Frugal install on EXT4 file system

[shinobar]

BACKGROUND
I remember ext4 file system is supported by Puppy-4.3 and later.
But the Puppy Universal Installer does not support frugal install on ext4 file systems.
Recent Puppy-5.x is worse. Their PUI does not show any errors for ext4 but FAILS to boot.
I know only the PUI of Fluppy-10 does succeed with ext4.

The problem is the extlinux(syslinux) version 4.x is required for ext4 support.
And the PUI doesn't check the error the extlinux makes. I think it is a bug of PUI.

You can check the version of extlinux by typing on a virtual terminal:

Code: Select all

extlinux --version

The Fluppy-10 has syslinux-4.0.2, that is the reason it gets success.
You can install recent syslinux(including extlinux)-4.x available here.

But you need not use PUI for frugal install.
LupQ-511 has the 'Frugal Installer'. Or, you can install the frugalinstaller with PET.
But also you can do it manually.
The legacy grub on Puppy-4.3 and later supports ext4, but i recommend the grub4dosconfig because the legacy grub config does not support frugal install.
The grub4dos is built in recent Puppy-5.x. It may work but the recent version is available here.
As for Puppy-4.3.2 of ttuuxx needs to upgrade the built in grub4dos to the recent version above.

HOW TO Turorial Video
Step by step how to frugal install Puppy manually on USB flash media.
Assuming Puppy-4.3.1 and later and the kernel supports ext4.

1. TOOLS: You need grub4dosconfig. The recent version is available here.
2. MEDIA: Asuming you have a USB flash medium at least 512MB, and you can clean up the whole medium.
3. FORMAT: Clean up the medium by gparted. Remove ALL partition(important), then create new partition as ext4.
   If your medium larger than 2GB, you can make additional partition for sharing data with Windows.
   In this case, the Windows partition(vfat or ntfs) should be the FIRST partition and the second be ext4.
   If you make the Windows sharable partition latger than 4GB, i recomend ntfs for large files like dvd data.
4. INSTALL PUPPY: You can put the Puppy files on root, but i recommend to make a directory(folder), say named 'usbpuppy' on the ext4 partition.
   Copy the Puppy 3 or 4 files in the directory: vmlinuz, initrd.gz, *.sfs(main sfs and some puppy may have zxxx.sfs)
5. MAKE BOOTABLE: Run 'Grub4Dos config'. Choose the USB device for 'Where to install'. Recommended to tick on the 'search within this drive'. Click 'OK' for all dialog.

OK, reboot PC and set up the BIOS to boot from the USB-HDD.
If your PC does not support USB-HDD, you still have a chance by using PLOP.

[ilanrab]

Thank you shinobar. Quite comprehensive.

[Doglover]

I have had success with a frugal install of spup-040 inside a dpup-484 full install on an ext4 partition. I am posting this from the frugal install.

I may be mistaken, but your advice is for usb drives?

[shinobar]

your advice is for usb drives?

Any frugal install on EXT4 file system, no matter usb or internal ata.
Full install on internal ata ext4 partition has no problem with the Universal Installer.

[n1mnal]

I did a manual pup-431 frugal install on an ext4-formatted hd partition. It
boots straightforwardly with grub (didn't try grub4dos - I have only linux
partitions).

Later extended it manually to add a coexist frugal install of lupu-511 on
the same partition - just changed the grub menu. Again no problem,
even with save files named *.2fs (pup-431) and *.3fs (lupu-511).

It looks as if whatever problems there are are in the PUI, which I didn't use,
not in using ext4 as such.