SFS-TCZ_Linker-2.2.pet
Posted: Mon 19 Oct 2009, 21:33
SFS-TCZ_Linker-2.2.pet (new, improved) will allow you to use SFS or TCZ (tinycore linux) files "on the fly" in Puppy431, Quirky, Wary, Lupup and Lighthouse. You can mount them when you need them and unmount them (most of them) when you don't.
Version 2.2 - Technosaurus has worked his compiling magic on the included binaries and shrunk them to 10% of what they were, WOW Thanks technosaurus! GCmartin has corrected my literary shortcomings to make a more understandable Readme. Thanks gcmartin!
Barring unforseen eventualities I think this is it, the final version. Have been testing for a couple of weeks and its performed perfectly so far. (Hope I don't regret saying that)
Version 2.1 - I had some problems with a .setup script so repositioned the .setup callup in sfs_linker. Seems to work well now.
Version 2.0 fixes a bug from 1.9. The revised boothandler created multiple entries in /root/packages/user_installed_packages, fixed.
Version 1.9 Has a simplified sfs_boot_handler to speed up flushing out the old SFS's from the last session. (I kept falling asleep waiting for it to finish)
It also provides for a seperate install script (i.e. ch4-links_browser.sfs.setup for ch4-links_browser.sfs) which if placed in the same folder as the SFS can perform custom setup procedures. Suggested by seaview.
The link to Tiny Core TCZ's (SFS's) has been updated to ftp://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/dist ... ux/3.x/tcz as suggested by technosaurus.
Finally the /choice folder which you could place files in to copy them into the filesystem instead of linking them has been moved to /etc/choice. So if you're making SFS's and know that files need to be copied place them in their path structure in /etc/choice. (ie. /etc/choice/root/.config/your_app).
With version 1.7 I have succeeded in copying symlinks existing in the SFS prior to mounting and then removing them upon uninstall. This is particularly useful for devx SFS's which are full of symlinks. I haven't done a thorough test with a devx.sfs so let me know if there are any problems (Also found a couple of lines inadvertantly rem'd out in 1.6 )
With version 1.6, I think I have solved the problem of using SFS's with Live CD/DVD. Seems to work very well in Lighthouse 5D and should work equally well in the others. For Live CD/DVD's it creates /root/SFS/. This becomes the /mnt/home. If you put SFS's there, reboot and save they will be available for use on next boot. If you link them into /root/my_links/sfs_boot_links/ they will be loaded automatically at next boot.
One word of caution, make sure your SFS works before saving it into /mnt/home! It has to be compatible with the pup your using and not all SFS's are set up with menu items, etc. The OpenOffice I used to test works fine but has icons which are supposed to show up on desktop. With SFS_Linker they don't. Had to start from command line, #swriter.
On a Live CD you can right click on the file and use "Install with SFS_Linker". If it doesn't work just don't save when you reboot.
Have also reorganized a bit. Hopefully without messing anything up.
How does it work?
Really quite simple. Right click on an SFS or TCZ and choose "install_with_sfs_linker. Right click on the same SFS or TCZ and choose "uninstall_with_sfs_unlinker.
A folder called "my_links" will be created on your desktop (after reboot). There are instructions for setting up boot loading of SFS contained in the /my_links/Readme_SFS_Linker file.
SFS_Linker mounts the SFS in /mnt and then creates a symlink from each file in the SFS to its correct place in the Puppy file system. It then adds the library path in the SFS to Puppy's library path. This is enough to run almost any SFS. One rule however, if you create your own SFS, it must contain a /usr directory, even if its empty. SFS_Linker looks for the /usr directory in the mounted SFS to make sure it mounted properly.
When you Unlink the SFS all the symlinks are deleted. The SFS library path is also removed from Puppy's library path, just to keep it from getting too huge.
I have also included left click mounting of .tcz files for viewing the contents.
Let me know what you think.
Enjoy, J
P.S. You may notice that some of the SFS's listed below are duplicates of programs already in Puppy431, that's because I set them up for use in less complete puplets. Don't feel you have to use them if they already exist. (please don't )
Version 2.2 - Technosaurus has worked his compiling magic on the included binaries and shrunk them to 10% of what they were, WOW Thanks technosaurus! GCmartin has corrected my literary shortcomings to make a more understandable Readme. Thanks gcmartin!
Barring unforseen eventualities I think this is it, the final version. Have been testing for a couple of weeks and its performed perfectly so far. (Hope I don't regret saying that)
Version 2.1 - I had some problems with a .setup script so repositioned the .setup callup in sfs_linker. Seems to work well now.
Version 2.0 fixes a bug from 1.9. The revised boothandler created multiple entries in /root/packages/user_installed_packages, fixed.
Version 1.9 Has a simplified sfs_boot_handler to speed up flushing out the old SFS's from the last session. (I kept falling asleep waiting for it to finish)
It also provides for a seperate install script (i.e. ch4-links_browser.sfs.setup for ch4-links_browser.sfs) which if placed in the same folder as the SFS can perform custom setup procedures. Suggested by seaview.
The link to Tiny Core TCZ's (SFS's) has been updated to ftp://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/dist ... ux/3.x/tcz as suggested by technosaurus.
Finally the /choice folder which you could place files in to copy them into the filesystem instead of linking them has been moved to /etc/choice. So if you're making SFS's and know that files need to be copied place them in their path structure in /etc/choice. (ie. /etc/choice/root/.config/your_app).
With version 1.7 I have succeeded in copying symlinks existing in the SFS prior to mounting and then removing them upon uninstall. This is particularly useful for devx SFS's which are full of symlinks. I haven't done a thorough test with a devx.sfs so let me know if there are any problems (Also found a couple of lines inadvertantly rem'd out in 1.6 )
With version 1.6, I think I have solved the problem of using SFS's with Live CD/DVD. Seems to work very well in Lighthouse 5D and should work equally well in the others. For Live CD/DVD's it creates /root/SFS/. This becomes the /mnt/home. If you put SFS's there, reboot and save they will be available for use on next boot. If you link them into /root/my_links/sfs_boot_links/ they will be loaded automatically at next boot.
One word of caution, make sure your SFS works before saving it into /mnt/home! It has to be compatible with the pup your using and not all SFS's are set up with menu items, etc. The OpenOffice I used to test works fine but has icons which are supposed to show up on desktop. With SFS_Linker they don't. Had to start from command line, #swriter.
On a Live CD you can right click on the file and use "Install with SFS_Linker". If it doesn't work just don't save when you reboot.
Have also reorganized a bit. Hopefully without messing anything up.
How does it work?
Really quite simple. Right click on an SFS or TCZ and choose "install_with_sfs_linker. Right click on the same SFS or TCZ and choose "uninstall_with_sfs_unlinker.
A folder called "my_links" will be created on your desktop (after reboot). There are instructions for setting up boot loading of SFS contained in the /my_links/Readme_SFS_Linker file.
SFS_Linker mounts the SFS in /mnt and then creates a symlink from each file in the SFS to its correct place in the Puppy file system. It then adds the library path in the SFS to Puppy's library path. This is enough to run almost any SFS. One rule however, if you create your own SFS, it must contain a /usr directory, even if its empty. SFS_Linker looks for the /usr directory in the mounted SFS to make sure it mounted properly.
When you Unlink the SFS all the symlinks are deleted. The SFS library path is also removed from Puppy's library path, just to keep it from getting too huge.
I have also included left click mounting of .tcz files for viewing the contents.
Let me know what you think.
Enjoy, J
P.S. You may notice that some of the SFS's listed below are duplicates of programs already in Puppy431, that's because I set them up for use in less complete puplets. Don't feel you have to use them if they already exist. (please don't )