Fix Desktop Icons In Maxed-Out Personal Save File? [Solved]

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johnywhy
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Fix Desktop Icons In Maxed-Out Personal Save File? [Solved]

#1 Post by johnywhy »

Hi

On Racy, my personal save file got overloaded on shutdown from firefox cache.

I booted to fresh racy (by renaming the overloaded psf), and deleted the huge mozilla folder. Then rebooted with previously overloaded psf.

On first reboot, i got blank screen. Had to shut down.

On second reboot, i got the racy desktop. All apps appear to be still installed, and most desktop config seems as I saved it.

But i got no desktop icons (except for the removeable drive icons). No browse icon, no email, no calendar, no terminal, etc.

-How can i recover my desktop icons?

-How can i repair lurking breakage due to overloaded psf?

thanks!
Last edited by johnywhy on Tue 13 Dec 2011, 15:15, edited 1 time in total.

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bigpup
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#2 Post by bigpup »

Try this for desktop icons.
menu->desktop->desktop settings
Run "desktop icon switcher".
Select a different icon set.

You could try file system check of save file by using boot option pfix=fsck
The things they do not tell you, are usually the clue to solving the problem.
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shinobar
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filled up

#3 Post by shinobar »

It may be faster to create new savefile and copy the important files from the old.
See the article on the cache of firefox:
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=62110
Downloads for Puppy Linux [url]http://shino.pos.to/linux/downloads.html[/url]

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johnywhy
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#4 Post by johnywhy »

Shinobar, wont "creating a new save file" simply mean reinstalling puppy and all apps from scratch?

Bigpup, running the "desktop icon switcher" did not restore the icons. But when I switch the icons, I do notice a flickering in the blank icon area of the desktop, as if there's something hiding there. I wonder if the icons are simply positioned outside the screen boundary. If they are simply off-screen, is there any way to reposition them?

The file check on boot did not give any warnings. Does that mean puppy thinks the file is ok?
Last edited by johnywhy on Tue 13 Dec 2011, 15:39, edited 1 time in total.

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bigpup
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#5 Post by bigpup »

Icons missing.
Try this:
This file controls what is on the desktop.
Replace the file PuppyPin
replacing /root/Choices/ROX-Filer/PuppyPin with /initrd/pup_ro2/root/Choices/ROX-Filer/PuppyPin.
Copy the file PuppyPin from
/initrd/pup_ro2/root/Choices/ROX-Filer/
Use it to replace the one in
/root/Choices/ROX-Filer/
Reboot.

If this works, you may still have other problems, because of the save file getting messed up.

shinobar's advice, about making a fresh save file, is the only sure cure.
I would add. Make a new fresh save file by running Puppy, with the boot option, puppy pfix=ram, so there is no chance the bad save file is used.
You did learn something. Make a save file, with some room, to handle what you are doing.
You can change size anytime with menu->utility->Resize personal storage file.
The things they do not tell you, are usually the clue to solving the problem.
When I was a kid I wanted to be older.... This is not what I expected :shock:
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johnywhy
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#6 Post by johnywhy »

Just want to say, i continue to be impressed with how awesome puppy is! But perhaps some room for improvement.
You did learn something. Make a save file, with some room, to handle what you are doing.
I knew that. I had increased the pupsave several times before it bombed. The problem is that Mozilla generates a huge cache. Normally I change the Mozilla cache dir to another drive in Mozilla's about:config (am I the only one with this issue? Puppy should do something about it automatically if possible, IMHO).

Note, Racy has a limit on the size of the pupsave. I increased it's size repeatedly, until it could get no bigger, but it still wasnt big enuf. Note also I was running both firefox and seamonkey, exacerbating the cache problem.

In this case, rather than change the cache dir, I set seamonkey to "clear cache on shutdown" in preferences. I believe this would have protected me since, running in ram, I noticed the pupsave meter was green and clear until after I shut down (i guess it does not write the seamonkey cache to disk until I closed seamonkey).

So why didn't seamonkey's "clear cache on shutdown" protect me? Because I set it to "ask me before clearing". Then, instead of first closing seamonkey and then shutting down puppy, I just shut down puppy, expecting (reasonably) that puppy would thoughtfully wait for apps to close before shutting down the os.

Turns out puppy is not so friendly-- I caught a brief glimpse of seamonkey asking me "are you sure you want to clear your cache?" before Racy rudely terminated without giving me a chance to answer.

Suggestions:

-puppy should wait for apps to close before shutting down the Os (ms windows is polite that way). Option to turn off for those who don't want it.

-seamonkey and firefox on puppy should be preconfigured to clear their cache on closing.

-puppy should protect the OS from getting obliterated like this. At shut down, puppy should be able to determine if what it's about to save to the pupsave is going to overload it, and give user option to lose their work vs. lose the entire OS. Perhaps

"OS cache is too large for pupsave. Pick option:" Then:

--"Pick apps to lose? (and display list of all apps/processes trying to save to pupsave)
---Lose SeaMonkey cache
---Lose etc

--"Enlarge pupsave? (In the case of Racy, if pupsave is already at max size, enlarging could not be an option.).
---Then, if necessary, "Not enough room on drive, move pupsave to other drive?

Ideally, get same options when installing an app that's too big for pupsave. I have had app installs bomb due to too-small pupsave. Puppy, be my seeing-eye dog :)

Ideally, automatic pupsave enlarging as needed. Then alert to move to external drive if out of drive space, or option to cancel process on Racy if pupsave already at max size. If process is canceled, puppy should automatically back out of any app install, deleting all files that were put onto drive during the install. Otherwise, pupsave will be left in filled-up state.
Last edited by johnywhy on Tue 13 Dec 2011, 04:31, edited 1 time in total.

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johnywhy
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A Clue?

#7 Post by johnywhy »

A Clue?

When I save a document to the desktop, it does not appear there.

But if i go back into the app where i saved it and click "open" and browse to desktop, there it is. It's visible in the app file browser, but not on the desktop.

Any thoughts? Hmm...

Re rebuilding the pupsave: the only way I can think of to do that is to boot with my corrupt pupsave, then rename that pupsave so puppy cannot find it, and then shutdown. But puppy says "already saved" whenever I shut down, so I will try to figure out how to force it to save a new pupsave.

Thanks for all suggestions!

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puppyluvr
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#8 Post by puppyluvr »

:D Hello,
The desktop is not a location, but rather a pinboard, so you cannot save things there.. However, in some Puppies, there is a directory in /root called desktop, and they end up there... Hence why the file manager can see them.

Reboot pfix=fsck
If that doesnt fix your savefile

Reboot pfix=ram
Shutdown, and make a savefile named "whatever"
Reboot using "whatever"
Rename your old savefile "whatever"
Delete the new savefile
Reboot..
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bigpup
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#9 Post by bigpup »

Re rebuilding the pupsave: the only way I can think of to do that is to boot with my corrupt pupsave, then rename that pupsave so puppy cannot find it, and then shutdown. But puppy says "already saved" whenever I shut down, so I will try to figure out how to force it to save a new pupsave.
The easiest way is to boot with a Puppy live CD using the boot option puppy pfix=ram.
Boot the live CD.
At the Puppy boot screen.
Hit F2 key.
Enter option puppy pfix=ram.
This keeps the save file from being used.
You can then delete or rename the save file.
When shutting down the live CD, it will ask about making a save file for it. Say no if it is different version of Puppy from what you want to use.
The things they do not tell you, are usually the clue to solving the problem.
When I was a kid I wanted to be older.... This is not what I expected :shock:
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johnywhy
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#10 Post by johnywhy »

well, i tried a suggestion i found, to disconnect computer power without shutting down, and then do a boot. That's when i saw some sort of error scan happening on the reboot. Not sure if it was pfix=ram or pfix=fsck.
Enter option puppy pfix=ram.
This keeps the save file from being used.
Isn't that equivalent to doing a fresh install, and losing all my apps and settings?
different version of Puppy from what you want to use
Sorry, i don't know what that means. Different version? I'm using Racy, and I want to stay Racy. Is that what you mean?
The desktop is not a location, but rather a pinboard, so you cannot save things there.
well, before this crash i had some text files that i saved on the desktop, and they were visible in both the text editor file-browser, and on the visible desktop.

Note, i'm currently booting with a usb flash drive, and my pupsave is on the hard-disk.

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Makoto
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#11 Post by Makoto »

The desktop simply saves links (shortcuts) to files; that's why clicking on the icons still opens them as though the actual files were being stored on the desktop.
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johnywhy
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#12 Post by johnywhy »

Fair enough. Just the same, if i save a doc to the desktop in a text editor, and the virtual link you explained is not visible on desktop, isn't that a clue to what is corrupted in the pupsave?

I could be mistaken about having saved files to the desktop and then seeing them there, but that's what i remember.
Last edited by johnywhy on Tue 13 Dec 2011, 17:13, edited 2 times in total.

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#13 Post by johnywhy »

Boot the live CD.
Enter option puppy pfix=ram.
You can then delete or rename the save file.
this i believe would just wipe all my apps and settings, and make a fresh clean system.

pfix=fsck sounds like a way to rebuild the pupsave WITHOUT losing my config. I'll try it.
Last edited by johnywhy on Tue 13 Dec 2011, 15:44, edited 1 time in total.

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#14 Post by johnywhy »

lo and behold, pfix=fsck got my desktop icons back.

note to other noobs, you actually have to type

Code: Select all

puppy pfix=fsck 
at the boot options, not just

Code: Select all

pfix=fsck 
thanks!! great to have 'em back!

i wonder if i should do any other fixes to clean any lurking corruptions....
Last edited by johnywhy on Tue 13 Dec 2011, 15:46, edited 1 time in total.

Jim1911
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#15 Post by Jim1911 »

Consider moving the hidden file /root/.mozilla to /mnt/home and then do a relative link to /mnt/home/.mozilla back to /root. That would give the problem file more space outside of your save file and you would not lose your bookmarks if you lose your save file. The same technique should be used with other programs that take up a lot of space in your save file i.e. /root/.thunderbird.

An advantage of this technique is that those files may be linked to any save file that you have.

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johnywhy
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#16 Post by johnywhy »

Jim1911 wrote:moving the hidden file /root/.mozilla to /mnt/home and then do a relative link to /mnt/home/.mozilla back to /root.
Thanks, jim1911, i may try this with other apps. Can i do it with Wine, such that ALL wine apps will automatically get installed elsewhere, including dotnet, vcrun2005, and all windows apps i install on wine? That would be great, since wine can get real fat the more win apps you install in it.

I think the mozilla browsers firefox and seamonkey already offer an easier way to move their cache directories, using their config screen:
http://www.infohole.com/blog/computing/ ... -location/

Will this accomplish the same thing as your relative link method?


Also, can somebody confirm if the SeaMonkey cache will remain in ram, and not get saved to the pupsave file, until i close SeaMonkey?


I'm still not able to save text files to the desktop, does that mean my pupsave is still corrupt?


Thanks!

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`f00
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re2

#17 Post by `f00 »

hi johnywhy

Nah, probably not corrupt ;) the rox pinboard is more virtual than a dir like win's desktop, only symlinks are on it (thus only the symlink is removed if you do that, the original stays in the filesystem - kind of like win's shortcut deal). Save your text files (or anything) in an appropriate or easy-to-recall location in the filesystem (like a /root/mysaves dir), then drag to the pinboard. Sometimes there's a 'desktop' dir in /root/ (I seem to recall Wine and/or other apps/wms-like-xfce may use somesuch)

also getting rid of firefox/gecko browser cache, there's another thing for flash 'cookies' if you use macr0media :P (scrollup in the thread)..

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