Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

[gyro]

This has been inspired by Wognath's topic by a very very similar name, http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=99212.
In particular his comment "The idea is that once Puppy has been run, all the info found in the Searching... section is recorded in PUPSTATE."
However I've implemented the concept in a rather different way, hence the different topic.

The most significant difference is that the "init" script is patched from the start.

Version 3:
Withdrawn, continued as version4.

Version 4:
It continues to work just like the standard "init" until you specify a "nosearch" boot parameter. e.g "nosearch=sda3:/tahr/tahrsave.2fs".
Then it uses the specified file/directory as the savefile/savefolder, bypasses the "Searching for Puppy files" code, and includes the "/etc/rc.d/PUPSTATE" file from the savefile/savefolder, thus setting all the relevant variables that are usually set via the "Searching for Puppy files" code.
At least 1 boot must be done with the savefile/savefolder in place to ensure that "PUPSTATE" is appropriately setup, before the "nosearch" boot parameter is specified.
The "init" script will revert to normal processing, if the "nosearch" boot parameter is removed, or "pfix=ram" is specified.
So if you want to add a ydrv, move the ydrv file into the frugal install directory, reboot without the "nosearch" parameter, reboot with the "nosearch" parameter.

Version 5:
Withdrawn, could not work with usb devices.

Version 6:
Same as version 5 but fixed to work with usb devices.
Searching for puppy files is avoided if a "nosearch" boot parameter specifies the partition containing a copy of the file "PUPSTATE" in the frugal install directory, e.g. "nosearch=sda3".
See later post for version 5 for more info.

You don't need to patch the "init" script yourself, you only need a patched "initrd.gz" for your particular puppy.

This has been tested in pupmode=12.
It should work in pupmode=13, and might work in pupmode=6 and pupmode=7.

Patched "initrd.gz" files for tahrpup 6.0.2 are available here:
noPAE: initrd_nosearch_nopae.gz
PAE: initrd_nosearch_pae.gz
Edit: these have been withdrawn, they crash if the specified file does not exist.
Please use version 4.

Edit: Uploaded version 4 of patch. A major rewrite to avoid extra mount and umount.
Patched "initrd.gz" files for tahrpup 6.0.2 are available here:
noPAE: http://www.fishprogs.software/puppy/tahr602/initrd_nosearch_nopae-4.gz
PAE: http://www.fishprogs.software/puppy/tahr602/initrd_nosearch_pae-4.gz

Edit: version 5
A major rewrite to simplify the code.

Edit: version 6
Fixed to work with usb devices.
Patched "initrd.gz" files for tahrpup 6.0.2 are available here:
noPAE: http://www.fishprogs.software/puppy/tahr602/initrd_nosearch_nopae-6.gz
PAE: http://www.fishprogs.software/puppy/tahr602/initrd_nosearch_pae-6.gz
Download, rename to "initrd.gz", move to frugal install directory, reboot.

I have also attached a gziped patch file for the "init" script in "initrd.gz".
Download, gunzip to produce "init.nosearch-6.diff", extract "init" from "initrd.gz", patch "init" with "init.nosearch-6.diff", re-compress "initrd.gz" containing patched "init", reboot.

gyro

[Keef]

Just tested the tahrpup noPAE initrd.gz on an internal HDD install, using a save folder. Found it instantly.
Nothing else to add really - it does wot it says on the tin.

[greengeek]

Do you think this method could work if identifying the partition by UUID number rather than sdx number?

[mavrothal]

In my system with 2 disks and 6 partitions $pupsave is 2900-3200msec (depending on mode and partition) faster that the normal init.
One issue that you may want to fix is that it crashes the system if savefile/folder is not found (renamed, misspelled etc). You may want to add a condition that the file/folder/partition exists.

[mikeb]

Once again gyro doing what should have been done in the first place

fair play to yer ...

Puppy has a pile of boot options ending up pretty much with the slax approach of configuring the system from the vmlinuz line rather than guessing what it is... so it might as well accept that this is how it is and.... erm stop guessing... give it a profession feel eh and yes sooo much faster... in my case if it IS guessing it limits how much of that is done which at least saves time... guessing is really for first boots and quick tests rather than installed systems after all.

mike

[gyro]

[gyro]

Confession:
I forgot to acknowledge technosaurus, who recommended the "pupsfs", "zdrv", "adrv" and "ydrv" boot parameters that are already in "init". My "pupsave" parameter is based on that code, and uses the same format.

gyro

[mavrothal]

[gyro]

I've updated the patch to "init.nosearch-2.diff".
This now checks if the specified savefile/savefolder exists on the specified partition, before skipping "Searching" code.
If the file is not found it writes an error message to the console, and continues on to "Searching" code.

Mounting and umounting a partition just to test the existence of a single file, seems a bit excessive, but that's the obvious way. The decision has to be made before the "Searching" code, (where partitions get mounted).

@mavrothal
The technosaurus parameters setup some variables and then continue into the "Seraching" code, so maybe the testing for the existence of the file could be delayed till after the partition is mounted, but before any "find" commands.
I have not done any testing of these other parameters.

gyro

[gyro]

[gyro]

@Keef
Thanks for testing.
Unfortunately the version you have, crashes if you misspell the name of the file, as mavrothal discovered.
The fixed version is only available as a patch file, since my site is down.

gyro

[mavrothal]

[gyro]

@mavrothal
I shouldn't allow myself to be limited to the obvious.
I think the decision and hence the check of the existence of the file can be delayed until later in the code.
I'll try my idea tomorrow.

gyro

[gyro]

[mavrothal]