How to boot Fossapup64 from USB stick? (solved)

[jupy]

Greetings!

I'm trying to get Fossapup64 running on my laptop. I downloaded the 64 bit ISO from the forum link, checked the sums (all good!), and used balena etcher (freshly re-downloaded) to write the iso onto a USB stick.

Popped the usb stick into laptop and chose to boot from it, but ended up with grub.

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Booting 'find /menu.lst, /boot/grub/menu.lst, /grub/menu.lst'
GRUB4DOS 0.4.6a 2019-10-28, Mem: 630K/511M/486M, End: 368792

Tried running `boot` and got the error:

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Error 8:  ...  Kernel must be loaded before booting

Okay, so I then ran `kernel`. I'm not too familiar with grub but it seemed like the right thing to do. I got another error:

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Error 22:  ...  No such partition

Looking at the README.txt on the usb stick, I see it talking about the init files, BUT it says that the kernel should be running before the init file is reached. Sooo, I'm kind of lost...

Thanks for your time reading. Also, seems like a nice community here

[rockedge]

@jupy Hello and to the kennels!

I think we can get this straightened out for you. There are community members well versed in getting a Puppy Linux booting from an USB stick that can help guide you and will chime in here at some point.

Looks like it's the way the USB was created and Fossapup64 installed on it is the culprit here.

I noticed a good link for information on creating a boot-able USB stick with a Puppy Linux installed. https://www.forum.puppylinux.com/viewto ... 522#p40522

And here for a current discussion on a similar situation -> viewtopic.php?p=74483#p74483

[bigpup]

Specific info about the computer what is it and specs?

I assume the USB stick was clean, had not been setup for some other operating system boot, better yet was new and never been used.
If used before, had been reformatted to fat32 or partitioned as one partition formatted fat32.

If it got installed correctly.
It should boot to a menu, where you have several selections, for how you want Fossapup64 to boot.
First entry is a normal boot.

Are you even getting to this boot menu?

balena etcher is the problem. This installer really does not understand what is needed to get Puppy properly installed.
A lot of the free USB installer programs, do not understand exactly how to setup a USB for Puppy booting.

Read this topic:
viewtopic.php?t=157

I suggest you use Unetbootin to do the install to USB. Use the Fossapup64 9.5 ISO, you downloaded, as the source.
(The USB stick does need to have one partition and it formatted fat32)

If the computer has UEFI bios.
Before trying to boot Puppy, you need to disable secure boot in the UEFI setup.
This is because, Puppy ISO's do not have the needed files, to install the needed Puppy security key, for secure boot.
Just as the computer powers on, should be a specific F key or escape key, that pressed, will bring up the UEFI bios setup.
Some place in it, will be option for secure boot enable/disable. Look for a security section.

[mikeslr]

Ditto what bigpup wrote if you are trying to deploy Puppy to a USB-Key under some Linux OS. See my post here, viewtopic.php?p=6801#p6801 which repeats the specific recipe bigpup posted to the 'old forum'.

Understanding the problem: Almost all Linux Operating systems (and Windows) are designed to deploy what are sometimes referred to as 'Full Installs'. That is they require at least one partition of their own and - in operation - constantly read from and write to that partition. Programs/Applications to deploy them to USB-Keys expect that structure. Puppys, on the other hand, are designed as portable operating systems with (optionally, but built-in) what under other Linuxes is referred to as 'persistence'*. Most 'burning' applications don't understand that structure and botch the job of deploying Puppys to a USB-Stick, either rendering the Stick not at all boot-able, or if boot-able not write-able eliminating the possibility of persistence*.

* A Puppy only requires its own folder. That can be (or be on) a USB-Stick; or on any partition even if another operating system (Windows or Linux) also uses that partition. Persistence is the ability to install applications other than those which the creator included --and the customizations and settings you make-- AND to have those additional things immediately available and present upon reboot. Puppys achieve this thru the use of SaveFiles or SaveFolders which on boot-up are mounted and read into RAM, over-writing any conflicting files read into RAM from the files-systems provided by the creator of the Puppy. A SaveFile can be used with any drive/partition whatever its format might be; but it has a fixed size that can only be increased. A SaveFolder can only be used on a Linux Formatted partition. It will automatically expand as you install files/applications into it; if necessary it will grow to use all the available space on a partition.
The foregoing does not exhaust the subject and its advantages over 'a full install'. And I'll do no more here than to refer to another method of achieving persistence: Save2SFS using nicOS-Utility-Suite, https://www.forum.puppylinux.com/viewto ... 983#p12983

[jupy]

Hi again, and good news!

I tried it again with Unetbootin, and it works now! I'm glad to hear that puppy is persistent. I didn't know that's what it's called, but it's ideal for me to be able to use a different computer and just take my stick with me.

I'll drop some more info about my situation even though it's resolved in case someone else ends up with this problem in the future. I had used the stick before, but not formatted it myself - I think etcher automatically handles that somehow, and I just let it do its thing. When booting from the USB stick, it went straight to grub - I didn't reach the boot menu.

Thank you all

[mikewalsh]

@jupy :-

We've been experimenting with many different USB installer tools - as well as writing a number of our own! - for several years. Most of the community are in agreement by now that, out of the 'traditional' installers available out there, UNetbootin is the only one that seems to consistently create a viable, functioning Puppy.

Balena Etcher is one of a group of 'dd'-based installers. In other words, it uses the infamous 'dd' - sometimes known as 'disk destroyer' for its habit of being capable of wrecking a drive due to ignorance on the part of the user - to produce a byte-for-byte copy of whatever ISO file is being used. Regardless of the style of distro being used, this means it also invariably copies the ISO9660 file-system across, too.....and ISO9660 is, by nature & specification, 'read-only'.

It's useful for creating a LiveUSB that will allow one to try-out any Linux distro, then let you perform a full install to your internal drive, should you decide you like it.....but it's useless for creating a distro that could be used on a daily basis, and let you install and save apps/programs for continued use.

Puppy's construction is somewhat unique; it was originally designed for installing to USB, many years ago when flash memory was rather less robust than it is now. So, it was built to run entirely in RAM, wherever possible, only saving changes back to a dedicated, specially-crafted file at regular intervals.....and this is the aspect that traditional installers simply don't understand.

UNetbootin has the unique ability to create a 'persistence' file for any of the Ubuntu-based 'flavours'.....so it must understand the way Puppy creates & deals with such a file. At least, that's MY theory as to why it consistently works where all others consistently fail.

BTW - to the "kennels"!

Mike.

[bigpup]

it's ideal for me to be able to use a different computer and just take my stick with me

.
Yes you can do that, but understand that if you made a save and it is located on the USB stick.
The save has settings in it, for the hardware of the computer you were using, when the save was made.

So use it on another computer and you will need to do specific hardware setup, for that computers hardware.

Usually that only involves Internet connection network setup.

[mikeslr]

it's ideal for me to be able to use a different computer and just take my stick with me

.
Yes you can do that, but understand that if you made a save and it is located on the USB stick.
The save has settings in it, for the hardware of the computer you were using, when the save was made.

So use it on another computer and you will need to do specific hardware setup, for that computers hardware.

Usually that only involves Internet connection network setup.

As bigpup wrote it usually only involves having to re-setup internet connections. But --without providing details, ask if you're interested-- if there are only a couple of computers you'll be working with keep these possibilities in mind:

You can create more than one SaveFile. If you already have a SaveFile or SaveFolder you can boot 'pfix=ram'; ask how. That will boot without using the SaveFile/Folder and at shutdown you'll be asked again if you want to create a SaveFile/Folder.

Or you can use the Make Save module of the Utility Suite. https://www.forum.puppylinux.com/viewto ... 983#p12983.

You get to provide part of the name for each SaveFile; e.g. fossapup64save-thinkpad, fossapup64save-office. When there's more than one, on boot-up the process will halt and you'll have the choice of which Saves to use, or none.

Fossapup64 can use both an adrv.sfs and a ydrv.sfs. It came with adrv_fossapup64_9.5.sfs. But you can Right-Click>rename it ydrv_fossapup64_9.5.sfs because in the 'merge file-system in RAM' adrvs have priority. Rather than putting all the other applications you want into a SaveFile/Folder, you can 'capture' them in either an adrv or a ydrv. [The above mentioned Suite can be used to modify existing adrvs and ydrvs]. Then your very small SaveFiles need only have specific settings and customizations for each computer.

Or you can 'capture' all your needed applications in either/or-both the READ-ONLY adrv and ydrv, always boot into a pristine file-system without worrying about what contaminants may reside on the computer you are using or malware downloaded while you are surfing. If you are not using a SaveFile/Folder you operating system exists only in RAM and RAM is wiped on shutdown/reboot.

Or any variation of the above.

Puppy's unique way of doing things presents some hurdles to get started; but greater flexibility than any other operating system once you're up and running.

[kris777]

I have the same problem with the official version: FossaPup64 9.5
and latest: S15Pup64-22.12+1-T.iso

Booting 'find /menu.lst, /boot/grub/menu.lst, /grub/menu.lst'
GRUB4DOS 0.4.6a 2019-10-28, Mem: 630K/511M/486M, End: 368792

more info in this thread
viewtopic.php?p=75134#p75134
ps.
I know that by installing the USB system in this way, I will not get a fully-fledged PuppyLinux system with session saving ... but at least the system should start read-only ... and then you can only make a properly working USB system with the write option from the PuppyLinux menu. Unetbootin is not working properly for me! (for linux OS) I rarely use Windows!