wakepup2 and 166mhz laptop with 48 MB RAM

Booting, installing, newbie
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snow-ice
Posts: 17
Joined: Thu 14 Jun 2007, 06:40

#21 Post by snow-ice »

John,
First, thanks for your effort. I'm new to linux and the help is amazing.

I got the image file onto a floppy, I had a little trouble, but got it done. I booted with the floppy from you and puppy 2.16. I got past the first menu but got stuck at the second. I tried both options 2 and 3 in the first menu along with 1,2,3,4 in the second menu. The error I have is

LINDL v0.97
kernel command line
root+/dev/ram0 pmedia+idehd acpi_off (this one changed with the option used)
can't open lernel file
A:


Do think this can be overcome? Like I said, I am willing to get linux in the laptop however it can be done.
Thanks again,
Greg

John Doe
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Location: Michigan, US

#22 Post by John Doe »

snow-ice wrote:root+/dev/ram0 pmedia+idehd acpi_off (this one changed with the option used)
That's weird :shock:

mine looks more like this:

root /dev/ram0 PMEDIA=idehd acpi=off

Perhaps a BIOS setting of some type is causing DOS to act weird?

snow-ice
Posts: 17
Joined: Thu 14 Jun 2007, 06:40

#23 Post by snow-ice »

Sorry for the typo

root=/dev/ram0 pmedia=idehd acpi=off

This is how it appears.

Greg

John Doe
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Joined: Mon 01 Aug 2005, 04:46
Location: Michigan, US

#24 Post by John Doe »

that looks good...

do you have all these files on your idehd in the root of the drive?

initrd.gz
pup_216.sfs
vmlinuz
zdrv_216.sfs

or you could throw the CD in the drive (or perhaps you don't have one and I missed that in the thread). The boot disk will wake up the CD also, or via USB if you have all those files on a USB device.

snow-ice
Posts: 17
Joined: Thu 14 Jun 2007, 06:40

#25 Post by snow-ice »

I found the problem, I used windows xp to burn the cd's. The evil empire strikes again. When I used nero, everything was readable by the laptop. I ran thru the 2 menu's, alot of code went by. It got stuck for awhile then ran more and stopped here...

/bin/sh: can't access tty; job control turned off
(initramfs)

any ideas?

making progress.......

snow-ice
Posts: 17
Joined: Thu 14 Jun 2007, 06:40

#26 Post by snow-ice »

I have been checking websites trying to run down my problem. The error that I posted seems to be a notification, not an error. I checked the previous lines and looked for those items in the net. Can I get somehow get a log of the activity when the program loads? Maybe put it on a floppy?I have time to research the problem but would not be near the computer in question to read from the screen. Thanks,
Greg

Sage
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Joined: Tue 04 Oct 2005, 08:34
Location: GB

#27 Post by Sage »

The program I used gave me 8 files on the cdrom. Is this correct or do I need only the ISO file on cdrom?
Neither is correct. Use Nero in 'doze if you are unfamiliar with Linux commands - it's virtually fireproof.
You simple 'Open' the xyz.iso file from 'File' and click 'Burn'.
You cannot boot an .iso CD nor can you boot a CD with all the files extracted and copied (unless you have an adjunct on FDD).

Apart from which, I am wondering whether you picked up the advice from Bruce about NOT using CD-RW on old kit. Use good quality CD-R only, no supermarket cheapies.
You have enough resources to get this thing running on your laptop, although slowly. If possible add extra RAM - this may be difficult.
Completely clear your HD before partitioning with a small, ~60Mb swap partition - beware of bad advice to make it bigger - and pre-format your main partition to ext2 before running the Universal Installer and selecting NORMAL or Full or Type2, whatever the version you chose comes up with. Coexist, Frugal, are inappropriate on this machine.

Update: Funny! p.2 of this thread wasn't showing when I first looked at it. Now it's there and my comments are somewhat deja vu.
Glad to see there is real progress and Nero worked for you. You can d/l a copy for Linux; you will find that your (legitimate!) code for the 'doze version is also valid for that one. Not sure it'll work in Puppy , though.

snow-ice
Posts: 17
Joined: Thu 14 Jun 2007, 06:40

#28 Post by snow-ice »

Do you mean format? If so, will a format from DOS then allow me to make the partition? I found a page with good instructions that I will follow for the swap file.

http://www.justlinux.com/nhf/Installati ... fdisk.html

As I said earlier, I don't care about the windows on the laptop. I have 4 more computers here that will get linux when I get enough knowledge.

I made the cd with nero the way you recommended and I got these 8 files.

05/16/2007 06:35 PM 1,751,249 VMLINUZ
05/16/2007 06:41 PM 10,648 ISOLINUX.BIN
05/17/2007 01:07 AM 2,048 BOOT.CAT
05/16/2007 06:39 PM 127 ISOLINUX.CFG
05/16/2007 06:39 PM 934,674 INITRD.GZ
05/03/2007 03:48 AM 1,007 BOOT.MSG
05/17/2007 01:03 AM 73,506,816 PUP_216.SFS
05/16/2007 06:37 PM 17,793,024 ZDRV_216.SFS

The session was called cd-rom mode 1 iso9660. Is this what you meant? It looks like others I made. I will check it out later tonight when I get home and post back.
Thanks, Greg

Sage
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Location: GB

#29 Post by Sage »

Oh dear, there is still a yawning gap of understanding, I'm afraid. You cannot boot that CD, you can only load it with a suitable boot floppy. What surprises me is that you don't seem to have read all the background discussion published here. It isn't too difficult really.
Look through all your searching results. Forget the Coexist/Frugal option on that machine. Use cfdisk from the console with your HD removed and mounted in one of your other desktops. This route makes everything so much easier. You've got ample HD space and just about enough memory provided you set up a swap partition.

snow-ice
Posts: 17
Joined: Thu 14 Jun 2007, 06:40

#30 Post by snow-ice »

I am using the wake2pup floppy. John Doe got wake2pup to behave in the laptop and I believe puppy started to load. It is now stuck. I have read all that was posted but I don't have a good understanding of the linux commands. I get conflicting info and it's hard to figure out which to follow. I have read multiple web pages which conflict. The iso file is a good example. I have read it both ways, the 8 files or the 1 iso file. I will try whatever is posted, happy for the help.

I will try the new cd along with wake2pup again. First I will format and get rid of win98, and make the swap file, then attempt to boot with the floppy and cd.

When I tried to boot from cd only, I was able to select cd and make it the only boot device in the bios. When I booted, after 20 seconds of so, the screen showed a picture of all of the F keys and a message to insert a floppy. So thats why I am using wake2pup.
Thanks again.
Greg

John Doe
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Joined: Mon 01 Aug 2005, 04:46
Location: Michigan, US

#31 Post by John Doe »

snow-ice wrote:...I believe puppy started to load. It is now stuck.
I'm making another one with a menu selection for this:

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 595#123595

I think that might be what you need.

@Sage and others...

What's your take on himem support? Should I throw that in? and most importantly does it require a menu select also (I can do it)? I'm wondering if anyone knows of any instances of himem causing a problem booting, other than the mention in the comments of a tiny.exe problem (we aren't using that anyway).

I was considering adding it because my "flagship 75mhz box" won't boot, but now I just added it and it still won't boot. Maybe it's days are over :cry:

I get

Read error
High mem corrupted - not exiting to DOS

Perhaps swapping some EDO sticks will help....

Sage
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Location: GB

#32 Post by Sage »

Afraid I can't help. Never saw the wisdom of a Frugal install - might as well extract and use all the files as normal files; HD space is rarely an issue.
Never use multiboot, either - recipe for disaster. Either use caddies or a liveCD/USB fob/CF.
Time to leave 'doze behind.

John Doe
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Location: Michigan, US

#33 Post by John Doe »

Sage wrote:Afraid I can't help. Never saw the wisdom of a Frugal install...
I was begging your advice on hardware as it relates to himem, install type had nothing to do with my inquiry.
Sage wrote:Time to leave 'doze behind.
we're using FreeDOS ;-)

Sage
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#34 Post by Sage »

I prefer DRDOS - still the best if you use the third party updates. You can check memory with <memtest>, although you can bypass the himem test either by writing it out with a switch in your config.sys or using a keypress at start up. I forget the details - been a while since I confronted those issues. Easier to swap memory strips. I've got boxloads to choose from. Don't forget, in the olden dayes, there were always compatibility issues between different strips. And don't forget that 'double-sided' does NOT refer to chips being on both sides of the pcb!

John Doe
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Location: Michigan, US

#35 Post by John Doe »

Sage wrote:...compatibility issues between different strips...
it booted before. perhaps i used one of my other two boot images. tried with both himem and without it. thanks for the config switches. even went so far as to manually add and remove himem driver. no luck either way. betting on physical problem.

as far as i made it today is here (hope to get "snow-ice" going with choice #3 [LOTS of new menu choices])..

file is here now:
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 924#122924

*removed himem, it sucked. my machine wouldn't boot with it in there. turned out the be the CD ROM was the problem and I was just grasping at straws.
Last edited by John Doe on Sun 15 Jul 2007, 01:42, edited 1 time in total.

Sage
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#36 Post by Sage »

You're in luck! Barry has just announced a new wakeup call:
http://www.puppylinux.com/news/

User avatar
BarryK
Puppy Master
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#37 Post by BarryK »

I put the first one that john posted. It looks like its a "work in progress" though!

cthisbear
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Location: Sydney Australia

#38 Post by cthisbear »

I hope this is what you want.

" John Doe

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=15946

How to run Puppy on 75mhz with 40 megs of EDO RAM

.................................................................
Maybe should have called this Dingo Puppy.
Lobster your thoughts needed here....Puppy Dingo...very Aussie

Chris

Sage
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Location: GB

#39 Post by Sage »

Talking of lo-end HW, I have just acquired one of those PCChips-from-h*ll TXPro jobbies with a Out house sink mounted next to the chipset.
Stuffed a Cx333 (first thing that came to hand) in it and 64Mb of SDRAM. Had to drop the on-board memory from 8Mb to 4Mb and it started up OK from liveCD only. Network + Dillo was instantly active. Video was grisly and I gave up waiting for Seamonster. Adding another 64Mb strip cured everything, esp. as it was possible to raise the shared video to 8Mb. Have lost the incentive to try the miserable little AMR modem - suspect I know the answer. Next trick will be to try it with a P75 and a modicum of swap space. Thing that was most surprising was that, with adequate memory, Puppy performs almost as well on this abomination as on state-of-the-art kit. Why this Forum should attract so many young stags with go-faster-striped boxes defies the imagination.

Sage
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Joined: Tue 04 Oct 2005, 08:34
Location: GB

#40 Post by Sage »

...with more devastating results than even I expected. Adding an old 210 HD dedicated as swap virtually killed off any performance this old crock ever had. From the off, I could hear the HD rattle into action, when it would've been totally unnecessary without it. The slowing down was immediately apparent and this continued throughout boot up and running apps.
I've been warning about judicial use of swap space for more than a year, against a pile of alternative bad advice. So here we have it. The same sort of things that happen with 'doze happen in Linux - one sniff of swap and the system will use it with terrible consequences. Keep it very small and only use it when system resources are, in a nut shell, inadequate without it. Layering on tons of the stuff is a thoroughly bad idea.

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