Pup save ext 3 (pup_save.3fs)

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sidders · #1 Post by **sidders** » Sun 12 Jul 2009, 20:27

I've had to run up to a nursery a couple of times in the past month or 2. The problem is a crashed puppy. Both times have been due to power cuts, including little fingers exploring buttons.
I think to make the pup save and underlying file system more robust would to use ext3, so a pup save 3fs.

Bruce B and Gyro have had a discussion on hacking the init script to include pup_save.3fs

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?p=296334

I've been playing with the RC Shutdown script to automatically create a ext 3 save.

However searching the forum brings up puppy 2 and the 3fs. Is there a reason that this was dropped for later pups?.

#2 Post by **BÃ©Ã¨m** » Sun 12 Jul 2009, 21:07

What can you do against power drops and little finger?
Take very frequently a backup of the pup_save. Whether it's 2fs or 3fs.
For power drops, a no-break group would apply.

sidders · #3 Post by **sidders** » Sun 12 Jul 2009, 21:22

It seems to bugger X if anything. I'm thinking along the lines that for this instance and others as yet unforeseen, the machine has a better chance if the file system was ext3 (journalling etc).
The pup save file isnt important at all, its in a nursery with 30 kids going at it.
Trying to toughen puppy up

mikeb · #4 Post by **mikeb** » Sun 12 Jul 2009, 21:29

Well since I mainly use puppy 2 I've had plenty of usage out of a 3fs pup_save and it seems more robust to me...I occasionally run a manual e2fsck and it nearly always comes up clean inspite of power cuts, small and large fingers...my hobby is seizing up puppy testing 3d games

.
Seems the same as with real partitions...ext2 gradually accumulates errors..ext3 does not.

Why was it dropped...someone passing through said that having a journalled file system running on a non journaled file system was not the 'done thing'.
In that case I am a happy rebel.

mike

sidders · #5 Post by **sidders** » Sun 12 Jul 2009, 21:50

I think then that i will put it on 412 and stick that in the nursery, see what happens.
The partition is ext3, a frugal install (256ram), i will convert the pup save.

I will report any findings.

Another quick question just to clear it up. is the sfs ext2 or does it take on the properties of the underlying file system?,

My muddled mind

mikeb · #6 Post by **mikeb** » Sun 12 Jul 2009, 22:32

I found fat16 more robust than fat 32 on a flash stick......not sure about ext3 on there ..some say the additional writes of journalling are a problem on flash...the pup_save is the delicate part in this instance but hey the nusery test sounds like a good one

.

sfs files are usually archives of an ext2 system,not certain if that's strictly necessary as a source format. Regardless of that it's contents are effectively frozen and read only so damage is highly unlikely.

mike

sidders · #7 Post by **sidders** » Sun 12 Jul 2009, 22:37

Brilliant. Thanks Mike that makes sense about the sfs.

I think the idea with flash sticks is to keep writes to a minimum, therefore extending its life. Any-old-how, the nurseries will run on old pc,s.

Thanks again

Jim1911 · #8 Post by **Jim1911** » Mon 13 Jul 2009, 00:19

See my thread http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=35830
Look for PaulBx1's convert-pupsave.tar.gz a fine little utility that:

resizes and/or changes the encryption mode and/or changes the file system of your pupsave, by generating a new one from your currently-booted pupsave. It leaves the old one untouched. With this tool, the following tasks can be accomplished:
1) Resize the pupsave larger or smaller (within reason). Size does not have to be a power of 2; if you want a 439MB pupsave, you can have it.
2) Change from using the default cleartext pupsave to an encrypted one.
3) Change from using an encrypted pupsave back to a cleartext one (perhaps for reason of maintenance), or change which encryption algorithm is used.
4) Change the password on your encrypted pupsave (by simply generating another encrypted pupsave with a different password).
5) Change from an ext3 to an ext2 pupsave, or vice versa.

Bruce B · #9 Post by **Bruce B** » Mon 13 Jul 2009, 04:14

Did any mention it doesn't do any good to convert pup_save to 3fs unless it gets mounted as 3fs?

And, to mount it as 3fs takes some modest modifications in initrd.gz ( the initit file)

sidders · #10 Post by **sidders** » Mon 13 Jul 2009, 06:28

Bruce, ive been reading the thread between yourself and Gyro on the subject.

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=40958

Hack Init

(old)Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

(old)Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

Pup save ext 3 (pup_save.3fs)

Pup save ext 3 (pup_save.3fs)