Will a frugal install copy all apps & files from my old install?

[mivison]

If I make a frugal install on a thumb drive from the PC I am using now, will it copy all of my tweeks, apps, and files to the new install? Why I am asking is that I would like to have a copy so that when I load on a new PC I won't have to re-set everything back up.

[s243a]

If I understand correctly, you were previously using a full install and would like to create a save file or folder that matches your full install. This could be done by copying all files into the save folder (or file) that aren't part of the base files. However, I don't know if there is a tool to do this.

[Geek3579]

Good to see that you are careful to backup.

In my experience, a simple copy and paste of the savefolder/savefile together with the frugal files and loaded sfs's can work, although getting a new boot system on a new USB would be an another issue.
Using Filesystem --> pupsave backup does the same thing for the savefolder/savefile .
Others may correct me but I think it gets more messy where portable apps are involved.

I prefer to clone the entire USB using clonezilla; the image produced can then be burnt to a new USB. However, the Clonezilla interface is not very intuitive and may need to be run from a LIVE CD/USB.

If you are able to confidently use the command line, there are "simple" ways to copy the original USB to a compressed image (not listed here, ifo on another device, sorry!)

[mivison]

Thanks for the replies! And Happy New Year! What I'm wanting to do is run pup on another laptop without having to set everything back up, like my themes and faverite apps and all. I also have a laptop at work I want to install this on. I have everything set the way I like it. So maybe I need to make my own ISO. Thanks.

[taersh]

If you are running a frugal install already, just copy everything over to another computer or hard disk or USB flash drive. Make sure the partition/drive is able to boot from and a boot-loader is installed to that partition/drive. Best to copy everything over is to run Puppy without the save file (or folder) loaded --> boot with pfix=ram.

[mikeslr]

You didn't answer s243a's implied question. Is the Puppy on the PC a Frugal Install? If it's a Full install, then NO, except perhaps as Geek3579 suggested. Using Clonezilla, you can clone the Puppy's partition to the USB-Key. But, (a) I'm not certain USB-Keys can handle a Full Install and if your Puppy was not on the PC's boot partition (b) after cloning you'll have to install a boot-loader to the USB-Key. And there's a good chance things will get screwed-up. My recommendation if you have a Full Install is Take a Screenshot of Puppy Package Manager Uninstall so you know what you have and build the USB-Key from scratch as a Frugal Install.

If you have a Frugal Install and your other computer is NOT UEFI, then it's easy. In the following order (a) Create a folder on the USB-Key. (b) Copy vmlinuz, initrd(x), Puppy_YOUR-VERSION.SFS, and EVERY SFS EXCEPT the SaveFile/Folder to the folder on the USB-Key. (c) Run Menu>Setup>Grub4dos: select the USB-Key as it's target and check the "Search this drive only" box. After Grub4dos has been installed, boot into the USB-Key and copy the SaveFile/Folder from your hard-drive into the Folder on the USB-Key.
If you have a Frugal Install and your other comput4er IS UEFI: First install Frugalpup-Installer to your current Puppy. See bigpup's post, viewtopic.php?p=950#p950 and read its thread and links. Us it to create a Frugal Install on your USB-Key. After it does, boot into it and use that to copy the SaveFile/Folder over.
In both of the above situations, you initial boot-up of Puppy from the USB-Key will be without a SaveFile/Folder and on shutdown/reboot Puppy will offer to create one. But you've already copied one, so select No. On subsequent boots, Puppy will find your SaveFile/Folder.
If you've run any applications as Spot from /home [not /root/spot] or portables or AppImages from /mnt/home, and/or were loading SFSes the above process won't have copied those folders and SFSes to your USB-Key. And your SaveFile/Folder will expect them to be present. So you'll have to manually copy them onto your USB-Key.

[mivison]

Yes I have it installed on a desktop computer right now in a Frugal install. I think you all helped me alot. I will try those things and let you know. Thanks all! By the way, I have Puppy on 2 desktops, and 3 laptops already. Like alot of Linux fans I just like to piddle around and try different stuff. Sorry I wasn't very clear with my post.