(old)Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

WARNING! DO NOT USE WITH A PUPSAVE FILE.

I've been using linking to SFS files for quite a while now without a Pup save file, and finding it better for my uses.

All my settings and small stable programs are kept in a pup_z SFS which loads at boot, while everything else comes via SFS.

For some time I thought "wouldn't it be great if you could just click on an SFS file and it would automatically load and start just like any other program on a menu?" So, I tried various ways to do this by linking and scripts and for the most part it was ok, but rather slow and awkward.

After I saw the revival of Aufs union-layering again with shinobar's program "sfs_load-0.5 on-the-fly", I thought this might be the right framework for this idea.

So here's SFE-Exec --

* Click on an SFS file and the program starts and runs immediately. No need to go through a "mount-link-fixmenus-wmrestart-clickprogram" cycle.

* Click several programs one after another and have them all run immediately.

* Run SFS file(s) at startup (by calling scripts)

* Unmount and release mounted SFS files (sometimes not)

* Special handling to supplement individual SFS files

Here's how it works--

Start by making up a directory of SFS files containing your SFS files (make sure they are compatible with the pup version you are running - that can be checked by left-clicking on the SFS file)

Install the SFS-exec pet below. Upon install it will ask you to chose the directory containing your SFS files.

After installation is complete, you'll see Menu>Filesystem>SFS-Exec-Dir which, on click, will launch a Rox directory of your SFS files. This window is "always on top" which allows you to consecutively pick individual SFS files (one after another) with a right-click>SFS-Exec. The selected programs will all open behind this Rox window.

Should you feel the need to unmount some SFS files, under Menu>Filesystem>SFS-Exec-unloader, you'll find a picking checklist of each SFS file for unloading some or all of your mounted SFS files.

Sometimes you'll need special handling depending on individual SFS files. You can create a script named "SFSFILENAME"SETUP. e.g. vlc-0.9.2-i386_431.sfsSETUP and place it in the SFS directory. The script will execute before the program is started, allowing copying of config files or any other changes needed before the program starts.

THIS IS FOR RUNNING IN RAM WITH NO PUPSAVE FILE (PUPMODE=5)

Notes: In order to keep SFS-Exec quick, simple and nimble, there is little error checking- for example, if you put a mismatched SFS file in your SFS directory and try to execute it, a reboot might be necessary.

The program exec listed in the .desktop file of the SFS/usr/share/applications directory is used to start the program. So if the .desktop file can't be found, it will be mounted and unioned, but no program will start.

IF YOU HAVE A PUPSAVE FILE AND WANT TO TEST THIS PET, BOOT WITH PFIX=RAM


Many thanks to shinobar, goingnuts, 01micko and Barry of course, for all their Aufs mounting and unmounting work.

That's it - and see just how fast programs can execute this way.

Below is a Pet.

s


UPDATE: 4/28/2011

see below
Following some good ideas from Jasper and Nooby, both SFS-exec-pupsaves for using a pupsave file with SFS-exec have been superseded and replaced by a single pet - Save-pup-lock" which can be found at
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... 961#517961

Cool indeed. Have to ask you two questions.

First about the pup-z.sfs

You have your personal settings in that one?
How do I make such one? How do I make it boot at boot if I have pfix=ram
and language and time and Keyboard and such. Can they be in that z-pup.sfs then. How do I go about that one?

Second question.
* Unmount and release mounted SFS files (sometimes not)

Sometimes not just means one want to have them going?
I want the pup-z.sfs always going. So I can keep that one and shut down others?

Tell me more.
What do you mean with (sometimes not) Do they disappear or shut down by thelselves or what do your refer to?

nooby wrote:Cool indeed. Have to ask you two questions.

First about the pup-z.sfs

You have your personal settings in that one?
How do I make such one? How do I make it boot at boot if I have pfix=ram
and language and time and Keyboard and such. Can they be in that z-pup.sfs then. How do I go about that one?

Here's how I do it.

* Boot, customize, adding preferences pet's, etc.. save to small pup-save file. Then boot with PFIX=ram, mount the pup_save file and make and save it (dir2sfs) as an SFS file. Then rename the file to the matching Zpxxxxx.sfs name,depending on what pup version. Rename or delete the former pup_save so puppy doesn't try to load it. Now when you next boot, the zpxxxxx.sfs file will automatically load with your preferences and additions

Second question.
* Unmount and release mounted SFS files (sometimes not)

Sometimes not just means one want to have them going?
I want the pup-z.sfs always going. So I can keep that one and shut down others?

You can choose which SFS files you wish to unmount.

Tell me more.
What do you mean with (sometimes not) Do they disappear or shut down by thelselves or what do your refer to?

Sometimes Aufs unioned mounts just don't easily umount - this isn't really a problem unless you're mounting more than 6 sfs files. When you shut down - it's gone

Regards,
s

Can this be used with pUpnGo that is only some 6MB big?
They wrote about that one here
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 375#493375

tested in wary600m07 without savefile
no success running gimp-2.6.11-squeeze.2_500.sfs
tried with mySFs folder in /mnt/sda3
linked no success
copied into this folder no success
mySFSs folder in /root same result
tried lang_pack_de-0.5-w5.sfs in /root/mySFSs load and unload: success
now my questions for now:

making up a directory of SFS files containing your SFS files

Will symlinking be sufficient for containing
(Too tired now to prove it myself)

nooby wrote:Can this be used with pUpnGo that is only some 6MB big?
They wrote about that one here
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 375#493375

nooby,

I've only tested this in pup431. As I recall pUpnGo is based on a heavily modified pup412 and I'm not sure if it uses Aufs.

If Aufs is used, it should work the same.

Cheers,
s

L18L wrote:tested in wary600m07 without savefile
no success running gimp-2.6.11-squeeze.2_500.sfs
tried with mySFs folder in /mnt/sda3
linked no success
copied into this folder no success
mySFSs folder in /root same result
tried lang_pack_de-0.5-w5.sfs in /root/mySFSs load and unload: success
now my questions for now:

making up a directory of SFS files containing your SFS files

Will symlinking be sufficient for containing
(Too tired now to prove it myself)

L18L,

If the gimp-2.6.11-squeeze.2_500.sfs mounted, but the program didn't run, I suspect that the "gimp.desktop" file either doesn't exist, has an usual exec,or a different location. SFS-Exec depends on a /usr/share/*.desktop file for determining what to execute. You can symlink.

Cheers,
s

NOTE: I just tried gimp-2.6.8-1.sfs for pup4 series and it started. Also gimp-2.6.11-squeeze-2.sfs is ok. Maybe the _500 sfs is different.

Yes thanks. Someday when I feel strong I make a test in some other puppy.

SFS-Exec is nice idea.

L18L wrote:tested in wary500m07 without savefile
no success running gimp-2.6.11-squeeze.2_500.sfs
tried with mySFs folder in /mnt/sda3
linked no success

Here is gimp-2.7.1-w5.sfs for wary.
I got success on wary500m07 without savefile.

I closed the gimp. Then again SFS-Exec the gimp sfs.
The SFS-Exec mounts double gimp sfs. Don't mind. I know you make it simple without error check.

shinobar wrote:SFS-Exec is nice idea.

Then again SFS-Exec the gimp sfs.
The SFS-Exec mounts double gimp sfs.

Code: Select all

# losetup
/dev/loop0: 0 /mnt/tmpfs/wary_500.sfs
/dev/loop1: 0 /mnt/sda3/wary/gimp-2.7.1-w5.sfs
/dev/loop2: 0 /mnt/sda3/wary/gimp-2.7.1-w5.sfs

Don't mind. I know you make it simple without error check.

shinobar,

Thanks and yes there is no checking to see if the SFS is already mounted. It also does not go into the menu system unless "fixmenus" and "jwm -restart" are run. So if you close down the program, it has to be restarted from the terminal or run the above programs and then choose the menu item.

Your work on "sfs_load-0.5 on-the-fly" led me to put this concept together - many thanks.

Regards,
s

confirmed: SFS folder works with links to sfs files
Thank you seaside and shinobar for the new gimp

IF YOU HAVE A PUPSAVE FILE AND WANT TO TEST THIS PET, BOOT WITH PFIX=RAM

Thanks for shouting . . . and the program

Is there any possibility/plan that this can be used with a save file in the future?
Or if (for example) the save file was inside one file, which I believe Barry did with one Puppy Quirky?

Could Puppy have a 'stealth/test boot' mode
which is what 'puppy pfix=ram' is in effect
and then maybe a post running 'load configuration from USB' after going straight into desktop as Lucid does . . . ?

What you have done is open the possibility of a totally modular Puppy.
Bravo!

I did the 'modular' things with portablelinuxapps. What is better?
Any one can explain?

wow, this is cool. trying it as soon as i get home.

There are many Linux distros out there that boot up in frugal on NTFS but they can not save anything due to being the wrong formatting for the save files.

Puppy solve this by using loop mounting of the save file and inside it is Ext2 or ext3 organized so it can be saved.

Now take TCL or Ubuntu neither of them can save to a NTFS HDD.

They can boot and use Firefox and such but when I close the OS or reboot then the install of FF is gone. All work lost. Took me 12 hours last day and it all got lost.

So if I could have made loopmounted sfs files and teach TCL or Ubuntu how to load and make use of sfs and so on.

Or change sfs into tcz files? But I still need something that allow it to be written to an NTFS formatted drive.

These sfs things only works in Puppy?

Lobster,

It might go further, if the problem of the pupsave saving "material-that-we-don't-want-saved-that-can-mess-up-things" could be solved.

Nooby,

A ".tcz" file is the same as an ".sfs". If you rename "FILENAME.tcz" to "FILENAME.sfs", puppy will mount it. They are both squashfs4 files.

Regards,
s

There are many warnings not to use this with a pupsave file.

Just to satisfy my curiosity - what dire things happen if you do use a pupsave file?

ICPUG wrote:
Just to satisfy my curiosity - what dire things happen if you do use a pupsave file?

ICPUG,

I may have overstated the case a bit. The problem is that some files can be overriden which create malfunctions whose cause isn't easily discovered,

For example, if I load the pupdev sfs, Firefox doesn't function properly.

The worst that can happen is that another pupsave will have to be started, and if you haven't backed up pupsaves, that earlier work could be lost. Other than that, nothing is permanently harmed.

Cheers,
s

Seaside your approach looks very interesting then there is Trio's that Barry seems to have incorporated in woof so it is in the later puppies.

We have Shinobar's SFS load on the fly too.

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 989#509989
I've started a thread about all three. Link above

Hope I have not mistreated your version in my description of it. In case you have time maybe you can describe here what it is about your version that makes it more attractive to you.

I am as my name say not so good at getting such on first sight. So I am dependent on to grasp your description. Could you tell more about your approach how it relates to the others.

To not use a regular pupsave file seems to have several advantages? The maleware will not get saved each 30 minutes? The pupsave will not grow because you made a special sfs file that stay small.

You can still save all text and music and pictures and videos on the mnt/home as one also tend to do if frugal installed.

So I wish I could understand how to use your way of doing it. To set up one puppy maybe lupu or wary or snow or fluppy that use your approach and always boot with pfix=ram to not screw up things.

So I wish I could get how to set it up like you do. Sorry me so dense

nooby,

My approach is probably not for beginners and stems from my personal preference for not having a pup "savefile".

The other approaches you mentioned have extensive error checking and are much better suited for most.

If you have specific questions on how I do this, I'd be glad to answer.

Regards,
s