How to do a FULL install of Puppy, to an empty HDD (2010)

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CatDude
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#21 Post by CatDude »

Hello texas.chef94

### ANY MESSING AROUND WITH YOUR WINDOWS PARTITIONS IS DONE ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK ###
###......................................I WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE IF THINGS GO WRONG............................................###
texas.chef94 wrote: but just for grins at image 8 lets assume XP home was on C drive and there was some 30 gig free.
When you say free, do you mean that there is 30 gig unallocated,
or just 30 gig not actually being used on the C drive.

If the former, then just create a partition for Puppy and a SWAP partition, in the unallocated space.
(See the example below)

If the latter, then i suppose you will need to resize the C drive,
this is probably best done from within windows using whatever software you have available.
It may even be prudent to defrag the C drive prior to making any changes to it.

If you haven't got any software such as Partition Magic whatever,
you could always download and then burn to CD the GPartedLiveCD.ISO

This page explains how to resize a partition: HOW TO RESIZE PARTITION
(Again, see example below)
texas.chef94 wrote: How much for XP
How long is a piece of string ?
Seriously, only you can answer that.
How much space is it taking up already ?
Are you going to be installing many more programs into it or not ?
Maybe just add say another 5 gig on top of whatever size it is already.
So if it is already say 10 gig resize the C drive to 15 gig,
and leave the remainder for Puppy and SWAP partitions
texas.chef94 wrote: how much for puppy and add ons
Puppy doesn't need all that much on its own.
I usually give each Puppy version its own partition of 5 gig,
this is enough for several backup copies (in the case of a frugal install)
plus any .sfs packages such as OpenOffice whatever.

5 gig is well big enough for a full install too.

As to the SWAP partition, like it says in the howto,
it is usually recommended to make it twice the amount of available RAM you have.

###############################################
This is an example only
###############################################
Depending on the size of the drive you have,
here is a possible partitioning scheme.
(it assumes a 40 gig drive and sizes are for example only)

/dev/hda1..........NTFS..........15Gig..........XP Home Edition ..........(Also known as your C drive)..........Primary
/dev/hda2..........Fat32...........1Gig..........(Sharing for both windows & Puppy)........................................Primary
/dev/hda3..........SWAP...........1Gig..........(Linux SWAP for Puppy - 2xRAM)................................................Primary
/dev/hda4..........Extended...................(Container for the following partitions).......................................Extended
/dev/hda5..........Ext3...........5Gig..........Puppy number one............................................................................Logical..........boot
/dev/hda6..........Ext3...........5Gig..........Puppy number two.............................................................................Logical
/dev/hda7..........Ext3...........5Gig..........Puppy number three.........................................................................Logical
/dev/hda8..........Ext3...........8Gig..........Your Personal Data............................................................................Logical

###############################################

So, using the above example
You would install Puppy to /dev/hda5
and install GRUB also to /dev/hda5 (when asked, as in Image-34)
AND to MBR (when asked, as in Image-35)

After clicking No at image-37
and BEFORE rebooting.
Click on the mount icon on the desktop
Now mount /dev/hda5
and check your menu.lst (/dev/hda5/boot/grub/menu.lst)

It should have an entry for your windows,
similar to below.

Code: Select all

# Other bootable partition config begins
 title Windows (on /dev/hda1)
 rootnoverify (hd0,0)
 makeactive
 chainloader +1
# Other bootable partition config ends
If it hasn't then ADD the above entry.
(that is how you will access windows via the GRUB menu)

There should also be an entry for Puppy on /dev/hda5
similar to below.

Code: Select all

# Linux bootable partition config begins
  title Linux at (on /dev/hda5)
  root (hd0,4)
  kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda5 ro vga=normal
# Linux bootable partition config ends
Then continue following the howto


I hope this is of some help.

CatDude
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76yrold
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Thanks

#22 Post by 76yrold »

Ok I have it all and you will hear no more from me on installation
:lol: Thanks so much and catdude you are indeed a gracious patient dude

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CatDude
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Re: Thanks

#23 Post by CatDude »

Hello 76yrold
76yrold wrote: Thanks so much and catdude you are indeed a gracious patient dude
Thank you for the compliment, if anything i wrote has assisted you in any way,
then that is good enough for me.

CatDude
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nic2109
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#24 Post by nic2109 »

If you haven't got any software such as Partition Magic whatever,
you could always download and then burn to CD the GPartedLiveCD.ISO
I used to use a Gparted .iso for this but as the gui is really flaky I now just use a Puppy live CD (any version) and run with pfix=ram. Once booted use gparted from the system menu. Altogether it's a much more satisfactory process.
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smokey01
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#25 Post by smokey01 »

nic2109 wrote: Ooops - I think you're correct. I'm fairly sure that is a feature of Frugal, but I'm not so sure either about an HD install. I agree that it's best not to say anything in that case.
I can confirm fsck is run on bootup using puppy 4.00 on a frugal install.
The process is very slow on an EXT2 partition. I have puppy 4.00 (frugal) also installed on a FAT32 partition and fsck runs much faster.

Back when I was running puppy 3.01 (frugal) on an NTFS partition it was even faster, hardy noticeable.

nic2109, is there any benefit of installing (frugal) to EXT3 rather than EXT2?

I'm not going back to NTFS. Too hard to fix when it breaks as I don't use windows any more.

In the past I have used full installs on 3.01 and 2.13. Although boot time is faster frugal is much more convenient to manage.

Regards

Smokey

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davidA
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#26 Post by davidA »

A question:

I pretty much followed this same procedure a few days ago. What I am uncertain of, is how can I tell if my swap partition is actually active (and being written to) - if I mount and view it, it appears to be empty - which might (I suppose) be because the system does not actually need it....

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Scoticus
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How to do a FULL install of Puppy, to an empty HDD

#27 Post by Scoticus »

CatDude

The guide provided by you would need little or no alteration for a USB installation. What you provided is more that adequate.

If anyone has any difficulty then there is a very good Howto: bootable usb drive puppy from windows by AliG which gives the full story.

One thing I would like to ask is when when you have a full HD to play with do you need a swap partition. Is a swap essential if say you have 80GB to play with for example?

I am between either working on multisession DVD or totally devoting a system to Puppy. At the moment I am leaning towards the HD as multisessions can be slow to load but once they are there there is little or no difference to using my USB pen drive.

Keep up the good work
[b]Puppy 4.0[/b]; AMD Athlon X2 4400 Processor; 2048MB DDR2 Memory; 320GB HD; nVidia 6100 Graphics; 16x Dual Layer DVD burner; Philips 190X5 monitor,Epson Stylus Photo R265 printer. Logitech LX 710 cordless keyb & mouse

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CatDude
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#28 Post by CatDude »

Hi Scoticus
Scoticus wrote: The guide provided by you would need little or no alteration for a USB installation. What you provided is more that adequate.
As i dont have any experience with USB installs,
i think i will leave it to those that do.
Scoticus wrote: One thing I would like to ask is when when you have a full HD to play with do you need a swap partition. Is a swap essential if say you have 80GB to play with for example?
Somebody more knowledgable than myself would need to answer that,
my thinking is that it is best to have one (all Linux Distro's seem to create one).
The main contention is normally, what size should it be.

In fact, in my PC i have a 80GB + 160GB HDD's
and i have a 1GB (2xRAM) SWAP partition on each of them.
Excessive ? Maybe
Problematic ? Not so far as i can tell.


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paulh177
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Re: How to do a FULL install of Puppy, to an empty HDD

#29 Post by paulh177 »

Scoticus wrote:One thing I would like to ask is when when you have a full HD to play with do you need a swap partition. Is a swap essential if say you have 80GB to play with for example?
The need for a swap partition is dependent not on the size of the hard disk, but the amount of RAM that you have available.
I can't remember the minimum memory requirement for various Puppy versions, but I'll give an example.
Say, Puppy version X needs 128MB of RAM to work effectively, and your machine has only 64MB. You might create a swap partition of 128MB, and Puppy will use that space when and if it needs it as if the machine had 192MB of RAM.
There are different views on how to decide on how big a swap partition needs to be, and if you search the forum you will find plenty of threads on the subject.
If the machine has an 8GB or 80GB or 800GB hard disk will make no difference to the need for a swap partition.
hope this helps
paul

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Scoticus
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How to do a FULL install of Puppy, to an empty HDD

#30 Post by Scoticus »

Many thanks CatDude & Paul

I will bear this in mind when I come to a final decision. Currently I am using s 2GB pen drive and no swap without any problem and this prompted the question.

Looks like a case of safety first to me

Again thanks

nic2109
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#31 Post by nic2109 »

smokey01 wrote: nic2109, is there any benefit of installing (frugal) to EXT3 rather than EXT2?
Sorry but you credit me with more knowledge than I have. I really have no idea beyond what was posted earlier in this thread about that - you'll need to try and prompt an expert into replying!
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#32 Post by smokey01 »

nic2109 wrote:
smokey01 wrote: nic2109, is there any benefit of installing (frugal) to EXT3 rather than EXT2?
Sorry but you credit me with more knowledge than I have. I really have no idea beyond what was posted earlier in this thread about that - you'll need to try and prompt an expert into replying!
Thanks anyway.

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bambuko
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#33 Post by bambuko »

CatDude,
just to add my thanks for an excellent how-to :!:
following my battles with an old laptop (also greatly assisted by your article), I have had a go at wiping out a desktop and doing full install on HDD.
It took fifteen minutes and apart from the hang up at the boot screen (overcome by changing timeout to 0 ) it was dead easy 8)

Another happy customer :lol:
Thanks

Chris

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CatDude
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#34 Post by CatDude »

Hello bambuko
bambuko wrote:CatDude,
just to add my thanks for an excellent how-to :!:
following my battles with an old laptop (also greatly assisted by your article), I have had a go at wiping out a desktop and doing full install on HDD.
It took fifteen minutes and apart from the hang up at the boot screen (overcome by changing timeout to 0 ) it was dead easy 8)
Very glad to here it was of help to you.
As to the timeout, MaZZly pointed out how to get it to boot straight to the desktop in the second post.
Personally i like a timeout of at least several seconds, as i have quite a few different puppies installed, both Full & Frugals,
and it allows me to easily select whatever i decide i want to boot into.

Anyway its good to know that you found it "dead easy" 8)
Dont you just love Puppy :lol:
bambuko wrote: Another happy customer :lol:
Thanks

Chris
Your very welcome mate.

CatDude
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ErosP
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Kudos for Catdude - make this a sticky!

#35 Post by ErosP »

As a Linux newbie, this is the best and simplest tutorial I have seen on installing Puppy to a HDD. I vote we make this a sticky and have it as the defacto how-to for installing!

Regards, Eros

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CatDude
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Re: Kudos for Catdude - make this a sticky!

#36 Post by CatDude »

Hello ErosP
ErosP wrote:As a Linux newbie, this is the best and simplest tutorial I have seen on installing Puppy to a HDD. I vote we make this a sticky and have it as the defacto how-to for installing!

Regards, Eros
Thankyou for the kind remarks, i am glad that you found this howto helpful.
As to making it a sticky, well thats down to the moderators or someone i suppose.

Again thankyou

CatDude
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jcrichardson30360
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Problems with GRUB on Dell Lattitude LM P166

#37 Post by jcrichardson30360 »

Since my OLD laptop can't boot from a floppy, I did a reformat/full install from my desktop using a 2.5" USB external case and all seemed to go as expected.

I then pulled it out of the case and installed it in my laptop and when it gets to the GRUB loader screen it kicks out an "Error 18" almost immediately. Any idea what that error is and where I might be going wrong?

I'm trying to breath new life into this dinosaur of a laptop and looks like Puppy will be the ticket... IF I can get it on my system.

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CatDude
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#38 Post by CatDude »

Hi jcrichardson30360

Welcome to the kennels mate.

With regard to your error message, here is what it says in the GNU GRUB Manual 0.97
18 : Selected cylinder exceeds maximum supported by BIOS
This error is returned when a read is attempted at a linear block address beyond the end of the BIOS translated area.
This generally happens if your disk is larger than the BIOS can handle (512MB for (E)IDE disks on older machines or larger than 8GB in general).
I would suggest that you start a new thread over in the beginners section,
maybe something like "Full Install GRUB Error 18"
then hopefully some of the forums experts will see it and respond.

I also suggest that you provide as much information as possible,
things like:

Make & Model of Laptop (i only just seen it, in the sub heading)
How much RAM it has
What size HDD it has (and how you have it partitioned, sizes & formats)
Puppy version you are using.

The more info you provide, the more likely someone can help you.

CatDude
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robertito
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#39 Post by robertito »

An extremely helpful post ! The only thing still baffling me is this: I have a SATA disk and an IDE disk, both formatted the same way. Other distros I've experimented with recognise both discs, but Puppy does not see the SATA.
Anyone got an idea why this is ?

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CatDude
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#40 Post by CatDude »

Hi robertito
robertito wrote:An extremely helpful post !
Thankyou
robertito wrote: The only thing still baffling me is this: I have a SATA disk and an IDE disk, both formatted the same way. Other distros I've experimented with recognise both discs, but Puppy does not see the SATA.
Anyone got an idea why this is ?
I cant help you there, try a forum search for SATA
tick the radio button next to Search post title only.
Maybe that will throw something up for you.

CatDude
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