puppy iso/vmware desktop settings not saved

[cogs10]

hi, using winxp pro, i'm running puppy iso in vmware player.
when i change the puppy desktop to a permanent resolution (as well as icons and wallpaper), it doesn't save for the next vmware session, lasting only as long as i have the program running. do i need to add some file like an environment variable file? if so, to what directory? how does the iso handle saved files? thanks, total newb cogs

[cogs]

i changed the xorg.conf (/etc/x11/xorg.conf) to my monitor's resolution of 1024x768 and saved the file. when i closed vmware and reopened it, puppy did not keep what i saved, but started with the same xorg.conf it always does.

is this how .iso's handle files, that they're only accessible in session?

edit:
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... re&t=11591
i will try the setup from this howto link.

[Bruce B]

Puppy doesn't know if it is running on a real computer or an emulator.

An ISO image is not writable. If you want to save changes you will need place to save them to.

On using a different emulator

What I've done is make a virtual hard disk. Booted Puppy with the ISO image. Partitioned and formatted the virtual disk. Saved a pupsave file to the virtual hard disk.

Also are cogs and cogs10 the same person?

~

[cogs10]

yes, both are cogs (i don't know how that happened).

thanks for your reply... i was going to try that, but i didn't know how to make a virtual hard disc. isn't loading the puppy iso already on a hard disc? how will puppy see another virtual hard disc? i tried gparted, and when it scanned, it didn't find anything, i guess because i had not created anything.

so, is the extra hard disc created apart from the puppy iso's disc? if so, how to get puppy to see it?

[8-bit]

In vmware, there should be an option in it's menu to create a virtual hard drive. Follow the steps to create one on you physical hard drive of the type of OS you want to install to the virtual hard drive.
Then select that virtual hard drive and adjust boot options to boot from cd first. That is NOT your physical PC's bios options.
Boot from the CD in vmware with a pfix=ram option and when you install, make sure that the virtual drive you created is the one you are installing to.
After installing it and installing grub to the virtual hard drive, you can reboot vmware and should have puppy on a virtual hard drive.

[Bruce B]

I think 8-bit answered right (thus making it easy for me to answer)

~

[cogs10]

this is the message received after i press escape, then choose any of the options from the boot menu on vmware. i don't know what i can do differently? i can already load the iso, i just can't get an extra drive it can save to.
thanks for your help

[8-bit]

When all else fails, I will make a suggestion so as not to have to repeat information that is already available.
Go to the vmware site on the internet and download or read the instructions for the version of vmware player you are using.

From what I have seen of your screenshot, you do not have vmware players BIOS set to boot first from the CD which is the ISO image.
What you and I are seeing in the screenshot is vmware player attempting to boot from a virtual hard drive that contains no operating system.

[cogs10]

ok so i need the iso to be loaded first, before i press escape... i'll try that now.

[cogs10]

What I've done is make a virtual hard disk. Booted Puppy with the ISO image. Partitioned and formatted the virtual disk. Saved a pupsave file to the virtual hard disk.

In vmware, there should be an option in it's menu to create a virtual hard drive. Follow the steps to create one on you physical hard drive of the type of OS you want to install to the virtual hard drive.

i've booted with the puppy iso.

Then select that virtual hard drive and adjust boot options to boot from cd first. That is NOT your physical PC's bios options.

i got into the bios of vmware (by pressing escape) and adjusted it to boot from the cd before the hd (using the minus sign).

Boot from the CD in vmware with a pfix=ram option and when you install, make sure that the virtual drive you created is the one you are installing to.

i saved the bios, then it said it couldn't find the os, but then started booting into vmlinuz and eventually into puppy. i pressed f2, and typed pfix=ram. it then booted into the gui.

After installing it and installing grub to the virtual hard drive, you can reboot vmware and should have puppy on a virtual hard drive.

doesn't grub install with the puppy os? when i reboot, puppy was already there to begin with, even without doing all these steps. still when i shutdown, puppy can't save the lupu file for desktop settings. it's really hard for me to understand the difference between the puppy iso and whatever drive i'm trying to create, although i know i need something to save the lupu file to. thanks for any further input.

[8-bit]

Although I have been trying to give you the basic things you have to do to use puppy in vmware player, I have not used vmware in a while.
I use VirtualBox and am very happy with it as everything seems to be simple to set up.
As to booting puppy, it does not make any difference as to if it is booted from a physical hard drive, a usb drive, or a virtual drive.
It still needs a bootloader such as grub or vmlinux to be able to boot.

And as I said before, get and read the manual for vmware player.
I am not going to hold your hand all the way through installing Puppy on a virtual hard drive in vmware.

[cogs10]

i'll try virtualbox. no problem, puppy is already installed. it just needs something so it can save the settings. thank you

[8-bit]

In vmware, if you have your virtual hard drive created and have installed Puppy frugally, you still need to install grub to boot puppy.
Also, When Puppy boots, you should start the first time with pfix=ram so it will offer to create a pupsave file on shutting down or rebooting.

The most important thing is that you doubly make sure that all operations are made to the virtual hard drive and not the physical hard drive.

[cogs10]

virtualbox started installing, but came up with six windows asking if i really wanted to run it on xp. then it rolled back and uninstalled.

tried it again, and unchecked the host internet connection option, since after first uninstallation, the connection would only let me disable but not delete (but i just uninstalled its drivers and it went away from the connections folder).

so it began installing with the accompanying warning windows. it finally started registering drivers, and when it was finished and i started it, it said it couldn't creat a com object, so it never ran.

i guess i'll try an earlier version of virtualbox. this version was 4.0.1

[Béèm]

cogs10,
The best advice I can give is: try to solve the situation you are in, instead of jumping from one approach to another.

Some time ago you started with the Lin'N'Win method. Ideal for you situation. You ran into an issue and didn't persevere to solve it.
Then you tried VMWare. You again had an issue and you abandoned as someone spoke of Virtualbox.
So you tried Virtual box and you run into another issue.

So seen in an overall scenario, you don't make progress.

It is your call, but I think the Lin'N'Win method is best for your situation.
Lot of people have installed such so there is plenty of expertise to help.
The Lin'N'Win method is very safe.

With Virtual box I can't help. A long time ago I installed it once and didn't have any problem.

[cogs10]

thanks beem, i'll try lin'n'win. i tried the other methods cause i was afraid to mess up xp (as i did before and had to reinstall, because then i knew nothing of how to edit the boot menu).

the reason i give up on other methods, is because there really is no resolution, or at least i can't find it. it shouldn't be this hard, but i guess every system has its own idiosyncrasies, not to mention i'm new to linux, despite my knowing much about windows.

thank you all for your help and patience.

[Béèm]

OK then, I use Lin'N'Win for years without a problem.
Try it again and if you have a problem, make a new post.