Easy grub4dos install with concept entries in menu.lst for BusterDog and Bionicdog

[fredx181]

Here's an easy way to install the grub4dos bootloader on HDD or USB, run script "weeinst", attached "grub4dos-weeinstall.tar.gz"

This way you just need to extract or mount the ISO, copy the "live" (Busterdog) or "casper" (BionicDog) folder to HDD or USB e.g. /mnt/sda1 or /mnt/sdb1
Best is to copy it to a parent folder you create with unique name (as in the examples in concept menu.lst "buster_dog" or "bionic_dog")

From Readme-weeinst:

Contents of this archive:
- weeinst, script to install grub4dos bootloader
- wee.mbr (for writing the MBR)
- grldr (grub4dos bootloader)
- menu.lst with example entries, see below
- this Readme

Run weeinst for making the drive bootable. Run from terminal in this directory:
E.g. from /mnt/sda1 or /mnt/sdb1
./weeinst

menu.lst included with concept entries for Busterdog, BionicDog, Puppy and Windows.
The entries for savefolder will only work if install is on ext (Linux) filesytem.

concept menu.lst (as included):

Code: Select all

timeout 10
default 0

title Busterdog in buster_dog - changes to buster_dog/live savefolder 
root (hd0,0)
 kernel /buster_dog/live/vmlinuz1 from=/buster_dog noauto changes=/buster_dog/live
 initrd /buster_dog/live/initrd1.xz

title BionicDog in bionic_dog - changes to /bionic_dog/casper savefolder 
 root (hd0,0)
 kernel /bionic_dog/casper/vmlinuz from=/bionic_dog noauto changes=/bionic_dog/casper video=SVIDEO-1:d
 initrd /bionic_dog/casper/initrd1.xz

title Busterdog in buster_dog - savefile: /buster_dog/live/changes.dat 
root (hd0,0)
 kernel /buster_dog/live/vmlinuz1 from=/buster_dog noauto changes=/buster_dog/live/changes.dat
 initrd /buster_dog/live/initrd1.xz

title BionicDog in bionic_dog - savefile: /bionic_dog/casper/changes.dat 
 root (hd0,0)
 kernel /bionic_dog/casper/vmlinuz from=/bionic_dog noauto changes=/bionic_dog/casper/changes.dat video=SVIDEO-1:d
 initrd /bionic_dog/casper/initrd1.xz

title Puppy Bionic in bpup
root (hd0,0)
  kernel /bpup/vmlinuz pmedia=ataflash psubdir=bpup  pfix=fsck,copy
  initrd /bpup/initrd.gz

title Load BOOTMGR of Windows 10
root (hd0,0)
chainloader /bootmgr

EDIT: Accidentally added the "video=SVIDEO-1:d" parameter, maybe not needed, remove if it's giving problems.

Fred

[J_D_]

I downloaded the Buster ISO and installed it with Lick. Fast and easy. I am really liking Buster so far.

[bark-woof-fetch]

Thanks Fred, your Readme-weeinst came in handy a few hours ago on your Debian-Sid-Dog when no Dog installer was included on the ISO and I didn't know how to proceed frugally without. Amazed how simple it is.

Re. Live boot 3, I haven't really figured out yet what exactly that is.

Dug/sniffed around github.com/DebianDog and found this on a Jessie wiki page:

It seems more complicated that the other 2 methods but it also has advantages like persistence for only one or more folders instead full persistence.

(from https://github.com/DebianDog/Jessie/wiki/Live-boot-3)

The three menu.list entry examples given below doesn't clarify that for me, just shows that each frugal partition, e.g DD-1, has its own corresponding persistence folder path. Which is sort of the same as porteus or....? Or does boot 3 method leave a smaller disk usage footprint?

The links to read more about live-boot-3x code options seems to be defunct (https://github.com/MintPup/DebianDog-Sq ... ,-4.0-docs and https://live-systems.org/manpages/stabl ... oot.7.html)

I also struggled to keep loaded modules consistent across reboots. Coming from SLAX (leave modules in a specific folder to boot them) and 5 minutes with the Puppy GUI where one can choose if they should be kept open upon reboot I didn't find a similar method in your Sid or BusterDog. Leaving a .sfs in /live/modules didn't work at least. Is a certain boot code needed for that?

[bark-woof-fetch]

from LIVE-BOOT(conf) by the Debian Live Project at https://live-systems.org/manpages/stabl ... onf.5.html, is that the Live boot 3 options for BusterDog?

Let's say we have a persistence volume VOL with the a persistence.conf
file containing the following four lines (numbered for ease of refer‐
ence):

1. /home/user1 link,source=config-files/user1
2. /home/user2 link,source=config-files/user2
3. /home
4. /usr union

The corresponding source directories are:

1. VOL/config-files/user1 (but it would be VOL/home/user1 without
the source option)
2. VOL/config-files/user2 (but it would be VOL/home/user2 without
the source option)
3. VOL/home
4. VOL/usr

And are they only available for BusterDogs by design or by choice? Ie. not for any of your buntudogs?

[fredx181]

Hi bark-woof-fetch

Dug/sniffed around github.com/DebianDog and found this on a Jessie wiki page:

It seems more complicated that the other 2 methods but it also has advantages like persistence for only one or more folders instead full persistence.

(from https://github.com/DebianDog/Jessie/wiki/Live-boot-3)

The three menu.list entry examples given below doesn't clarify that for me, just shows that each frugal partition, e.g DD-1, has its own corresponding persistence folder path. Which is sort of the same as porteus or....? Or does boot 3 method leave a smaller disk usage footprint?

Yes, live-boot, from original Debian-Live, it has many options, but as far as I know, it doesn't support save to folder, only save to file and to partition, the examples where it ponts to a folder mean that the savefile can there be found.

from LIVE-BOOT(conf) by the Debian Live Project at https://live-systems.org/manpages/stabl ... onf.5.html, is that the Live boot 3 options for BusterDog?
1. /home/user1 link,source=config-files/user1
2. /home/user2 link,source=config-files/user2
3. /home
4. /usr union
....
....

Yes, I must say that I have little experience with it, so don't understand what these options do exactly.

And are they only available for BusterDogs by design or by choice? Ie. not for any of your buntudogs?

The latest Ubuntu dogs (bionic, fossa) have only porteus boot option.

I also struggled to keep loaded modules consistent across reboots
..
Leaving a .sfs in /live/modules didn't work at least. Is a certain boot code needed for that?

Must be extension .squashfs, .sfs won't work.
Some options, e.g. optional: which to load, which not, or which to copy to Ram, "Always fresh" will not load them (I think, not sure atm) . Putting .squashfs in the live folder should work.
EDIT: Edited last sentences

Fred

[bark-woof-fetch]

thanks for checking the details Fred, I'll pursue the /home/user1 link,source=config-files/user1 option first and report back. Hope to be able to use it for a multiuser setup.

If it doesn't work out each user gets their own porteus boot menu.lst entry instead with corresponding savefile paths.