Problem loading saved file (BionicPup64)

[JuanPuppy]

I burned a dvd with a cd-iso image of BionicPup64 8.0 (http://distro.ibiblio.org/puppylinux/pu ... 0-uefi.iso), to boot a HP Compaq dc5100 Business Desktop PC (https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c00279329, late 2000?), with 2 Gig of RAM. The computer has no hard drive, as I was planning to only use its cd drive and a usb flash drive to store the save files. Currently, the usb flashdrive is formatted as vfat.

The computer boots and runs well. When I shut it down, I ask the computer to create a save file (with the default name), and store it in the usbflash drive (sda1) , but the next boot it will not read from it. All changes (time zone, internet connection, quickpet updates) are lost.

Is there an additional step that I am missing? (I do not remember having this problem in the past). Thank you!

[taersh]

If you are bootng from that USB flash drive, you need to have pmedia=usbflash plus pfix=fsck in the kernel line of the boot menu entry in menu.lst.

kernel /DiscoDingo/vmlinuz psubdir=DiscoDingo pmedia=usbflash pfix=fsck

If there's e.g. pmedia=atahd or pfix=ram, it won't load any save file or save folder.

Btw.: I think 2GB of RAM is not enough to be happy with BionicPup64 and to use/work with it properly.

[JuanPuppy]

Thank you taersh for your answer.

No, I was not trying to boot from the usb flash drive. I assumed that it would be possible to boot from the cd, and then read a file of saved changes from the usb flash drive. At least this was possible years ago. Please advise if this is not the suggested procedure anymore.

[taersh]

Please, show me the content of your menu.lst or whatever is used to set boot parameters.

[JuanPuppy]

root# find / -name menu.lst
/usr/share/g4dos/pcd/menu.lst
/initrd/pup_ro2/usr/share/g4dos/pcd/menu.lst

(the two files show no difference)

Code: Select all

#
# menu.lst
#

#color NORMAL   HIGHLIGHT   HELPTEXT    HEADING
#       f/b          f/b       f/b       f/b
color white/blue black/cyan white/black cyan/black

timeout 15
default 0

title #distrodesc#
  kernel /vmlinuz    pmedia=cd
  initrd /initrd.gz

title #distrodesc# - Don't copy SFS files to RAM\nIf you want more RAM available
  kernel /vmlinuz    pmedia=cd pfix=fsck,nocopy
  initrd /initrd.gz

title #distrodesc# - Check filesystem\ndo filesystem check on savefile (and host partition)
  kernel /vmlinuz    pmedia=cd pfix=fsck
  initrd /initrd.gz

title #distrodesc# - Force xorgwizard (xorgwizard)\nForce xorgwizard (if you are having problems booting puppy)...
  kernel /vmlinuz    pmedia=cd pfix=xorgwizard
  initrd /initrd.gz

title #distrodesc# - No X\nTry 'xorgwizard' after bootup succeed to start graphic mode.
  kernel /vmlinuz    pmedia=cd pfix=nox
  initrd /initrd.gz

title #distrodesc# - No Kernel Mode Setting\nNo KMS
  kernel /vmlinuz    pmedia=cd nomodeset
  initrd /initrd.gz

title #distrodesc# - Safe mode, no X\nTry 'xorgwizard' after bootup succeed to start graphic mode.
  kernel /vmlinuz    pmedia=cd pfix=ram,nox acpi=off apm=off nosmp noapic
  initrd /initrd.gz
  
title #distrodesc# - RAM only - no pupsave\nBoot up Puppy without pupsave
  kernel /vmlinuz    pmedia=cd pfix=ram
  initrd /initrd.gz

title #distrodesc# - Ram Disk SHell\nExecute 'init' then dropout to prompt in initramfs
  kernel /vmlinuz    pmedia=cd pfix=rdsh
  initrd /initrd.gz

title
  root

title Help - Boot Params
  configfile /menu_phelp.lst

title
  root
  
# Boot from Partition Boot Sector

title Boot first hard drive (hd0,0)
  root (hd0,0)
  chainloader +1 || chainloader /grldr || chainloader /bootmngr

title
  root

# additionals

title Grub4Dos commandline\n(for experts only)
  commandline

title Reboot computer
  reboot

title Halt computer
  halt
  

[taersh]

Ok.

I think you should burn a new CD and copying the following files to the USB flash drive.

initrd.gz
vmlinuz
the Puppies .sfs files like e.g.: puppy_bionic64_8.0.sfs, zdrf_bionic64.sfs etc.pp.

Change pmedia=cd to pmedia=usbflash in menu.lst. I think it should work then. However, I'm not exactly sure. So, may I ask: why don't you consider to boot from USB flash drive instead of booting from CD? Since you want to use the USB flash drive for save file etc. and booting from CD is much slower I would recommend to boot also from that USB flash drive.

[bigpup]

You are not going to be able to make any changes to what is burned on the DVD.
The format is read only.

When you boot the DVD, are you using the first boot menu entry?
The normal boot.

Do not use the RAM or RAM only boot menu entry.
That one makes Bionicpup64 boot not using a save.

If this is not the problem.

Need to see what is burned on the DVD, to see what boot loader is being used.

I assume you are being able to choose the USB flash drive, as location to put the save, when you made the save.

How exactly did you do the burn to DVD?
What burn program used?