphic: ATI mobility Radeon 9700 64mb
network: Intel Pro Wireless 2200BG and Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit adapter
DVD rom – CDRW combo unit

I will try the suggested Puppy versions from your last post and let you know the result. I'm planning to install Puppy to the HDD if everything works correctly, about the ram I will try to understand if it can be increased to 2gb, because I only have access to one ram slot and the hdd from the back panel. Probably the other one is hidden by the back cover that I not removed yet.

Many thanks

[wizard]

@bebop
Your Acer has 2 ram slots and a maximum ram capacity of 2gb. If you're lucky, the slot on the bottom will have a 512mb chip and you can just replace it with a 1gb. Otherwise you'll have to find the second slot. Doesn't seem to be a lot of info on your model on the web. If I were guessing, I'd say it's under the keyboard.

wizard

[mikeslr]

If you're not lucky, you might want to try dpup-stretch, https://www.forum.puppylinux.com/viewto ... 1506#p1506 or buster32-uefi-stripped, http://www.mediafire.com/file/ffsqqzardvbs6ll/file, a bi-product of an exploration I engaged in. viewtopic.php?p=4070&sid=82a3b89926049b ... 1ff5#p4070,

Getting back to your main hurdle, see this post about entering bios, https://techpando.com/how-to-enter-bios-on-acer-laptop/. Perhaps if you're lucky, "Press the F2 key continuously" with the USB-Key plugged in may work.

I much prefer written tutorials/documentation over videos. But I couldn’t find anything simple. Elmar Hanihofer, PLOP’s author, provides a lot of information on his website, https://www.plop.at/en/bootmanager/plpbt.bin.html. And Britec09 has published a youtube you may find very helpful as it specifically shows how to install PLOP on an XP computer without having to change Bios.

As I haven’t done it myself, it took some time and concentration on your problem for the memory of working around the ‘unwritable CD’ to kick in. The first which came to mind was to burn the ISO to a CD-RW. But then I recalled that wasn’t necessary with Puppies. An ordinary CD could be used if the CD was ‘burned’ using Multi-session mode. https://oldforum.puppylinux.com/viewtop ... 33#p507233. I think, but don’t know, if recent Puppys –such as those we’ve mentioned-- can use this method, but I do know that a few Forum members have reported booting from a LiveCD as their preference.

There’s another possibility which I have done, but not in a long while. Puppys only need a folder, not an entire partition. They were originally created to co-exist with Windows, either by booting from a CD or by deploying them to a folder on the same partition as Windows. Those capabilities remain even in the most recent Puppys. The Lin’N’Win method provided the original set of instructions and necessary files to modifying Window built-in boot system to do that. http://www.icpug.org.uk/national/linnwi ... innwin.htm. Use under Windows XP starts here, http://www.icpug.org.uk/national/linnwin/step1-xp.htm

A word of warning: Linux is case sensitive. Windows used to have the nasty habit of changing everything it copied to Upper Case. I think the instructions now given overcomes that, e.g.:
‘Right Click HERE and choose 'Save Target As' to download the file: grldr (213 KB)
VERY IMPORTANT: Make sure the filename is enclosed in " " marks
i.e. Put "grldr" INCLUDING the " " in the Save Target As dialog box’

Or, if you get Puppy running from a CD, follow the instructions using it.
IIRC, after using Lin’N’Win you still have to create a boot-menu. So if you pursue this option, ask how.

[bigpup]

Your problem so far has been trying to use a Puppy version that has PAE enabled.

You can still use them, but you have to add an option to the boot loader entry.
Wizard gave you the added command.

Code: Select all

forcepae acpi=off

You can add it when you see the boot menu and select to edit.

Just as you see the boot menu with selections for booting.
Use arrow keys to move off of first entry. This stops auto selection of default entry.
You probably do need to use the first entry, so go back to it using the arrow keys.
When the entry is highlighted.

This is how to edit it and use the edit to boot.

Press e key on keyboard.

A screen will show the complete contents of the commands used by this entry.

To add the boot option
Navigate with the arrows keys of the keyboard to the end of the line that starts with linux. ...
At the end of the Linux line.
Add space and then forcepae acpi=off

Press Ctrl+X, F10, or Fn+F10 to start

Example edit for Bionicpup32 boot entry:
linux /vmlinuz pmedia=cd forcepae acpi=off
initrd /initrd.gz

If this works.
Booting from a Live CD will require you to do this each time you boot.
There is no way to edit the menu entry that is written to the CD. It is read only.

If it was booting from a Live USB install.
You could make a edit of what is on the USB in the boot menu config file. It is read/write.