Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

Using Puppy installer gui I can format to ext4 grub4dos but it wont boot on fujitsu laptop. The only one that boots on the fujitsu is Fat32 GPT UEFI partition. Problem is I dont know how to expand the save file past 4gb that way.

You can not make a save file bigger than 4GB if stored on a fat32 formatted location.

Fat32 has a max file size limit of 4GB.

This is how to do installs for UEFI bios computers.
viewtopic.php?t=11171

The needed boot loader is on the first partition and the Puppy frugal install is on the 2nd partition with an ext format.
There the save can be a save folder and does not need to be resized.
A save folder will adjust as needed to store what is in the save.

If you do not want to use the boot loader Frugalpup Installer uses.

Grub2config is an updated grub4dos that is suppose to be able to boot a UEFI bios.
viewtopic.php?t=3360

bigpup wrote: Wed Jan 29, 2025 7:55 am

This is how to do installs for UEFI bios computers.
viewtopic.php?t=11171

The needed boot loader is on the first partition and the Puppy frugal install is on the 2nd partition with an ext format.
There the save can be a save folder and does not need to be resized.
A save folder will adjust as needed to store what is in the save.

If you do not want to use the boot loader Frugalpup Installer uses.

Grub2config is an updated grub4dos that is suppose to be able to boot a UEFI bios.
viewtopic.php?t=3360

These threads are long and difficult for me to follow and decide what/how to do.
Perhaps if I rephrase my question you can give me a more specific answer.
How can I make a boot-able ext4 puppy with grub2dos boot loader on a USB?

@LANdpLAN

These instructions should work.

Open Gparted for the USB
-Device>Create Partition Table>msdos>apply (this will delete all files)
-right click on the "unallocated" entry
-choose: New
-size=100, format=fat32, label=ESP
-click green check mark and apply
-right click on the fat32 partition
-choose: Manage Flags
-Flags=boot, esp

-right click on the "unallocated" entry
-size=2gb minimum, format=Ext4, label=linux
-click green check mark and apply
-close

-Menu>Setup>FrugalPup>Puppy
-install Puppy to the Ext4 partition (be sure to make a directory for it)
After install is complete:
-Menu>Setup>FrugalPup>Boot
-install grub to the Fat32 partition

When finished, un-mount the USB and remove, or reboot and choose the USB. This USB should be able to boot on either Legacy Bios or UEFI computers.

Note that ext3 or ext4 formats will allow you to use a savefolder instead of a savefile. Savefolders are a better choice since they will automatically adjust their size to the data they contain.

wizard

This is a simple way to get Puppy installed on a USB stick, but you need to run the program from Puppy.

You will need to do this on a different USB stick.

If you can boot the computer with what you have on a USB stick.

I will assume the Puppy you are using has the program Frugalpup Installer.

This program comes with several other programs specifically for doing installs to a USB stick.

One of them is:

e4StickPup
Formats and installs a single Puppy to a usb stick, in a small "fat32" partition and a large Linux "ext4" partition.

Warning make sure you select to use it on the correct USB drive!

This should satisfy the computer needing the boot loader on a fat32 location.

You should be able to have the save stored on the ext4 partition.
No size limit other than the available free space in the partition.
the save can also be made a save folder.

Best to first boot with this new install USB stick.
shutdown making a save, select to make a save folder, choosing to store it on the ext4 partition.
When booting, this will make sure it looks on the ext4 partition for the save.

If this is the same Puppy version you made a save file for.

copy the old save file onto the ext4 partition on the new drive.

It should now boot asking which save to use.

Note:
The program Resize Personal Storage can now make the save file bigger than 4GB.
.