Installing Puppy on VMware WorkStation - Part 1

[RyPuppy]

############################## Part – 1 : BEGIN ##############################

This is how I Installed Puppy Linux on VMware Workstation Player within a Windows 11 environment. I used FossaPup64-9.5 distro for this install. It should work the same for most other Puppy’s. Installation using Oracle’s virtual environment VirtualBox https://www.virtualbox.org should be similar.

Downloads

1) VMware WorkStation Player

https://www.vmware.com/go/downloadplayer

Free version is available for non-commercial, personal and home use.

2) fossapup64-9.5.iso

https://distro.ibiblio.org/puppylinux/puppy-fossa/

Code: Select all

fossapup64-9.5.iso		2020-Sep-17 06:15:20	409.0M	application/x-iso9660-image
fossapup64-9.5.iso.md5.txt	2020-Sep-17 06:15:20	0.1K	text/plain; charset=utf-8
fossapup64-9.5.iso.sha256.txt	2020-Sep-17 06:15:22	0.1K	text/plain; charset=utf-8
manual.css			2020-Sep-17 09:50:20	1.3K	text/css; charset=utf-8
puppylogo32.png			2020-Sep-21 15:52:29	3.4K	image/png
puppylogo96.png			2020-Jun-24 11:50:03	21.5K	image/png
release-fossapup64-9.5.htm	2020-Sep-17 11:13:07	87.2K	text/html

On Windows 11 desktop

Create the following folders
C:\VM
C:\VM\ISO
C:\VM\PuppyLinux

Copy downloaded ISO file fossapup64-9.5.iso into C:\VM\ISO.
Launch VMware workstation Player & create new Virtual Machine .

1.1-VMware-Create.png (35.8 KiB) Viewed 5848 times

Choose values as provided below and click next at each step:
- Installer Disc Image File : C:\VM\PuppyLinux\ fossapup64-9.5.iso
- Guest Operating System : Ubuntu 64 bit
- Virtual Machine Name : Puppy Linux - FossaPup64-9.5.ISO
- Location: C:\VM\PuppyLinux\
- Maximum disk Size (GB) : 1 (less than 500 MB needed for minimal install)
- Store virtual disk as a single file: YES

Click on “Customize Hardware” & make changes if needed.

1.2-VM-Hardware.png (4.99 KiB) Viewed 5848 times

Click ‘Finish’ to complete.
The new Virtual machine should show up in the list.

1.3-VM-Player.png (3.36 KiB) Viewed 5848 times

############################## Part – 1 : END ##############################

Am unable to post multiple Images. Cannot upload more than 3 Images.
Will be posting Instructions in multiple parts.

[RyPuppy]

############################## Part - 2 : BEGIN : ##############################

Select new VM – “Puppy Linux - FossaPup64-9.5.ISO “ & Click Play.


Press CTRL-G to grab input from Keyboard / Mouse and work within VMWare- Puppy Boot Menu.
Press CTRL + ALT to switch back to Windows desktop.


2.1-VM-BootMenu.png (82.2 KiB) Viewed 5842 times

Choose 'RAM only - no pupsave'

Puppy boots up into the default desktop.

Make any desired changes and close the initial SETUP windows.
- Quick Setup
- Intenet Connection / Setup / I need help

2.2-PL-Default.png (94.47 KiB) Viewed 5842 times

GParted VM Hard-drive configuration
Create 2 Partitions
1. Boot_Loader VFAT 50KB
2. PuppyLinux ext4 1GB (Remaining)

Using GParted, Format Partition 1 as FAT32 & Partition as ext4.
Set flag bootable for Partition 1 (Boot_Loader).

Launch app Gparted : Menu --> System --> GParted
Choose – sda internal drive – Vmware, VMware Virtual S (1.0G) & click OK

Create Partition Table
Click GParted --> Menu Device --> Create Partition Table
set Select new partition table type : gpt and click Apply

2.3-GParted-A.png (31.82 KiB) Viewed 5842 times

Create 1st Partition - 100 MB - Fat32 for Boot Loader

Click GParted --> Menu Partition --> Create new Partition

Free space preceding (MiB): 1
New size (MiB): 100
Free space following (MiB) 923
Align to: MiB
Create as: Primary Partition
Partition Name: Boot_Loader
File System: fat32
Label: Boot_Loader

Click "Add" to add Partition-1

Create 2nd Partition - 1 GB (minus 100MB) - ext4 for Puppy Linux
Click GParted --> Menu Partition --> Create new Partition

Free space preceding (MiB): 0
New size (MiB): 923
Free space following (MiB) 0
Align to: MiB
Create as: Primary Partition
Partition Name: Puppy_Linux
File System: ext4
Label: Puppy_Linux

Click "Add" to add Partition-2

############################## Part - 2 : END : ##############################

[RyPuppy]

############################## Part - 3 : BEGIN : ##############################
GParted - Format Partitions

Right Click "New Partition #1 - Boot_Loader" --> Format to --> fat32

Right Click "New Partition #2 - Puppy_Linux" --> Format to --> ext4

3.1-GParted-CreatePartition.png (27.31 KiB) Viewed 5836 times

Click --> GParted --> Menu Edit --> Apply all operations (OR Click CHECK mark Icon)

Once all changes were applied successfully, make Partition-1 boot-able
Click --> GParted --> Partition Window --> Right Click "/dev/sda1' --> Manage Flags --> Pick "boot"

3.2-GParted-BootFlag.png (33.89 KiB) Viewed 5836 times

close 'GParted' Window.

Confirm Partition Creation

3.3-GPartitionAfter.png (171.26 KiB) Viewed 5836 times

- 2 more Drive Icons - sda1 & sda2 should show up on the desktop
- Click on the 2 Drive Icons and 'Folder' windows should pop-up for both

############################## Part - 3 : END : ##############################

[RyPuppy]

############################## Part - 4 : BEGIN : ##############################
Puppy Install
Launch Menu "Install" by clicking Menu --> Setup --> Puppy Installer or Install Icon on desktop

4.1-Installer.png (86.18 KiB) Viewed 5834 times

At Installer window : "Puppy Installer" choose Internal Hard drive / SSD
At : Choose which drive to install to click on Hard Drive Icon for "sda VMware VMware Virtual S, size 1.0G"
At : Info about the chosen drive: sda1, sda2 click on "Install Puppy to sda2:"

4.2-Installer-SDA2.png (16.51 KiB) Viewed 5834 times

Click OK in the next Window with contents :

You have chosen to install Puppy to partition /dev/sda2, which as a ext4 filesystem and size 933 M.
Press OK button to install Puppy...


Next Window : Puppy Folder Name
...
Enter a unique name for the folder. No spaces.
FossaPup64-9.5-Frugal

Next Window : Puppy Installer - Grub4dos
...
Would you like to install Grub4dos?
Choose YES

Next Window : Grub4dosConfig
Press button OK

4.3-Grub4Dos.png (24.72 KiB) Viewed 5834 times

Next Window : Grub4dosConfig - Error

Code: Select all

Boot flag not found on sda.
Some BIOS not boot from the drive which has no boot flag. Click 'CANCEL'..

Ignore error and click 'Proceed anyway' as we have set 'boot' flag for '/dev/sda1'

Window : Grub4dosConfig - List of detected operating Systems
Frugal installed Puppy : Puppy fossapup64 9.4 (sda2/FossaPup649.5Frugal)
Options : pmedia=atahd pfix=fsck
Windows: first entry is always shown... Keep this entry. Windows

Window : Grub4dosConfig - Confirmation
boot loader (Grub4Dos) will be installed on sda(MBR)

Click OK to proceed with the install

Window: Grub4dosConfig - Success

Code: Select all

Grub4dos successfully installed. The file 'grldr', 'menu.lst' is on /mnt/sda1.
You can edit 'menu.lst' before reboot.

Old MBR is saved: /mnt/sda1/sda1_mbr.bak.
To restore MBR, type on console: "cat /mnt/sda1/sda_mbr.bak > /dev/sda'

Click OK to quit the program.

Puppy Installation is now Complete

Review and close other Puppy Install related windows that popped up
- Puppy Installer : You can manually setup you GRUB, LILO...
- NEWGRUBTEXT - - /tmp/apps/puppyinstaller - Geany

Post - Installation - Confirmation

Mount sda1 & sda2 drives by clicking on their desktop icons.

Confirm MENU FILE exists in the Boot_Loader partition /sda1

Check file : /mnt/sda1/menu.lst

Code: Select all

#  Frugral installed Puppy

title Puppy fossapup64 9.5 (sda2/FossaPup649.5Frugal)
    find --set-root uuid () 1d3e...629
    kernel /FossaPup649.5Frugal/vmlinuz pdrv=1d3e...629 pdrv=1d3e...629 psubdir=/FossaPup649.5Frugal pmedia=atahd pfix=fsck
    initrd /FossaPup649.5Frugal/initrd.gz

# Windows
...
# Advanced Menu
title Advanced menu
    configfile /menu-advanced.lst
    commandline

Confirm Puppy Linux folder is created and populated with .sfs, vmlinuz and initrd.gz files.

Run the command ls -l /mnt/sda2/FossaPup649.5Frugal/ in Console window

Code: Select all

root # ls -l /mnt/sda2/FossaPup649.5Frugal/

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 239190016 Nov 20 12:56 adrv_fossapup64_9.5.sfs
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 411688966 Nov 20 12:56 fdrv_fossapup64_9.5.sfs
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   1372644 Nov 20 12:56 initrd.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 101199872 Nov 20 12:56 puppy_fossapup64_9.5.sfs
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   6575264 Nov 20 12:56 vmlinuz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  27963392 Nov 20 12:56 adrv_fossapup64_9.5.sfs

############################## Part - 4 : END : ##############################

[Uni]

Hi RyPuppy

I'm new in the Puppy Linux world! This is the first time that tries to install it. Thanks for your great step-by-step tutorial. I had a small issue with your tutorial which I will explain below:

The Problem:
I tried it many times on my VMWare Workstation Pro 16, but after the last Part#4 and when I restart the Linux, I encounter the following error message in dos mode, and nothing boots:

wee 0> find --set-root /grldr
wee 15> /grldr
wee 17>

Find the problem:
I searched the net and I saw this topic in the old forum of Puppy Linux:
PLinuxlinux frugal installation, problem booting [Solved]

I didn't find my answer there so I dig more into this topic:
How to install Fossapup64 on HD? - Lenovo S-205 - (SOLVED)

In one of the replies, they mentioned:

Note:
If you use a GPT partition table. Only the UEFI boot loader can be installed.
A msdos partition table. Can install UEFI, legacy, or both types of boot loaders.

Issue:
And since you mentioned in Part#2 to set the partition type to gpt:

Create Partition Table
Click GParted --> Menu Device --> Create Partition Table
set Select new partition table type: gpt and click Apply

That's it! You set the partition table to gpt which only works under UEFI boot, but then in Part#4, you asked to select the 3rd option in Install App, the "Install Puppy" tab, and the "Installer" option which only can support non UEFI. (That's another reason why we get that "Grub4dosConfig - Error" window in the following steps)

Solutions:
1. [WORKING] Select msdos partition table type (solution for Non-UEFI):
This is the simplest solution! If in Part#2 instead of selecting gpt type we choose msdos type, the rest of the tutorial works fine! even we will not see "Grub4dosConfig - Error" window in Part#4 anymore. So, after restarting, the Puppy Linux will boot up from VM HDD.

2. [NotWORKING] Select gpt partition table type (solution for UEFI support):
Well! in Part#2, We will set gpt as the type of partition tables, and then in  Part#4 we should select "Frugalpup - install/manage installs" item in Install App, the "Install Puppy" tab. Then I could copy files on VM HDD by selecting the "Puppy" button and copy boot files by selecting the "Boot" button.(I'm not sure if I do all of these correctly too! but it seems some files will copy into both partitions) But after restarting, It will not boot up from VM HDD! I didn't find any good tutorial about it.

What do I have:
Host OS: Windows 10 Enterprise - x64 - 21H2 B.19044
Host Ram: 32GB
Host Processor: Intel i7 7700
fossapup64-9.5.iso
VMware Workstation Pro v16.2.4
My VM Configuration:

Thanks again for your great tutorial. If there is another tutorial than this one about how to use the "Frugalpup - install/manage installs" option, please give me a link because It didn't works for me!

Best, Uni

[GiT]

While I appreciate the effort above and detailed instructions, it's so much more cleanly explained here (even though it's an 8.0 install, you can still get through on 9.5 and it was just updated here in Feb 2023):

https://www.wikihow.com/Install-Puppy-Linux