Need help with menu.lst for grub frugal install.

[nooby]

Hi,

I'm trying to make a frugal install of VL5.9 Std live.
I've used searched and to learn from how others
have set up slax based linux distros.

But I fail to make it all the way. I've come a bit with this one.

title VL5.9-STD-LIVE-B1 Vector Linux
root (hd0,0)
kernel (hd0,0)/boot/vmlinuz from=/mnt/hda1/boot/VL5.9-STD-LIVE-B1.iso root=/dev/ram0 ramdisk_size=6666 rw changes=/dev/hda1 vga=791
initrd (hd0,0)/boot/initrd

The following example worked for Nimblex but not for Vector.

title Nimblex 2008
root (hd0,0)/nimblex
kernel /nimblex/vmlinuz-nx08 from=/mnt/hda1/nimblex/NimbleX-2008.iso ramdisk_size=6666 root=/dev/ram0 rw vga=791 autoexec=telinit~4 changes=/nimblex.data
initrd /nimblex/initrd-nx08.gz


the following examples for slax and I found them on the internet but none of them worked for Vector.

title Slax 6.0.1
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/ram ramdisk_size=6666 rw changes=/dev/hda1
initrd /boot/initrd.gz

title Slax 6.0.7 X11
kernel /boot/vmlinuz ramdisk_size=6666 root=/dev/ram0 chexpand=256 rw autoexec=startx
initrd /boot/initrd.gz
boot

title Slax Graphics mode (KDE)
        kernel /boot/vmlinuz ramdisk_size=6666 root=/dev/ram0 rw autoexec=xconf;telinit~4 changes=/slax/
        initrd /boot/initrd.gz

I come rather far into the boot?

A lot of splash of what it does show up but it hang after it mounted a lot of scsi
and noting more happens. No error message. I don't remember it behaved like that
using the cd.

I've searched and searched but fails to find a good example on how to do a frugal
install of Vector.

Maybe it exist in the older forum? If any of you have frugal install I would be happy
if you could give me a hint on how to change what is need for it to work.

[nooby]

I try out different things. Not sure if it goes into kernel panic maybe.

It says it waits for usb devices and hang and when I do reboot it says
that MD: Stopping all MD devices. Which could indicate that it goes
into kernel panic.

Here is how it looks now.

title VL5.9-STD-LIVE-B1 Vector Linux
root (hd0,0)/boot
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda1 rw
initrd /boot/initrd

I have root too times there is that why if goes wrong?

[uelsk8s]

what is a frugal install?
what exactly are you trying to accomplish?

[nooby]

Remember that this a newbie answering you. I'm only one month user of Linux
in a more serious way. I did get an Ubuntu 6.04 some year ago but felt it was
to oslow and too big for my purpose so I tried out DSL and failed to get it to
work with my ethernet card.

So June 29 or so David from Canada told me about Puppy Linux and I didn't
remember it then but have found out that I had a chance to know it already
1.5 years ago but I had neer done a burn iso to cd thing and failed both times
me tried so I forgot all about it.

But David was patient and teached me how to use BurnCdcc which worked
very efficient and I burned cd after cd and tested almost all linux there is.

Any way. Puppy had in its installer something named frugal install.

I had no idea what it was but tested it and it worked after some tweking.

My hdd is named sda1 and not hda1. the devil in the details. And to top it
all on my set up one should put all the files in  subdirectory while they usually
only recommend two files there.

Any way. To answer your question. I am not sure how to describe it.

We could read the wiki together. I'm sure of you get more out of the official texts
about than I do cause I barely get around in Linux.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damn_Small_Linux#Boot_options

"Boot options are also called "cheat codes" in DSL, Knoppix and Morphix."
"'Frugal' installation: DSL's 'cloop' image is installed, as a single file, to a hard disk partition. This is likely more reliable and secure than a traditional hard drive installation, since the cloop image cannot be directly modified; any changes made are only stored in memory and discarded upon rebooting."

I tried to get others interested in the linuxquestions forum.
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-software-2/frugal-install-for-different-distros-of-linux.-657994/

I've done it with Puppy linux, NimbleX linux and SliTaz Linux but failed on GoblinX Linux.

Vector is the top distro or second runner up distro for me. Competing with Nimblex.

So I am very eager to use it in frugal install.

Why one want to do such odd thing? Cause it is very practical and it works when it works
and one can use it on LapTops that have hidden partitions that get broken warranty for
restore of Windows XP or vista if one tamper with partitions.

I tried to do partition on the computer I use now but it failed. The defragger failed to make
it ready for resizing of windows. so that is one more reason. My only chance to use linux
apart from from usb or CD or DVD.

Have I answered your question?

Oups forgot to link you to Lin'nWin site. I try to find link soon.

Here it is.
http://www.icpug.org.uk/national/linnwin/step00-linnwin.htm

The Lin'N'WinNewB Project is for the Windows user, (XP or 9x), who wants to try Linux BUT does not want to give up, or compromise, their Windows installation. It's Linux 'n' Windows together!

 It make use of Grub,

WUBI for Ubuntu is kind of similar. They too make use of a menu.list where you enter things
like I have in my OP orginal post.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damn_Small_Linux#Boot_options

[uelsk8s]

ok, I get it, you want to run VL-Live from your HardDrive.
you need to copy the vector folder from the cd to your HD, then add the grub entry similar to slax

Code:

title Vector
        root (hd0,0)
        kernel /boot/vmlinuz ramdisk_size=5000 root=/dev/ram0 rw splash=silent vga=791 max_loop=255 init=linuxrc load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 changes=/dev/hda1
        initrd /boot/initrd

something like that.
let me know if that works,
Uelsk8s

[nooby]

Ok I try it. I only wish you would have been more specific. Vector folder.

when I place it on my HD how many subdirectories deep should it go?

Now my vector folder is on sda1 which most likely is named hda1 in vector?
In that folder named boot I have extracted these files vmlinuz and initrd
without the .gz thing. As I remember that is how it is in the CD.

And I also have a VL5.9-STD-LIVE-B1.iso as it was downloaded from site.

On the cd I have ... I look and come back and tell you soon.

One boot folder and one vector folder. So yo usuggest me drag and drop copy it over to the hd folder

Ok I try.

[nooby]

Yes close but no cigar as we say over here.

This is as far as I got on GoblinX too. So there is something
that goes wrong. Does it help if I change hda1 to sda1?

It stops after it has done the drivers for S ata? It says it do usb drivers or something.

I pasted over the boot folder too. Was such a small one so I hoped it didn't hurt.
Should I place it some where else in case if cause some trouble?

I wonder about this. Now the "root" in windows on my hd are C:/ but really are named H:/

But everybody says that doesn't matter cause to linux the first hdd is hda1 still or hd0,0

So what could it be that makes it fail. should I set it up with splash verbose ? To get some error message

Usually it would say md : stopping all md devices. Which I interpret as a kernel panic thing.

Which indicate that I need to fix a from= cheat code or such. What can be needed to do?
It is a puzzle to me. Do you have any clue.

By the way I moved the .iso file out of sight for the booter. That was right was it not?

boot and vector already have these.

I will try to move vector to root. That seems more logical to me. And boot too. Now it is one layer deep?

[uelsk8s]

you need the vector and boot folders on the root of the drive.
if your drive is sata or scsi then change it to sda1
would be a good idea to set splash to verbose so you can post any error messages

[nooby]

Your right and the funny thing is that I actually figured it out even on my own.
I renamed the old boot to bootx and moved the real boot out to root and
the vector folder out to root and then kept the extracted vmlinz and the initrd
within the bootx folder so they would not mess up things.

And Vector just did it. Fast and confident. Found my ethernet card and all was set up.
I only have to change to swedish keyboard and maybe make the alsa to get sound going.

I write  from within vector in frugal install now.

So I am very happy you helped me with this.

now I only have to check that it remembers bookmarks and such.

Do you know if I have to activate some save file as slax.data by calling it up in CLI?

How big should I make it or does Vector make such one on its own the first reboot?

You made my day. Vector is one of the top three fave distros for me cause it works
on a national TV station TV4.se and they have streaming video of news.

CBC.ca it should work on too.

do you know if it is safe to let the broser do updates. I mean will it take home a
version that is compatible with linux that vector use?


Well it is night here 00.07 or there about and I should go to bed to get up tomorrow.
Monday morning blues.

Have I told you lately that I very much appreciate your help. Much appreciated indeed.
All the Best to You.

Fred the Noob

[nooby]

It worked without changing to sda1 maybe vector see hda and sda as interchangable?

Are you sure I need to change it. Does it need to be sda1 for the changes to work?

[nooby]

First things first.

It didn't save changes so we are still not fully there. No cigar yet.
But what a progress. I am now able to use vector without having
to load the live cd. But very annoying to not being able to save things.

Not even the set up of swedish keyboard map and mixer settings.

So I need to ask this. Is there something me do wrong when it ask this.
It finds an earlier saved x something and ask if I want to save it and rename
it and it ask about US keyboard. I have tested to ignore and then it didn't
set up Swedish keyboard but if I answer save and rename it let me set up
swedish keyboard as I wish and that is my preferred thing.

But what to do next time I start up. It ask the same all over and don't remember
the last set up with swedish keyboard. I tried the vesa and that one didn\t ask.

Most likely I have to make a vector.data file from within vector and save it in
the proper place so it get loaded during boot. So it should be pointed to by the
cheat codes as i do it in Nimblex thanks to Bogdan instructions and help from VG
at Puppy forum too.

Like how nimblex does it in menu.lst:

changes=/nimblex.data

How does one set up such a data file in Vector Linux?

[nooby]

I found a hacker s guide. Does this one help? It is about BackTrack but maybe creating a save data file is similar?

http://n00bhacker.blogspot.com/2008/01/creating-ext2-partition-to-save-changes.html

Step for step he go through how to do it in BT which I never used so not sure how different that one behaves.

I also got an answer from GoblinX how he do saving.

http://forum.goblinx.com.br/viewtopic.php?p=3671&highlight=#3671

GoblinX is just like Slax, I didn't change anything in Linuxlive scripts... GoblinX differs of slax after chroot command and because it uses its own kernel... NimbleX I do not know... if it uses the same Linuxlive version than is very like GoblinX. You can use the .dat approach but I do not like it, GoblinX will automatically save all settings inside the changes directory, just add, for example, changes=/slax/goblinx/ to the grub menu.lst line.

Example:
title GoblinX
root (hd0,0)/goblinx_nooby
kernel /goblinx_nooby/vmlinuz init=linuxrc from=/mnt/hda1/goblinx_nooby/GoblinX-2.7.iso ramdisk_size=6666 root=/dev/ram0 rw vga=791 locale=english load=User splash=silent changes=/goblinx_nooby/goblinx/
initrd /goblinx_nooby/initrd.gz

Hope he don\t get crossed with me for copying his suggestion.

How does Vector usually save changes and what name has the data file?

Could I use what he suggest for Vector too? I have not tested his suggestion
cause Vector has codex and plugins that he hasnt so I want to use vector.

Another thing that fails when I try to mount hda1 or sda1 then it says it is already busy.
But when I look at mounting it is unmounted. filemanager fail to open it.  As I remember
both nimblex and goblinx does mount the ntfs hada1 or sada1 and puppy does it too.

Why is this so hard to do in Vector.

should I try some other x I mean window. I\m in xcfs something now I guess.

Is it easier to mount in other such gui?

I still have not figured out to change to swedish keyboard. sorry

[wcs]

Why is this so hard to do in Vector.

I don't know. I never even knew such a thing was possible.
But just out of curiosity, why do you want to run the LiveCD from your hard drive?
The LiveCD is meant to be "live".... why not just download vector 5.9 standard and install it? Or buy the SOHO version?

[uelsk8s]

vector uses the same scripts as Slax so it should be the same as what was suggested above.

use VL tools it will be easier vasm has its own way to mount for you.
run "vmount" at a root terminal and you can mount easily

[nooby]

uelsk8s thanks I test this.

Do you know if it works to rename boot as vectorboot
or does it work to have it one level deep like

/vector/boot /vector/vector and change the menu.lst accordingly.

or does the program need it to be in root? Can one not tell system that
root is one level below as root /vector/boot/ or similar?

wcs a big friendly smile to you. hope it is ok to tease you?
A lot of laptops have a warranty for their windows xp and vista
install cause they have only OEM install so they have a hidden
partition and that set up don't allow that one do a partition on it
cause that change the id of the hd. They say one have tampered
with it so it is out of question to do it or one have to wait until
warranty has gone out. Or always buy used computers.
Maybe you are a linux supporter that suggest one should not use
windows at all but others in family may need it for work or school
and maybe one have not money enough to have one computer per
family member.

apart from that some hd fail to get resized. The own the single partition.

Half joke.

And you forgot that I'm a noob. why should I do partition when there
is no need for it? Such a bad thing to do. such is for very experienced
users and not for us who barely know how to set up even a email client.

took me years to get enough knowledge to do such easy things.

The easy answer is Because I don't want to. And it should not be needed either.