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How to boot puppy from windows XP with grub4dos
Posted: Tue 17 Jan 2012, 04:02
by linuxcbon
Download grub4dos from
http://sourceforge.net/projects/grub4do ... p/download
Open grub4dos-0.4.4.zip
Extract grldr and menu.lst to C:\
Add this line to the end of file C:\boot.ini :
Download the puppy ISO file you want (for example Xenialpup)
Create a new folder in C: called XENIAL
Extract all files from ISO to C:\XENIAL\
Modify file C:\menu.lst to this :
Code: Select all
default 0
color cyan/blue white/blue
timeout 5
title Xenialpup frugall install
root (hd0,0)
kernel /XENIAL/vmlinuz root=/dev/ram0 psubdir=XENIAL
initrd /XENIAL/initrd.gz
Reboot, you will have the choice between xp and grub4dos menu.
Posted: Sun 22 Jan 2012, 09:37
by GustavoYz
Really nice tips, but wondering if that will bring Win** fragmentation issues as has been reported before.
Puppy Linux Windows Installer
Posted: Sun 05 Feb 2012, 02:29
by shinobar
Nice, but using Puppy Linux Windows Installer is easier and safe.
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=61404
Posted: Sat 16 Jun 2012, 13:41
by linuxcbon
Windows needs defragmentation before.
This method is manual, the fastest and easiest.
Re: How to multi-boot puppy from xp
Posted: Sat 16 Jun 2012, 16:42
by nooby
linuxcbon wrote:...
Modify C: menu.lst to this :
Code: Select all
default 0
color cyan/blue white/blue
timeout 20
title Puppy Linux
kernel (hd0,0)/vmlinuz root=/dev/ram0
initrd (hd0,0)/initrd.gz
Add this line to the end C: boot.ini :
Reboot, you will have the choice between xp and puppy.
You can also add other distributions to menu.lst .
No criticism but if one want to add other Puppies in frugal install
then it would be better if one start from scratch and make the menu.lst
more like this
Code: Select all
default 0
color cyan/blue white/blue
timeout 20
title Puppy Linux Wary 5.2.2
kernel (hd0,0)/Wary522/vmlinuz root=/dev/ram0 psubdir=Wary522
initrd (hd0,0)/Wary522initrd.gz
a separate directory for Wary522 would allow you to add
a dir for Lupu 528 and for Slacko and Saluki and FatDog and ...
All of them being in their own sub dir allow for savefile to be in that subdir
and that way none of the other puppies would ask if you want to load the savefile on the root to be loaded?
Posted: Sat 16 Jun 2012, 16:56
by linuxcbon
You are right nooby, I modify the howto.
Posted: Sun 17 Jun 2012, 05:45
by nooby
Thanks linuxcbon.
I know too little and my memory fade too fast for my liking
but this one root=/dev/ram0
didn't we have a debate on it some days or weeks ago and
concluded it is not needed? Or is that my memory messing it up?
How did you find out that it is really needed?
Edit my poor memory gets worse everyday. Here it is
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 570#628570
"Starting with Puppy 3, that option was eliminated."
So no wonder I got confused about that one. I had written on it two times
but forgot all about it. Now you know
Remind me next time I do forget again.
Posted: Fri 28 Sep 2012, 04:44
by Hugh
Thanks linuxcbon for this simple and straight-
forward procedure. I've done it on my
most recently acquired older comuter which
has XP and it works wonderfully.
I am a great fan of Grub4Dos - I use it on all
of my machines.
The line which is added to boot.ini:
includes the text to be displayed in the
boot menu. In mine I've changed the
"show grub menu" to "Grub Puppy Menu."
Posted: Fri 28 Sep 2012, 16:44
by rcrsn51
There's a bit of important information missing here. In most Windows installs, boot.ini is a hidden system file. So the user needs to know how to unhide it.
[Update] Here's how:
1. Run Start > Run > cmd
2. Type the following commands
Code: Select all
cd \ (this is a backslash)
attrib -r -h -s boot.ini
edit boot.ini
3. Modify the file and save it. You can also edit the menu.lst file if you want.
4. Run
Posted: Sat 29 Sep 2012, 09:04
by amigo
Yeah, you need to unhide and make writable the boot.ini file before modifying it, and changes these attributes back when finished.
The XP bootloader can chainload any other bootloader you like, grub, grub2, grub4dos, syslinux, lilo, etc.
Posted: Sat 29 Sep 2012, 11:22
by Karl Godt
amigo wrote:Yeah, you need to unhide and make writable the boot.ini file before modifying it, and changes these attributes back when finished.
The XP bootloader can chainload any other bootloader you like, grub, grub2, grub4dos, syslinux, lilo, etc.
HOW ?
An example boot.ini line would be nice .
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(5)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(5)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /NOEXECUTE=OPTIN /FASTDETECT
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional (Safe mode)" /BASEVIDEO /SOS
c:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows XP recovery console" /CMDCONS
c:\linux.bin="Grub (loader)"
http://askubuntu.com/questions/115993/h ... t-ini-file
which does pre-require installing grub (bootloader) to the superblock of the linux partition and dd the mbr-of-the-linux-superblock simply into / toplevel of windows . Never have tried that .
BTW : Vista seems not to have a "boot.ini" file . find -iname "boot.ini" showed nothing .
Posted: Wed 03 Oct 2012, 12:35
by ICPUG
Karl
Vista and Windows 7 boot in a different way to XP. It does not use a boot.ini file but a Boot Configuration Data (BCD) source. This is a binary file/database.
To edit the BCD you have to use a command line tool, BCDEDIT, in Windows or get hold of a freebie graphical editor -there is one from Neowin.
How to boot puppy from windows XP with grub4dos
Posted: Wed 03 Oct 2012, 13:01
by ETP
ICPUG/Karl
Gentlemen there is actually no need to edit anything on the C: drive if you use the boot method described here:
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=80181
Post subject: How to Dual boot Puppy & XP from ANY removable media.
Subject description: (A simplified Lin`N`Win type method using syslinux & grub4dos)
I realise however that the original subject of this thread was "How to boot puppy
from windows XP with grub4dos"
Posted: Fri 05 Oct 2012, 12:10
by ICPUG
True enough ETP.
The Lin'N'Win approach was written to cater for people who did not have bootable USB in the BIOS or even a CD drive so it had to boot from the hard drive.
That's not so relevant with current hardware but I still like to boot straight away without the need to plug a stick in or load a CD. Each has there own preferences.
Good work though for making your approach available.
Posted: Fri 12 Oct 2012, 17:04
by slenkar
I unzipped an ISO image of legacyOS2 and Im trying to boot that instead of having to burn a cd
I get this message..
looking for puppy sda1...sda2...sda3....
cant find puppy on bootable media
pdev1=
my iso was unzipped to /legacy
grub can find vmlinz and initrd and the root is set as /legacy
so I dont know why this happens
EDIT. if i move the sfs files to the root the installation process goes further but then says kernel panic: cannot mount fs to block
Posted: Fri 12 Oct 2012, 19:13
by MinHundHettePerro
slenkar wrote:I unzipped an ISO image of legacyOS2 and Im trying to boot that instead of having to burn a cd
I get this message..
looking for puppy sda1...sda2...sda3....
cant find puppy on bootable media
pdev1=
my iso was unzipped to /legacy
grub can find vmlinz and initrd and the root is set as /legacy
so I dont know why this happens
EDIT. if i move the sfs files to the root the installation process goes further but then says kernel panic: cannot mount fs to block
IIRC LegacyOS2 is based on puppy 2.14 and should then need on GRUB's kernel line:
hth
/ MHHP
Posted: Fri 12 Oct 2012, 22:19
by slenkar
thanks that did it!