Save folder not loaded from USB drive

[boczniak767]

Hi,

Background"
I've created DVD with F96-CE4 and save folder (created during shutdown).

I've successfully made iso image with K3B and burned several copies on DVD's and they work - all changes are preserved.

Problem
My DVD don't work on "teacher" PC in the classroom. More specifically - it don't load X window.

I thought that the simplest solution is to use my own laptop on which mentioned DVD's work.
But, my laptop don't have DVD drive (at home I use external optical drive) so I tried to make a USB drive with my customized image.

I've used Unetbootin and the puppy starts but without saves, just original system.
The same when I use StickPup or f2StickPup, either using as a source iso image or "this" system option.

During startup save folder is not loaded - the lines about such action (present during booting DVD) are absent.

So my question is - How could I make copy of my customized iso DVD to USB drive with save folder preserved and loaded?

[bigpup]

When you boot with the DVD install and made a save for it.

Did you choose to save to the DVD or make a save file/folder, located on some partition of the computers internal drive?

[boczniak767]

When you boot with the DVD install and made a save for it.

Did you choose to save to the DVD or make a save file/folder, located on some partition of the computers internal drive?

I've put the save on the DVD.

[Clarity]

... So my question is - How could I make copy of my customized iso DVD to USB drive with save folder preserved and loaded?

Let's see if I understand your position.

Question: Does this match your position?

• You have a PUP that boots from a DVD.

• When using this PUP over some time, you are able to save sessions to it when you shutdown.

• Upon reboot of the DVD, the PUP finds its saved sessions (and there can be many) in setup of the desktop for your use.

• When complete, upon shutdown, the PUP continues to save sessions properly onto the DVD as before.

From this DVD, you want to create a new ISO file that has all of the work you have done, over time, on the DVD: Correct?

If this is accurate, PUPs for years, have the ability to remaster the running system creating a new ISO file with all of the changes that the sessions have, built-in to the anew.

Would this help?

[Wiz57]

Since you seem to be using one DVD disc to boot several different computers, my best guess is that the save folder
you created contains settings for xwindows that are not compatible with the "teacher" laptop, hence it drops to
commandline. I've never tried this technique for booting, but I do remember having a few little snafus with video
when I would take a USB thumb drive with a save file or in the case of the old Slax 6.1.2, a "changes.dat" file, and
boot a different brand/make of computer from the one I created the USB on...like taking a ScPup 32 made on my
old Acer Aspire One netbook and attempting to boot an old Compaq laptop with it...different video chips, resulted
in stopping at command prompt. I could then run xorgwizard and configure the video for the Compaq, but had
to remember to save changes with a different save file.
Wiz

[boczniak767]

@Wiz57 I think you are right. However since I don't know how to configure X I'd not touch this.
That's why I resorted to write my iso DVD to USB drive as it will work with my private computer.

Interesting thing is that DVD with original iso (without any modifications) causes the same problem. I tried to make "personalised" changes for "teacher" computer as I rememered that remasters are somewhat software-dependent.
For me this path is closed as I'm too noob.

... So my question is - How could I make copy of my customized iso DVD to USB drive with save folder preserved and loaded?

Let's see if I understand your position.

Question: Does this match your position?

• You have a PUP that boots from a DVD.

• When using this PUP over some time, you are able to save sessions to it when you shutdown.

• Upon reboot of the DVD, the PUP finds its saved sessions (and there can be many) in setup of the desktop for your use.

• When complete, upon shutdown, the PUP continues to save sessions properly onto the DVD as before.

From this DVD, you want to create a new ISO file that has all of the work you have done, over time, on the DVD: Correct?

If this is accurate, PUPs for years, have the ability to remaster the running system creating a new ISO file with all of the changes that the sessions have, built-in to the anew.

@Clarity
My question have to be misleading somewhere so I try to clarify it.

• I've burned original F96-CE4 on DVD

• I've booted it at one of the computers in classroom

• and made changes (set localization options for Polish, installed jre-11, graphviz, keepassxc and altering some firefox settings)

• I've rebooted the system agreeing to save changes on DVD

• As during startup it wrote "next startup will be faster" I've rebooted again saving changes (I think some configurations has been saved during that).

• DVD works perfectly on tested computer (lenovo) at which it was created and also on different laptops (HP, Asus)

• I've also successfully created an iso image and wrote it on few others DVD's and they all work

• "teachers" laptop (also lenovo but newer) don't start X (either when booting remastered and unmodified system)

• As I know nothing about X I wanted to save my modified system iso to USB drive to be able to boot it at my private laptop which lacks DVD drive

• I've tried to make bootable USB drive using unetbootin and Puppy's utilities StickPup and f2StickPup, without success

• I've also tried to boot modified DVD and save running system on USB drive as described here https://www.forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?t=5313

• The above method also haven't preserved changes, system boots as it would be unmodified version.

  • So, basically at "teacher's" laptop DVD with F96-CE4 (any version of it) don't boot.
    And I try to "clone" modified DVD to USB drive.
    I'd like also to note, that I don't have time to test other puppy flavors as the "save to DVD" option with F96-CE4 worked perfectly at my other classes.

[bigpup]

The laptop that will not correctly boot is probably some kind of needed hardware support is not in F96-CE_4.

You may need to try a different Puppy version like Bookworm Pup64.

Start a new topic only talking about this specific laptop.

Give specific info about it booting.

You see this?

It does this?

There may be a special boot option needed to get it to work on this specific laptop.

Understand something about saving.
The computer the save is made on, will have settings in it, for the hardware that was in that specific computer.
Those settings may not work with hardware in a different computer.

---

To make a complete ISO of the install on the DVD and have all the changes in it.

Boot with this DVD on a computer it will run on.

You will need to have a drive you can write the new remastered ISO to. (USB drive, internal drive, etc....) cannot write it to the DVD.

Use the program Remaster Puppy to make the new ISO that will be an exact copy of the running DVD install. (with all data in the save in it)

Now to get this remastered ISO installed on a USB stick.

Use one of the installer programs like stickpup to do the install.

Use the remastered ISO as the source for the install.

Note:
If you select to just install the running Puppy.
The installer programs will only install what would be in this Puppies ISO. (no save data is used)
So when you booted it.
It has no save and will boot as a fresh clean install.

[boczniak767]

Ok, so it seems I'd have to make another pursuit to remaster Puppy, If you remember I've solicited you previously https://www.forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?t=9593

As I have only two lessons using computer and linux I choose to just take my own laptop and my external BlueRay drive and use those.
I'm just write this post using system started that way .

I remember that playing with remastering can be (and most probably will be) painful.

[Clarity]

@bigpup indicates a fact of life of these PC, tablets, and laptops.

Lenovo is a great manufacturer with great product families. YOur teacher's laptop probably has a red button in the middle of the keyboard. These are business class machines that are sturdy and stable. But from model to model, though on the outside they look similar, that may not be the case within the machines. This explains why you can/do see behavior differences attempting to boot.

BTW: I do understand you desire to keep all of the system including its sessions of the boot media (DVD). Makes perfect sense to me as the past Puppy implementations are not only stable, secure, and rapid in boot, operations, and session saving. But you MUST know, that moving the same DVD from laptop to laptop YOU should never assume (or maybe attempt) to boot the DVD using ANY of its boot menu options other than RAM only (pfix=ram...). This avoids the booting to call in the session as the sessions could, but not always, have something that fingerprints the boot to a particular hardware that may not be present leading to boot failure.

From what you describe in this thread's opening post, it seems when booting, the PUP cannot figure out the laptop's video leading to the boot landing at a prompt. When this happened, did it ask you to run "xorgwizard"?

My advice is to try to use a WoofCE PUP that has a more modern kernel. The F96 has a v6.0... while BookwormPUP64 has a v6.1... kernel which may make a difference. Further there is this WoofCE PUP that might work on both laptops; namely Vanilla-DPup v10. which also has a v6.1... kernel from @dimkr .

Hope this supporting info is helpful

[williwaw]

[*]As I know nothing about X I wanted to save my modified system iso to USB drive to be able to boot it at my private laptop which lacks DVD drive

running xorgwizard is not hard and may in fact be the easiest option if booting your dvd or USB on different machines,

it may ask you to let x decide on some choices. try it and see before assuming the problem may be more complicated.

[boczniak767]

When this happened, did it ask you to run "xorgwizard"?

Yes, here is photo

As you can see I tried to run xwin but without success

My advice is to try to use a WoofCE PUP that has a more modern kernel. The F96 has a v6.0... while BookwormPUP64 has a v6.1... kernel which may make a difference. Further there is this WoofCE PUP that might work on both laptops; namely Vanilla-DPup v10. which also has a v6.1... kernel from @dimkr .

Hope this supporting info is helpful

I'll have to try this Pup someday.

But you MUST know, that moving the same DVD from laptop to laptop YOU should never assume (or maybe attempt) to boot the DVD using ANY of its boot menu options other than RAM only (pfix=ram...). This avoids the booting to call in the session as the sessions could, but not always, have something that fingerprints the boot to a particular hardware that may not be present leading to boot failure.

Thanks.@Clarity it is very interesting. In fact I've always booted Pups using default option. I can't even say, what mode it is

[Clarity]

Thanks @boczniak767
Yes, as I suspected. The video driver is not available.

In some cases, xorgwizard will allow you to direct it to use the VESA driver ... and sometimes this will get you to a desktop.

This xorgwizard problem has been this way for many years with no relief. New or unskilled users caught off-guard when message happens on a new boot of a forum distro will attempt to use the xorgwizard. This leads to the real problem in that the program does not provide assistance to users to at least, guide them to use some driver (aka VESA) that could get them a desktop. The program offers options which are ONLY useful to skilled users. Maybe one-day its author will upgrade it with some elementary guidance in its use.

Your Lenovo Laptop issue is a common one across all vendors where one machine which looks like another differ in their motherboards. The ONLY way to know is to look at the models of each machine as this the primary clue to your dilemma.

Hope this info helps going forward.

[bigpup]

If you get this at boot up, there is something needed for the graphics hardware in the computer.

The boot process is not guessing correctly what is needed.

To help get you an answer.

Need to know the specific specs of the computer.
CPU?
Graphics hardware?

---

You could run xorgwizard and try selecting the vesa driver to use.
Select a resolution you know will work.
After closing xorgwizard.
Enter xwin to continue booting.