USB installer programs 0ther OS's use to install Puppy to USB

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USB installer programs 0ther OS's use to install Puppy to USB

Post by bigpup »

USB flash drive installers
Installers, that can be used in other operating systems, to install Puppy Linux on a USB flash drive.

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UNetbootin to install to USB
(has Linux or Windows version)
http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

Note:
The latest version of Unetbootin (v702) is not able to do a good install that will boot.

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universal-usb-installer
(runs in Linux)
https://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal ... -as-1-2-3/
Note:
Because this installer is not specifically made for Puppy installs and does not understand Puppy boot options.
To make sure the pupsave will be used.
On the flash drive, locate the file syslinux.cfg. Open it in a text editor. Delete the argument "pfix=ram".

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Rufus USB installer
(Runs in Windows)
https://rufus.akeo.ie/
Warning:
Latest version has issues with some Puppy versions ISO files.
Download v3.17 portable from here https://www.fosshub.com/Rufus-old.html and it will work.

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usbimager
https://github.com/trollcop/usbimager
Make sure to get the correct version 32bit or 64bit for the OS you run it in.

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Etcher (maybe)
I only offer it as maybe it will work.
Some it works, for others (like me) no it does not.

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NOTE:
These USB installers do not know about the different Puppy Linux boot options, that can be added to a boot menu entry.
They may add a option that is wrong or not needed.

If having any boot problems.
Look on the USB for the boot loader config file.
grub.cfg
syslinux.cfg
Or something similar.

Open the file in a text editor.
Look at the entries for pmedia= option.
It will probably be pmedia=cd
This has to be changed to pmedia=usbflash

May have other boot menu entries using different pfix options.
Pfix=
Boot options:
pfix=ram ->this keeps save from being loaded.
pfix=nox ->keeps X server from starting and boots to prompt.

When you can boot a running Puppy version.
Use the installers, that are in the Puppy version, to do Puppy installs.

Last edited by bigpup on Fri Jul 16, 2021 11:15 pm, edited 8 times in total.

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Re: USB installer programs 0ther OS's use to install Puppy to USB

Post by maulers »

Thank you very much.

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Re: USB installer programs 0ther OS's use to install Puppy to USB

Post by PipzDex »

Hi bigpup
about usb installers
I share my experience doing my installation of any version of puppy in USB in Frugal mode, using Grub4dos using any version of puppy

First of all
1.-I open Gparted and format the USB as EXT4 (not FAT32),
2.- I mount the USB and I'm going to copy the puppy (s) that I want
3.- copy the essential files of the ISO (SFS, vmlinux and initrd) you can do it within folders and with several distros at the same time, the other files do not use it
4.- I opened Grub4dos and within its normal menu, I select the USB drive
5.- I select the option to search only within this device
6.- When I am in the list step of detected operating systems, in the pmedia option it appears as usbfllash, change it to "usbhd" leaving the entry like this in menu.lst
title Puppy precisely 5.8 (sdc1/precisely-5.8)
find --set-root --ignore-floppies --ignore-cd /precisely-5.8/initrd.gz
kernel /precisely-5.8/vmlinuz psubdir=/precisely-5.8 pmedia=usbhd pfix=nocopy
initrd /precisely-5.8/initrd.gz
And that's it...
You reboot, select the usb to start and woof! works!

You will notice that in the pfix option I have a condition as "nocopy", in my case I usually have good performance between devices so I don't need to copy the sfs to memory, in any other case it can be as you wish ...

Using this method and with the type of partition used, the USB does not need to be backed up every so often since it does it live as the HDD works and when saving the session it does so with the savefolder inside the usb and in the folder of the puppy what are you using ...

Well this is my experience, in fact I am using the puppy installed in USB as I mentioned as proof that it works
I attach you screen
Screenshot.png
Screenshot.png (86.6 KiB) Viewed 12790 times
I hope this option is useful for some other user who, like me, suffers a lot and sometimes resorting to another PC with "that" other S.O.

If something of the process that I share does not work for some strange reason, tell me and I am sure we will find the solution

Cheers! :thumbup2:

Pentium (R) 2.20GHz I RAM: 8.0 GB I F96-CE_5 I Kernel 6.6.8-64oz-ao I Glibc: 2.31 I 1600x900 Px

My Puppy Stuff and more

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Re: USB installer programs 0ther OS's use to install Puppy to USB

Post by dancytron »

PipzDex wrote: Mon Oct 05, 2020 9:09 pm Hi bigpup
about usb installers
I share my experience doing my installation of any version of puppy in USB in Frugal mode, using Grub4dos using any version of puppy

/snip

Cheers! :thumbup2:
This is basically what I do to, although I intentionally set it to pfix=ataflash because I want to have the save button and save on command (ie pupmode 13) regardless of what kind of drive it actually is.
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Re: USB installer programs 0ther OS's use to install Puppy to USB

Post by bigpup »

OK, Thanks!

But!

The title of the topic is USB installers other OS's use.

Like to keep the information about what non Puppy OS's can use.

The things you do not tell us, are usually the clue to fixing the problem.
When I was a kid, I wanted to be older.
This is not what I expected :o

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Re: USB installer programs 0ther OS's use to install Puppy to USB

Post by s243a »

Here's a popular one that wasn't mentioned above:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/etcher.mirror/

Also many linux iso can be directly written to the usb via dd since they were created using isohybrd.

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Re: USB installer programs 0ther OS's use to install Puppy to USB

Post by r96chase »

s243a wrote: Sun Nov 08, 2020 5:32 am

Here's a popular one that wasn't mentioned above:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/etcher.mirror/

Also many linux iso can be directly written to the usb via dd since they were created using isohybrd.

I used Etcher to create my Raspup microSD card for my Raspberry Pi 3B+.

I am a crash-course Linux novice. :lol:

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Re: USB installer programs 0ther OS's use to install Puppy to USB

Post by mikewalsh »

s243a wrote: Sun Nov 08, 2020 5:32 am

Here's a popular one that wasn't mentioned above:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/etcher.mirror/

Also many linux iso can be directly written to the usb via dd since they were created using isohybrd.

Yes, it was. Read post #1 again, carefully this time. Halfway down the page:-

Etcher
(has Linux or Windows version)
https://www.balena.io/etcher/

Never worked for me, regardless of OS/platform I've tried it in.....

Mike. ;)

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Re: USB installer programs 0ther OS's use to install Puppy to USB

Post by bigpup »

mikewalsh,
s243a was correct about Etcher not in the first post.

I added it after I read s243a's post about Etcher.
(first post Last edited by bigpup on Tue Nov 10, 2020 7:12 am)

I too have never gotten Etcher to work running in Puppy Linux.
Did get it to work running in Windows 10.
It did seem to be a little unforgiving and hard to get a good result.
I guess people can use it in other than Puppy Linux, maybe :roll:

Anyone but me and mikewalsh tried it???

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Re: USB installer programs 0ther OS's use to install Puppy to USB

Post by mikewalsh »

@bigpup :-

Ah. Fair enough!

I know some people over at BleepingComputer, where I moderate, swear by it as being the best thing since sliced bread, but as I said, I have never got a successful result with the thing anywhere at all. Certainly, it refuses to "play ball" in Puppy...

Y'know, I've had a thought about that. I think I know why Etcher doesn't work for us.

Although other Linux OSs also 'mount' their media to a mount-point, for the 'big boys' it seems they primarily mount removable drives to the /media directory.....and that's NOT something Puppy uses, is it? I wonder if it might be possible to create a /media directory and mount to that instead.....and THEN see if it works.

Worth a try, I suppose. What d'you think?

Mike. ;)

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Re: USB installer programs 0ther OS's use to install Puppy to USB

Post by bigpup »

Do not want to do it in this topic.

How about starting a new topic about getting Etcher to work in Puppy.
We and others could probably figure out what is wrong.

Etcher does give an error message with a bunch of stuff listed about why it is not working.
Maybe that info will tell what is needed.

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Re: USB installer programs 0ther OS's use to install Puppy to USB

Post by tosim »

Re Etcher-FWIW-It uses the "dd" cmd. So You could basically use "dd" cmd, instead of Etcher. I've used it in Mint, but never tried it with a Pup.

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Re: USB installer programs 0ther OS's use to install Puppy to USB

Post by s243a »

tosim wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 4:10 pm

Re Etcher-FWIW-It uses the "dd" cmd. So You could basically use "dd" cmd, instead of Etcher. I've used it in Mint, but never tried it with a Pup.

Which only works if the ISO was created with isohybrd.

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Re: USB installer programs 0ther OS's use to install Puppy to USB

Post by mikeslr »

Grey has brought USBImager to our attention, viewtopic.php?p=21503#p21503 "It works perfectly and it seems that russian colleagues have not received any complaints from users on the topic of writing a USB drive for a long time. Read: .img, .bin, .raw, .iso, .dd, .gz, .bz2, .xz, .zst, PKZIP and ZIP64." Further details and links to programs at above post.

There are both Windows and Linux versions. :thumbup: :D

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Burn to USB-Key from Windows, Linux, Mac, even Rasberry Pie

Post by mikeslr »

Continuation of above post. Just wanted to have a searchable title. Grey's post provided these links:

https://github.com/trollcop/usbimager
https://gitlab.com/bztsrc/usbimager

usbimager-info(1).png
usbimager-info(1).png (68.98 KiB) Viewed 5688 times
usbimager screenshots.png
usbimager screenshots.png (173.63 KiB) Viewed 5688 times

Grey has published a pet for fossapup64, viewtopic.php?p=21514#p21514. May work under other 64-bit Puppies. (Untested by me). Thanks, Grey. :thumbup:

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