2.17 Universal Installer feedback needed

Please post any bugs you have found
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BarryK
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2.17 Universal Installer feedback needed

#1 Post by BarryK »

This is a request for feedback only if the Universal Installer does not recognise all the partitions on your hard drive. This has been reported by a few people while testing alphas and betas for v2.17 and also the final release. However, the feedback has been very inconsistent -- one person reported that the same problem existed for v2.16, while a couple of others reported that the Universal Installer in v2.16 recognised all partitions but v2.17 did not. One person reported that after he used GParted to re-format the partitions, the problem went away. I think that the problems were reported with IDE '/dev/hd*' drives, with the usual ext2 and ext3 filesystems.

I have been testing the v2.17 Universal Installer on any PC that I can find, not doing an actual install, but just going far enough to see what partitions it recognises. Guess what, it has been correct every single time. So, how can I fix a problem that does not exist?

The fact that someone used GParted and the problem went away is a clue. My first thought is that there could be a mismatch between the partition ID number and the actual filesystem. So, for people who have this problem, could you please do some tests to look for an inconsistency:

1.
# cat /proc/partitions

2.
# probepart

3.
# fdisk -l

4.
Run 'puppyinstaller' and report what partitions it recognises.

Sage
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#2 Post by Sage »

Like you, Barry - no problems here and I use 'Full' installer for everything.
However, there are some caveats. Since a few versions ago it has been necessary to format partitions before installing. I've been asking why the change since version 1? Many distros automate this process as you did previously. There can also be issues occasionally with ext3 - no idea why, seems irreproducible - we had the fs discussion on your blog a few months ago. I favour ext2. There have been discussions here about the maximum no. of partitions allowable, recently, too; most folks won't even approach those numbers. Misses the point somewhat, anyway. I don't recommend duel(sic)-booting - ever; risks losing both systems, esp. if/when there's a mechanical failure. The reality is that ALL HD s WILL fail, eventually. There are so many old HDs lurking out there that are entirely suitable for compact distros that it makes no sense sticking Puppy on anything too large. Ask and they will be given! Just need a main partition, swap partition and one more to store d/l s and data; anything else can be dropped onto a DVD, CD, Zip, flash, w.h.y. Furthermore, why not buy a dozen caddies and luxuriate in distro diarrhea! Saves changing settings, options, preferences and BIOS every time something changes. And when the floods arrive (oh yes - it's raining again in Blighty, as Hungarians die by the hundreds in their heatwave - what's it all about?!) just yank (no AJ - it's l.c. this time) the caddies out and run upstairs with your lifetime's endeavours under your arm(s).
Too many kiddies testing compact distros on their overblown PCs with the g-f stripes - that's the route of the DWIntel cartel....

Joe_DK
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#3 Post by Joe_DK »

I have just installed puppylinux 2.17 (final) a few days ago. For some reason I wanted to reinstall puppy ;-) (I am new to this). At the first install, all partitions were recognised. At the reinstall (or try to reinstall), the partitions, which the live cd had mounted, were not seen by the universal installer. That means the swap partition and the partition with the pupsave-file on it. I made a Co-exist/frugal install. Deleting the pupsave-file made that partition appear on a second try. By the way I had to manually change the grub menu-list too boot into puppy. It would be nice with an option to rewrite only the mbr as a windows install changes that. I haven't bothered with cat and probepart. I read another user report this behavior on the forum, a few days ago. I don't remember in which connection. I hope this helps.
Jorgen from Denmark. PS. I like Puppy :-)

Joe_DK
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#4 Post by Joe_DK »

Just wanted to say that, before a wrote the above reply, I booted with the live cd and ran the universal installer to confirm it didn't see the two partitions(swap and puppy-save) which it had mounted.

I found the the post, I referred too. By the time a read it, I believed it to be the same problem I had seen. But I don't know if that is the case.
A link:
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=19967

garlane wrote:

"...I booted from the 2.17 CD again to try to do a frugall install. However, the install would not proceed because the hda4 partition was unmountable (the CD was using the save_2fs file on the partition). ..."

Jorgen.

Joe_DK
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#5 Post by Joe_DK »

Sorry, a must be sleepy ;-)

cthisbear
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#6 Post by cthisbear »

Barry.
I wonder if some of these problems occur because of
the settings on the Hard Drives.

Many hardrives come preset at Cable Select out of the factory.
I always take out the drive and change them to Master....
using single HDD of course.
Same with the CD/DVD drives....as long as there are 2 cables...PATA?

The new Asus cheapie...Asus P5GC-MX board...that I
installed recently had the SATA cables set to 1 and 2 on the board,
but strangely showed up main partition C:\ as 3
and D:\ as 1.
However they also were set at cable select.
In this case I did not change this as I was unsure if this would
be OK ...my computer mate who I usually ask couldn't be contacted,
so I went for caution in this instance.
So possibly by doing what I normally do...the drives
would have shown up in Puppy differently.

I also often wonder if some of Puppies woes has anything to do with
Xorg as I always select Xvesa.
This last one is of course way off the wall.

Chris

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BarryK
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#7 Post by BarryK »

Joe_DK wrote:Just wanted to say that, before a wrote the above reply, I booted with the live cd and ran the universal installer to confirm it didn't see the two partitions(swap and puppy-save) which it had mounted.

I found the the post, I referred too. By the time a read it, I believed it to be the same problem I had seen. But I don't know if that is the case.
A link:
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=19967

garlane wrote:

"...I booted from the 2.17 CD again to try to do a frugall install. However, the install would not proceed because the hda4 partition was unmountable (the CD was using the save_2fs file on the partition). ..."

Jorgen.
I do not have this problem. Right now I have hda2 mounted on /mnt/home and it has the pup_sav -- the Uni Installer sees it.
Regarding garlane's comment, that seems to be saying that the Installer does see the hda4 partition but install failed as the partition was mounted -- which is a different problem.

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BarryK
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#8 Post by BarryK »

I would like for somebody, who has a "missing" partition when run the Uni Installer, to run the tests I posted in the first thread.

Greystar
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#9 Post by Greystar »

I was missing my hda1 on 2.16 when running uni installer ...did your tests and.......(hope it helps).
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Sage
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#10 Post by Sage »

Forgot to mention (again, in this context) that there remain problems updating versions for Full installs. This is not new but v2.17 brings its own flavour of upgrade features - I reported that it was necessary to wipe the existing.
I suggested elsewhere that effective and reliable upgrade has to be regarded as a sine qua non. Notwithstanding, this appears to be a substantial and complex operation for the major distros, F7 taking several hours, for example (perhaps not the best example!). Obviously, frugal installs should be simple to update, but multiple partitions - dunno!

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BarryK
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#11 Post by BarryK »

Greystar, you don't type the '#', that's the prompt.
You misspelled 'partitions'.
The option for fdisk is '-l', that is, the letter 'l' not a numeric '1'.

So, you open a terminal window and just type:
cat /proc/partitions
probepart
fdisk -l

...for each output, drag mouse pointer over to highlight, it will automatically be in the clipboard, ctrl-v to paste somewhere.

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Fox7777
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Re: 2.17 Universal Installer feedback needed

#12 Post by Fox7777 »

# cat /proc/partitions
major minor #blocks name

7 0 74780 loop0
3 0 20010312 hda
3 1 811251 hda1
3 2 5622750 hda2
3 3 6426000 hda3
3 4 7148925 hda4

# probepart
/dev/hda1|swap|1622502
/dev/hda2|ext3|11245500
/dev/hda3|ext3|12852000
/dev/hda4|ext3|14297850
/dev/hdc|iso9660|0

# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/hda: 20.4 GB, 20490559488 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 2491 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 1 101 811251 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/hda2 * 102 801 5622750 83 Linux
/dev/hda3 802 1601 6426000 83 Linux
/dev/hda4 1602 2491 7148925 83 Linux

On this computer the universal installer recognizes no partitions for install. The drive mounter shows all partitions.

Guest07
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2.17 Universal Installer feedback needed

#13 Post by Guest07 »

Thanks Barry !
Now after this:
---
Guest
Friday, July 20, 2007, 11:50 PM
hda1 vfat w. prestine puppy
hda2 ext3 w. full install puppy
hda3 swap
Universal installer in 2.16 vorked O.K. 2.17 did just see hda1.
So could it bee that the seek for puppy stoppet when the first is found ?
---
You wrote this:
---
BarryK
Saturday, July 21, 2007, 04:21 AM
I have posted a puppyinstaller script here for testing:
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=19995
---
So we have this other tread named:
Puppy 2.17Final not recognising all partitions.
Where I posted this:
---
Dear Barry:
Thanks but 21 july did not work - but RazzBear´s did see the partitions though:
sh-3.00# probedisk
/dev/hdc|cdrom|LITE-ON COMBO SOHC-4832K
/dev/hda|disk|ST38410A
sh-3.00# probepart
/dev/hdc|iso9660|0|LITE-ON COMBO SOHC-4832K
/dev/hda1|vfat|13558797|Win95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/hda2|ext3|3020220|Linux Ext3FS
/dev/hda3|swap|257040|Linux Swap
sh-3.00# test-eide
/dev/hdc - cdrom - LITE-ON COMBO SOHC-4832K
/dev/hda - disk - ST38410A
sh-3.00# cat /proc/partitions
major minor #blocks name

3 0 8420832 hda
3 1 6779398 hda1 # prestine puppy
3 2 1510110 hda2 # full install puppy
3 3 128520 hda3 # swap
Thanks for your effort - I know it will bee solved.
---
So today here is:
---
# cat /proc/partitions
major minor #blocks name

3 0 8420832 hda
3 1 6779398 hda1
3 2 1510110 hda2
3 3 128520 hda3
#
# probepart
/dev/hda1|vfat|13558796
/dev/hda2|ext3|3020220
/dev/hda3|swap|257040
/dev/hdc|iso9660|0
#
# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/hda: 8622 MB, 8622931968 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 1048 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 1 844 6779398+ c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/hda2 845 1032 1510110 83 Linux
/dev/hda3 1033 1048 128520 82 Linux swap / Solaris
#
---
I don't know if it can solve anything. But looking at all the suggestions I stopped at the ext3 explanation.
Thanks for the PUPPY - it's so nice..

Joe_DK
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#14 Post by Joe_DK »

# cat /proc/partitions
major minor #blocks name

7 0 74780 loop0
7 1 262144 loop1
7 3 100252 loop3
3 0 39078144 hda
3 1 1052226 hda1
3 2 12586927 hda2
3 3 12586927 hda3
3 4 1 hda4
3 5 1052226 hda5
3 6 11799711 hda6
# probepart
/dev/hda1|ext2|2104452
/dev/hda2|ntfs|25173854
/dev/hda3|ext2|25173854
/dev/hda4|none|2
/dev/hda5|swap|2104452
/dev/hda6|vfat|23599422
/dev/sda|none|0
/dev/sdb|none|0
/dev/hdb|iso9660|0
# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/hda: 40.0 GB, 40016019456 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4865 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 1 131 1052226 83 Linux
/dev/hda2 * 132 1698 12586927+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda3 1699 3265 12586927+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda4 3266 4865 12852000 5 Extended
/dev/hda5 3266 3396 1052226 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/hda6 3397 4865 11799711 b W95 FAT32
#

In the puppy universal installer, it says:
" Here is what Puppy has found out about the chosen drive:
hda2: ntfs,size 12.00 GB
hda3: ext2,size 12.00 GB, Puppy version 217 installed
hda6: vfat,size 11.25 GB"

I have this on my partitions:
hda1 : A frugal puppy 2.17 with a puppysave-file
hda2 : Windows
hda3 : A hd-instal of puppy 2.17
hda5 : linux-swap
hda6 : A fat32 for backup

Joe_DK
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Joined: Sun 22 Jul 2007, 12:20

#15 Post by Joe_DK »

Hi Barry!

I tried to erase the puppy save-file on hda1 and booted from cd. Hda1 was still missing in universal installer, so I guess I remembered wrong in my first post.

Feeling a little bad about this, I have tried reinstalling:

I start with this, as posted above:
/dev/hda1 1 131 1052226 83 Linux
/dev/hda2 * 132 1698 12586927+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda3 1699 3265 12586927+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda4 3266 4865 12852000 5 Extended
/dev/hda5 3266 3396 1052226 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/hda6 3397 4865 11799711 b W95 FAT32

hda2,hda3,hda6 is seen in puppy universal installer (P.U.I.)

I erased partition hda1 and created a new ext2 on hda1.
hda1,2,3,6 now appears in P.U.I.

I instal a puppy co-exist on hda1, don't install grub.
hda1,2,3,6 shows in P.U.I

I instal GRUB on SUPERBLOCK of hda1.
HDA1 IS now GONE in P.U.I. Only hda2,3,6 shows.

I delete partition hda1, create ext2 on hda1
hda1,2,3,6 now appears in P.U.I.

I then instal co-exit puppy on hda1, and then instal GRUB on MBR.
hda1,2,3,6 shows in P.U.I. HDA1 IS NOT GONE.

I don't know what installing grub to the superblock of a partition
changes, but it makes the partition disappear in P.U.I. on my computer.

Hope you can use this.
Jorgen.

Greystar
Posts: 26
Joined: Tue 20 Mar 2007, 23:56

#16 Post by Greystar »

Sorry barry......I don't use terminal much didn't understand. And thanks for the just highlight bit i was tring Ctrl insert and gave up thats why i did a screenshot. Anyway,

sh-3.00# cat /proc/partitions
major minor #blocks name

7 0 71784 loop0
7 1 524288 loop1
3 0 29302560 hda
3 1 3582463 hda1
3 2 3582495 hda2
3 3 3590527 hda3
3 4 1 hda4
3 5 257008 hda5
3 6 5116671 hda6
3 7 5124703 hda7
sh-3.00# probepart
/dev/hdc|iso9660|0|QSI CD-RW/DVD-ROM SBW-242
/dev/hda1|ext2|7164927|Linux Ext2Fs
/dev/hda2|ext2|7164990|Linux Ext2Fs
/dev/hda3|ext2|7181055|Linux Ext2Fs
/dev/hda4|none|37094085|Extended (contains other slice)
/dev/hda5|swap|514017|Linux Swap
/dev/hda6|ext2|10233342|Linux Ext2Fs
/dev/hda7|ext3|10249407|Linux Ext3FS
sh-3.00# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/hda: 30.0 GB, 30005821440 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 3648 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 1 446 3582463+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda2 447 892 3582495 83 Linux
/dev/hda3 893 1339 3590527+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda4 1340 3648 18547042+ 5 Extended
/dev/hda5 1340 1371 257008+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/hda6 1372 2008 5116671 83 Linux
/dev/hda7 2009 2646 5124703+ 83 Linux
sh-3.00#

nic2109
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Joined: Mon 01 Jan 2007, 20:24
Location: Hayslope, near Middlemarch, Midlands, England

2.17 Installer Problems

#17 Post by nic2109 »

Hello; while I think that all the partitions have been detected the resulting installed system will not boot up. It gives me Error 15 - file not found.

The command output you requested is
# cat /proc/partitions
major minor #blocks name

7 0 74780 loop0
8 0 96213285 sda
8 1 10241406 sda1
8 2 10241437 sda2
8 3 1 sda3
8 5 2048256 sda5
8 6 2827408 sda6
# probepart
/dev/sda1|ext2|20482812
/dev/sda2|ext2|20482874
/dev/sda3|none|2
/dev/sda5|swap|4096512
/dev/sda6|ext2|5654816
/dev/hdc|iso9660|0
# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 98.5 GB, 98522403840 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 11978 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 1275 10241406 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 1276 2550 10241437+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 11372 11978 4875727+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 11372 11626 2048256 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6 11627 11978 2827408+ 83 Linux
#
# puppyinstaller
sda "ATA FUJITSU MHV2100B, size 98.5 GB"
sda
sda1: ext2, size 9.767 GB, Puppy version 217 installed
sda2: ext2, size 9.767 GB
sda6: ext2, size 2.696 GB, Puppy version 217 installed

#
The partitions sda1 and sda2 were created afresh using gparted prior to running the install and I selected sda1 and a frugal install. The sda6 partition has a 2.17 install and used to work but doesn't now! I cannot now remember whether it's Frugal or HD.

While GRUB doesn't boot up, if I boot from the CD without any parameters then a save file is detected, but I'm not sure which.

The menu.lst looks like this.

# GRUB configuration file '/boot/grub/menu.lst'.
# generated by 'grubconfig'. Fri Jul 27 21:46:05 2007
#
# The backup copy of the MBR for drive '/dev/sda' is
# here '/boot/grub/mbr.sda.12021'. You can restore it like this.
# dd if=/boot/grub/mbr.sda.12021 of=/dev/sda bs=512 count=1
#
# Start GRUB global section
#timeout 30
color light-gray/blue black/light-gray
# End GRUB global section
# Linux bootable partition config begins
title Linux (on /dev/sda1)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda1 ro vga=normal
# Linux bootable partition config ends
# Linux bootable partition config begins
title Linux (on /dev/sda2)
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda2 ro vga=normal
# Linux bootable partition config ends
# Linux bootable partition config begins
title Linux (on /dev/sda6)
root (hd0,5)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda6 ro vga=normal
# Linux bootable partition config ends
title Install GRUB to floppy disk (on /dev/fd0)
pause Insert a formatted floppy disk and press enter.
root (hd0,0)
setup (fd0)
pause Press enter to continue.
title Install GRUB to Linux partition (on /dev/sda1)
root (hd0,0)
setup (hd0,0)
pause Press enter to continue.
title - For help press 'c', then type: 'help'
root (hd0)
title - For usage examples, type: 'cat /boot/grub/usage.txt'
root (hd0)
Barry; I realise that this isn't exactly the same issue, but I have put it here in case it's relevant and/or helpful.

Please ignore this post if it's not and I'll raise it in a more general problems forum.

Thanks for all you do!

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BarryK
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#18 Post by BarryK »

I then instal co-exit puppy on hda1, and then instal GRUB on MBR.
hda1,2,3,6 shows in P.U.I. HDA1 IS NOT GONE.

I don't know what installing grub to the superblock of a partition
changes, but it makes the partition disappear in P.U.I. on my computer.

Hope you can use this.
Jorgen.
Jorgen has posted this, which is extremely interesting. For everyone else who has a "missing" partition in the Uni Installer, where is your GRUB installed? -- is it on the MBR or a partition?

This would account for why I don't get this problem, as I always install GRUB to the MBR.

RazzBear
Posts: 24
Joined: Fri 30 Jun 2006, 10:01

Feedback for partitions not found

#19 Post by RazzBear »

I have run the tests you have requested and here are the results i got

cat /proc/partitions
major minor #blocks name
7 0 64108 loop0
3 0 78150744 hda
3 1 61440561 hda1
3 2 10241437 hda2
3 3 6466162 hda3

probepart
/dev/hda1|ntfs|122881122
/dev/hda2|ext3|20482874
/dev/hda3|ext2|12932324
/dev/hdc|iso9660|0


fdisk -l
Disk /dev/hda: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 1 7649 61440561 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda2 7650 8924 10241437+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda3 8925 9729 6466162+ 83 Linux

Universal installer only recognises hda1
Have attached pic to show you
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RazzBear
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Joined: Fri 30 Jun 2006, 10:01

follow-up 2

#20 Post by RazzBear »

Sorry about the big picture in my previous post

I have grub intalled on linux partitions (not on MBR)
and using windows bootloader on /dev/hda1 to bring up a boot selection menu

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