Getting a card reader to work [Solved?]

[bigpup]

About the only needed specific kernel compiling, is drivers for specific hardware, that does not already have the driver, in the kernel.
Usually that is WIFI hardware and Graphics hardware manufactures driver. (kernel has the generic graphics driver)

The WIFI hardware is too new for the kernel being used. So, compiling needed driver is required.
But usually the newer kernel has been updated to have the needed driver for WIFI.

The graphics hardware will run with the generic driver that all Puppy versions have.
To get the more featured manufactures driver. Yes it does need to be compiled for the specific kernel.
But that is any kernel you use and any Puppy version.

So far for me.
Changing to a newer kernel has not broken anything that did work before the change.
Changing to an older kernel has broken stuff.

I said try changing the kernel.
change_kernels will make a backup of the old kernel and allow you to change back if you need to.

[bigpup]

Would it hurt to go with one of the most recent kernel versions in the non-Puppy-specific kernals subforum, like 5.15.18 - or is that not advisable, since I'm not using a more recent version of Puppy?

Sure, try it.

Unless this computer is really, really old. 15 years or more.
It is kind of a moving target, as to what hardware support, they drop from the kernel, with a newer version.

[Makoto]

I decided to try huge-5.14.1-bionicpup64.tar.bz2, from the archive first, since it's already set up for BionicPup.

But running change_kernels throws this error:

Does it not work with frugal installs, or does it think I'm running a full install?

[bigpup]

Always something new.

I have never seen that error.

change_kernels only works with a frugal install.
The files that are getting changed are only in a frugal install.
The frugal install has to be on a location that can be written to.
A CD install is read only.

Exactly where is the frugal install located?

Should be using one of these boot loader config files.
grub.cfg
menu.lst
syslinux.cfg

Look in the boot loader config file and see if the menu entry, used to boot with, has pmedia=cd, in it.
That could be causing the error.
To tell you what to change it to, I need to know exactly what type drive, the frugal install is on.

[Makoto]

I've always set up frugal installs alongside Windows in the root of my Windows system drives (C:), so these days, it would be on an NTFS drive. Maybe that has something to do with it?

I didn't know offhand where to find the files, so I used pfind. Let me know if I need to look elsewhere.

menu.lst (/usr/share/g4dos/pcd/menu.lst):

Code: Select all

#
# menu.lst
#

#color NORMAL   HIGHLIGHT   HELPTEXT    HEADING
#       f/b          f/b       f/b       f/b
color white/blue black/cyan white/black cyan/black

timeout 15
default 0

title #distrodesc#
  kernel /vmlinuz    pmedia=cd
  initrd /initrd.gz

title #distrodesc# - Don't copy SFS files to RAM\nIf you want more RAM available
  kernel /vmlinuz    pmedia=cd pfix=fsck,nocopy
  initrd /initrd.gz

title #distrodesc# - Check filesystem\ndo filesystem check on savefile (and host partition)
  kernel /vmlinuz    pmedia=cd pfix=fsck
  initrd /initrd.gz

title #distrodesc# - Force xorgwizard (xorgwizard)\nForce xorgwizard (if you are having problems booting puppy)...
  kernel /vmlinuz    pmedia=cd pfix=xorgwizard
  initrd /initrd.gz

title #distrodesc# - No X\nTry 'xorgwizard' after bootup succeed to start graphic mode.
  kernel /vmlinuz    pmedia=cd pfix=nox
  initrd /initrd.gz

title #distrodesc# - No Kernel Mode Setting\nNo KMS
  kernel /vmlinuz    pmedia=cd nomodeset
  initrd /initrd.gz

title #distrodesc# - Safe mode, no X\nTry 'xorgwizard' after bootup succeed to start graphic mode.
  kernel /vmlinuz    pmedia=cd pfix=ram,nox acpi=off apm=off nosmp noapic
  initrd /initrd.gz
  
title #distrodesc# - RAM only - no pupsave\nBoot up Puppy without pupsave
  kernel /vmlinuz    pmedia=cd pfix=ram
  initrd /initrd.gz

title #distrodesc# - Ram Disk SHell\nExecute 'init' then dropout to prompt in initramfs
  kernel /vmlinuz    pmedia=cd pfix=rdsh
  initrd /initrd.gz

title
  root

title Help - Boot Params
  configfile /menu_phelp.lst

title
  root
  
# Boot from Partition Boot Sector

title Boot first hard drive (hd0,0)
  root (hd0,0)
  chainloader +1 || chainloader /grldr || chainloader /bootmngr

title
  root

# additionals

title Grub4Dos commandline\n(for experts only)
  commandline

title Reboot computer
  reboot

title Halt computer
  halt

grub.cfg (/usr/share/boot-dialog/)

Code: Select all

insmod png
background_image /splash.png
set timeout=10

menuentry "Start DISTRO_DESC" {
    linux /vmlinuz pmedia=cd
    initrd /initrd.gz
}

menuentry "Start DISTRO_DESC - RAM only" {
    linux /vmlinuz pfix=ram pmedia=cd
    initrd /initrd.gz
}

menuentry "Start DISTRO_DESC - No X" {
    linux /vmlinuz pfix=nox pmedia=cd
    initrd /initrd.gz
}

menuentry "Start DISTRO_DESC - check filesystem" {
    linux /vmlinuz pfix=fsck pmedia=cd
    initrd /initrd.gz
}

menuentry "Start DISTRO_DESC - No KMS" {
    linux /vmlinuz nomodeset pmedia=cd
    initrd /initrd.gz
}

menuentry "Start DISTRO_DESC - Ram Disk SHell" {
    linux /vmlinuz pfix=rdsh pmedia=cd
    initrd /initrd.gz
}

menuentry "Shutdown" {
	halt
}

menuentry "Reboot" {
	reboot
}

(syslinux.cfg: not found)

[bigpup]

I've always set up frugal installs alongside Windows in the root of my Windows system drives (C:)

So is this a frugal install done by using the Lick installer program?

[Phoenix]

Eh regarding 'live cd' mode even if you don't have a CD, as in drive, or disk it will still treat as if you're in live cd mode. Change the pmedia=cd to pmedia=atahd

[Makoto]

I've always set up frugal installs alongside Windows in the root of my Windows system drives (C:)

So is this a frugal install done by using the Lick installer program?

Not to my knowledge. I'll test the CD to see if everything works, and if it does, then I'll start setting up the savefile while in the same session.

Eh regarding 'live cd' mode even if you don't have a CD, as in drive, or disk it will still treat as if you're in live cd mode. Change the pmedia=cd to pmedia=atahd

In which file(s)?

Shouldn't Puppy set everything to act as a normal frugal install once you decide to set up a savefile, though?

[Phoenix]

Should be in grub.cfg or menu.lst. They'll contain the aforementioned line which you should preferably change to your boot device, so that it doesn't simply ignore your device. If you want it to write (no temporary staging in RAM) then set it to atahd or usbhd. For the opposite ataflash/usbflash will give you the option to save, as well as periodic save intervals. ata is for the sata ports, that is your typical HDD or SSD. usb is for usb devices. SD cards... no idea!

Burning the ISO through whatever methods and booting the puppy will not automatically change it. This is because on an actual CD (usually read only/write once) you cannot write or modify its contents unless you use the extended filesystem ISO 13490 which only lets you add new stuff, not rewrite existing data. On a rewritable CD you can use UDF. However not all disk drives support this! So yes, you'll have to do this by hand since Puppy assumes that the media is not writable or modifiable (write-protected). Of course this assumption is sort of wrong since most now burn to a USB in a rewriteable format unless you decide you directly copy byte for byte the ISO onto it. (e.g dd) If you made the mistake of dd'ing you can delete the filesystem/partition off the USB.

[bigpup]

I am confused.

If you are trying to change the kernel running Bionicpup from a booted CD.
Can not do it.
The files that are going to get changed have to be on a drive that is writable.
A CD install is read only.
All the Bionicpup files on the CD are read only. Cannot move, change, delete, replace.

The frugal install has to be on a drive type that will allow read/write.
Hard drive, USB flash drive, SD card, etc...
Installed to a partition with a read/write format. (fat32, ntfs, ext2,3,or4)

Yes, after making a save for the CD install to use. It does operate like a frugal install as far as operation.
Stuff in the save only adds to what is provided by the read only files on the CD.
We need to delete and replace two of these read only files, but you cannot delete or replace from a CD install.

[Makoto]

bigpup,

I'm running from a savefile. bionicpup64save-<username>.4fs at the root of the system's hard drive. The ONLY time I use the CD is to boot to Puppy rather than Windows.

What I mentioned before, is that traditionally, every time I test a new version of Puppy, I'll boot from the new Live CD - and if everything works, I'll proceed to create a savefile. No messing around with Lick, as far as I'm aware.

[bigpup]

The ONLY time I use the CD is to boot to Puppy rather than Windows.

Than you are running Puppy from a CD install.
With the save on the internal drive.

Cannot do change kernel with that type install.
The files that need replacing cannot be replaced, because they are burned into the CD. Cannot be deleted or removed, replaced.

The frugal install has to be a drive that you can read/write to.

Can you boot the computer from a USB drive?
If yes.
Do a live or frugal install to a USB and boot using it.
That you can delete, install, replace stuff from.

[Makoto]

I don't have any spare USB flash drives around to test. Even then, I'd prefer to have an SSD if I was going to start booting Puppy from USB.

Meanwhile, I've had the ISO for FossaPup 64 9.5 sitting on my tower downstairs for a couple weeks or so, so I decided to burn a CD today and test it. In FossaPup, the reader does work properly. It's a slight bit slower (maybe a second or two) to register inserting or removing the card, but it appears on the desktop as sdd1 and can be used just like a USB flash drive.
FossaPup's kernel on this end is reported as 5.4.53. While earlier than 5.10, that does imply that a more recent version of the kernel (than BionicPup's default) would indeed properly support the reader.

I don't know if I'm going to switch to FossaPup, yet, but at least I guess I can be reasonably sure the reader will work there.

[Makoto]

I'm marking this with "Solved?" for the time being. It does appear that the reader will work properly under a more recent version of the kernel (at least 5.4.X?), but I haven't tested that with BionicPup, to be sure. I've since switched to FossaPup, where the reader does work as expected.

[bigpup]

Fossapup64 9.5 is a better version to use.

It is basically the improved version of what Bionicpup64 8.0 is.

Fossapup64 has much newer versions of everything, plus many improvements to overall system operation.

The latest versions of web browsers will work better running in Fossapup64 9.5.