Choosing where Puppy saves pup_save.2fs

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une
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Choosing where Puppy saves pup_save.2fs

#1 Post by une »

Up until now I have been saving pup_save.2fs to a removable USB memory key. I just saved it to disk (on a Windows NTFS partition) for the first time. Puppy now seems to save pup_save.2fs to disk by default at the end of each session. How do I now choose at the end of a session whether pup_save.2fs is saved to disk or USB memory key?

Within Windows (the OS installed on the hard disk) I have viewed where Puppy saved pup_save.2fs and zdrv_213.sfs. Can I move the location of these files in the partition? Fore example I want to create a new folder and put them in it so other people don't mess with them. If I do this I am not sure if Puppy will lose track of their location for reading and writing.

What is the file zdrv_213.sfs? Is it changed during a Puppy session and resaved at the end of each session like pup_save.2fs?
(I installed devx_213.sfx and incorporated it into my Live CD by remastering, maybe it has something to do with this?)

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Scoticus
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Saving pup_save.2fs

#2 Post by Scoticus »

In the pending manual for version 2.14 the following is stated:

The backup is very simple. Either you start Puppy with the boot-option "puppy pfix=ram" or you start your old operating system (Windows). Then you copy the file onto the backup medium (e.g. another harddrive, USB stick, CD-ROM).

Trust this will be of assistance

Ian

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Billwho?
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maybe a symlink

#3 Post by Billwho? »

I don't know if this will work but you could try putting a symlink to the USB pup_save.2fs on your hard drive.

1 Boot Puppy with the puppy pfix=ram option
2 Mount your USB (Click the drives icon on the desktop and then the mount button for your USB device)
3 Rename your pup_save file to something like "pup_saveUSB.2fs"
either with ROX, (click on the home icon and navigate to the directory that your device has been mounted at; probably /mnt/sda1. Right click on yor pup_save file and choose "Rename" from the context menu that appears)
or, in a terminal
change to the directory the pup_save file is in
eg.

Code: Select all

cd /mnt/sdax
where x is the partition number
and rename the file

Code: Select all

 mv pup_save.2fs   pup_saveUSB.2fs 
4 Mount your hard drive partition (similar to step 2 above)
5 Navigate to the same directory as your hard drive pup_save file. If you used ROX right click in the directory and choose xterm here from the context menu
6 Create a symlink to USB pup_save file

Code: Select all

ln-s pup_saveUSB.2fs /dev/sda1/pup_saveUSB.2fs
7 Unmount both your drives (unmount button in "MUT"; drives icon)
8 Reboot and if this did work you should be asked which pup_save file to use.

Good Luck
Linux = Learning through doing :shock: :? :D
The learning curve may be steep but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
You just have to pass the occasional oncoming train to get there.

jonyo

#4 Post by jonyo »

Curious why you're using live cd ver 2.01 rather than a more recent ver?

What is the 'pro' part about in the live cd pro ver 2.10?

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Billwho?
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#5 Post by Billwho? »

jonyo wrote:Curious why you're using live cd ver 2.01 rather than a more recent ver?
Two reasons
1 Being on dial up I don't upgrade every time a new Puppy is released. Even 80Mb takes upwards of 3 hours to download.

2 I really need to edit my signature.:oops: I was using 2.01 when Rhino asked for testers of his Beta version of 2.10 Pro, since it contained Open Office and a few other apps that I needed to work on some of my files from the work window$/M$office computer I asked my brother in law to download all 230?Mb of it for me. I am now using 2.10Pro almost exclusively as it does everything I need without any problems.
jonyo wrote:What is the 'pro' part about in the live cd pro ver 2.10?
Basicly the office apps mentioned above, the CUPS dotpup etc.
More information here http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 8&start=90
The 12th post on this page has the information.

BTW as the beta version of 210 Pro was found to be so stable there was no need to bugfix it and release another version.
Linux = Learning through doing :shock: :? :D
The learning curve may be steep but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
You just have to pass the occasional oncoming train to get there.

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une
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#6 Post by une »

Thanks all. Letting Puppy save pup_save.2fs to hard disk by default on shut-down, then booting up Windows and copying the pup_save.2fs file to my USB memory key sounds like an easy solution.
Let's say I had my USB key connected at startup of Puppy and the version of pup_save.2fs on the USB key was different to the one on the hard disk. Which version of pup_save.2fs would Puppy use? I notice Puppy scans all hard disk partitions and connected storage devices for pup_save.2fs when booting up.
Ideally I would be asked where I want pup_save.2fs to be saved during shutdown every time. I was asked once, but when I then chose "hard disk", I was never asked again during shut-down.

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une
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#7 Post by une »

Just started using Puppy again and I still have the same problem. Any ideas on how to control where pup_save.2fs is written on shutdown and where it is read from on startup?

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Volsung
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#8 Post by Volsung »

Speaking from the standpoint of one who knows from experience rather that through programming knowledge (I don't know the exact steps in bootup and shut down, just speaking from what I have seen), If it sees a save file, it uses it (EX: I can move my save file from Flash drive to HDD to another HDD and it loads it every time).

It then saves where ever it loaded from (Whatever it loads from becomes /mnt/home and that is where it saves). If you move it while puppy is running, I believe you can change the places it saves... try it and see.

As for 2 pupsaves, I can't say having never done it, but the version I run (3.01) asks for a save file name, so I imagine it would give some way to pick. Maybe a more experienced person can speak to this...

Anyway, try it, see how it works out and tell us...
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Billwho?
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#9 Post by Billwho? »

Sorry this took so long une, for some reason I missed your posts until tonight.

When you boot up, Puppy will pause for a short time at a boot prompt. When this happens type in "puppy pfix=ram" without the quotes. This will cause Puppy to boot up as if it is the first time that it has done so and you will have to set up either xorg or xvesa again .When you shut down you will be asked where to put your save file. Depending which version of Puppy you are using you may even be asked what name you want to use for it. If you are using a version earlier than 3.00 I would reccomend you mount the drive your current savefile is on and rename the file then unmount the drive before shutting down just to be on the safe side.

The next time you boot Puppy you will be presented with a list of options.
For a system with 2 savefiles the list would be

Code: Select all

Choose the file you want to open and press enter

0 None
1 Your first file
2 Your second file
Please note the wording of the list may be different to my example (I dont pay any attention any more just choose the file I want and away I go ) but will be close. Choosing the "None" option will have the same effect as using pfix=ram at the boot prompt.

Hope this helps and good luck
Bill
Linux = Learning through doing :shock: :? :D
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You just have to pass the occasional oncoming train to get there.

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craftybytes
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#10 Post by craftybytes »

une -
I think you will find that when using a 'pup_save' file on :-

*USB flash drives - Puppy will only "write" to it during a session once every 30 minutes - this is to prolong the lifetime of the USB flash drive..

*Hard drive - Puppy loads the 'pup_save' file direct to RAM and mounts it as r/w - now when any 'changes' are made to this area in RAM - Puppy immediately "writes" these changes back to the hard drive 'pup_save' file ( a slight delay is incurred - but you'd hardly see it as the "write" process is almost instantaneous) - so when you shutdown, as Puppy has ALREADY saved the changes to the hard disk - you don't get any dialog box popping up to let you select where to do the save - IT HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE..

Now because of either of the above methods - neither actually gives you the option to select where to save - EXCEPT if you booted Puppy with the 'pfix=ram' boot option - Puppy treats this as a 'no save file' boot, thus when you then do shutdown - this is the ONLY time it will ask where to place the new 'pup_save' file..

You can rename your already saved 'pup_save' files - this will give you the option as to which one to use WHEN you boot-up - BUT - once Puppy boots it will ONLY use the 'pup_save' file that it booted from to "save" back to - that is the way Barry set everything up for Puppy..

HTH..

crafty.
.
3 x boot:- ASROCK VIA 'all-in-one' m/b; AMD Duron 1.8Ghz+; 1.0GB RAM; 20GB hdd (WinXP Pro); 80GB hdd (MEPIS 3.4-3/Puppy v2.15CE Frugal); 1GB USB pendrive (Puppy 2.15CE Frugal); CD/DVDRW; 17" LCD monitor; HSF 56k modem... MEPIS is great.. Puppy ROCKS..

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Billwho?
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#11 Post by Billwho? »

Just reread the original post. I think the only way to choose which file to save to is to boot from that file at the start. If the file on your USB stick is not being found at boot up you may have to enter "pmedia=usb" at the boot prompt.

If you are only trying to save the changes to something like an Abiword file or a picture etc you could try this.

1/ Mount the drive you want to save to if it is not the one that you used to boot from.
2. Mount the save file as a loop device. (this will have to be done from a console)
eg for a USB drive that was mounted as /mnt/sda1

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mount -o loop /mnt/sda1/your-pup_save.2fs  /mnt/data
3/Choose save as in the application you are using and navigate to wherever you want to save the file.
eg. To save in my-documents in the example file above you would save to /mnt/data/root/my-documents/your-file
4/Unmount the loop

Code: Select all

umount /mnt/data
Linux = Learning through doing :shock: :? :D
The learning curve may be steep but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
You just have to pass the occasional oncoming train to get there.

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