How to use Puppy save file on another pc?

[rijnsma]

I have a savefile on the pc I always use.
But here is no savefile on another pc. So when I run Puppy there it asks for a new setup.
It is not my intension to go and copy the savefile between machines or such.
Or can I do something clever with the savefile?

[backi]

@rijnsma

Maybe doing a "Remaster" ?.......to merge/fuse/integrate the Contents (Configurations) of the "save File/Folder" with the main puppyxxx.sfs ....?

[gychang]

I have a savefile on the pc I always use.
But here is no savefile on another pc. So when I run Puppy there it asks for a new setup.
It is not my intension to go and copy the savefile between machines or such.
Or can I do something clever with the savefile?

copy configuration files u need (e.g jwmrc-personal - keyboard shortcuts) from the save folder to the /root/.jwm/ folder of the new PC as long as u r running a puppylinux...

[rijnsma]

So it is not possible te run Puppy without this copying on an other pc.
Not all information to run it is ready on key.
No problem, Puppy is an unbelievable piece of art.

Very clear, thanks for the reply.

[mikeslr]

"So it is not possible te run Puppy without this copying on an other pc." Puppys are modular. They consist of (a) READ-ONLY file-systems contained in the ISO and deployed to the media from which a Puppy will boot; and (b) th READ-WRITE SaveFile-or-Folder into which you've installed applications, your customizations and settings.

I almost always 'customize' Puppys on my desktop. It has more RAM and a more powerful CPU than my laptop. But when I'm finished I'll transfer the result to my laptop. There's a catch: If you copy a SaveFile/Folder while it's in use the copied version may have errors. So I boot "pfix=ram" --so as not to use the SaveFile/Folder; or into another Puppy. I can then copy all files onto a USB-Key; and from there onto my laptop.

The SaveFile/folder will have the setting for my desktop: its wifi-card, its monitor, etc. It is rare that this causes a problem. Not finding the drivers and firmware for my desktop on the laptop, Puppys almost always 'guesses' the correct drivers and firmware to use: the same as it did when you first booted into Puppy before running 'QuickSetup first-run settings'. That application is triggered when, on boot-up, Puppy doesn't find a SaveFile/Folder. But it can be run from Setup Sub-Menu at any time.

Recently, the only settings Puppys sometimes guessed wrong are the dimensions to assign to the desktop. QuickSetup or Menu>Desktop>JWMDesk>Background quickly resolves that. Of course, if the zdrv.sfs (which contains drivers) and the fdrv.sfs (which contains firmware) do not have those necessary for the computer you are transferring into, that hardware will be unresponsive. But that would be the case even if you hadn't tried to transfer the SaveFile/Folder.

But you wrote "It is not my intension to go and copy the savefile". Your choice. But I can't think of any reason why not.

[Flash]

Is it not possible to keep the save file on the same flash memory stick where Puppy is kept, rather than in the PC? That way, Puppy would be portable.

[amethyst]

Try to boot the save file on another machine by using the pfix=nox parameter. This will stop the bootup with a prompt so you can setup Xorg manually by typing in "xorgwizard" at the prompt and then xwin after you have setup Xorg. Once you get to a working desktop you can change other hardware settings for the other machine.

[dogcat]

So it is not possible te run Puppy without this copying on an other pc.
Not all information to run it is ready on key.
No problem, Puppy is an unbelievable piece of art.

Very clear, thanks for the reply.

Hi rijnsma,

If you are using 1 USB key as boot device for 2 computers?

If the USB key (boot device) is a read-only device, the save file will have to be on the computer.

If the USB key is not a read-only device, there can exist multiple save files on the USB key. In that case I believe you can modify the menu.lst file to have a choice of which save file to use from the USB key (boot device).

If a save file is located on the USB key (boot device), it will take more time to boot and shut down than if the save file is on the computer drive.

[pp4mnklinux]

Is it not possible to keep the save file on the same flash memory stick where Puppy is kept, rather than in the PC? That way, Puppy would be portable.

Hi, I tested this and for me it was not the solution.

It is possible it works if u are using the dfault setings, but if u have made some modification (for example I installed LibreOffice, Opera and Slimjet EDITED "installed out of the save file to make it smaller and fastest to save") , save file cant find the files to use them.

As I said thkis is what happens to me, so it is my experience when using the save file in two different computers.

Have a nice day.

[bigpup]

I boot multiple computers using a Puppy version installed on a USB stick.
The Puppy version save folder is on this USB stick.

It works on any computer and loads and uses the save.
Anything stored in the save or stored on this USB stick is accessible and works.

The only issue I will have is WIFI connection setup has to be redone on each computer, because the computers are using different WIFI hardware.
So the setup last made on one computer, will not work on a different computer.

I use standard setup for mouse, keyboard, with graphics auto set by the boot process, so nothing there is an issue.

Not sure why pp4mnklinux is having problems with installed LibreOffice, Opera and Slimjet.
If normally installed, they should be in the save.
After the save is loaded, would be seen in the complete layered file system.

If these are used as SFS packages.
If not kept in the exact same location of /mnt/home, which is always the location of the save.
then that will cause files not being found.

[gychang]

Is it not possible to keep the save file on the same flash memory stick where Puppy is kept, rather than in the PC? That way, Puppy would be portable.

you can change the rename of save folder 1st letter e.g. fossapup64save to -fossapup64save..., then it will not be used on boot.

[gychang]

Is it not possible to keep the save file on the same flash memory stick where Puppy is kept, rather than in the PC? That way, Puppy would be portable.

it is possible but if u want a truely "portable" USB stick, i.e. want to use in another PC, the save folder is limited use since wifi/sound/display hardware will be different. If u want to boot into another PC, u may want to rename a save folder as mentioned above that way the save folder will not be loaded when booting in another PC. This may be useful.

[mikeslr]

The following discusses using multiple SaveFiles/Folders.

As I understand it, your objective is to boot Puppy from a USB-Stick from multiple computers. In order to do that all the applications you are going to use should be located on that Stick so that they are not only immediately accessible, but also that the settings within the Save point to the location where those applications --SFSes, AppImages, or portables-- are found. All SFSes, AppImages and portables can be copies without having to boot pfix=ram*.

I use amethyst's Utility Suite extensively, https://www.forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?t=1694. The Save2SFS module of that Suite enables you to capture all the content of (or which otherwise would be written to) a SaveFile or SaveFolder within a READ-ONLY advr.sfs and/or ydrv.sfs. No need to boot pfix=ram in order to accurately copy these. The only things in my SaveFile/Folder are settings, customizations and such applications I have yet to 'transfer' into an adrv.sfs or ydrv.sfs.

Consequently, my SaveFile/Folder is very small.. As bigpup and I have mentioned the SaveFile/Folder will have the appropriate settings and customizations for the original computer. These may have to be changed on your other computer. Although the following can be done with any size SaveFile/Folder using a small one conserves space and takes less time.

Puppys can make use of multiple SaveFiles/Folder. When on boot-up Puppy encounters more than one Save, the booting will stop and a menu will be presented for you to choose which (or none) Save to use. When you've booted into a Puppy without using a Save, on shut-down you'll be offered the opportunity to create a Save AND give it a descriptive name by typing in that description. But, having booted pfix=ram or using a different Puppy (or a different Save, see below), you can also Right-Click a Save and add a description.

For example, running Bionicpup64 if you did not add a description its SaveFile would be named Bionicpup64Save.sfs. But say you were going to use your 'Puppy on a Stick' from both Asus and Thinkpad laptops. After creating the first, say with the description Thinkpad, you'll have a SaveFile named Bionicpup64Save-Thinkpad.sfs. You can then boot pfix=ram, Right-Click Bionicpup64Save-Thinkpad.sfs, select Duplicate from the popup-menu, and create an exact copy but with the name Bionicpup64Save-Asus.sfs.

The first time you boot up from the Asus selecting the Bionicpup64Save-Asus.sfs you may have to change some settings, and customizations and Save those changes.

The above will also work with SaveFolders, if your USB-Key has a Linux formatted partition so that you can use SaveFolders.

-=-=-=-=-
How to boot 'pfix=ram'.
(1) Temporarily edit your menu.lst or grub.cfg. If you used grub2 as boot-manager it will create a grub.cfg file with listings each of which will have a line something like this, the relevant argument only colored for emphasis:

linux /bionic64/vmlinuz psubdir=/bionic64 pmedia=ataflash pfix=fsck

If your boot-loader is grub2config, frugalpup-installer, LICK or grub2 from a major distro, grub2 is the boot-manager. If your boot-manager is grub4dos --AFAIK, only now available as a Puppy built-in-- it will have created a menu.lst with a similar line, albeit beginning with the word 'kernel': e.g.
kernel /bionic64/vmlinuz psubdir=/bionic64 pmedia=ataflash pfix=fsck

These are text filed you can open in a text editor and change to read (for example if using grub2)
linux /bionic64/vmlinuz psubdir=/bionic64 pmedia=ataflash pfix=ram.

But you may not need to. IIRC, both grub4dos and grub2config and maybe frugalpup-installer will automatically write one stanza (titled RAM-Mode or NO-Save) including the pfix=ram argument.

(2) A SaveFolder is just a folder with a specific name, but it must be located on a Linux formatted partition. If so, you can create a SaveFolder by Right-Clicking an empty space next to your SaveFile or SaveFolder, select New>Directory and give it an appropriate name, e.g. Bionicpup64Save-Test. Although it will have noting in it, on boot-up Puppy will recognize that there is more than one Save, and present the aforementioned choice to boot without using any Save, i.e., pfix=ram.