Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

@mikewalsh , GRUB2 is about 2 decades old. This is not new. Just that the world have worked together to keep it current with what manufacturers have submitted to keep us rolling on a Linux platform. Still works and world still supports it.

BUT, it will change of course. In fact, except for people like us who are willing to follow Linux, all of this is changing as we go...now!

Look at the world of users and the products provided us, and you can see where we are heading.

Change is forever! Often times as an improvement.

BTW: This offering from @Shinobar is not really supporting a change. Rather, it appears to be a "helper".

mikewalsh wrote: Sat Sep 18, 2021 2:31 am

Mm-hm. I can honestly say that in all my years with Puppy, it's the one thing that's been a 'constant'; always dead reliable, never lets me down. Even though this new rig is UEFI-based, I invariably run the kennels in 'legacy' mode. Because it just "works".

Absolutely. That said, though, there are other uses for puppy linux besides as a personal computer. I have several puppy thumb drives that I use to boot/fix other machines, and quite often those other machines are configured for UEFI. Having a flash drive that can boot in all scenarios is a big advantage.

@shinobar

Interested in trying grub-mount. This quote is from the grub 2.06 manual.

The program grub-mount performs a read-only mount of any file system or file system image that GRUB understands, using GRUB’s file system drivers via FUSE. (It is only available if FUSE development files were present when GRUB was built.)

Have used grub2config to install grub2, but if I try to use the grub-mount command it gives an "error can't find command grub-mount". Does grub2config comply with the FUSE condition?

Thanks
wizard

Hi @shinobar,

Is it possible to boot directly ISO files on hard drive with grub2config? When I tried to use grub2config, manually modifying my menu config entries, I had problems. One problem was that the "map" command wasn't recognized.

I can set up grub4dos, grub2 and syslinux to boot ISO files, memdisk method or not. Before I keep trying to configure grub2config, I'm curious if there is already a solution or testing with ISOs.

Thanks.

G'day,
I'm hoping to convert an Acer E-51 laptop with Windows10 to a triple booter. Keeping a reduced Windows10, trying Mint, and then a collection of 64-bit Puppies.

1. With the W10 drive wizard, I shrank Drive C from 900GB to 130GB and made 3 new ntfs partitions, for Mint, shared data and Puppies (later convert one partition to ext4).

2. I removed the several BIOS security boot hurdles and inbuilt W10 obstructions, and installed Mint from a USB to one of these new partitions. Turning the computer on, Mint now gives the expected black and white boot screen, Mint as first option followed by a few other lines including Windows. Mint runs well as does the original Windows 10.

3. With more BIOS editing and trials-and-errors, I enabled booting from a USB of BionicPup-80. I installed the Grub2config pet to this USB Pup save-file which now shows in the 'Menu' next to the Grub4Dos old app supplied with BionicPup-8.0.

4. Grub2config running from the USB shows the installed OSs (Mint, W10) plus some manual Puppy 'installs' (screenshot 1).

5. When I click to add the new boot set-up to sda2, I get a failure message (screenshot2).

In case it will help, I took shots of sda2 root (screenshot3), EFI on sda2 (screenshot4 not loading?) and sda2/EFI/boot directories (screenshot5 not loading).

How can I fix the Grub entry to achieve adding Puppies to W10 and Mint?

Is editing Mint's config file (its menu.lst equivalent somewhere on sda2?) an easy alternative?

This is all new to me - I'm used to computers >10 years old so this laptop is a 'new trick', or will be if I can be told what to do.

Thanks.

David S.

davids45 wrote: Sat Jan 15, 2022 5:09 am

G'day,
I'm hoping to convert an Acer E-51 laptop with Windows10 to a triple booter. Keeping a reduced Windows10, trying Mint, and then a collection of 64-bit Puppies.

1. With the W10 drive wizard, I shrank Drive C from 900GB to 130GB and made 3 new ntfs partitions, for Mint, shared data and Puppies (later convert one partition to ext4).

2. I removed the several BIOS security boot hurdles and inbuilt W10 obstructions, and installed Mint from a USB to one of these new partitions. Turning the computer on, Mint now gives the expected black and white boot screen, Mint as first option followed by a few other lines including Windows. Mint runs well as does the original Windows 10.

3. With more BIOS editing and trials-and-errors, I enabled booting from a USB of BionicPup-80. I installed the Grub2config pet to this USB Pup save-file which now shows in the 'Menu' next to the Grub4Dos old app supplied with BionicPup-8.0.

4. Grub2config running from the USB shows the installed OSs (Mint, W10) plus some manual Puppy 'installs' (screenshot 1).

5. When I click to add the new boot set-up to sda2, I get a failure message (screenshot2).

In case it will help, I took shots of sda2 root (screenshot3), EFI on sda2 (screenshot4 not loading?) and sda2/EFI/boot directories (screenshot5 not loading).

How can I fix the Grub entry to achieve adding Puppies to W10 and Mint?

Is editing Mint's config file (its menu.lst equivalent somewhere on sda2?) an easy alternative?

This is all new to me - I'm used to computers >10 years old so this laptop is a 'new trick', or will be if I can be told what to do.

Thanks.

David S.

Think you need a new topic/post rather than posting here!
Also, please attach the file mentioned in the error you screenshotted.
But this can be set manually. You will need the UUID of your partitions via GParted, the boot files (vmlinuz and initrd.gz, and of course your puppies base .sfs files).

Use this template:

menuentry 'Bionicpup' {
 search --no-floppy --set=root --fs-uuid <UUID>
 linux /vmlinuz pmedia= (usbhd,atahd,ataflash,cd,usbflash, that's all I know) pfix= (fsck,nocopy,nox,rdsh,ram) <insert any other flags recognized by puppy or the kernel>
 initrd /initrd.gz
 }

Note that the filepaths written here can be changed of course, but the UUID is a must. The other flags are not needed, but might be something you want.
pmedia controls PUPMODE which determines the behavior of how it saves/operates. cd for pmedia causes Puppy to act like its a LiveCD even though it may be booting off a usb (and also in the process not allow changing kernels via quickpet). pfix are flags that have some use, such as ram meaning puppy fully running in ram and without a savefile. fsck is fsck. nox means no graphical session, rdsh halts the boot operation midway, such that you are still running off the initrd.gz/ramdisk. nocopy means not to copy base .sfs files into memory.

G'day Phoenix,

Thanks for the reply.

Here's the error log text I think you asked for:

/usr/sbin/grub2config
version 2.0.1
Sun 16 Jan 08:40:04 AEDT 2022
splash start Searching.
sda|931.5GiB_ATA_ST1000LM024_HN-M
sdb|7.2GiB_Imation_Classic(Removable)
2
splash end Searching.
Choosed:sda
Checking sda...
The backup GPT table is corrupt, but the primary appears OK, so that will be used.
The backup GPT table is corrupt, but the primary appears OK, so that will be used.
Boot Partition:sda2(vfat)
sda:true
sdb:false
SEARCHPARTS
/dev/sda1|ntfs|614400
/dev/sda2|vfat|307200
/dev/sda4|ntfs|133120000
/dev/sda5|ntfs|209028909
/dev/sda6|ntfs|114238636
/dev/sda7|ntfs|17026048
/dev/sda8|ext4|197166080
/dev/sda9|ext4|200570880
/dev/sda10|ext4|104556544
PUPPY_DEPTH=2
splash progress Searching.
PUPDIRS on sda1:
PUPDIRS on sda2:
PUPDIRS on sda4:
PUPDIRS on sda5:
PUPDIRS on sda6:
PUPDIRS on sda7:
PUPDIRS on sda8:
PUPDIRS on sda9:/mnt/sda9/imppup961 /mnt/sda9/bionicpup80 /mnt/sda9/fossa95 /mnt/sda9/SLC202012
PUPDIRS on sda10:/mnt/sda10/boot
Other Linux:/boot/grub/grub.cfg, SUBDIR:/boot, PUPSFS:
MYPUPPY=sdb1/puppy_bionicpup64_8.0.sfs
PUPPIES:sda9/bionicpup80/puppy_bionicpup64_8.0.sfs,initrd.gz|bionicpup64_8.0
sda9/imppup961/puppy_imppup64_9.6.1.sfs,initrd.gz|imppup64_9.6.1
sda9/SLC202012/puppy_slc_64_2020.12.sfs,initrd.gz|slc_64_2020.12
FULLINSTS:sda10/boot/grub/grub.cfg|Linux_Mint_20.3_Una
WININSTS:
BOOTMGRS:
WINEFIS:
sda2/EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi
sda2/EFI/OEM/Boot/bootmgfw.efi
LINEFIS:
sda2/EFI/ubuntu/shimx64.efi
TOPEFIS:
sda2/EFI/boot/bootx64.efi
COMPAT_MENU=2
splash end Searching.
Checking sda...
The backup GPT table is corrupt, but the primary appears OK, so that will be used.
The backup GPT table is corrupt, but the primary appears OK, so that will be used.
splash start Installing. Please wait...
Old menu '/mnt/sda2/grub.cfg' is backuped as 'grub-prev.cfg'.
Writing... /mnt/sda2/grub.cfg
sda9/bionicpup80/puppy_bionicpup64_8.0.sfs,initrd.gz|bionicpup64_8.0
sda9/imppup961/puppy_imppup64_9.6.1.sfs,initrd.gz|imppup64_9.6.1
sda9/SLC202012/puppy_slc_64_2020.12.sfs,initrd.gz|slc_64_2020.12
sda10/boot/grub/grub.cfg
sda2/EFI/ubuntu/shimx64.efi
TODRIVE:sda
Writing menu completed.
Checking sda...
The backup GPT table is corrupt, but the primary appears OK, so that will be used.
The backup GPT table is corrupt, but the primary appears OK, so that will be used.
TOPDIR:/mnt/sda2
Extracting /usr/lib/grub2config/grub2pup-efi.tar.xz...
Installing UEFI bootloader on /dev/sda, /mnt/sda2 ...
./
./EFI/
./EFI/Puppy/
./EFI/Puppy/grubx64.efi
./EFI/Puppy/mmx64.efi
./EFI/Puppy/grub.cfg
./EFI/Puppy/bootx64.efi
./puppy.cer
'/mnt/sda2/EFI/Puppy/grubx64.efi' -> '/mnt/sda2/EFI/boot/Puppy/grubx64.efi'
'/mnt/sda2/EFI/Puppy/mmx64.efi' -> '/mnt/sda2/EFI/boot/Puppy/mmx64.efi'
'/mnt/sda2/EFI/Puppy/grub.cfg' -> '/mnt/sda2/EFI/boot/Puppy/grub.cfg'
'/mnt/sda2/EFI/Puppy/bootx64.efi' -> '/mnt/sda2/EFI/boot/Puppy/bootx64.efi'
EFI variables are not supported on this system.
Failed to register Puppy boot loader.
splash end

Thanks for any guidance.

David S.

@davids45 It seems like you don't have UEFI or that it can't find the EFI variables for modification. However the files required for booting are present and will still boot. Select the MBR option and it should work then. Or as I posted earlier, set it up manually. (If you actually have UEFI then you'll need to disable Secure boot in order to boot Puppy if you don't want to go to the effort of adding in entries to allow booting of Puppies.)

G'day Phoenix,

The BIOS and Windows10 show the Aspire's boot system is UEFI not Legacy. Early on, I had tried the Legacy boot but W10 would not run (Puppy did) and I'd like this laptop to be my Windows computer for the future (for quite a few years, I have used XP on a 2003 Medion desktop that still runs well (just one program involved) but I'm trying to 'be prepared').

Here is the text of the Puppy-created UEFI config that did not load. It shows UUIDs for the sda9 partition (and Mint and W10):

# grub.cfg produced by grub2config 2.0.1
set default=0
set timeout=10
set menu_color_normal=white/blue
set menu_color_highlight=black/yellow

loadfont $prefix/fonts/DejaVuSansMono18.pf2
set gfxmode=auto
insmod all_video
insmod gfxterm
terminal_output gfxterm

# Puppy Linux

menuentry 'Bionicpup64 8.0 (sda9/bionicpup80)'{
search --no-floppy --set=root --fs-uuid 1c5f1a44-0b9c-409c-81fb-649398b09172
linux /bionicpup80/vmlinuz psubdir=/bionicpup80 pmedia=atahd pfix=fsck
initrd /bionicpup80/initrd.gz
}

menuentry 'Bionicpup64 8.0 (sda9/bionicpup80) RAM mode'{
search --no-floppy --set=root --fs-uuid 1c5f1a44-0b9c-409c-81fb-649398b09172
linux /bionicpup80/vmlinuz psubdir=/bionicpup80 pfix=ram
initrd /bionicpup80/initrd.gz
}

menuentry 'Imppup64 9.6.1 (sda9/imppup961)'{
search --no-floppy --set=root --fs-uuid 1c5f1a44-0b9c-409c-81fb-649398b09172
linux /imppup961/vmlinuz psubdir=/imppup961 pmedia=atahd pfix=fsck
initrd /imppup961/initrd.gz
}

menuentry 'Slc 64 2020.12 (sda9/SLC202012)'{
search --no-floppy --set=root --fs-uuid 1c5f1a44-0b9c-409c-81fb-649398b09172
linux /SLC202012/vmlinuz psubdir=/SLC202012 pmedia=atahd pfix=fsck
initrd /SLC202012/initrd.gz
}

# Other Linux

menuentry 'Linux Mint 20.3 Una (sda10/boot)'{
search --no-floppy --set=root --fs-uuid f7674a55-4ddf-40fd-8aa5-03727678a390
configfile /boot/grub/grub.cfg
}

menuentry 'Windows uefi boot'{
search --no-floppy --set=root --file /EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi
chainloader /EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi
}

menuentry 'ubuntu uefi boot'{
search --no-floppy --set=root --fs-uuid A6D3-4608
chainloader /EFI/ubuntu/shimx64.efi
}

if [ $grub_platform = "efi" ] ; then
menuentry 'UEFI Firmware Settings'{
fwsetup
}
fi

# custom menu
if [ -f /custom.cfg ] ;then source /custom.cfg ;fi

menuentry 'Previous menu'{
configfile /grub-prev.cfg
}

This would contain copy-able text for booting the Pups that I could copy into the Mint equivalent config presently in charge on sda2? I would like Puppy at the top of the menu.lst as another preference should we manage to get things booting.

Thanks for your patience,

David S.

Hi David,
Here is how I created my triple boot computer.

The computer is a Dell Precision Tower 3420 with
Intel i7-6700 CPU @ 3.4GHz
16GB RAM
NVIDIA Quadro K620 GPU
and a nominally 1TB NVMe SSD
The computer was a refurbished 2nd hand box with an OEM Windows 10 Pro OS
(This was recently "upgraded"? to Windows 11)

The first step in adding the other OS's was to shrink the "C:" drive 50% using Windows own tools.
Second step boot the computer from a Linux Mint DVD and install it in the partition created in step one.
(accepting the option to reformat the partition) The file was formatted as ext4. (Your idea of creating a separate partition for the Pups might be better)
After this I had a normal dual boot system which relied on the grub 2 boot loader provided by Mint.
The third step was to boot into Fatdog64-812 with no save file. (I do not remember whether this was from a DVD or USB stick.)
Fourth step mount the drive holding the Fatdog installation and copy some files from the DVD or USB to the top level of the Mint partition.
First copying fatdog.png and after creating a new directory fatdog64-812 I copied the files vmlinuz and initrd from fatdog into it.
Shutdown Fatdog without creating a save file or folder.
Step five. Booted into Mint and edited /etc/grub.d/40_Custom (this requires admin privileges)
The edit file looked like this:
#!/bin/sh
exec tail -n +3 $0
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries. Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment. Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.
insmod png
background_image /fatdog.png
set timeout=10

menuentry "Start Fatdog64-812" {
echo Loading ...
linux /fatdog64-812/vmlinuz rootfstype=ramfs
initrd /fatdog64-812/initrd
echo Booting ...
}

Ran update-grub (also with admin privileges)
At this point I had a triple boot system with Fatdog64-812 as the last option in the boot menu.
I have since come to think that not running Fatdog from its own partition is a bit dangerous as you could easily damage the Mint installation from Fatdog.
Next time I will use a separate partition.
cheers,
Ken

ditto what superchook wrote. Customizing Linux Mint's boot-loader is likely the easiest way. Just let me add this tip. Make a copy of Puppy's stanza and put it in your Linux Mint's documents folder (or wherever you'll remember you put it). There's a good chance that when Linux Mint updates it will re-write grub.cfg, and the updated version won't have a Puppy listing: you'll have to add it again.

G'day,
Thanks all for your inputs.

I see from superchook's helpful example, I should use the particular Mint /etc/ grub config file (the '40' one) for my extra OSs and edit this to point to my several Pups on sda9.

I hope my usual tendency to syntax errors and poor assumptions will not stop Mint or W10 booting until I work out precisely how to get this right. The first one should be the hardest.

If I get lucky, as mikeslr suggested, I'll copy the relevant /etc/grub section from Mint as a recovery means if Mint updates itself and I'm back to "square 1". And before I start tinkering as well.

I need to remember to turn off automatic updates on Mint and W10 unless I unexpectedly need to install something new on either W10 or Mint that warrants an update. Just wasted a hour yesterday while W10 took forever to shut down ('Preparing to shut down' for tens of minutes) and just before I pushed the power button in in annoyance, it showed a new message it was now updating and 'Don't turn off' the computer.

I'm really spoiled by Puppy.

David S.

G'day,

Well that went well .

Just a pause to find how to become 'root' in Mint ('sudo su' then remember my password ) to update grub in Mint, after adding shinobar's Grub2config boot file details into the Mint /etc/grub 40-custom file.

Re-boot and my Puppies showed up at list bottom, Mint and Windows there as before .

Confirmed Mint still ran (good) then booted the first Puppy on the list which did all the right things.

After a bit of early tweaking (network connected, drive icons more readable (.pet worked), background more bland), the attached shows it's working as hoped. Data partition sda8 now to be stocked up. Then to add the extra Pups on sda9. And finally resize everything to maximise data space.

As this is a 'How To' thread, in a follow-up post I should upload the scripts/files that enabled this to happen as a guide for any other strugglers with Mint and W10.

Thanks everyone again for all your help,

David S.

Edit: The following was written before your last post was published.
"You can add a custom menu to /etc/grub.d/40_custom, it will be added to /boot/grub/grub.cfg file after update-grub.
explained here : Configuring GRUB v2: https://wiki.debian.org/Grub#Configuring_GRUB_v2
The configuration file is /boot/grub/grub.cfg, but you shouldn't edit it directly. This file is generated by grub v2's update-grub(8), based on:
The script snippets in /etc/grub.d/
The configuration file /etc/default/grub
To configure grub "v2", you should edit /etc/default/grub, then run update-grub. Advanced configuration are achieved by modifying the snippets in /etc/grub.d/."
https://unix.stackexchange.com/question ... nd-save-it"

I wouldn't turn off LinuxMint's updates. They usually have a good reason for it. Hence, my advice to copy the stanza so it can easily be re-included after an update.

I wouldn't touch Window's 10 with a 10-foot pole. Hopefully Windows 11 will be better. But my son --an IT Tech-- advised my wife --a Windows addict-- to turn off Window 10 updates and not switch to Windows 11, yet. His advice, however, may have less to do with Windows and more to do with avoiding having to solve, from 6,000 miles away, the problems my wife can get into.

G'day,

Thanks mikeslr for pointing me to where I could find out how to boot by default to one of my Puppies at the bottom of the grub list rather than Mint at the top of the grub list displayed on booting.

I edited in Puppy (no sudo-ing needed ) Mint's /etc/default/grub file to highlight boot-list entry 4 instead of 0.... but still had to 'update-grub' within Mint to reset the boot pecking order .

I wonder if shinobar's Grub2config package (what this thread's all about) makes it easy to change to boot order where there are many OS options?

David S.

Trying to use Grub2config to setup a boot loader to boot Fossapup64 9.5 and Mint OS.

Got this error message:

This is the topic about trying to install Fossapup64 9.5, with Mint OS already installed, and dual boot.
viewtopic.php?t=5161
.
.
Mint OS install, does have the partition layout and format setup, in kind of strange way.

bigpup wrote: Sun Feb 13, 2022 7:34 pm

Trying to use Grub2config to setup a boot loader to boot Fossapup64 9.5 and Mint OS.

Got this error message...

See the top post in this topic:

Only one case the Grub2config does not support:
When you clean install Ubuntu Linux and/or derivatives on a legacy BIOS PC, the partition sda1 is ext4 formatted.

See also the topic Install Puppy on Ubuntu Linux.

I'm having a problem getting grub2config to work with my wife's 2014 Win7 laptop. It's an Acer E1-532-4629.
It seems to be depositing the right files in the Win boot directory but never displays the grub startup screen. It just immediately starts Win7
The drive is GPT and Legacy boot is enabled in BIOS. Here is the Partition layout:

Here is the grub.cfg that grub2config generated:

# grub.cfg produced by grub2config 2.0.1
set default=0
set timeout=10
set menu_color_normal=white/blue
set menu_color_highlight=black/yellow

loadfont $prefix/fonts/DejaVuSansMono18.pf2
set gfxmode=auto
insmod all_video
insmod gfxterm
terminal_output gfxterm

# Puppy Linux

menuentry 'Tahr 6.0 (sda5/tahrpup)'{
  search --no-floppy --set=root --fs-uuid 7f794d83-f54e-42d4-8f9c-515c36bc9e20
  linux /tahrpup/vmlinuz    psubdir=/tahrpup pmedia=atahd pfix=fsck
  initrd /tahrpup/initrd.gz
}

menuentry 'Tahr 6.0 (sda5/tahrpup) RAM mode'{
  search --no-floppy --set=root --fs-uuid 7f794d83-f54e-42d4-8f9c-515c36bc9e20
  linux /tahrpup/vmlinuz    psubdir=/tahrpup pfix=ram
  initrd /tahrpup/initrd.gz
}

menuentry 'Windows uefi boot'{
	search --no-floppy --set=root --file   /EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi
	chainloader /EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi
}

if [ $grub_platform = "efi" ] ; then
menuentry 'UEFI Firmware Settings'{
	fwsetup
}
fi

	# custom menu
	if [ -f /custom.cfg ] ;then source /custom.cfg ;fi

menuentry 'Previous  menu'{
	configfile /grub-prev.cfg
}

Here is the /sda1 folder structure. (Red arrows point to the contents of each folder in the tree).

Thank you for any help.

vtpup wrote: Tue Aug 16, 2022 3:33 pm

The drive is GPT and Legacy boot is enabled in BIOS.

Your PC may boot up if the UEFI (not Legacy) Boot enabled.

The Grub2Config does not support Legacy Boot under GPT.
The document says:
MBR boot loader
Install boot loader so that legacy MBR bootable.
Disabled if the partition table is 'GPT'

Thank you shinobar for your help. I will try UEFI boot.

Question: Should this subsystem be submitted/added to WoofCE or, in the very least, be evaluated for inclusion-replacement in the modern PUP's Menu system?

Curious

I like to install ubuntu followed by fossapup64 to my main UEFI PC desktop. Only hard drive is a NVME disc. I plan to install ubuntu first (auto partition sets EFI (bootloader) in 2nd partition on lateest ubuntu). Can I install FP64 in a separate partition and use grub2config to dual boot and auto configure grub boot loader?

Good afternoon

Does anyone know where we stand on this subject as its gotten confusing?

I find myself in a predicament dual booting on one of my two desktop PC's.
One is fine as it has UEFI and I can boot using 'Limine' all my various Puppy's plus two variations of the latest Mint releases and also Windows 11.

However,my old P4 computer with Legacy and dual booting the very same OS's and using Grub4dos will not boot Mint (although it did in the past).
I have to use Grub2 supplied with Mint unfortunately
So,to boot puppy,I have to insert a USB stick with Grub4dos installed.

Having read through from the beginning of this thread,I feel this may be the tool to use to be able to boot all my OS's without the need to use a USB stick using Grub4dos.

I have 4 partitions,the first sda1 has Windows(NTFS) installed.2nd and 3rd partitions(EXT4) have Mint variations and sda4(EXT4) all Puppy's which are in separate directories.

Could I theoretically install the above Grub2config .pet in a Puppy,run it to find all OS's and install it safely to a partition using EXT4 or are there a lot of doubts cast over it?

Many thanks in advance for any advice.

Tahrbaby wrote: Thu Nov 24, 2022 3:55 pm

I have to use Grub2 supplied with Mint unfortunately

I would let Mint be the primary bootloader and use its 40_custom file to handle your Puppy installs.

rcrsn51 wrote: Thu Nov 24, 2022 5:27 pm

Tahrbaby wrote: Thu Nov 24, 2022 3:55 pm

I have to use Grub2 supplied with Mint unfortunately

I would let Mint be the primary bootloader and use its 40_custom file to handle your Puppy installs.

Thank you rcrsn51.Will follow your advice

I would have given the same advice as rcrsn51. But he beat me to it. . So I'll suggest an alternate.

Acquire a (it can be small* and cheap) USB-Key from a reputable manufacturer. Install grub2config to it, but let it create grub.cfg listing for all operating systems on your computer. If grub2config installed to a USB-Key can boot Puppys and Mint, it should be able to also do that if installed to your hard-drive. Shinobar's OP is, AFAIK, the only post suggesting an exception to the use of grub2config:
"Only one case the Grub2config does not support:
When you clean install Ubuntu Linux and/or derivatives on a legacy BIOS PC, the partition sda1 is ext4 formatted. See, viewtopic.php?f=155&t=3931"

* A large USB-Key comes in handy to test anything without jeopardizing OSes on a hard-drive. The emphasis is on reputable manufacturer. Not all 'cheap' USB-Keys are of equal quality.

Rather than experiment, I boot my desktop using a USB-Key. grubconfig has listings for Windows7, Linux Mint and --at any given time-- a half dozen Puppys: my 'daily-driver' and whichever others I'm currently exploring. Rarely, but occasionally, USB-Keys can fail. So I have 2nd USB-Key as a back-up I occasionally update. Updating is as simple as plugging in both keys and copying grub.cfg from main USB-Key to the spare, overwriting it old gub.cfg. If I don't plug in such USB-Key, Linux Mint's boot-loader will offer to load either Linux Mint or Windows. But I don't have to boot into Linux Mint just to update its grub2 to play with a new Puppy.

Tahrbaby wrote: Thu Nov 24, 2022 3:55 pm

I find myself in a predicament dual booting on one of my two desktop PC's.
One is fine as it has UEFI and I can boot using 'Limine' all my various Puppy's plus two variations of the latest Mint releases and also Windows 11.

However,my old P4 computer with Legacy and dual booting the very same OS's and using Grub4dos will not boot Mint (although it did in the past).
I have to use Grub2 supplied with Mint unfortunately

Does that mean Limine also would not boot Mint on the old P4 computer?
If so, very curious to know why. If you want to investigate that further, I have posted in this Limine thread, to invite ongoing development:

viewtopic.php?p=73609#p73609

@Tahrbaby :-

It's true I run Puppies almost exclusively. For the odd occasions when I try out a mainstream distro, I'll install the whole thing to an external USB 3.0-connected SSD, tell GRUB2 to install the bootloader TO that drive.....then I'll "chain-load" the external drive from Grub4DOS.

Works for me.

(You'll find with any question like this, you're going to get a whole slew of biased opinions, depending on individual user's personal preferences. Some here LIKE Grub2; me, I can't stand the thing.......I feel it's overly-bloated for what it actually does. In the long run, the best course of action will always be to try out several, find one that works for you.....and stick with it. Which kinda goes without saying, really.)

Mike.

BarryK wrote: Fri Nov 25, 2022 12:12 am

Tahrbaby wrote: Thu Nov 24, 2022 3:55 pm

Does that mean Limine also would not boot Mint on the old P4 computer?
If so, very curious to know why. If you want to investigate that further, I have posted in this Limine thread, to invite ongoing development:

viewtopic.php?p=73609#p73609

The problem I have is,I'm unable to install Limine to this P4 computer.
When I run Limine from the installed .pets it states the computer has UEFI and requires changing in bios but when I go into bios there is no UEFI,it doesn't support it.
From what I read it did say that Limine can be installed to older bios machines but maybe Im reading it wrong?

mikeslr wrote: Thu Nov 24, 2022 7:31 pm

I would have given the same advice as rcrsn51. But he beat me to it. . So I'll suggest an alternate.

Acquire a (it can be small* and cheap) USB-Key from a reputable manufacturer. Install grub2config to it, but let it create grub.cfg listing for all operating systems on your computer. If grub2config installed to a USB-Key can boot Puppys and Mint, it should be able to also do that if installed to your hard-drive. Shinobar's OP is, AFAIK, the only post suggesting an exception to the use of grub2config:
"Only one case the Grub2config does not support:
When you clean install Ubuntu Linux and/or derivatives on a legacy BIOS PC, the partition sda1 is ext4 formatted. See, viewtopic.php?f=155&t=3931"

* A large USB-Key comes in handy to test anything without jeopardizing OSes on a hard-drive. The emphasis is on reputable manufacturer. Not all 'cheap' USB-Keys are of equal quality.

Rather than experiment, I boot my desktop using a USB-Key. grubconfig has listings for Windows7, Linux Mint and --at any given time-- a half dozen Puppys: my 'daily-driver' and whichever others I'm currently exploring. Rarely, but occasionally, USB-Keys can fail. So I have 2nd USB-Key as a back-up I occasionally update. Updating is as simple as plugging in both keys and copying grub.cfg from main USB-Key to the spare, overwriting it old gub.cfg. If I don't plug in such USB-Key, Linux Mint's boot-loader will offer to load either Linux Mint or Windows. But I don't have to boot into Linux Mint just to update its grub2 to play with a new Puppy.

@mikesir

Yes,I did try your above suggestion a couple of days ago,installed grub2config to a USB stick containing several Puppys.It did appear to find everything on the stick and also my Mint installs/Windows on the internal SSD.
But I stopped short of installing grub2config to the internal SSD due to several comments in this thread which seemed to suggest it was causing some issues with things.