USB stick drive install using Frugalpup Installer (allowing one or multiple installs on one stick)

[bigpup]

NOTE:
This procedure works for setup and installing on any type drive that is read/write.
I have used it for USB flash drives, internal or external hard drives or SSD, SD cards, etc......

This method allows for single or multiple Puppy versions installed on one USB stick.

A single boot loader setup to boot all installed.

Use Gparted program.

Note:
The drive will already have a partition table and partition(s) on it.
There are two types of partition tables.
msdos
gpt

For the newest computers using UEFI bios.
The drive may need to be using a gpt partition table, so it is seen as a usable drive.
Gparted can provide info on how the drive is setup, type partition table.
May need to first change the type partition table, before you partition and format the drive.

Making a new partition table will delete everything on the drive.

Gparted ->Device ->Create Partition Table....

Setup the USB stick with 2 partitions.

First one, small 300MB, fat32 format, flagged boot, esp (location for boot loader files, boot partition)

Rest of drive, whatever other partition(s), but one ext3 or 4 format. (location to put frugal installs)

(this is UEFI standard requirement, and some computers, look for a fat32 partition, for boot loader files)

Use the program Frugalpup Installer to do the install of Puppy version(s) and a boot loader to boot them.

Run Frugalpup Installer main program.
On the main window are selection buttons.
Select the Puppy button, to do the install.
Go through install process, selecting to install to the ext formatted partition.
Note:
When selecting the partition to install to.
A window pops up, giving option to make a directory, to put the frugal install in.
I make this directory and usually name it, the name of the Puppy version.
Carefully read that windows info.
Press enter, makes the directory, not the OK button.
complete the install.

When it gets back to the main Frugalpup window.
Select the boot button.
Select the location of the frugal install, on the USB stick.
Select the 1st partition, the small 300MB partition on the USB stick, as location to install the boot loader. (may need to scroll the selection window)
Select the boot loader type.
UEFI
mbr ->legacy bios boot
both

You can install the UEFI for UEFI computers, mbr for legacy bios computers, or both, to boot anything.

The UEFI will also install the needed files, to support secure boot enabled in UEFI.

When you first boot the USB stick, on a UEFI computer, with secure boot enabled.
A process will start, to allow you to install the Puppy security key, to the computer.
It will add this Puppy key, to the other ones, loaded on the computer.

Note:
Not all UEFI computers are the same, for booting from a USB stick.
Some may require secure boot disabled, CSM enabled, or legacy boot enabled, to be able to boot from a USB stick.
So, for those computers.
The mbr boot loader will work, because the UEFI bios, is basically in, legacy bios operation.
Some computer bios setups have option to enable/disable USB booting. That would need to be enabled.

To put more frugal installs on the same USB stick.
Do the complete process again of using Frugalpup Installer, for the new Puppy version.
When you run the boot loader install.
It will make entries, for all installs it finds, on the USB drive.

Note:
There is a newer version of Frugalpup Installer
https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?t=337
You may want to download and install it before using it.

NOTE:
This procedure works for setup and installing on any type drive that is read/write.
I have used it for USB flash drives, internal or external hard drives or SSD, SD cards, etc......
.
.

[Governor]

This method allows for single or multiple Puppy versions installed on one USB stick.

A single boot loader setup to boot all installed.

8<------instructions snipped------

When you first boot the USB stick, on a UEFI computer, with secure boot enabled.
A process will start, to allow you to install the Puppy security key, to the computer.
It will add this Puppy key, to the other ones, loaded on the computer.

Note:
Not all UEFI computers are the same, for booting from a USB stick.
Some may require secure boot disabled, CSM enabled, or legacy boot enabled, to be able to boot from a USB stick.
So, for those computers.
The mbr boot loader will work, because the UEFI bios, is basically in, legacy bios operation.
Some computer bios setups have option to enable/disable USB booting. That would need to be enabled.

To put more frugal installs on the same USB stick.
Do the complete process again, for the new Puppy version.
When you run the boot loader install.
It will make entries, for all installs it finds, on the USB drive.

Note:
There is a newer version of Frugalpup Installer
viewtopic.php?t=337
You may want to download and install it before using it.

I got the new version of Frugalpup Installer (frugalpup-41.pet) from https://www.mediafire.com/file/me2y2dpr ... 1.pet/file
And installed it.
What is the Puppy security key?

[FloraMae]

Just mentioning Ventoy as it can be useful. So can Medicat.

https://www.ventoy.net/en/index.html

https://medicatusb.com/

I have not specifically tested frugal installs with either method but it might be possible. I use Medicat a lot to boot live media due to ease (drop isos in a folder and reboot).

Unless someone beats me to it, I might try looking into how easy/possible it would be to use either of the above for quick and easy frugal installs. A little under the weather right now so not up to testing yet.

[bigpup]

What is the Puppy security key?

The Operating System(OS) security key identifies it as a legitimate OS.

This is a requirement of UEFI bios
Computers with UEFI bios have an option to enable secure boot.

Secure boot requires there to be a Operating System(OS) security key, provided by the OS, installed on the computer.
Secure boot looks to see if there is a specific OS security key, before it will continue booting.

Disable secure boot in UEFI bios settings and no security key needed to boot the OS.

[geoslake]

Hi,

Is it possible to "clone" my currently running (frugalpup installed) usb copy to local hard drive ?
I tried with "pudd" but it didnt allow me to select my usb ssd as source (it only shows my my local ssd).
Then I tried Gparted, created the fat32/grub partition (flagged as boot and esp) and the ext4 one for puppy files.
It all seemed to work fine, but at boot it says "error : no such device : b-c7 blablabla...
So I guess the device number doesnt match the internal ssd....

Thanks

[mikewalsh]

@geoslake :-

It's perfectly possible to do this, yes; if the USB install has been running fine on a particular machine, cloning it to the main internal drive of the same machine should work just fine.....and in most cases, will run faster, too!

Your surmise about the non-matching "device number" probably IS what's holding things up. Running

Code: Select all

blkid

.....from the terminal will give a list of all detected drives & partitions, along with their respective UUIDs. It's the latter which will need changing in the boot stanza in order to "point" to the correct location, y'see.

Mike.

[geoslake]

Thanks Mike,

So I modified the UUID according to the results your command gave me? and it went further (i had to give the ssd partition the same name as the usb one as well).
It still wont boot...

Oh well, I might as well start from scratch, not a hard one.

Cheers

[d-pupp]

@geoslake The image is cut off and I can't see the whole line. However to me the pdrive= line looks wrong. It should be the drive uuid with no spaces.

Edit You should also change pmedia= to pmedia=atahd or pmedia-ataflash. atahd will write changes to the hard drive. ataflash will only write changes when you tell it too.

[bigpup]

Suggest you do a clean completely fresh install to the internal drive using the method I posted in the first post of this topic.

You can do it booting the USB install and running Frugalpup Installer from it.

After you get the frugal install and the boot loader installed on the internal drive. ( I suggest selecting to install both boot loaders)

If you installed the same Puppy version that is on the USB drive.

Copy the save file/folder from the install on the USB into the frugal install directory on the internal drive.

When the install on the internal drive boots, it will be using this save, and should be exactly like what is on the USB.

Note:
If copying a very large in size save file/folder.
Rox file manager may look like it has completed the copy, but it may not be finished. (it is a bug in Rox)
Give it more time to complete before closing Rox.

[geoslake]

Yeah did manage to do it yesterday with a fresh install.
It's not as easy as modifying the UIID and puppy folder name to get it to work.
Thanks guys