Using Fatdog 64 EFI to boot Slacko 5.5 on a UEFI Bios

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JustGreg
Posts: 782
Joined: Tue 24 May 2005, 10:55
Location: Connecticut USA

Using Fatdog 64 EFI to boot Slacko 5.5 on a UEFI Bios

#1 Post by JustGreg »

I have manage to use the Fatdog 64 EFI to boot Slacko 5.5 with a UEFI BIOS with a USB flash drive. Here is how I did it.

First, one needs to create the USB flash drive with Fatdog 64. This post has the information on how to do it:
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=83402

Please read all the entries on the post. There is a lot of information and tips. This will create a normal Fatdog 64 installation. One should the latest Fatdog64 620 beta iso for the files. It is the most up to date version.

After creating the flash drive, one first needs to test it with Fatdog 64 to ensure it works. One has to stop the normal UEFI boot process (usually the ESC key) to get the firmware boot device selection entry. Select the USB flash device and it should boot. The first thing will be to register the fatdog certificate (fatdog.cer) using the MOKmanager. After one does that, the rEFInd boot loader should start. Select Fatdog64 and it will start. One needs to be patient. My Compaq CQ58 shows a blank screen for awhile. The UEFI boot seems to be in a graphical mode and much of the previous boot text is not shown. Fatdog will start and come up. Once it does, you can shutdown the system. You have a working device.

I used a 512 Megabyte USB flash drive. There is not enough room for both Fatdog64 and Slacko 5.5 I removed the Fatdog64 files. On a larger device, it may be possible to have multiple Puppy Linux systems on the same device. However, one needs to ensure the system component file names are unique. I have not done this, so you are on your own if you turn it.

After removing the Fatdog64 files, I copied these files for Slacko 5.5 to the device:
vmlinuz
initrd.gz
puppy_slacko_5.5.sfs

One needs to add an entry for Slacko 5.5 to the grub.cfg file. Here is the text of the one that I used:

Code: Select all

menuentry "Start Slacko NoX (USB)" {
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 2330-56E2
# above line searches for UUID and sets root to device with UUID
	linux /vmlinuz pmedia=usb pfix=nox
	initrd /initrd.gz 
}
I have found it is best to use UUID partition values with UEFI to identify the partition to be used. The value 2330-56E2 is for my device. One can get the value for your device by using gparted with partition information entry.

I do need to say I found it best to use the pfix=nox option to manually start the X server. The first time, one needs to use xorgwizard to manually configure the X server. Choose the video drive. I found the automatic probe did not seem to work. One also needs to test the X configuration with xorgwizard. Do not try to use the configuration until one has a successful test. The UEFI BIOS is designed for Window$ 8 with a graphic only boot. My COMPAQ shows none of the previous POST and boot text, just a blank screen. The video under UEFI is “work in progress
Enjoy life, Just Greg
Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much

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

#2 Post by Ted Dog »

Thanks for sharing this howto.

peterw
Posts: 430
Joined: Wed 19 Jul 2006, 12:12
Location: UK

Booting other Puppies with uefi

#3 Post by peterw »

Hi JustGreg

This project is interesting. I have installed Fatdog on a usb stick with uefi and a save file in partion 3 of the usb. My query is: "How did you delete the vmlinuz and initrd file before writing in the Slacko ones, since the file system is iso9660 and a Read Only File System? If the grub.cfg could be written to, then I could direct the boot process to go to files in partition 3 which I can write to. Any pointer will be appreciated.

peterw

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

#4 Post by Ted Dog »

the EFI partion on a flashdrive is read write even when just a file on a iso originally you can edit this part and then use the grub configure file for the new settings. It does work but is odd to remove files from an iso and re dd to flash.

peterw
Posts: 430
Joined: Wed 19 Jul 2006, 12:12
Location: UK

Booting Other Puppies with UEFI

#5 Post by peterw »

Hi Ted Dog

Thanks for responding. I have looked at some of JustGreg's other post on this topic:
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=83402
and suspect that he did not just dd the Fatdog iso to a usb stick. I think that after that he took the usb files to his hard drive and modified them their before changing the partitioning of his usb stick and then returning them.

Unfortunately, I can't experiment with this activity at the moment because I don't have access to a Windows 8 machine (I was using my grandson's when he was staying with us). Looking back at one of the usb sticks from that time, it is one with Lighthouse efi. It has 3 partitions: 257MB iso9660, vfat 10MB, vfat 3.5GB. It did boot on the Windows machine. The vmlinuz, initrd.xz and grub.cfg are in the first partition - the iso 9660 one and I cannot write to that. To further this work I would need to go back to square one and try and follow all of JustGreg's procedures and since I don't have the Windows machine that is not possible.

Just a bit of background to the situation. If I remember correctly, we had problems using the wireless connection with Lighthouse and probably Fatdog on my grandson's machine. We could use Ubuntu well and wireless worked but it had no persistence. Ideally, we wanted a good looking Puppy on his machine that had a save file on the usb stick and could get a reliable wireless connection, hence the desire to try a 32 bit Puppy.

I am sure that some others would like to boot their favourite Puppy on Windows 8 machines and perhaps someone else may follow up on this.

peterw

gcmartin

#6 Post by gcmartin »

Hi @Peterw

Your problem on WiFi IS PROBLEMATIC in both FATDOG and LH64 from my experience.

I have asked the developers and testors for some straight-forward document on this problem. It has occurred on several occasions in the past when assisting new user laptops to run either of these OSes. Seems that there are some minor issues with the onboard chipsets and, for me, it has mostly occurred with broadcom chipsets. But, I think I have seen others report similar with other chipsets.

When the next FATDOG and certainly Slacko64 emerge, maybe a thread can be started to provide some straight-forward advice on identifying the obvious problem(s) and the steps known to work in resolving to get a stable wireless LAN connection. I only run all PUPs via DVD as I rarely ever reboot. But, the issues are the same no matter how you boot PUPs.

Some of the obvious problems are
  • lack of recognition of WiFi at boot
  • lack of finding and connecting to the DHCP server
  • lack of maintaining a connection to the LAN forcing DHCP cycling
Looking forward to the upcoming releases.

To all other thread responders: Thanks for this thread, its topic area and its discussion. The OP opening is clearly stated. I think there is/are couple of other methods to do this, as well. I will reserve one method I'm aware of using FATDOG, until it is released officially and I will publish, then.

Here to help
Edited: 1st sentence in "To all other thread responders"
Last edited by gcmartin on Fri 31 Jan 2014, 00:15, edited 1 time in total.

peterw
Posts: 430
Joined: Wed 19 Jul 2006, 12:12
Location: UK

Fatdog & Lighthouse use

#7 Post by peterw »

Hi gcmartin

Thanks for your message. Yes, I am one of those that have had problems with wifi on the 64 bit puppies. The post below is one in which I have spoken about it in the past. In this case it was a r8180 device which has had problems judging from some searches I have read. I think my grandson's wifi device was an Intel one.
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 41&t=90167
I have tried various tricks to overcome the problem and not succeeded. I have had to use usb wifi devices to get contact.

Anyhow, I look forward to the new 64 bit releases and if you have a solution that will be appreciated.

peterw

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