Using Unetbootin to install Puppy to a USB drive

[bigpup]

Unetbootin is designed to do live installs of Operating systems to a USB drive.

The latest version can be downloaded from here:
https://unetbootin.github.io/

This topic is based on using Unetbootin V702
It seems to work much better than it's older versions.

There is a Windows version or a Linux version.
So pick the version for the operating system you are going to run it in.

If you want to use it running in Puppy Linux.
The Linux version has a 32bit or a 64bit version.
So it will run in 32bit or 64bit versions of Puppy.
Just pick the correct one to use.

NOTE:
The Linux version will download as a .bin file and not have execute permissions.
After you give it exec permissions.
Rename the file removing .bin from the name.
Then you click on it to run it.
EXAMPLE:
unetbootin-linux64-702.bin change name to unetbootin-linux64-702

The Unetbootin web site has the details on how to use it.
So simply follow the information given there.

Installing Puppy Linux
What follows is specific info for doing an install of Puppy Linux.

Most people are going to install to a USB stick that comes with one partition and formatted fat32.
(this format is better seen as a bootable device by all computers)

Best if you already have the Puppy ISO downloaded, so it can be used as the source for the needed Puppy files.

Start Unetbootin.
Select the option Diskimage.
Enter the location info for the location of the Puppy ISO. (can use the search button to find and enter into the input slot)
Type:Select USB drive
Drive: Select the correct USB drive you want to install to.
WARNING:
Make sure you select the correct drive.
Click OK.
Let Unetbootin completely finish and when done it should say finished.

Now for some specific tweaking to make Puppy boot better.

Puppy has some boot commands, that tell the boot process to run Puppy in a specific way, based on the type of drive it is installed on.
So it is best to have these commands setup for a USB install.

These commands are in the boot loader menu config file entries.
The boot menu config file, that is provided in the Puppy ISO, is setup for booting from a CD/DVD install.
They will work for booting from a USB install, but Puppy will run as if it did boot from a CD/DVD install.

The boot loader entry command that needs to be changed is the pmedia=cd
It needs to be changed to pmedia=usbflash

Look on the USB for these files. They are the common files used to provide the boot menu entries.
grub.cfg
syslinux.cfg
menu.lst

Most likely grub.cfg is the one being used, so it only needs to be edited.
But if there, editing the others is OK to do also.
It depends on the type of bios the computer has as to what file is used.

Example:
Open the grub.cfg file in a text editor.
Look in the entries for pmedia=cd
Change it to pmedia=usbflash
Save changes.

Now the Puppy on the USB will boot working the way it should for running from a USB install.
This can make it boot better with less error messages.
But mainly it gives better control for how the Puppy save is used.
When the save is updated and if it is updated.
The save options will now be available in the Puppy event Manager -> Save Session

[bigpup]

How to be able to make the save on the USB, a folder and not a save file.

Because the format of the partition on the USB is fat32.
The save can only be made as a save file.
Because of the max file size limit of fat32 format.
The save files max size is limited to 4GB.

A save folder has no set size limit. It is only limited by amount of free space on the partition.
But to make a save folder, the partition format has to be a Linux format.
ext2, 3, or 4.

Here is one way to get a partition on the USB that is formatted in an ext format.

Boot with this new USB install of Puppy.

First time you boot the USB install of Puppy.
Before you make a save!
At this time the USB is not mounted, so Gparted can work on it.

Run Gparted program.
Select it to working on the USB Puppy is on.
Select the partition
Select to resize.
Make the partition smaller in size.
It only needs to be 1 or 2 GB in size. (the Puppy install is only going to be on it)

Note:
Resizing, making the partition smaller, will not delete anything on the partition.
The Puppy install will still be there, as long as you keep the partition big enough to hold the Puppy install.

Now there should be a large unallocated area on the drive.
Select it and make a partition out of it formatted ext 3 or 4.
When complete close Gparted.

When you do the first shutdown and are asked to make a save.
Select the 2nd partition as the location to put the save.
It should now offer the choice to make the save a folder.
Select make save a folder.

Now the USB will have the Puppy install on the first partition and the save folder on the 2nd partition.

Example:
USB drive is /dev/sdd
F96-CE_1 Puppy version installed.
.

Screenshot.jpg (32.01 KiB) Viewed 1275 times

.
This is sdd2 partition, but I am booting from the USB install.
So the location of the save is always /mnt/home to Rox file manager

Screenshot(1).jpg (10.38 KiB) Viewed 1275 times