Reboot not recognizing saved SFS file

[308fri]

Trying BookwormPup64 10.0.8
Does not recognize previously saved sfs file although the file(s) are clearly there in /mnt/sda2. Other Puppy saved files are there as well and work as expected. Every Bookworm boot up is just another first boot with all the initial set up questions. Everything seems to work while running it just doesn't recognize the save file on reboot. I have been using Puppy since about 2005 and never had this problem before. I am old and not digital so I need a point and click solution.

TIA, mike

[Luluc]

Check your boot configuration in Grub. See where the "changes" option is pointing.

[bigpup]

There is a chance the install is bad or the download of the ISO was not good.

How is BookwormPup64 10.0.8 installed?

How did you do the install?

what boot loader is being used?

Can you provide the boot menu entry you are using, so we can see if something in it is causing this.

What is the exact name of the save?

[308fri]

I have tried both a DVD and a usb, same results from each method.

I opened the Startup Manager and found "Puppy has a file named 'puppy_dpupbw64_10.0.8.sfs' that is always loaded". The files saved at /mnt/sda2 are named "dpupbw64save-xxx.2fs" (xxx being a customization). Could this be a problem or are they talking about 2 totally different files?

I don't know how to check GRUB, F9 gives me the boot priority list, my default is set as booting from the optical disc, I select boot from usb on startup if doing so.

[Luluc]

I don't know how to check GRUB

As soon as Grub shows up at boot, highlight the usual option and press the letter e. It may look a little intimidating, but the info is there and it might help.

[bigpup]

Yes they are two different files.

puppy_dpupbw64_10.0.8.sfs is the main part of the BookwormPup64 OS.

dpupbw64save-xxx.2fs is the save file that stores any changes.

If the save file name does have xxx in it.
Try using something else that is more like a name.

If you burned the BookwormPup64 10.0.8 ISO image on a DVD and boot with it.
It should be finding the save to use.

You did place the save on a drive that is there to access, when the DVD boots the computer?
Usually for CD/DVD booting, best to put save on the internal drive of the computer.

Best if the save is just on a drive partition and not down inside a folder.
If it is in a folder.
The search process will only look 2 folders deep.

[bigpup]

Does the computer have Windows OS on it and the last time it was shutdown did you do a normal shutdown?

Do not do a hibernation shutdown of Windows OS.

It will not release complete control of the computer for booting.
Including the internal drive.

[308fri]

The save files (set up when shutting down for the first time) have the optional addition to the file name, I usually put a date in there. As can be seen in the screenshot there are 3 bookworm save files and my current s15 save file which works fine.

I had been using FossaPup for a couple of years but in the last six months I started having trouble not connecting with my email client and then started having trouble with some of my regularly used websites rejecting my connection or slowing down if connected. I finally started looking at a new Puppy distro when I couldn't connect to high security places like investment and banking sites. Enter Bookworm and after a few tries I moved to S15 but having some connection problems with it as well. I also have a 1 year old laptop that I use for an automotive diagnostic app that only works with Windows so I can use it for email and banking workarounds but I really hate to use Windows especially for financial work. Actually I despise Windows and have for 20 years, started with Puppy about 2005 and never looked back. I still have an E-Machine desktop that I bought new in 1998 that still has PizzaPup 300 and BoxPup 412 installed as well as Windows98. These days I only use it for backup storage and an antique AutoCad V14.

My main computer is a 14 or so year old HP Pavilion G7. My use is 95% browsing the net, the rest is a few spreadsheets, word documents, photo storage and email. It has Win7 on it but I haven't used it in a decade. I have gone through a few different Puppy versions in the last month but each one was had connection problems of some sort such as one may connect to email but not investments, another investments but not email. My Windows laptop connects to all using the same internet provider for the house. I am starting to think that my Pavilion just can't keep up with today's security levels.

I have also been giving many other Linux distros a trial run but many are bloated like Windows, even the lightweights I didn't like, many wouldn't allow me to access my files because I am not root. I always seem to come back to Puppy.

_mnt_home.png (77.24 KiB) Viewed 992 times

[bigpup]

Lets talk about booting with one specific install.

BookwormPup64 on the DVD.

When it boots and displays the boot menu.

Are you selecting the top entry?

[Clarity]

This problem is the same as this forum thread addresses a solution.

Modern, since 2019, WoofCE PUPs are 'smarter' than the old PUPs of the past.

Appropriately placed "SAVESPEC" file before system is booted; OR use of "psave=" parm during boot, solves this user(s) problem.

[308fri]

I finally got some time to look at the thread suggested by Clarity and followed his instructions there. I started the boot and edited the first line as instructed. 'kernal /vmlinuz pmedia-cd pfix-fsck, fsckp' was all that was there. I added 'psave=sda2:/' to the end, hit enter and then 'b' to continue the boot up. Surprisingly it opened without the opening questions and seemed to operate just fine. Upon shut down there were no questions to set up a save file, just a normal shut down.

I thought the problem was solved but on the next boot I was back to the same problem so the fix apparently was for one session only. For the 3rd boot I again clicking 'e' to edit the first line. There was no 'psave=sda2:/' there so I redid the edit like previously and again it booted without the opening and save questions.

Just to be sure I did a fresh download of the iso file and created a new bootable USB, emptied the optical drive. Booting from the USB resulted in the same problem as before, opening and save questions. I booted again and checked where I had edited before, there was no 'psave=sda2:/' so my original download (and creating a DVD and USB) was good.

Before starting the procedure in this post I deleted all but one dpupbw64save.2fs file just to avoid confusion.
For the record my boot order is #1, optical disc, #2, USB and #3, boot from hard drive (which gets Windows). As I am sure you are all well aware, if it doesn't see anything in the optical disc drive it moves on to #2, USB and if nothing there on to #3 which goes to a "repair" mode as my Windows is messed up and I haven't used it in 10 years. I should just delete Windows entirely. I also have a year old Windows laptop that I can use if I really need Windows.

[Clarity]

OK, I understand.

Yes, changing a boot stanza exist only for the boot your are attempting. Thus, its not permanent.

A permanent solution is the have a SAVEFILE file present on the location you are booting from; as that would be sufficient for all of the WoofCE PUPs.

There is both a utility for generating the SAVEFILE from @gyrog. As well, there is content examples on the forum as well.

If I could offer a solution for booting all forum distros which includes the ability to manage "SAVES" session for ALL of the forum distros, (which, incidentally, does not mandate erasing any prior OSes nor changing PC BIOS/UEFI) would that interest you?

If so, post here and we'll try to guide you to make accessing, booting, and saving simple for your future.

[mikeslr]

As Clarity wrote, "Yes, changing a boot stanza exist only for the boot your are attempting. Thus, its not permanent."

This solution is easirer when your boot-manager is on a USB. [Puppy's System files don't have to be: Just grub2 it menuentries]. Having booted into your Puppy, mount the USB partition holding grub2 and the menu entries and edit the menu entries to include the psave=sda?:/ argument. Of course, if your boot manager is on a hard-drive, you can do the same.

[Guessing, I've never done this] If you want to boot from a CD/DVD you have to leave it open when burning so that you can edit the grub2 menu entries.

p.s., I noticed that you have 14 'found' folders on your hard drive. These contain data saved when chkdsk is run and bad sectors were found. In theory there's a way to recover such data; I don't know how. If you're not going to try, you can delete those folders as no operating system actually accesses such 'recovered' data. https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/win ... b786a3b1fd

[308fri]

I looked around in the BookwormPup sub-forum and found that a lot of people have had the same problem, BookwormPup seems to not be configured the same as other versions to automatically find the sfs file when booting. I have never had to manipulate any settings for any other Puppy. Then again not being digital puts me way behind the curve for diagnostics. I was middle aged when a home computer was beginning to be a reality and it was all DOS then. I did take a course in college called "logic" where we learned how to write 20 lines of code to produce a stack of punch cards which were inserted into a computer the size of 2 soft drink machines complete with 12" reel to reel tapes spinning and lots of flashing lights just to answer the question what is 2+37-24*6=? OK, end of rant

I did a fresh download of the iso and made a new DVD-R disc (probably should have used a DVD-RW but didn't have any). I opened the new disc and opened the 'grub.cfg as text. Not sure where to add text for finding the existing sfs file (usually sda2/mnt/home).

BTW, I looked at the 14 "found" folders noted in the last post. They were from 2014 so I deleted them.

download/file.php?mode=view&id=28307

[bigpup]

You can not edit stuff on a CD or DVD.
The files are written to a read only file system. iso9660

If you do an install to a USB flash drive.
stuff on it can be edited.
It uses a read/write file system.

This is how I do USB flash drive installs running Frugalpup install program from a running Puppy version:
viewtopic.php?t=11171
It looks like a lot of steps and information, but it does explain everything you need to do.

After you do it one time, it is easy after that.

For USB flash drives.
It is best to have the save stored on the USB drive.

[mikeslr]

One used to be able to burn multi-session CD/DVDs without having to use CD/DVD-RWs. See, viewtopic.php?t=825. As I memtioned before, I never did. So being able to edit such CD/DVD's boot-manager's 'menu' was an assumption; and you know what they say about 'ass u me'.

At any rate, even if you only have one USB-port you can use a dedicated USB-Key to hold a boot manager. Boot into your Bookworm on your sda2. Install grub2config, viewtopic.php?p=29703#p29703. Restart-X (AKA Graphical Server) to have Bookworm 're-catalog' what's available. Run grub2config selecting the USB-Key as the location to write the boot-manager and sda as the location to search for Puppys. You can then edit the 'menuentries' which have been written to the USB-Key.

Configure bios to give booting from a USB-port priority. You may have to have the USB-Key plugged in to do that.

Plug in the Key to boot your Puppy/Bookworm. [Unplug it to boot anything your boot-manager on the hard-drive offers]. When booting is finished you'll notice that the USB-Key has been unmounted. You can unplug it [and if necessary re-use that USB-port to plug in a mouse, etc.]