Puppy Linux on 32-bit / 64-bit / MAC machines ?

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Lorico
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon 25 Mar 2013, 10:14

Puppy Linux on 32-bit / 64-bit / MAC machines ?

#1 Post by Lorico »

Dear All,


First of all, I love so much Puppy linux I discovered a few weeks back. WOW!
As I am such exited by this project, that I dreamt about a single USB stick to replace my computer (and use the computers of other people instead hehe) !

=> MY PLAN:
I am trying to have a USB stick that I would like to use on all kind of computers (actually all loading my personal .2FS file) - so I would have my computer with me anywhere/anytime :)

=> I am using Precise 5.4.3


1/ 32-bit: OK
On regular 32 bit computer, no problem it works perfectly (ex: on my HP mini 210, all smooth).

2/ MAC: NOK
I realized that on MAC computer, it is not possible to boot from USB key because the "BIOS" doesn't exists, and is replaced by EFI system... which doesn't boot on partition that are not created/recognized by MAC OSX.
=> dead-end, I don't see how to solve that. I can still boot using the "live CD" of precise 5.4.3, but in that case I am not able to load my personal .2fs file...

3/ 64-bit: NOK
I have an HP Elite book with Intel Core i7 (64 bit), and the boot freeze on "loading kernel module". I created a top on my issue here :
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 504#694504

4/ Virtual Box ?: NOK
Last possibility I see would be to have a "portable" version of Virtual box (that would work both on Windows for 64-bit computers AND on MAC OSX) - therefore actually 2 portable versions of Virtual box...
Where I would create an image of precise 5.4.3 for 64-bit computers, and another image for MAC OSX.
=> I got stuck by the fact that Virtual box doesn't allow creation of images that loads from USB Stick.
(and as I want to share my personnal .2fs files with both virtual image.... I need the USB stick).


=> I know my project is crazy, but feels challenging right ? :p

I would be thanksful for any kind of help!

capicoso
Posts: 172
Joined: Fri 13 Jan 2012, 23:38
Location: Argentina

#2 Post by capicoso »

2/ You can boot from CD and load the savefile from flashdrive. I did this on a old P3 machine that couldn't boot from usb and had no HDD.

mini-jaguar
Posts: 597
Joined: Thu 13 Nov 2008, 13:45

#3 Post by mini-jaguar »

The newest Macs (last few years) do support USB booting. Simpler booting if you install rEFIt on those Macs.

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Ted Dog
Posts: 3965
Joined: Wed 14 Sep 2005, 02:35
Location: Heart of Texas

#4 Post by Ted Dog »

mini-jaguar wrote:The newest Macs (last few years) do support USB booting. Simpler booting if you install rEFIt on those Macs.
DO NOT INSTALL rEFIt, (you would have to reinstall your MacOSX) standard mainline grub2 with EFI support works without reformatting machine, just boot via puppy cd (slackbones or fatpuppy64 have EFI) copy EFI grub files into the first 'fat' partion under /efi/boot/ kernels and initz will fit in first partion its a 200Ms.
Apple will automatically boot EFI like it should. USB should be preformed and contain other files (can be booted on non-apple)

erase boot EFI to automatically boot back into OSX.

Lorico
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon 25 Mar 2013, 10:14

#5 Post by Lorico »

Thank you guys for the tips !

Question CAPICOSO:
2/ You can boot from CD and load the savefile from flashdrive. I did this on a old P3 machine that couldn't boot from usb and had no HDD.
-> How do you load the savefile when you boot from CD ?? Is there something/parameters/commands to pass to the CD-boot screen to indicate to load my personal save file (which is located on the USB Stick) ?? Can you please advise how to do that ??

Question TED DOG:
just boot via puppy cd (slackbones or fatpuppy64 have EFI) copy EFI grub files into the first 'fat' partion under /efi/boot/ kernels and initz will fit in first partion its a 200Ms.
Apple will automatically boot EFI like it should. USB should be preformed and contain other files (can be booted on non-apple)
-> If I understand correctly, all I have to do in my usual USB Stick (vfat32 formatted) that already contains the usual files: initrd.gz+puppy_precise_5.4.3.sfs+vmlinuz
... is to add a folder /efi/boot/ where I would copy the "EFI Grub" files from a slackbones or fatpuppy64 distro ??
-> As a result, this architecture will allow me to be automatically recognized by the Apple computer as bootable USB, as well as "normal" bootable USB on regular PCs ??

Thank you again in advance for your great help guys !

mini-jaguar
Posts: 597
Joined: Thu 13 Nov 2008, 13:45

#6 Post by mini-jaguar »

Ted Dog wrote:
mini-jaguar wrote:The newest Macs (last few years) do support USB booting. Simpler booting if you install rEFIt on those Macs.
DO NOT INSTALL rEFIt, (you would have to reinstall your MacOSX) standard mainline grub2 with EFI support works without reformatting machine, just boot via puppy cd (slackbones or fatpuppy64 have EFI) copy EFI grub files into the first 'fat' partion under /efi/boot/ kernels and initz will fit in first partion its a 200Ms.
Apple will automatically boot EFI like it should. USB should be preformed and contain other files (can be booted on non-apple)

erase boot EFI to automatically boot back into OSX.
Do you have the SLIGHTEST, I mean even SLIGHTEST idea what rEFIt does?

Have to reinstall MacOS if you install rEFIt? You are really out of your mind, if that is what you were trying to say.

What it does is simply provide an extra boot screen, which makes it much easier to boot from CDs or USB (if the particular Mac is capable), plus it will make it easier to boot into a Linux distro if that is installed on the hard drive.

Linux still needs grub to boot, and rEFIt does not in any way provide EFI support for grub2. Most Puppy versions do not provide for the recognition of the grub files if you install Puppy on the hard drive. FatDog UEFI may, I have not tried it on a Mac. Also have not tried Slackbones. Ubuntu and probably some other related distros do, and it is installed automatically if you install that distro.

I had tried the earlier versions of FatDog (6.0.1 and 6.0.1) on a Mac and their EFI support was very poor, although I did get them installed by installing Ubuntu then wiping most of the Ubuntu files.

I think you just boot from USB normally, you don't have to add anything, the EFI stuff applies only to the hard drive. I have booted from a standard MS-DOS partition table USB stick, but I did have rEFIt installed on the computer. If you don't want to install rEFIt, just boot with the option key. But if the Mac is more than 2-3 years old or thereabout (I might be a few years off), it probably doesn't have USB support.

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Ted Dog
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Location: Heart of Texas

#7 Post by Ted Dog »

rEFIt project has not been touched since early March 2010 for a reason, There are better less trouble-some methods for newer MacTel Hardware.

PLEASE MAC USERS DO YOUR HOMEWORK BEFORE TRYING EITHER METHOD.

Apple actively tries to close loop holes like USB booting, so have your reinstall discs in sight if you choose rEFIt. :oops:

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Ted Dog
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Joined: Wed 14 Sep 2005, 02:35
Location: Heart of Texas

#8 Post by Ted Dog »

More up todate fork of rEFIt if you choose to go that route. Again not needed but if you want to boot linux, windows, and OSX that is a option.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/refind/

capicoso
Posts: 172
Joined: Fri 13 Jan 2012, 23:38
Location: Argentina

#9 Post by capicoso »

Lorico wrote:Thank you guys for the tips !

Question CAPICOSO:
2/ You can boot from CD and load the savefile from flashdrive. I did this on a old P3 machine that couldn't boot from usb and had no HDD.
-> How do you load the savefile when you boot from CD ?? Is there something/parameters/commands to pass to the CD-boot screen to indicate to load my personal save file (which is located on the USB Stick) ?? Can you please advise how to do that ??

Question TED DOG:
just boot via puppy cd (slackbones or fatpuppy64 have EFI) copy EFI grub files into the first 'fat' partion under /efi/boot/ kernels and initz will fit in first partion its a 200Ms.
Apple will automatically boot EFI like it should. USB should be preformed and contain other files (can be booted on non-apple)
-> If I understand correctly, all I have to do in my usual USB Stick (vfat32 formatted) that already contains the usual files: initrd.gz+puppy_precise_5.4.3.sfs+vmlinuz
... is to add a folder /efi/boot/ where I would copy the "EFI Grub" files from a slackbones or fatpuppy64 distro ??
-> As a result, this architecture will allow me to be automatically recognized by the Apple computer as bootable USB, as well as "normal" bootable USB on regular PCs ??

Thank you again in advance for your great help guys !
My puppy does it without telling him anything...
but rcrsn51 says:
Puppy likes to find its save file in the same place as the main SFS file.

Copy the SFS file off the pen drive onto your hard drive.

Look on your pen drive for the file syslinux.cfg. It probably contains the kernel argument "pmedia=usbflash".

Change it to "pmedia=atahd".

[Edit] I found another suggestion to use "pmedia=cd". Then you might not need to copy the SFS onto the hard drive.
This is to load the savefile of the HDD but booting from pendrive. I suppose you should copy the sfs file to the pendrive from your CD and have this argument "pmedia=usbflash" on syslinux

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