How to move a save file/folder to a HD install?

[Zarius]

So, I think I'm finally ready to throw my first copy of Puppy on to my computer (fossapup, specifically, if it matters), but I don't know what to do once I've finished the install process. I've got a thumbdrive I've got my install on (frugal install, not live install), and it's set up as far as I can get it with only an 8g jump drive. So, once I've got everything slapped on to my computer... How do I move the settings and such over?

[backi]

Hi @Zarius
Do not quite understand what you are trying to accomplish.
So far i have understand you`ve installed your Pup to an USB-Stick.(What kind of Boot loader?)..to make your first Tests with Puppy Linux?...Is it working so far for your Purpose?

What`s next?......now you will install or copy it to your PC's Hard-Drive? (i hope frugally) ?
A bit confusing....at least for me.

Normally just copy the whole Shebang from the Usb-Stick to you PC's Hardrive (best to create a separate empty Folder name it somehow for Example "Fossapup") on a ext3 or 4 formatted Partition.....and copy the Content of your USB-Stick to this Place).

You also need to make an menu.lst Entry for your (copied) Puppy on your Hardrive.....so it can be found at startup on your HDD.
Same as you did for your USB-Stick.What kind of Boot Loader do you use? (Grub4dos?)
Please explain more detailed.....these are really frugal Infos....
A bit confusing....at least for me.

Edit:
Since the Title of your Thread is "Moving a save file/folder"?
so you just want to copy the Save File/Folder......or what?
So why not just copy it ?.......don`t move it......copy it.....where ever you want......or don`t you know how to do it?

Please show menu.lst Entry of your Usb-Stick and your Hdd.

[JASpup]

Slappy Focal

You move a save file by copying it. I don't use folders so I'll defer to someone who uses them.

It seems like you're asking how to move your USB frugal boot to your internal HD. There's a program in the Setup menu called Puppy Installer.

Otherwise if you can make Puppy boot from your HD, using your save file is literally as simple as copying it over to the same directory that has your vmlinuz and initrd.gz files.

I have seen an exception if you're booting .iso (the actual file not extracted), but if you're normal, don't worry about it.

[backi]

As JASpup wrote:

Use the Puppy Installer.

[bigpup]

Before you do anything.
Is Fossapup64 going to be the only operating system(OS) on the internal drive?
If no.
What other OS's are going to be on the drive?
Is Windows on the drive and you are going to keep it installed?

[mikeslr]

See this post: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=218

If you use the Universal Installer --Menu>Puppy Installer-- and your computer is UEFI you will (a) overwrite the builtin UEFI installer and (b) your computer won't boot anything. The Puppy Installer is grub4dos and grub4dos can't boot UEFI computers.

I don't know what people mean by "Live Install", unless they are referring to booting via Supergrub2 or Ventoy which boot operating systems directly from ISOs: that is, it does not first unpack the ISO to the storage media in order to read the (previously packed) contents of the ISO into RAM. But you have have a Frugal Install on your USB-Key.
To boot any operating system requires a bootloader which 'calls' that operating system. Currently you have two: one on your USB-Stick which call Fossapup; and another on your hard-drive which calls whatever operating system(s) you currently have there.
So you two objectives: one to move/copy your Frugal Fossapup onto your Hard-drive. The Second to create a boot-loader or edit the one on your hard-drive so that it will boot Fossapup. The best general advice I can provide is that you read the threads which appear relevant to your situation from both these Sections: Boot viewforum.php?f=155; Install viewforum.php?f=156.

Sorry, I have to run. But provide more details and someone may provide more detailed advice before I get back.

Edit: Well, I'm back. As Jafadmin says here, viewtopic.php?p=36183#p36183 "One (boot) Tool to Rule Them All"; and links you to shinobar's Grub2config post: viewtopic.php?p=29703#p29703 from which you can download and install grub2config-2.0.1.
As shinobar explains, grub2config-2.0.1 only installs a boot-loader. "You can install Puppies manually or using some tool like Frugalinstaller. Although Frugalinstaller has its own thread, viewtopic.php?p=1588#p1588 shinobar has conveniently provided on the same repo as grub2config-2.0.1 a version which works with grub2config.
The following is how I would copy your fossapup64 to your hard-drive and install a boot-loader:
1. Boot into your Fossapup64 on your USB-Key.Download and install grub2config-2.0.1.
2. Select partition on hard-drive where you want your Fossapup to be located. If you are using Fossapup64's default JWM-rox managers, hovering your mouse-cursor over the desktop drive-icons just above the Taskbar. A tool-tip will appear telling you its size and how it was formatted. You don't want the small boot partition, usually the first and identified as sda1. And if you have Windows on that computer you probably will have a 10Gb +/- Recover partition. You don't want that either. A Linux formatted partition would be best as it will enable you to use a SaveFolder rather than a SaveFile. But Puppys will happily reside on Fat32 and ntfs partitions. [Ask if you want to/need to create a Linux Formatted partition and need instructions].
3. Left-Click the partition you selected. From the popup window select New>Directory and give it a name, e.g. fossa64. Left-Click the folder you just created to open it. Leave that window open.
4. Open a 2nd File-manager window to your USB-Key. If it is necessary to see the following files Left-Click the folder in which they are located: initrd.gz, vmlinuz, puppy_fossapup64_9.5.sfs and zdrv_fossapup64_9.5.sfs.
5. Left-PRESS, HOLD, then drag each of those files into the folder on your hard-drive and select "Copy". Also copy any other file ending in ".sfs" into that folder, EXCEPT do not, as yet, copy any fossapup64save-xxx.xfs or fossapup64save folder. Copying a SaveFile/Folder while it's in use can generate errors. See Step 7.
6. Run grub2config-2.0.1 after making the following decision: On laptops I install the boot-loader to the laptop as the following, slightly safer, method is inconvenient. On desktop computers, I format a small-as-I-can-find USB-Stick to Fat32; then install the boot-loader to it. With boot priority set to first try to boot from a USB-Stick, I boot Puppies by first plugging the stick in. Unplugged, the computer uses its other boot-loader to boot Windows or the installed other distro.
7. Boot into fossapup64 on your hard-drive. Plug-in the USB-Key you used in Step 1. Left-Click it to mount/open it. Then file-browse so that you can see your SaveFile/Folder. Left-Press, Hold, than drag it adjacent to the puppy_fossapup64_9.5.sfs on your hard-drive; i.e., into the same folder. Select copy.
8. Exit, selecting reboot. Do not --unless you want to-- accept the offer to create a SaveFile/Folder. On boot-up, fossapup64 should use the transferred SaveFile/Folder.

[Zarius]

Mike & Bigpup, yeah. I've got a handle on that bit (which is why I did a frugal install on the thumb drive first). I used the "full" installer to format my thumb drive, then did a frugal install and then used the boot loader installer built in to the install menu. Boots perfectly from the thumb drive. I would hope that doing the exact same thing to my HDD would work exactly the same? If not, now is the time to start shaking me like a baby.

Backi, that's exactly what my current plan is, and yeah, it's doing exactly what I want it to do. My next step is to see if the game I *want* to play on it are functional, but most of them are, sadly, more than 8 gigs each, and so the thumb drive is a negative for that. I was planning to create an entirely separate partition for a frugal install of the OS before I finally wipe windows. And if I have to keep windows, I have exactly zero issue with replacing the normal boot loader with a GRUB-type, I've done it before with normal Ubuntu installs. So, if I understand you correctly, I don't even need to run anything? I can just take the frugal install on my thumb drive and, quite literally, copy it to a new folder or partition on my computer's main HDD, and then I can just run the boot partition installer on the thumb drive and boot that way? This is what you seem to be saying to me, so hopefully I have it right.

Jaspup, The third part is what I was looking for, yeah.

[Zarius]

See this post: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=218

If you use the Universal Installer --Menu>Puppy Installer-- and your computer is UEFI you will (a) overwrite the builtin UEFI installer and (b) your computer won't boot anything. The Puppy Installer is grub4dos and grub4dos can't boot UEFI computers.

I don't know what people mean by "Live Install", unless they are referring to booting via Supergrub2 or Ventoy which boot operating systems directly from ISOs: that is, it does not first unpack the ISO to the storage media in order to read the (previously packed) contents of the ISO into RAM. But you have have a Frugal Install on your USB-Key.
To boot any operating system requires a bootloader which 'calls' that operating system. Currently you have two: one on your USB-Stick which call Fossapup; and another on your hard-drive which calls whatever operating system(s) you currently have there.
So you two objectives: one to move/copy your Frugal Fossapup onto your Hard-drive. The Second to create a boot-loader or edit the one on your hard-drive so that it will boot Fossapup. The best general advice I can provide is that you read the threads which appear relevant to your situation from both these Sections: Boot viewforum.php?f=155; Install viewforum.php?f=156.

Sorry, I have to run. But provide more details and someone may provide more detailed advice before I get back.

Edit: Well, I'm back. As Jafadmin says here, viewtopic.php?p=36183#p36183 "One (boot) Tool to Rule Them All"; and links you to shinobar's Grub2config post: viewtopic.php?p=29703#p29703 from which you can download and install grub2config-2.0.1.
As shinobar explains, grub2config-2.0.1 only installs a boot-loader. "You can install Puppies manually or using some tool like Frugalinstaller. Although Frugalinstaller has its own thread, viewtopic.php?p=1588#p1588 shinobar has conveniently provided on the same repo as grub2config-2.0.1 a version which works with grub2config.
The following is how I would copy your fossapup64 to your hard-drive and install a boot-loader:
1. Boot into your Fossapup64 on your USB-Key.Download and install grub2config-2.0.1.
2. Select partition on hard-drive where you want your Fossapup to be located. If you are using Fossapup64's default JWM-rox managers, hovering your mouse-cursor over the desktop drive-icons just above the Taskbar. A tool-tip will appear telling you its size and how it was formatted. You don't want the small boot partition, usually the first and identified as sda1. And if you have Windows on that computer you probably will have a 10Gb +/- Recover partition. You don't want that either. A Linux formatted partition would be best as it will enable you to use a SaveFolder rather than a SaveFile. But Puppys will happily reside on Fat32 and ntfs partitions. [Ask if you want to/need to create a Linux Formatted partition and need instructions].
3. Left-Click the partition you selected. From the popup window select New>Directory and give it a name, e.g. fossa64. Left-Click the folder you just created to open it. Leave that window open.
4. Open a 2nd File-manager window to your USB-Key. If it is necessary to see the following files Left-Click the folder in which they are located: initrd.gz, vmlinuz, puppy_fossapup64_9.5.sfs and zdrv_fossapup64_9.5.sfs.
5. Left-PRESS, HOLD, then drag each of those files into the folder on your hard-drive and select "Copy". Also copy any other file ending in ".sfs" into that folder, EXCEPT do not, as yet, copy any fossapup64save-xxx.xfs or fossapup64save folder. Copying a SaveFile/Folder while it's in use can generate errors. See Step 7.
6. Run grub2config-2.0.1 after making the following decision: On laptops I install the boot-loader to the laptop as the following, slightly safer, method is inconvenient. On desktop computers, I format a small-as-I-can-find USB-Stick to Fat32; then install the boot-loader to it. With boot priority set to first try to boot from a USB-Stick, I boot Puppies by first plugging the stick in. Unplugged, the computer uses its other boot-loader to boot Windows or the installed other distro.
7. Boot into fossapup64 on your hard-drive. Plug-in the USB-Key you used in Step 1. Left-Click it to mount/open it. Then file-browse so that you can see your SaveFile/Folder. Left-Press, Hold, than drag it adjacent to the puppy_fossapup64_9.5.sfs on your hard-drive; i.e., into the same folder. Select copy.
8. Exit, selecting reboot. Do not --unless you want to-- accept the offer to create a SaveFile/Folder. On boot-up, fossapup64 should use the transferred SaveFile/Folder.

I appreciate this instructional set *greatly*, thank you, sir, you have been repeatedly helpful in my first foray in to the pup OS.

[JASpup]

O-kay so the incompatibility bug hasn't been updated.

A few other concerns one being your boot challenge isn't that complicated and the big guns are brought in.

Half the challenge is communication.

I can just take the frugal install on my thumb drive and, quite literally, copy it to a new folder or partition on my computer's main HDD, and then I can just run the boot partition installer on the thumb drive and boot that way?

Yes with some caveats: The newly created boot menu points to Puppy, so it matters where you put it on the HD. In my experience (learning the hard way) the tools don't like more than one deep, so there is the top menu "/" option, or "/puppy_fossapup64_9.5" for the directory files and that's it.

The Windows tool I began on created a third level directory called "multiboot" that I had to unlearn.

After copying if G2C finds it, it should boot. You're overwriting a Windows bootloader so that's a commitment.

Windows has a price tag on it + reinstallation inconvenience if you ever need it for anything at all. I've only found coexistence a problem on very old desktop computers.

[Zarius]

Okay, so, I've made the transfer (everything is currently running smoothly. But I went in to Puppy Even Manager to set autosaving, and it's not available. So... This looks like it's supposed to be normal, but I'm not sure. Is it normal? Does having it installed on an actual HDD circumvent the need for manual saves?

Also, important question. Now that I've moved it over, I no longer have the resource monitor on the right side of my desktop. Which I had wanted to look at to make sure the drive is respecting the SWAP partition I set up... Can I get that [b][i]back[/i][/b]?

[Feek]

AFAIK, to set the autosave is possible in pupmode 13.

The current running pupmode is mentioned in puppy event manager. Your Puppy is probably running in pupmode 12, is it?

To change it to pupmode 13 the boot parameter "pmedia=usbflash" (booting from usb flash drive) or "pmedia=ataflash" (booting from hard drive) has to be used.
The bootloader on your device has a config file somewhere (e.g. menu.lst, syslinux.conf). Open it in a text editor and add the parameter to the kernel line. Save the file.
After reboot it should be possible to set autosave.

[mikeslr]

Feek's got it. But just to clarify. Currently your boot-loader's menu.lst, grub.cfg or syslinux.cfg may use the argument "pmedia=atahd" or say nothing about pmedia on the line beginning "linux" or "kernel". [grub4dos starts the line with kernel. AFAIK, all others start it with linux]. You don't want to have both pmedia=atahd and pmedia=ataflash. So if the argument reads pmedia=atahd, change it to pmedia=ataflash. If it says nothing about pmedia, add pmedia=ataflash.

[HerrBert]

Okay, so, I've made the transfer (everything is currently running smoothly. But I went in to Puppy Even Manager to set autosaving, and it's not available. So... This looks like it's supposed to be normal, but I'm not sure. Is it normal? Does having it installed on an actual HDD circumvent the need for manual saves?

Also, important question. Now that I've moved it over, I no longer have the resource monitor on the right side of my desktop. Which I had wanted to look at to make sure the drive is respecting the SWAP partition I set up... Can I get that back?

Just to answer the first question: Yes, this is the normal behaviour.

If you don't mind that changes are written to your hard drive immediately, you don't need to change your boot configuration.

I haven't got a clue why conky doesn't start. Usually it is started from /root/Startup/conkystart (though it has no shebang).

[mikewalsh]

@Zarius :-

The behaviour you describe is perfectly normal for a frugal installed to your HDD. AFAIK, they default to saving changes as those changes are made (auto-saving), so no; you don't get that option presented.

Others know more about this than I do, but from what I understand it is perfectly possible to set-up a HDD frugal to behave like a USB frugal.....in other words, it will save at regular intervals, OR you can set it for purely manual 'saves', as & when YOU decide you want to save. It involves changing what's known as the "Pupmode" - of which there are several different ones to choose from - and it's these that determine 'save' behaviour, and how Puppy behaves in general.

Those who are more "in the know" can advise further on this one.

Mike.

[Zarius]

Oh, no, I'm perfectly find with that. I was worried that something was wrong when I remembered to hit the save button, and it wasn't there. I'm going to use I it as my primary OS, so it's way nicer to not have to worry it.

The name of the program helped, was able to boot it manually and it's showing the swap. Thanks, everyone.