Best 32 bit version with support beyond 2023?

[williwaw]

I have only tested the different versions running them live from the USB. Could installing solve any of the problems?

Yes, a live envrionment is limited, especially if downloading with minimal ram. If you hover your mouse over the icon for the USB in the lower left of your screen, what filesystem type is reported?

[Kjellinux]

@amethyst

Download the tarball directly from the Seamonkey site

How can I download from the Seamonkey site without a browser?

[Kjellinux]

@williwaw

If you hover your mouse over the icon for the USB in the lower left of your screen, what filesystem type is reported?

iso9660

[Kjellinux]

Google suggested I should read this article: Installing Puppy Linux (https://linuxgoodies.braintidbits.com/puppyfrugal.html). It was quite informative and explained quite a few of the terms and concepts that I was unfamiliar with.

[amethyst]

How can I download from the Seamonkey site without a browser?

Here's a download link, download with a download manager listed in your menu (normally in the Internet section). https://archive.mozilla.org/pub/seamonk ... 86.tar.bz2

[Kjellinux]

@amethyst

Well, boot any distribution that you currently have which can access the internet and download it.

Do I not have to download it from the currently active distribution that I want to install it to?

[williwaw]

the iso9660 is created by your installer, that is they clone the iso. useful for previewing a distro before deciding to make an actual install. basicly a live cd on a usb.

if you want to install a browser on precise you must make a frugal install of precise (a good choice, BTW) on your usb

1. use your bionic cd to boot a machine that has two usb ports.

2. download precise onto a spare usb, click on the iso and post a screenshot of the rox window

3. bring up the usb you wish to have your precise installed on with gparted and format it ext3 after making a new msdos partition table. (Device > create partition table > msdos....... double check you are creating the msdos table on the correct USB before creating applying the operation by clicking on the green checkmark.

more instruction to follow after we see the screenshot of the precise iso

[Kjellinux]

@williwaw

post a screenshot of the rox window

bild_2021-06-27_045204.png (71.02 KiB) Viewed 650 times

[williwaw]

I read the tutorial you found with google. Good reference. BTW, In the days of 32bit, many computers could not boot from a usb, hence the frugal install was invented. In the case of the tutorial, the frugal install is being made on the hard drive, but we will try to get a frugal of precise on your usb so you can have persistence.

1. copy over
initrd.gz
vmlinuz
puppy...sfs and
zdrv...sfs
to your ext3 partition on the target drive.

2. bring up grub4dos and run it on the target drive. take the defaults on the options, and once again, double check the target drive is correct before executing grub4dos.

3. if you can boot into precise on the first try, create a savefolder after setting up your network and reboot.
if you cannot, inform us of how far the boot got any error info, then boot from the cd again and copy and paste the contents of your menu.lst on the target drive.

[Kjellinux]

@williwaw

create a savefolder after setting up your network and reboot.

How do I create a savefolder?

[williwaw]

at your first shutdown it should bring up a a dialog choose savefolder if presented with two options

[Kjellinux]

@williwaw

at your first shutdown it should bring up a a dialog choose savefolder if presented with two options

Done. I used my Dell to do all this. No browser installed yet. What's the best way to install the browser. Trusted Dell or test rig Acer? Portable Browser Installer or Puppy Packet Manager?

[amethyst]

@amethyst

Well, boot any distribution that you currently have which can access the internet and download it.

Do I not have to download it from the currently active distribution that I want to install it to?

No, it's a standalone version and not an upgrade to an existing version nor distribution specific. Copy the file to wherever it's needed, extract and run the executable. I edited my previous post, check it for a direct download link.

[williwaw]

test rig from here on out

[Kjellinux]

A new day, a new set of challenges.

I managed to create a USB with persistent storage of Precise Light 5.7.2. Or at least I think so. A new icon, "Save" came up on the screen. This creation took place on my trusted old Dell.

Now I have moved the USB to the test rig Acer. It booted without problems and the screen resolution was correct from the start. (Precise Light 1 - BionicPup32 0)

I set out to install a browser, and since it had been rcommended by many as a good lighweight browser I thought I'd start out with Seamonkey.

As a first attempt, I used the Portable Browser Installer. After som time it returned an error message saying "No space left on device".

Next I tried using the Puppy Package Manager. At first it wouldn't start, but after a reboot it worked properly. Again, an error message, this time saying "There is not enough temporary space to install the package". This time it came up with a recommendation: Create some swap space. (Swap file or swap partition).

So, I consulted Google and found istructions involving a series of commands to enter into the terminal: https://linuxize.com/post/create-a-linux-swap-file/

Before I try to execute these commands - is there some kind of utility in Puppy Linux that I can use for this purpose?

[Kjellinux]

I went ahead and tried.

Code: Select all

sudo fallocate -l 1G /swapfile

It turned out fallocate was not installed, so I tried the alternative suggestion:

Code: Select all

sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/swapfile bs=1024 count=1048576

This returned:

Code: Select all

dd: writing `/swapfile' : No space left on device 

For some strange reason, right now I'm not ready to agree on "Ease of use → grandpa-friendly certified ™" from https://puppylinux.com...

[williwaw]

In one of the three threads you have going I think someone mentioned a swapfile would be pratical for precise. gparted is your tool of choice. This should have been done when creating the ext 3 partition, and my apologies for not mentioning it sooner. precise and bionic handle the swap differently as I recall but I cannot find the post at the moment.

dd is the commandline cloning tool. running it could have caused problems. gparted has a feature to shrink partitions, but given the simplicity to start fresh, I would go back to the point where you make

1. a new msdos partition table
2. create a ext3 partition and
3. create a swap partition of 2G if your USB is 8G or better in size
4. copy the files over again
5. run grub4dos again.

If running grub4dos from the bionic cd provided a precise menu entry that works, than thats fine. If your boot menu leaves something to be desired, than burning precise to a cd and creating the usb from it would be the way to fix the menu correctly.

Btw, there are more modern 64 bit puppies and variants that install the with the more modern clone tools, but your Acer trip down memory lane is......
well we used to run puppies from cds before usb drives were common

[amethyst]

A new day, a new set of challenges.

I managed to create a USB with persistent storage of Precise Light 5.7.2. Or at least I think so. A new icon, "Save" came up on the screen. This creation took place on my trusted old Dell.

Now I have moved the USB to the test rig Acer. It booted without problems and the screen resolution was correct from the start. (Precise Light 1 - BionicPup32 0)

I set out to install a browser, and since it had been rcommended by many as a good lighweight browser I thought I'd start out with Seamonkey.

As a first attempt, I used the Portable Browser Installer. After som time it returned an error message saying "No space left on device".

Next I tried using the Puppy Package Manager. At first it wouldn't start, but after a reboot it worked properly. Again, an error message, this time saying "There is not enough temporary space to install the package". This time it came up with a recommendation: Create some swap space. (Swap file or swap partition).

So, I consulted Google and found istructions involving a series of commands to enter into the terminal: https://linuxize.com/post/create-a-linux-swap-file/

Before I try to execute these commands - is there some kind of utility in Puppy Linux that I can use for this purpose?

How is your drive partitioned (report filesystems and sizes)? To install applications the space in your savefile must be enough. To install a browser you need LOTS of space. However it is not necessary to install anything. You can run your applications as sfs-addons like I do. You have ignored my recommendatiion to download Seamonkey with the direct link I have given to you. You do not need to install that download on your system. You just extract the contents of the tarball to your usbdrive and run the executable OR make an sfs of the contents, load it and run the executable.

[Kjellinux]

@williwaw

gparted is your tool of choice.

I guess I should have figured that out myself...

3. create a swap partition of 2G if your USB is 8G or better in size

It's 16GB, so there is room for a 2GB swap partition.

If running grub4dos from the bionic cd provided a precise menu entry that works, than thats fine.

It did.

Btw, there are more modern 64 bit puppies and variants that install the with the more modern clone tools, but your Acer trip down memory lane is......
well we used to run puppies from cds before usb drives were common

What would life be without a little bit of nostalgia?

[Kjellinux]

@amethyst

How is your drive partitioned (report filesystems and sizes)?

It's a 16GB USB with ext3 and one single partition.

To install applications the space in your savefile must be enough

How can I find out what size my savefile is?

You have ignored my recommendatiion to download Seamonkey with the direct link I have given to you.

Rest assured that I haven't ignored a single advice or recommendation. They have all been noted fur further investigation. However, reality dictates that I can only spend a limited time each day on this project, so I need to process them one by one. This particular recommendation I HAVE indeed tried out, I just haven't had the time to comment on it. I don't remember on which distribution, but the test was successful. The reason I want to get the built in tools of Precise Light 5.7.2 running is for future usefulness. If it is to be used by someone who is not a "Linux enthusiast", possibly not even a "computer enthusiast", I prefer to use whats "in the box".

You do not need to install that download on your system. You just extract the contents of the tarball to your usbdrive and run the executable OR make an sfs of the contents, load it and run the executable.

What is an sfs, and how do I make one?

[williwaw]

re: running a browser.

@amethyst is suggesting a nice idea about using a browser that is not installed in a typical way. I use a similar method. One can have a browser that lives outside any particular puppy instalation and can be used with multiple puppies, (should you decide to have multiple puppies frugally installed on the same USB). I have not concerned myself with optimizing for a low ram machine, and alternate browser setups may help in that regard.

Since @amethyst is a precise user, perhaps he can comment if a linux swap partition created by gparted, alongside the ext3 partition is the best way to go with precise. There are also swapfiles, that are used sometimes, which was what you tried to create earlier. I conflated the two in my previous instructions.

[Kjellinux]

@williwaw

make
1. a new msdos partition table
2. create a ext3 partition and
3. create a swap partition of 2G if your USB is 8G or better in size

Since the phrase "use another USB" became more frequent, I ran out of USBs and started to mix the ones I already had up, since they look identical. I have now remedied these two problems:

bild_2021-06-28_211509.png (23.59 KiB) Viewed 954 times

Regarding step 3, apart from creating a 2GB partition, what is required to make it a swap partition? Does it matter in which order I create the two partitions? It would seem simpler to me to first create a 2GB partition and then let the remainder of the space become the main partition.

[williwaw]

in gparted, when you click on unallocated space, partition new, then set your size, the file system dropdown should ungray and the dropdown offers "linux-swap".

In your case with a 16 G USB, you will initially drag the slider or otherwise spec the size of the ext3, (14 G for instance), leaving some unallocated space. Repeat from new with the remaining unallocated space and select "linux-swap"

I have always made the first partition the bootable one, but that may just be an old habit.

I only suggested a second USB to keep the iso on as a saftey measure to make sure your windows disk does not come into the mix. missteps with dd and the like have caused many tears.

BTW, should you wish to have more than one puppy on your usb stick, you might consider an additional step at this point.

before you copy over the precise files to the new ext3 partition, create a directory specifically for that puppy. ie. "precise" for instance. keeping your install in a subfolder will help keep things organized should you want to make a similar bionic install. when/if adding a new puppy to the collection, rerun grub4dos after each addition.

[Kjellinux]

@williwaw

3. bring up the usb you wish to have your precise installed on with gparted and format it ext3 after making a new msdos partition table. (Device > create partition table > msdos....... double check you are creating the msdos table on the correct USB before creating applying the operation by clicking on the green checkmark.

It appears whenever I think I have found a sulution to one problem, another one appears to prevent me from applying that solution. Using a brand new, beautifully green, USB, I created a new msdos partition table. Next, I tried to format it ext3, but now it seems to be impossible to format it. I have to confess I don't remember exactly how I managed to do it last time...

Any advice or suggestions?

[williwaw]

https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/gpa ... ocId801746

[mikewalsh]

Nice explainer, williwaw. I've just been putting a little demo video together, which should hopefully make it even clearer. And that link's a good one, too; to my way of thinking, Dedoimedo's gParted tutorial is kind of the 'bible' on this subject.....you won't find a more comprehensive guide to using gParted anywhere.

Again, the suggestion about running browsers in a non-standard way; that's the whole point of the range of 'portable' browsers I produce.....to move the entire thing anywhere you want, then run it 'in-situ'.

--------------------------------

@Kjellinux :-

Take a look at the vid below; see if it clarifies things any further. Most folks respond to visual demonstration far better than they do written stuff; I know I do.

I've been meaning to do a vid to demonstrate this procedure for a long time, so.....here ya go.

Mike.

[Kjellinux]

@williwaw @mikewalsh

https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/gpa ... ocId801746

Take a look at the vid below; see it clarifies things any further. Most folks respond to visual demonstration far better than they do written stuff; I know I do.

Outstanding! The linked tutorial as well as the video! I will refer back to both of them again.

And I found what I did wrong. I tried the "format to" option (which was impossible since it was greyed out). Embarrassingly I forgot the important little step of clicking "new"...

Now I think the formatting is done. Back to the test rig!

[Kjellinux]

Progress! Sort of. I think...

This time, like last, Precise Light 5.7.2 booted without problems.

I tried installing Seamonkey using the Portable Browser Installer. No complaints about lack of space this time. And no browser. Only an entry in the menu.

Next, I tried using the Puppy Package Manager. Again, no complaints about lack of space. And again no browser. Only another entry in the menu.

So, what might be missing this time?

[jrb]

Progress! Sort of. I think...

This time, like last, Precise Light 5.7.2 booted without problems.

I tried installing Seamonkey using the Portable Browser Installer. No complaints about lack of space this time. And no browser. Only an entry in the menu.

Next, I tried using the Puppy Package Manager. Again, no complaints about lack of space. And again no browser. Only another entry in the menu.

So, what might be missing this time?

Hi Kjellinux, Let me start by apologizing for not keeping PreciseLight updated. I've been busy with other things.

Portable Browser Installer no longer works, things change fast in the Linux world.

@mikewalsh makes some great portable browsers, I use them myself and highly recommend them.

However I'm posting a link to a browser that I made recently using @fredx181's script for a one file Firefox portable app. md5sum d2eeb0ef47df4fb1a7d75bd66be96c90

It's the ultimate in simplicity. Download the file from the link above, put it wherever you want it, click on the file and your using Firefox. It's that easy (Fred's a genius). I even tested it in PreciseLight on an NTFS drive (windows) and it worked flawlessly.

Edit: Oh yeah, I forgot, when you get the file, right-click on it with your mouse and choose "permissions" and then click on "yes". Then it will work for you.

Cheers, J

[mikewalsh]

@Kjellinux :-

Umm.....has anybody actually linked you to the original Precise-light thread on the old forum?

jrb is a very rare visitor since the move from the old Forum took place around a year ago. I know, however, that several issues were raised and (mostly!) resolved in that thread.....so it might be worth perusing.

https://oldforum.puppylinux.com/viewtop ... 5&t=115843

There's also a brace of re-spins that Puppus Dogfellow put together, again Precise-based. You could take a look at these if you wanted to, I guess:-

https://oldforum.puppylinux.com/viewtop ... 35&t=96251

You might also like to take a look at this one:-

https://oldforum.puppylinux.com/viewtop ... 5&t=112300

'Slacko' 5.7.1; this is an updated re-build of the 'head honcho', Mick Amadio's classic Slacko 5.7.0 ( 01micko here on the forums ). Put together by Sailor Enceladus, it's a very decent, stable Puppy for older hardware; I run it myself, even here on the new 'rig', 'cos I got very attached to it on the 20-yr old Dell lappie.

Just some more stuff for you to try out.....and believe me, we haven't even scratched the surface of what's available yet.

(Well, I'll be hornswoggled! The man himself has turned up while I was composing this post.....)

Mike.