Blue Pup V6 Released 11th Oct 2014 32-bit

[gcmartin]

@BillToo, thanks. I was just looking at this site just before clicking into this BLUE thread where I find your post. XBMC would be an excellent native application for this distro it could be, OOTB.

What an idea.

[ETP]

If anyone is curious about the construction of the 8GB USB stick GPT layout that BarryK issued for QT and is used in Blue V1 & V2 but not in V3, this is the relevant link:

http://bkhome.org/news/?viewDetailed=00015

Blue V3 attempts to address two issues that emerged in testing by forum members. The first is that some sticks are in reality less than 8x1000x1000x1000 bytes. The second is that some BIOSs will not boot from a USB stick without using some trickery.

When I first issued Blue I failed to anticipate the first problem and although aware of the second, did not realise just how common that problem is.

The above observations have been added to the second (FAQ) post in this thread which now contains 9 items as opposed to the original 4.

[Billtoo]

I moved my flashdrive once again, this time to a pc with an nvidia
graphics card.
video-info-glx 1.5.3 Tue 8 Apr 2014 on Quirky Tahr 6.0.5 Linux 3.12.6 i686
0.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GT216 [GeForce GT 220] (rev a2)
oem: NVIDIA
product: GT216 Board - 0682vb12 Chip Rev
X Server: Xorg Driver: nouveau
X.Org version: 1.15.0
dimensions: 1920x1080 pixels (507x285 millimeters)
depth of root window: 24 planes
direct rendering: Yes
server glx vendor string: SGI
server glx version string: 1.4
OpenGL vendor string: nouveau
OpenGL renderer string: Gallium 0.4 on NVA5
OpenGL core profile version string: 3.1 (Core Profile) Mesa 10.0.1
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E8400 @ 3.00GHz
Core 0: @2003 1: @2003 MHz

It booted to the desktop, I needed to run alsamixer in the terminal to
adjust the sound but that was it.

[step]

One success, one failure + question.
Success: blue pup runs from my SDD. Got a V3 blue pup working on 8GB USB key. Prepared f2fs partition on SSD. Copied files from USB key f2fs partition to SSD. Edited config file in USB key vfat partition to point to the SSD f2fs partition /dev/sda5.
Failure: I have an old HP usb 1.1 memory key, 30MB, and I thought I could use it instead of my other 8GB USB key to hold the vfat boot partition. So, formatted hp key vfat, cloned vfat partition from 8GB USB key to 30MB hp key using gnost option 6, http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=54231, shut down, replaced 8GB key with 30MB key, reboot. I can see the progress indicator "vmlinuz....<ready>" but then my PC reboots followed by the progress indicator again in an endless loop.
Questions: Where did I go wrong? What should happen, technically, after the progress indicator says "<ready>"?

[gcmartin]

Hello @Step.

The problem, I think, is that the MBR does not contain the proper program to config file on the partition you formated on the USB1.1 stick. Changing the bootmanager to GRUB4DOS might help here.

I've never done the following with BLUE. But, its an idea.
While running your PUP

• insert your USB1.1 stick.
• blanks your stick
• go to Menu>system>GRUB4DOS
• Let GRUB4DOS setup stick

Try again.

You may have to set parms on the Blue entry in the config file to boot.
Here to help
Edited: to add problem thoughts

[Ted Dog]

would a copy work? over an existing thar. I found out dd-ing to a flashdrive is about the worst thing for long life.

[step]

The problem, I think, is that the MBR does not contain the proper program to config file on the partition you formated on the USB1.1 stick. Changing the bootmanager to GRUB4DOS might help here.

I'm not an expert, but I thought that the MBR is fine since the USB1.1 stick is going through a boot sequence and displaying "vlinuz.....<ready>" then the PC reboots. I used gnost to clone the source partition to the USB1.1 stick, gnost is a cloning script, I think it takes care of the MBR. But I could be wrong. Anyway, I used GRUB4DOS boot manager from puppy precise and set the USB1.1 menu.lst to boot from /dev/sda5 and also chainload linux on /dev/sda (in GRUB4DOS advanced menu). Neither option worked. Blank monitor with a blinking underline cursor. I might give up on this USB1.1 key and go back to using a full blue pup V3 stick to boot blue pup on my SSD - like I'm doing just now. It's a waste, but at least it works.

[Puppus Dogfellow]

Blue V3 mirrored

[ETP]

Hi step,

Where did I go wrong?

It sounds as though Gnost, which I have never used, was not up to the job. What you attempted was right in principle. To achieve your aim:

1. Return your 30MB key (The target boot device you wish to use.) to its virgin state as described below:

In Linux use Gparted to do that: (In Windows just format it.)

• A. Start by clicking on “device

[charlie6]

Hi ETP,
I got no success copying the sticks 2nd partition (using rox drag and drop the files from the stick 2nd partition).
[quote="ETP"]
Install to hard disc or SSD:

Having created a working Blue Pup install on a card or stick you have all the ingredients and simply need to copy over the complete contents of the 2nd partition on the card or stick to an empty f2fs partition that you “prepared earlier

[ETP]

Hi Charlie,

Firstly UNDER NO circumstances should you attempt to target your HDD with the img.xz file. That could WIPE your hard drive.

I am not clear from your post whether you are struggling to copy the files to your ext4 partition or whether you are struggling to boot having successfully copied the files.

Can you please clarify the problem?

[Billtoo]

I installed Blue Pup V2 to a usb 3.0 flashdrive, it's running on my
dual core lenovo desktop.
I have 2 monitors connected and by installing arandr from QPM it is
using both screens.

video-info-glx 1.5.3 Wed 9 Apr 2014 on Quirky Tahr 6.0.5 Linux 3.12.6 i686
0.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GT216 [GeForce GT 220] (rev a2)
oem: NVIDIA
product: GT216 Board - 0682vb12 Chip Rev
X Server: Xorg Driver: nouveau
X.Org version: 1.15.0
dimensions: 3840x1080 pixels (1013x285 millimeters)
depth of root window: 24 planes

Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E8400 @ 3.00GHz
Core 0: @2003 1: @2003 MHz

It turns direct rendering off so XBMC won't run,oh well.

[greengeek]

Return your 30MB key (The target boot device you wish to use.) to its virgin state as described below:

In Linux use Gparted to do that: (In Windows just format it.)

I've had quite a few usb booting problems (not with Blue pup...) where I have used Gparted in the belief that it returns a stick to a pure, virgin state. However, it is now my belief that Gparted cannot be trusted to format a stick to an "ex Factory" condition - it leaves some mbr and filesystem structures intact, and if those structures have already been damaged, corrupted or badly configured then you can't count on Gparted to correct it. (I'm no expert on this so don't quote me...)

I just wanted to mention that in case some people find odd results after expecting that Gparted would 'virginise' the stick. There might be more thorough ways of getting a solid "ground zero" format including a perfectly configured mbr...

[charlie6]

Hi ETP,
goodmorning !

Hi Charlie,
Firstly UNDER NO circumstances should you attempt to target your HDD with the img.xz file. That could WIPE your hard drive.

Thanks !!!

I am not clear from your post whether you are struggling to copy the files to your ext4 partition or whether you are struggling to boot having successfully copied the files.
Can you please clarify the problem?

Sorry being that unclear
the question is just to get the files copied to the ext4 partition.

Uuh...There might be some further boot question afterwards... If i've well understood, the BluePup stick is needed for booting (from the files into sdb1). BluePup is not aimed for starting from Grub, isn't...?

Thanks for your time
Charlie

[ETP]

Hi Charlie,

To copy the files from the second (f2fs) partition on the working stick that you have made, you must first boot from another Pup that is f2fs aware such as QT, Precise 5.7.1 or Thin Slacko.
Once you have booted that Pup, plug in your Blue stick and then open up two Rox filer windows.
The first window should be to the empty partition on the hard disc.
The second window should be to the f2fs partition on the stick.

Make sure that you display hidden files on the stick & then select everything.
Drag them across to the empty window and select copy. That process will take some time as there is about 1.6GB of directories and their contents to copy.

The syslinux.cfg on the Blue Pup stick then needs changing so that you can boot from that.

If the above is not working for you, please post any error messages.

[charlie6]

Hi ETP,
thanks for that nice tuto !
Success ! boot seems faster than using the USB stick !

...
The syslinux.cfg on the Blue Pup stick then needs changing so that you can boot from that.

If the above is not working for you, please post any error messages.

All as been copied on sda9 logical ext4 partition, using Raring-3.9.9.2 (which seems to also being f2fs aware).
Here is my /mnt/sdb1/syslinux.cfg

Code: Select all

# Boot Blue Pup ETP March 2014
default /vmlinuz root=/dev/sda9 rootwait rw

Here just got this message at start time of the boot process; boot continues OK afterwards.

mounting /dev/root/ on / failed invalid argument

Cheers, Charlie

ps: about bios earlier posts about «BIOS struggles» on another PC than the Compaq one ... i found that i was ignorant about specificities of its bios (desktop PC Fujitsu Siemens ca. 12years old ...cpu 2,5GHz, 1.5GB Ram):
The USB stick can be seen in BIOS Diskette group; if left there, boot fails. It has to be moved in the HardDrive group instead, using the «TAB» key.
See screenshots hereunder.
So again, by digging deeper into it, i could learn something more ... thanks for that!
Charlie

[ETP]

Hi Charlie,

Good news all round. Thanks for posting the BIOS shots.

You do not need that "rootwait" with a fast HDD or SSD, so you can remove it. That would then give you:

Code: Select all

# Boot Blue Pup ETP March 2014 
default /vmlinuz root=/dev/sda9 rw

[Billtoo]

When I installed Blue Pup V2 to the usb 3.0 flashdrive that is running
on my lenovo desktop I installed to a second usb 3.0 flashdrive while I was at it.
I installed my usual applications from QPM to the lenovo flashdrive
then took a snapshot.
I copied the audit directory from my lenovo install to my spare usb
3.0 flashdrive which is now running on my 10 year old compaq desktop.
After booting up on the compaq I chose to restore the snapshot and
rebooted, after that was finished and another reboot all the
applications are installed.

video-info-glx 1.5.3 Thu 10 Apr 2014 on Quirky Tahr 6.0.5 Linux 3.12.6 i686
0.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] RV280 [Radeon 9200] (rev 01)
oem: ATI RADEON 9200
X Server: Xorg Driver: modesetting
X.Org version: 1.15.0
dimensions: 1920x1080 pixels (507x285 millimeters)
depth of root window: 24 planes
Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.80GHz
Core 0: @2800 1: @2800 MHz

I find that a fast usb 3.0 flashdrive works well when it's plugged
into a usb 2.0 port, I don't have anything with usb 1.1 to test.

Still having fun

[8-bit]

I found that I have my Blue USB stick connected to a USB 1.1 port on my PC with the USB 2.0 ports being on the back of the PC on an add-on card.
When I fired it up this time though, the fancy tile screen got stuck waiting to connect to some site. This seemed to bring the display of a full tile screen to a halt.
Has anyone else experienced this behavior and is there a work around other than me exiting full screen and selecting a site I had bookmarked?
Also though, I may have to do a full remake of that USB stick as I had a mouse problem with a button on the mouse that inadvertently selected Move when I went to copy the library directory to another device.
I bailed on the Move and selected Copy answering Yes to merging contents and also to a number of files.
Now the directory sizes do not match and being unsure of what might be missing, A remake of the USB stick may be the easiest way to recover.

[ETP]

Hi 8-bit,

The problem with the Metro extension started last night. It is not related to Blue and shows up in fresh installs of the extension in both Chrome and Chromium.

The problem is server related. It is not clear at present whether it is coding error, a redirection attack or someone forgot to feed the hamster.

It is a matter of waiting for normal service to be resumed.