if I am using a full partition for it, there will be a pupsave folder wchich can be of the size of entire partition.
If Puppy is installed as a
frugal install. (still the complete OS, just a special way to install).
It uses a save to store any changes/add ons, etc......
If partition is a Linux format (ext2,3,or4), the save can be a save folder. If Windows format (fat, ntfs) a save file.
The save folder can auto adjust and use all of the free space on the partition. A save file is made a set size and it stays that size until you resize it.
The main Puppy files and programs are read only.
The save is read/write and can have modifications to the main Puppy files and programs.
A full install does not use a save.
It is an open file system that is added to as you do whatever. (add programs, change settings, delete, etc....)
Limited by the free space in the partition.
Everything is read/write.
During reinstallation will the partition be formatted again?
Not if you use a Puppy installer program.
It could make an offer to let you partition, but you decide yes/ no and have to manually do it.
how to take backup of pupsave
Again, if Puppy is a frugal install, and using a save.
menu->Utility->Pupsave Backup will make a backup of the save.
Use this anytime you want to make a backup.
Make first backup when you get everything setup and installed the way you want it.
After that it only needs to be done if you do some major change.
Small changes are not that hard to just redo if you use a backup save.
A swap partition can do nothing but be swap.
It is specifically made to be a place the memory can use as a place to cache stuff if memory runs too low.
If you have 2GB or more of memory, may not need swap, but it is good to have if ever needed.
General rule is swap should be twice the size of memory. So 2GB RAM. 4GB swap.
It is OK to install anything you like.
But make sure Puppy does not already have a program installed that can do what you want.
You may find the Puppy program is all you need.
Why does Puppy run as root?
Basic answer it is a one person OS.
To do anything but simple stuff you need to be root, so why not start out that way as root.
Read this:
file:///usr/share/doc/root.htm
Why are commands such as 'sudo','apt', 'whereis' etc absent in puppy ?
Sudo is in Puppy but not needed because you are root. Sudo just lets you do a command as root if you are not root.
Apt --> because Puppy uses a completely different way to install software.
whereis -->it is a command in my Bionicpup64 8.0 ,but may not be in other Puppies.
Puppy does not have all possible Linux commands. Just the ones it needs to have.