F96-CE_3 Stable Release

[wizard]

@amethyst

From experience setting up Puppy for new and casual users, a save folder is a much better choice because they don't have to manage it's size.

Thanks
wizard

[amethyst]

@amethyst since save folders came into play I've used them. I never had a corruption occur unless it was something extreme I was trying out.

The Save Folder is uncompressed, that is the advantage in a nutshell. I like that both methods are available and can be applied in different environments and with varying goals.

As is the save file. One interesting thing I've found just as a mention (not related or maybe it is) - the reading from an on-the-fly loaded sfs file on the same partition as a folder with the same content seems to operate faster in term of loading an application. For instance - the same Firefox loaded as an sfs (so contents compressed) opens faster for me in comparison to the same Firefox in an uncompressed state in a folder. This is strange to me since the sfs is in a compressed state but the loading/mounting seems to be making a difference. My guess is that a part must be loaded into ram during the loading process otherwise this is hard to explain. Can the same be said of a mounted save file (needs to be mounted seperately on its own) compared to a save folder, I wonder?

[radky]

@rockedge

Please check your PM concerning the new F96-CE_4.

[Clarity]

For YEARS, SAVESPEC has been a thing for WoofCE PUPs.

It has great benefit. If present, NO changes to boot stanzas are necessary for the booting PUP to find its saved-sessions.

On all of my systems for past several years, I have created a small partition where ALL forum distros are kept. This has proven GREAT for housekeeping of ALL sessions for ALL. In my case the partition's name is Persistence. On it I have a folder named Sessions. When WoofCE PUPs boot pristine or otherwise, the PUPs find and use that folder of maintaining session changes, respective to the PUP.

It is too easy and has eliminated ANY boot-time change to any PUP stanza when booting for ALL the services one expects from desktop boot to desktop session's end.

Thank @gyrog for the forward thinking facility incorporated in WoofCE PUPs. He has a standalone utility somewhere (I seem to remember) that one can use to invoke, if you want to change/manually-setup a SAVESPEC. @gyrog or @dimkr 'may know its name.

It is subtle to the point that almost no one notices it ... unless you inadvertently erase it and will notice boot behavioral change. When present, it works without noticing its presence.

Summary for all of my PCs

1. A partition named Persistence

2. A folder on the partition named Sessions

3. All sessions from ALL forum distros are kept in that folder

I ONLY boot forum distros from their ISO files directly after discovery of this hidden feature of PUPs. The single unnoticed item changed everything for booting forum distro such that there is no longer ANY need to extract ISO contents for desktop operations, in my case. I ONLY boot ISO files for all distros now.

Bootdrive to computer-small.jpg (59.07 KiB) Viewed 656 times

This has been tested no matter which ISO file booter I use; namely ISObooter, SG2D, or Ventoy. Using either of these, I keep ALL ISO files on either of the 3 in a single folder whose name is BOOTISOS on the boot medium (ie. USB/HDD/SSD). SAVESPEC is in the BOOTISOS folder along with the ISO files. It works without notice for all WoofCE PUPs.

This post is wordy, but it ALSO IS SIMPLE as it IS addressing some mere housekeeping to make forum distro management simple. As well it make WoofCE PUP boot save session management simple too.

If you find favor, run with it. If not, you have the understanding I feel could be useful in your WoofCE PUP use.

[amethyst]

@amethyst Long story short, Yes.
In the boot stanza use psave=

You can specify on the kernel command line in the boot stanza where to look for the save folder.

Good info here

Code: Select all

Boot parameters:
================

pmedia=<atahd|ataflash|usbhd|usbflash|cd>
Indicates the type of boot device.
If it's "cd" then the partitions are searched for a save layer file, the only situation that triggers such a search.
If the first 3 characters are "usb", then any searching is restricted to only usb devices.
If the last 5 characters are "flash" the top layer in the stack remains the tmpfs in memory, otherwise any found save layer becomes the top layer in the stack.
This boot parameter should always be provided.

psubdir=</path/to/install/directory>
If the Puppy files are not in the root of a partition, but in a sub-directory, the path of this directory, relative to the partition root, must be specified with this parameter.
e.g. If the sdb2 partition is mounted as /mnt/sdb2 and the Puppy files are in /mnt/sdb2/tahr64, then "psubdir=tahr64" or "psubdir=/tahr64" must be specified.
This parameter can specify subdirectories at more that a single level, e.g. "psubdir=puppy/tahr64" or "psubdir=/puppy/tahr64".
If a leading "/" is not provided, init will add it.
This is the default path for locating any puppy file and any partition.

------------------------------------------------------------
pdrv=<partition> Specifies the puppy...files partition
pupsfs=<partition> Specifies the puppy...sfs partition
zdrv=<partition> Specifies the zdrv...sfs partition
fdrv=<partition> Specifies the fdrv...sfs partition
adrv=<partition> Specifies the adrv...sfs partition
ydrv=<partition> Specifies the ydrv...sfs partition
psave=<partition> Specifies the save layer partition


Where <partition> can be the name e.g sdb2, or a label e.g. Work, or a uuid
e.g. 0db94719-cdf1-44b7-9766-23db62fb85a5
When a label or uuid is used, only the beginning is required, enough to be unique on your system,
e.g "pupsfs=0db94719-cdf1"

I wonder...I can't remember ever stipulating the location of the save file in the kernel line, I have also never used uuid for identification purposes. I have always used (and am still using): find --set-root --ignore-floppies --ignore-cd /puppy550/initrd.gz(example) with grub4dos and no mention of save anywhere in the kernel line, the save files are found on all connected media never mind where it may be located. Of course, if you boot with CD, the --ignore-cd part must be removed.

[newpet]

@bigpup

- my aim was to duplicate my main save-file, obtained at log-off with "save option", in order to have a base for experiment some changes.
- I obviously didn't make a copy while running FP, but using another puppy. Save-file was on its own usb key. Then I made a simple "copy and past" and check them for checksum, the original one and its copy, as I always did in the past without any problem with other puppies.
- I assume once checked for SHA-256 checksum, I can consider both copies as identical.
- despite that, the two files show different behaviour when booting from one rather than from the other one. Specifically, in the copy ConnMan doesn't work.
- I have no problems with my original save-file. It works fine, thanks to Ozsouth help. It's justs to report this oddity.
Thanks.

[bigpup]

I obviously didn't make a copy while running FP, but using another puppy.

What other Puppy version was used?

[newpet]

@bigpup

What other Puppy version was used?

Simply an exact copy of FP-96CE on another usb key. I always do a backup copy of my working puppies, you never know. Accidentally, same brand and model.

Cheers.

[ozsouth]

@newpet - check your pm's - new method rtl8821ce driver to try. Blacklisting seems to be the culprit, so used very old skiplisting instead.
If it works for you, I'll make one for F96CE-4. LATER: unsuccessful.