YaPI (yet another Puppy Installer) install any Puppy iso

Under development: PCMCIA, wireless, etc.
Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
bigpup
Posts: 13886
Joined: Sun 11 Oct 2009, 18:15
Location: S.C. USA

YaPI (yet another Puppy Installer) install any Puppy iso

#1 Post by bigpup »

The problem with the Puppy Universal Installer.
It will only install the Puppy version you are running the installer in.
It will not do an install from any other Puppy version.iso file.

Puppy Linux needs a program, running in Puppy, that will do an install using any Puppy version.iso file.

Update:
Thanks to L18L
This is now turned into a new installer program.
YaPI

YaPI pet. This is final release.
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 834#896834

If you have problems installing the YaPI pet.
Here is some information on what to do:
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 592#893592

This is what should be possible.

Which Puppy to install
3 options.
1.This actual running Puppy
2. Any other Puppy iso from all storage locations (choose from a list of iso's found on any storage devices attached to computer)
3. Navigate to an iso. Right click and choose "open with... YaPI"

Type of installs on different storage devices.

USB flash drive
( Can have Fat 32 or NTFS Windows format or any Linux format).
Frugal install
Grub4dos bootloader on drive.
SuperFloppy install (Careful it uses all of the drive) Limited to 16GB or less drive size. Does not need a boot loader

External USB hard drive
(Can have Fat 32 or NTFS Windows format or any Linux format).
Frugal install
Grub4dos bootloader on drive.

Internal hard drive or any other type internal drive
(Can have Fat 32 or NTFS Windows format or any Linux format).
Frugal install
Full install (must use a Linux format)
Grub4dos bootloader on drive.

YaPI seems to work OK when run on the newest Puppy versions, made with Woof-CE.
Other Puppy versions may not offer all options.
Frugal and full installs should work.

Note about SuperFloppy installs:
SuperFloppy installs will put the USB flash drive in a non-normal partition/format condition.
To get the USB flash drive back to a normal partition/format condition do the following things.

In a console type this code and hit enter.
Important
(The code of=/dev/sdb sdb is the flash drive, yours could be sdc, sdd, etc.... adjust to match yours)

Code: Select all

dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb bs=1M count=1
This will remove all partitions, format, and data from USB flash drive.

Use Gparted to get back to normal setup.
1. Make a partition table:
GParted > Device > Create Partition Table > MS-DOS default.
2. Partition and format as you like.
Last edited by bigpup on Thu 31 Mar 2016, 21:47, edited 59 times in total.
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:
YaPI(any iso installer)

User avatar
8Geee
Posts: 2181
Joined: Mon 12 May 2008, 11:29
Location: N.E. USA

#2 Post by 8Geee »

Sorry for the late bump, but this is an intriguing idea. One may have to specify the *.iso from a list, but certainly looks good. Frugal/Manual/F2FS methods also selectable.
Linux user #498913 "Some people need to reimagine their thinking."
"Zuckerberg: a large city inhabited by mentally challenged people."

gcmartin

PUI vs MultiPUP

#3 Post by gcmartin »

Is MultiPUP a "kinda" PUI that may address the ability?

gcmartin

A PUI with some additional clarity for Frugal setup

#4 Post by gcmartin »

A forum requester, a little while ago, asked how to go from DVD (or ISO, i dont remember) to Frugal. Many experience PUP users already know how to do this and do so manually. But, as I had remembered, the Puppy Universal Installer (PUI) does this for users, even though I had never used it successfully years ago. In any event, I recommended it to that member.

He immediately fired back that, to him, it addresses FULL install but it was not apparent how to do a Frugal setup. So I put this on my todo list, and last night, using the latest TahrPUP-6041, I gave it a try. Start with Menu>Setup>Puppy Installer
Image
The button "Installation introduction webpage" is nice, but give no hint in how to use the PUI.
The buttons on the screen do NOT hint at anything for Frugal setup. The text description on the screen does not acknowledge that Frugal can be installed in an HDD/SSD much less a USB "drive". Thus a users in now lost in what to do with whatever media he has ideas for setup. So one must guess and having NEVER done this before, the user is now heading down a rabbit hole with no lights and no guidance of what to expect next. (There is no rabbit leading the way.)

For a Frugal, a good guess in the "Puppy Installer" button, even though the button text clearly says full install. On this screen, one still does not know if it is the correct "rabbit hole" selected as nothing suggests that a Frugal install will be allowed.
Image

So knowing that the target is a USB stick, this is selected. The PUI asked which USB to install to,
Image

then the PUI thrust the users in a choice of using one of 2 tools for formating and prepping the USB as a boot device.
Image

With a little knowledge, the user can ploy thru the format process.
Image
And subsequent screens to end in a terminal screen (on black backgroud outside of the prior PUI screens he was using) and has to step thru this unfamilar territory in hopes of arrival with a Frugal USB. Sample below show actions taken and results:

Code: Select all

First-final action in a terminal window
	You are about to install Puppy to /dev/sdf1, with boot parameter pmedia=usbflash. 
	The files vmlinuz, initrd.gz, puppy_tahr_6.0.4.1.sfs, extlinux.conf (and maybe zdrv_tahr_6.0.4.1.sfs if it exists. puppy_tahr_6.0.4.1.sfs may be inside initrd.gz) will be written to /dev/sdf1 and Extlinux will be used to make it bootable.

2nd-final action in the terminal window
	Making sdf1 bootable.../mnt/data is device /dev/sdf1
	Copying vmlinuz...
	Creating extlinux.conf...

3rd-final action in the terminal window
	Would you like extlinux.cfg to have pfix=copy boot parameter?
		this will cause puppy_tahr_6.0.4.1.sfs to be copied into RAM at bootup, which slows bootup but speeds application startup slightly. Probably good to answer yes here if PC has 256MB or more RAM. (you can edit extlinux.conf later to change the choice made here) (note, Puppy will override this and not copy if there is insufficient RAM)
	ENTER key only for no, else any char then ENTER for yes: y

4th-final action in the terminal window
	Copying initrd.gz...
	Copying .sfs files...

5th-final action in the terminal window
	Finished, press ENTER key to continue: 
	"The DVD disc media is eject and the light on the USB stops flashing."

Listing of all files on the newly created USB
root# ls -l /mnt/sdf1
	total 208824
	-rw-r--r-- 1 root root       126 Nov 24 12:20 boot.msg
	-rw-r--r-- 1 root root       167 Nov 24 12:20 extlinux.conf
	-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      1247 Nov 24 12:20 help2.msg
	-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      1463 Nov 24 12:20 help.msg
	-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   1320567 Nov 24 12:20 initrd.gz
	-r--r--r-- 1 root root     32256 Nov 24 12:12 ldlinux.sys
	-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      7677 Nov 24 12:20 logo.16
	drwx------ 2 root root     16384 Nov 24 04:51 lost+found
	-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 181145632 Nov 24 12:21 puppy_tahr_6.0.4.1.sfs
	-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   3574864 Nov 24 12:12 vmlinuz
	-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  27488256 Nov 24 12:22 zdrv_tahr_6.0.4.1.sfs2 USB files, extlinux.conf and ldlinux.sys replace the DVD's isolinux.bin and isolinux.cfg
I achieved success, but, it IMHO was due to some Puppy familiarity couple with luck in doing so.

Most importantly, you may have noticed that the PUI in creating my needs NEVER really mentions I am on the path to a Frugal USB setup.

I think someone may want to rethink this layout of the process to make it a little easier for user understanding.

One idea is to add a "tab" to @Rcrsn51's "peasydisc" to take the DVD disc (ISO) to creation of the Frugal disk. Then the Menu, for Frugal setup, could open to a tab in that utility which copies the disc contents and sets the BM as he has it doing on other screens in the peasydisc utility. This is a very nice utility which seems to have much already there for this. It could bring clarity via his screen structures for user understanding and use, going from disc to frugal. Again, this is just an idea as other options could be employed for clarity in going from disc to frugal.

Hope this is useful in understanding the dilemma an unfamiliar user is facing, no matter which PUP distro using a current or past PUI.

User avatar
L18L
Posts: 3479
Joined: Sat 19 Jun 2010, 18:56
Location: www.eussenheim.de/

Re: A PUI with some additional clarity for Frugal setup

#5 Post by L18L »

gcmartin wrote:He immediately fired back that, to him, it addresses FULL install but it was not apparent how to do a Frugal setup.

Immediately firing back does not make one recall:
required for 'full install'
IS NOT
for 'full install' only
------
EDIT on another note...
Quirky is not Puppy

User avatar
bigpup
Posts: 13886
Joined: Sun 11 Oct 2009, 18:15
Location: S.C. USA

#6 Post by bigpup »

You are not offered install options for a USB flash drive.
The only install that is done, is a frugal to a USB flash drive.
There is no other option to offer. So, you will not see the page for selecting full or frugal.

If you had selected to install to a hard drive.
You would have been given option to do a frugal or full install.

The installer shows different pages based on the device you selected to install on.

Making an installer easy to use for a new user is simple.
Hit install and it never asks you anything or tells you what it is doing.
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:
YaPI(any iso installer)

gcmartin

#7 Post by gcmartin »

@L18L you correctly point out the problem. Throughout the Puppy Forum, members talk about "Live", "Frugal", "Full". The PUI, a utility useful for doing this DOES NOT USE the language used in the forum.

Clarity, is what I feel would improve its understanding so that novices feel that the utility is design to meet the objectives of the language used in the forum.

The PUI, IMHO, does not go far enough to make that clear. Thus one stumbles thru the many screens to failure, dead-ends, or success, unnecessarily.

And this is what I am bringing forward for community evaluation...Clarity by using forum's decade-old language, even if the steps don't change.

User avatar
bigpup
Posts: 13886
Joined: Sun 11 Oct 2009, 18:15
Location: S.C. USA

#8 Post by bigpup »

The problem is getting someone to do the code changes :idea:
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:
YaPI(any iso installer)

User avatar
L18L
Posts: 3479
Joined: Sat 19 Jun 2010, 18:56
Location: www.eussenheim.de/

Re: Puppy Universal Installer

#9 Post by L18L »

bigpup wrote:Maybe, just do not have the sanity check.
Just put

Code: Select all

#
in front of it.

Why don't I do it?

It should be done in a recent woof-CE built puppy.
Any of these do not run on my computer.
Give me a link for downloading woof-CE's PUI
and I will make these changes
so you can give it a try.

User avatar
bigpup
Posts: 13886
Joined: Sun 11 Oct 2009, 18:15
Location: S.C. USA

#10 Post by bigpup »

Delted by me to stop people downloading from here.
Last edited by bigpup on Sun 14 Feb 2016, 00:16, edited 1 time in total.
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:
YaPI(any iso installer)

User avatar
L18L
Posts: 3479
Joined: Sat 19 Jun 2010, 18:56
Location: www.eussenheim.de/

Puppy Universal Installer

#11 Post by L18L »

Hi bigpup

Found in function locate_puppy_files line 441:

Code: Select all

#sanity check...
if [ ! -f ${SRCPATH}/${DISTRO_PUPPYSFS} ];then #v3.01 v424 100913
 [ "$SRCPATH" = "/mnt/$CDDRIVE" ] && eject /dev/$CDDRIVE
 Xdialog --wmclass "gtkdialog2" --left \
 --title "$(gettext 'Puppy universal installer: ERROR')" \
 --msgbox "`eval_gettext \"Oh dear, a 'sanity check' has failed.\
 \nThis file: \\\$SRCPATH/\\\${DISTRO_PUPPYSFS}\ndoes not exist.\nThe above \
 is supposed to be path-to-where-puppy-files-are/\\\${DISTRO_PUPPYSFS}\
 \nClick OK button to quit...\"`" 0 0
 exit
fi
} #end locate_puppy_src_files function.
# to each of above lines from if to fi should skip sanity check

or maybe better:
change

Code: Select all

${DISTRO_PUPPYSFS}
to

Code: Select all

*.sfs
and a very tolerant check (existance of any sfs) is retained.

Note, I did download #3; thus there might also one or another be interested in helping.

User avatar
bigpup
Posts: 13886
Joined: Sun 11 Oct 2009, 18:15
Location: S.C. USA

#12 Post by bigpup »

# to each of above lines from if to fi should skip sanity check
Doing this does stop the sanity check, but there is more needed to get it to install just any puppy iso.

In the process it is still wanting the files for the version it is running in.

I get this after selecting the device to install on.
The install process continues, but it will only install the Puppy identified in this message window.
Attachments
capture26821.png
(17.27 KiB) Downloaded 1991 times
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:
YaPI(any iso installer)

User avatar
bigpup
Posts: 13886
Joined: Sun 11 Oct 2009, 18:15
Location: S.C. USA

#13 Post by bigpup »

Trying to install from a Slacko iso in a directory.
I got this much to install.
Attachments
capture13478.png
(27.27 KiB) Downloaded 2003 times
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:
YaPI(any iso installer)

User avatar
L18L
Posts: 3479
Joined: Sat 19 Jun 2010, 18:56
Location: www.eussenheim.de/

Puppy Universal Installer

#14 Post by L18L »

bigpup wrote:Doing this does stop the sanity check, but there is more needed to get it to install just any puppy iso.
Specification is sourced from /etc/DISTRO_SPECS of the running puppy.
Maybe if sourced from the puppy that has to be installed will suffice.

A helper better than me would be the author(s) of

Code: Select all

#140705 major overhaul of guis and conditions.

User avatar
L18L
Posts: 3479
Joined: Sat 19 Jun 2010, 18:56
Location: www.eussenheim.de/

Puppy Universal Installer for any puppy

#15 Post by L18L »

L18L wrote:Maybe if sourced from the puppy that has to be installed will suffice.
Insert the following

Code: Select all

# L18L / bigpup : choose source to be installed; from running or another puppy.iso
while : ; do

 Xdialog --title " P U I " --no-cancel --menu "Install" 12 48 4 "this" "actual running Puppy" "or" "another .iso" 2>/tmp/PUIfrom
 [ "$(cat /tmp/PUIfrom)" = "this" ] && break # existing way

 # our new feature
 Xdialog --title "Select the iso that you want to install" --no-cancel --fselect /mnt/home/ 0 0  2>/tmp/PUIfrom
 chosenISO="$(cat /tmp/PUIfrom)"
 echo chosenISO=$chosenISO
 [ "$chosenISO" ] || continue # stay in loop if no choice has been made
 [ "${chosenISO##*.}" = "iso" ] || continue # stay in loop if choice has no .iso extension

 #get /etc/DISTRO_SPECS from target iso
 mkdir -p /tmp/PUI
 mount -o loop $chosenISO /tmp/PUI

 for aFILE in $(ls /tmp/PUI/*.sfs); do

  unsquashfs $aFILE etc
  aSPECS=squashfs-root/etc/DISTRO_SPECS
  if [ -f $aSPECS ]; then
   cat $aSPECS # test only
   source $aSPECS
   umount /tmp/PUI
   rm -rf squashfs-root
   break 2
  fi
  
 done
 umount /tmp/PUI
 rm -rf squashfs-root

done
# L18L / bigpup : choose source to be installed; from running or another puppy
just before

Code: Select all

 #get latest Puppy files....
locate_puppy_src_files
please.
Attachments
PUI_Screenshot_2015-12-04(2).png
(14.18 KiB) Downloaded 1881 times

User avatar
eric52
Posts: 252
Joined: Mon 16 Nov 2015, 23:02
Location: Southbury, CT

#16 Post by eric52 »

I admit I stumbled over the labels the first time, but I worked through the indecision by just trying it. How hard would it be to just add the words "frugal and" to "full install?" bigpup's Wed. explanation is pretty clear; how about a "read.me" text file? Things get a bit tricky when partitioning a pen drive and making it look like a HD, but anyone doing that stuff can probably find their own way.
Today only. Anger not. Worry not. Be grateful working karma. Be kind.

User avatar
bigpup
Posts: 13886
Joined: Sun 11 Oct 2009, 18:15
Location: S.C. USA

#17 Post by bigpup »

L18L,

You should be able to run the installer, I posted, from the Puppy you are using.

You are getting there, but not completely.
That took care of the what Puppy files to look for.
However, it is still not finding them.

Normally you have to have the iso file mounted for the files to be found.
Trying that did not help.
The last thing is the normal:
is it from a CD or a directory?.

Normally, if you have the iso file mounted and you select directory it starts the install. Not doing that.
(I do not think this worked all that good, but it usually did work.)

Now I get to this point in the install.
See images.
Attachments
capture26076.png
(60.95 KiB) Downloaded 460 times
capture27897.png
(16.96 KiB) Downloaded 459 times
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:
YaPI(any iso installer)

User avatar
L18L
Posts: 3479
Joined: Sat 19 Jun 2010, 18:56
Location: www.eussenheim.de/

Puppy Universal Installer for any puppy

#18 Post by L18L »

bigpup wrote:You should be able to run the installer, I posted, from the Puppy you are using.
Yes I can thanks to mick01 in another thread I can run one (it is a slacko) screenies taken there.
You are getting there, but not completely.
That may be right for you but for me it is not right.
See screeny: installed, just for test, a tooppy_precise in a new partition.
No errors, everything as expected by me.

Let us look to your issue:
That took care of the what Puppy files to look for.
If you choose "another .iso" and select another .iso
then etc/DISTRO_SPECS from this iso is extracted and sourced.
That's all.
The rest of installer is not changed.
However, it is still not finding them.
You have to find them. Don't you?
Normally you have to have the iso file mounted for the files to be found.
Trying that did not help.
Now I see from your screeny you wanted to create wakepup boot floppy. ... and missing /root/download/initrd.gz
Is that the only thing that did not work?
The last thing is the normal:
is it from a CD or a directory?.

Normally, if you have the iso file mounted and you select directory it starts the install. Not doing that.
(I do not think this worked all that good, but it usually did work.)
It works if selecting any of the 3 files (vmlinuz, initrd, ..sfs)
Now I get to this point in the install.
See images.
the text says: Finished .... :wink:

Puppy Universal Installer is an old script.
IIRC one of the first I have been trying to internationalize...
Looks like it needs a general overhaul, not just the GUI...

bigpup, thanks for feedback. Maybe you (and any other) give it another try?
Attachments
PUI_Screenshot_2015-12-05.png
(74.92 KiB) Downloaded 440 times

User avatar
bigpup
Posts: 13886
Joined: Sun 11 Oct 2009, 18:15
Location: S.C. USA

Re: Puppy Universal Installer for any puppy

#19 Post by bigpup »

L18L,

I am wondering if I put your code changes in the correct locations :idea:

Basically what I was showing was the installer was not doing what I was asking it to do.
Now I see from your screeny you wanted to create wakepup boot floppy. ... and missing /root/download/initrd.gz
Is that the only thing that did not work?
No.
That is the strange thing. I never selected anything about wakepup boot floppy.
Do not know how that got in the mix :shock:

Any chance you could post your modified version of the Universal Installer?
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:
YaPI(any iso installer)

User avatar
bigpup
Posts: 13886
Joined: Sun 11 Oct 2009, 18:15
Location: S.C. USA

#20 Post by bigpup »

OK finally got it working. :D

I started with a fresh version of the original Universal Installer.
Applied the code changes, making sure to get them in the correct location.

It worked this time to install from an iso I was not running from.

However, the part about having to navigate to the opened iso file is a little confusing. For me I had to go to /mnt/+root+tahr-6.0.4.1, which was where the iso was opened.
I think a new user would find that confusing.
This is how it looked in navigation window to get there.
Attachments
capture1802.png
(28.7 KiB) Downloaded 375 times
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:
YaPI(any iso installer)

Post Reply