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Dual boot Puppy Linux and Windows XP problem

Posted: Wed 31 Jul 2013, 18:22
by sheeple4
Hello and help
I'm very new to Linux and have tried to install Puppy Linux onto the HD of my PC running Windows XP. Have managed to get a Puppy 528 bootable USB drive and Windows now boots up from the HD but I'm struggling with menu.lst commands to boot Puppy.
If I choose Linux (on /dev/sda5) I get the message error 15: File not found.
Thanks

Posted: Wed 31 Jul 2013, 19:35
by Karl Godt
We need to know where grub or grub4dos is installed to . Obvious it is to the MBR . Grub 0.97 legacy needs it's further files somewhere on supported partitions. Grub 0.97 legacy's files unfortunately don't work if they are on a NewTechnologyFileSystem NTFS partition - grub4dos would work .

You apparenty managed to use gparted to resize and create partitions, also extended partitions .
sda5 could be therefore a Linux Filesystem partition inside an extended partition, containing a /boot/grub folder with the grub files ( al least stage2 ) and a menu.lst file .

Full instalations differ from frugal installations .

Thanks for providing so much informations !

Posted: Wed 31 Jul 2013, 20:32
by sheeple4
Thanks for your reply.
I did use gparted to make a linux partition. The partitions are:
/dev/sda1 fat 32 3.91GiB
/dev/sda2 fat 32 64.73 Gib
/dev/sda3 extended 43.14GiB
unallocated 1.62GiB
/dev/sda5 ext2 43.15GiB
unallocated 2.49Gib
The menu.lst is in the /boot/grub folder in the Linux partition sda5.
Thanks again

Posted: Wed 31 Jul 2013, 20:46
by sheeple4
Karl
The menu.lst includes:

title windows (on /dev/sda2)
map (hd0,0) (hd0,1)
map (hd0,1) (hd0,0)
routenoverify (hd0,1)
makeactive
chainloader +1

#Linux bootable partition config begins
title Linux (on /dev/sda5)
root (hd0,4)
kernal /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda5 ro vga=normal
initrd (hd0,0) /initrd.gz

This works when I select Windows option but not when I choose puppy linux. Thanks

Posted: Wed 31 Jul 2013, 21:02
by greengeek
Hi sheeple, is that menu.lst quote verbatim? If so you have kernel spelt wrong.
Also, is there any way for you to boot from a Puppy live CD and take a screenshot of the files/folders that are present on sda5?

Posted: Wed 31 Jul 2013, 21:31
by sheeple4
Hi greengeek - just my bad spelling...
No screen shot but will this do?

sd5 contains 3 folders:
boot
lost+found
puppy528

The boot folder contains menu.lst amongst others
The lost+found folder is empty
The following are in puppy 528 folder
ATAHD
initrd.gz
lupu_528.sfs
vmlinuz


Thanks

Dual boot Puppy Linux and Windows XP problem

Posted: Thu 01 Aug 2013, 06:04
by Monsie
Hi sheeple4,

I am a bit confused about your situation. It really helps to give as much pertinent information as possible. From your first post, it appears to me that you tried to install Puppy to your hard drive, but had difficulties with that... so then, instead you chose to install Puppy to a bootable flash drive....

Assuming this is correct, and you want Puppy to boot from your flash drive, then you need to tell the boot loader where to find it. Your menu.lst should look something like this for the Linux part:

Code: Select all

title Lucid Puppy 5.28 (on USB Flash Drive) 
 root (hd0,0) 
 kernel /puppy528/vmlinuz pmedia=usbflash ro vga=normal 
 initrd /puppy528/initrd.gz 
Notice that I have deleted the reference to your hard drive partition sda5 but, I have indicated that you are using a usb flash drive for Puppy, and I have put in the pathway to your system files --the puppy528 directory.

Now you still may need to make some adjustments to your menu.lst file, but this should get you on the right track... If I have misunderstood your situation, please advise, and there is no doubt that others can also weigh-in and help you out further.

Edit: Pathway in sample menu.lst changed for accuracy and for future reference should others search this thread... --must have been having a "senior's moment". :oops:

Hope this helps,
Monsie

Posted: Thu 01 Aug 2013, 06:22
by sheeple4
Hello Monsie and thanks for your help.

I wanted to make a bootable USB drive which I have managed to do.

I then wanted to boot puppy linux without the flash drive (so that I have a dual boot option of windows xp or puppy linux on my lap top). I've managed to get the windows option to work but when I choose linux option I get error 15: File not found.
Thanks


Thanks again
Sheeple4

Posted: Thu 01 Aug 2013, 06:38
by 8-bit
Your menu.lst file looks like you have it set up as a full install of Puppy.
But...
You have the pertinent files for Puppy in a subdirectory on sda5.
So to me, your menu.lst file for the puppy section should look more like this.

# Linux bootable partition config begins
title Lupu 5.28 frugal
root (hd0,4)
kernel /puppy528/vmlinuz pmedia=atahd psubdir=puppy528
initrd /puppy528/initrd.gz
# Linux bootable partition config ends

That should work for a frugal install and will prompt you on the first shutdown or reboot to create a pupsave file in the puppy528 directory.

Hope that helps.

Posted: Thu 01 Aug 2013, 07:48
by sheeple4
Hi 8-bit

That's great - I can now choose puppy and it loads
(the first time I tried the screen went black and it hung up but it seems ok now)

Thanks

Posted: Thu 01 Aug 2013, 08:09
by sheeple4
Hi 8- bit

I tried again and it loads but then sits with a black screen - any ideas?
Cheers

sheeple4

Posted: Thu 01 Aug 2013, 09:29
by Karl Godt
Ideas ? Hmmm, what about the bootloader config file of your USB ? Assuming it is extlinux.conf or syslinux.cfg .
That entry apparently worked .

Second idea would be

Code: Select all

kernel /puppy528/vmlinuz pmedia=atahd psubdir=puppy528 pfix=nox
too be able to run the xorgwizard manually . Lupu had it's own direct to desktop approach, which in your case apparently did not worked without an already written xorg.conf in the savefile of the USB .

Posted: Thu 01 Aug 2013, 14:33
by sheeple4
Hello Karl

Booting from the USB usually works but that also sometimes hangs and the screen goes black. It seems to happen more frequently when booting from the hard drive, but not everytime.

What does the pfix-nox instruction do?

Thanks

Posted: Thu 01 Aug 2013, 16:37
by Galbi
sheeple4 wrote:What does the pfix-nox instruction do?
pfix=nox means 'no X' that is: do not load the X graphical server, it will boot to a prompt in text mode like the old (ancient?) D.O.S.

In Linux, the graphical mode, works in a client-server way, where client AND server both runs in the same PC, but it's fairly easy to run the server in one PC and to connect another PC (in client mode) to the graphical server of the first one, I did it at home with two old PC's, but using Debian, not sure if it's possible to do it with Puppy.

When started using Linux, to understand this, took me near a year (or more). :oops:

:)

Posted: Fri 02 Aug 2013, 03:51
by 8-bit
When you start Puppy as per Karl's post and are setting with a flashing line type cursor, type "xorgwizard" and press Enter.
That will take you through setting up the video for your video card.
After selecting the resolution you want, tab to test before clicking on the button to test it.
I had black screen problems with some versions of Puppy myself.
You might want to leave a post in the puppy Lupu528 thread or go through it and see if someone posts a solution.

Posted: Fri 02 Aug 2013, 07:38
by sheeple4
Thanks for all the help and advice - it's a steep learning curve

Sheeple 4 :shock: