Need help with menu.lst for grub frugal install.

[nooby]

uelsk8s I still have no clue on how does one save set up.
I fail to save even that I want to use swedish kbdmap

[nooby]

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

Not sure if I did that right so I try to copy in what I did

vector:/~
root:# vmount
mount: devpts already mounted or /dev/pts busy
fuse: mount failed: Device or resource busy
FUSE mount point creation failed
Unmounting /dev/sda1 ()
vector:/~
root:#


should I have activate vl in any way. I try to find the tool thing now.

[wcs]

Maybe you are a linux supporter that suggest one should not use
windows at al

I'm ok with people using windows... I use it myself when I need it.

And you forgot that I'm a noob

But it seems that running the live cd out of the hard drive might present problems and requires more knowledge than partitioning (because of the saves, and such).
I'm speaking for myself: I don't understand how grub works or how to do a frugal install, but partitioning can be very easy if you use gparted. I mean, in order to achieve this, you're delving into stuff that is very "non-noob".

The easy answer is Because I don't want to.

That's fine. I think I understand your reasons and just asked out of wanting to know.

[nooby]

I gladly answer and comment but could you help me set up swedish keybdmap?
please. it is only two hours to sleep in bed so I want to at least get that going.
I worked on it from morning and failed. Vector is not easy to get for a newbie.

Yes it is my noobness that makes me see if from a total other perspective.
To do frugal should be the default and made easy and to do partitioning
should only be done by somebody who really knows what it means for the
value of the computer if it needs to be restored to the original set up
in case it has to be refunded or sold or given back to the person who sold
it or lend it out or so.

I don't mind ding partition on an old used hd that I find for free in dumpster
for to learn how it works but I am a lazy guy so I have not done that yet.

I have an old compac pressario with a 10GB hd that would work well with linux
and it has 500mb mem so that would work too.

But it is too big for my cramped desk and too noisy in power supply and
well I'm too lazy. I already have two computers in front of me and don't
want a third.

[nooby]

At zenwalk forum they gave me a tip on how they do it for a live edition.
http://www.zenwalk.org/modules/tinycontent/index.php?id=20#mozTocId554502

I try to copy relevant info.

Persisting Changes
Using Zenwalk Live's prebuilt persisting files
Zenwalk Live uses memory (tmpfs) to save all changes, this has the advantage of being fast but it also means that each time you reboot your PC you loose all modifications.

As an easy way to save all changes from one session of Zenwalk Live to another you can unzip one of the savexxx.zip files under zenlive/persist directory to the root directory of a writable partition (for example a hard disk or a pendrive) on and you'll get a zensave.xfs file that will be automatically used by Zenwalk Live to persist changes.

There are three files in the current directory, each one containing an empty loop XFS filesystem:

save128.zip ... contains a 128 Mb zensave.xfs file.
save256.zip ... contains a 256 Mb zensave.xfs file.
save512.zip ... contains a 512 Mb zensave.xfs file.

NOTE: Zenwalk Live is designed to be used as a live CD, the ability to persist changes doesn't provide the same functionality as a fully installed system and have some limitations.

so if I unzip one such and then change its name and use the save changes cheat code that Uelsk8s cave me earlier
then maybe their xfs file is similar to those needed for Vector?

Or does Vector have such files buried in similar place so I could extract one from the cd?

[nooby]

...
would be a good idea to set splash to verbose so you can post any error messages

Yes I try that but where does it log all that text?

I see several things it complain about but there is so much to write down.
Would be much easier to tell it to make a log file out of it.

EDIT

I finally got save changes back but it fails to shut down properly.

Most likely cause I use the zensave.xfs as save file
It remembers bookmarks and remembers national keyboards like
swedish åäö so now I will try to do it as Uelsk8s suggested as first.

But have two entries in the menu.lst so I always can go back to a
functional one when I mess up things again.

Here is how it looks just now.

title Vector VL5.9-SOHO-preview.iso by Uelsk8s with 59SPinitrd.gz
        root (hd0,0)
        kernel /sohoboot/vmlinuz ramdisk_size=7000 root=/dev/ram0 rw splash=silent vga=791 max_loop=255 init=linuxrc load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 changes=/mnt/hda1/SOHO/vectorsave.xfs
        initrd /sohoboot/59SPinitrd.gz

That menu.lst entry allow me to save changes even åäö Swedish. And it allow me to have
permission to write to menu.lst due to 59SPinitrd.gz but maybe something goes wrong during
shut down. Uelsk8s helpted me with that last night but then I lost save changes so I will try
to do both now, Keep save and still make clean shut down. So I have set up two independent
entries that save in different places and hopefully that will allow me to always have one working
version but knowing me I end up with none sooner or later. But this is still great progress over
what I initially started with. So I am very happy about all help you guys provided so far.

[nooby]

if I do it like this

changes=/mnt/hda1/SOHO/vectorsave.xfs

then it saves and find those changes and loads them and
allow me to use swedish keyb like this åäö by alt+ctrl+k
that shift between US and SE keyb if I have set it up like that
and done umount /mnt/hda1 and then mount /mnt/hda1 to
make it stick. Bookmarks works and so on.

while if I do it like Uelsk8s first suggested
changes=/dev/hda1 then it says something about drivers KDM, GDM, XDM
Can't open /etc/fstab and such error run lvel 4 failign and more.

Which just works with the menu.lst I quoted.

What goes wrong is due to me there using a zenlive savefile that I renamed
to vectorsave.xfs most likely it has specific drivers that are for zenlive and
not for Vector.

so I need to from you folks a save file that is specific for vector linux 5.9 SOHO Preview Live
or if Vector progam could make it using konsole or a script that would be cool too.

any suggestions?

[nooby]

I'nm almost there. Due to me doing mix of vector and zenlive things
maybe they have things in their set up that is named otherwise in Vector
and thus a lot of error messages but it saves and load what it did save
next boot and I have permission to write to ntfs and most of the time
or half of the times it even do power down cleanly but can fail on reboot
when in hangs. I have to do more tests to see under which circumstances
it hangs.

It loads the Swedish keyb map and that helps very much.

so it feels good indeed.

Now I only need to find a way to get a proper save file for vector so
I can delete the alien zenwalk version that give error messages.

Or is it possible to edit the zenwalk save file so it is custom made to
serve Vector SOHO Preview live 5.9 version?

[uelsk8s]

The save file is just a empty filesystem inside of a file. You DON'T need it.
If you choose to use it, the only way it will affect what you are doing is limit the changes to the size of the save file.
If you are getting errors about missing files just empty the savefile, or changes dir and start over(this time be more careful of what you delete)

[caitlyn]

Actually, while "because you don't want to" is accurate it is much, much easier to partition and install and that is what most newbies do.  It is the normal way of doing things.  I can thing of a dozen reasons why a frugal install of a full operating system is a really, really bad idea.  To start with there is no easy way for you to install security patches and updates.

Yes, you have it in your mind that this is what you want to do.  There are very good reasons why it is not normally done.

[nooby]

The save file is just a empty filesystem inside of a file. You DON'T need it.
If you choose to use it, the only way it will affect what you are doing is limit the changes to the size of the save file.
If you are getting errors about missing files just empty the savefile, or changes dir and start over(this time be more careful of what you delete)

Uelsk8s, I trust you, you know much more about such than I do.

But trust me I did try and try and try for hours to save and it gave error upon error
and the way I do it now has error too but not fatal errors.

So I would be very grateful if you tell me how to do it without the zenlive made savefile.

I tested what you suggested earlier in thread. I try to find it.

Your first suggestion

itle 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

Your second?

title Vector
        root (hd0,0)
        kernel /boot/vmlinuz ramdisk_size=7000 root=/dev/ram0 rw splash=silent vga=791 max_loop=255 init=linuxrc load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 changes=/dev/hda1
        initrd /boot/59SPinitrd.gz

this part being the same.

 changes=/dev/hda1

I've tried and tried to use that one for many days. Maybe I started one day at 8PM and
tried until 2 AM next day.

Fatal error can't continue each time.

But sure it could be something else making it go haywire.

But ok I give it a new try.

Just tell me how to make a log of the error it gives so I can get a clue on what goes wrong.

Here is now my menu.lst looks now.


title Vector VL5.9-SOHO-preview.iso by Uelsk8s with 59SPinitrd.gz
        root (hd0,0)
        kernel /sohoboot/vmlinuz ramdisk_size=7000 root=/dev/ram0 rw splash=verbose vga=791 max_loop=255 init=linuxrc load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 changes=/mnt/hda1/SOHO/vectorsave.xfs
        initrd /sohoboot/59SPinitrd.gz

title Vector VL5.9-SOHO-preview.iso by Uelsk8s with 59SPinitrd.gz
        root (hd0,0)
        kernel /sohoboot/vmlinuz ramdisk_size=7000 root=/dev/ram0 rw splash=verbose vga=791 max_loop=255 init=linuxrc load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 changes=/mnt/hda1/vectorsave/vectorsave2.xfs
        initrd /sohoboot/59SPinitrd.gz

The reason I do this is to learn by doing to see if it gives different error messages so I know what works and not.
I change only one at a time so I always have a working system.

so take this part. changes=/mnt/hda1/SOHO/vectorsave.xfs I will now change it to your suggestion changes=/dev/hda1
And tell you what happens. Takes maybe 10 to twenty minutes. If it hangs it takes long time to get back to report.

Caitlyn, I answer your question when I have succeed cause it is hard to stay concentrated if I have to defend
my reality here. Trust me I spent month to try to defrag and resize and make partition and it always failed.

[nooby]

It says 11:01:22 am but it was local time 08:01:22 pm here. and now it is 20.30 pm so I report in two minutes what did happen.
I tested
 changes=/dev/hda1

and the boot up says that it will do that.
Setting up changes for  changes=/dev/hda1

and goes on booting. Then after saying

Testing config ... hold on tight ..
Starting up x11 Session manager

Hey you don't had KDM .... goes into a loop trying to load a driver but fails
and ask same againg loads driver ask same loads driver ask same ...

To show that I try to think. I worked for me with this
changes=/mnt/hda1/vectorsave/vectorsave2.xfs

so I thought maybe it works with mnt again?
changes=/mnt/hda1/ but that one gave same error.
Hey you donät had KDM ... goes into loop.

So what do you suggest?

[uelsk8s]

So what do you suggest?

delete the c:\changes dir and reboot

[nooby]

I don't have a changes dir as far as I know.

I have the boot and the SOHO as you suggested IIRC

Which one are you referring too

The vectorsave.fsk

OOups I am sorry I didn't know I had one. You mean it got created
by Vector without me doing anything?

O k I try to delete it. Many directories

Ok some of them are possible to delete one by one and those that fail maybe I can look into and delete them one by one can take long time I but I do it.
It doesn't let me it is the famous posix overlay most likely.

It says Could not make folder //.Trash-0/failes/changes/.wh.wh.whplink wh and so on

What did you have in mind why it would help to delete it? I mean what is the most important to delete there
Maybe I could delete the important files?

Is it important that I delete them before rebooting. I mean is that the way to repair.

Could I not reboot and go into windows and delete it from windows and then boot
and change something and reboot again? Would that be different?

Yeah that kind of worked for all except a few but I emptied them of all but the impossible
protected files and them moved the protected files to a folder on C: named sudda a
swedish word for erase or delete.

And the changes folder  refused to be deleted so I renamed it to oldch so now I look
if you have written something and if not then I reboot and get back within ten minutes
and tell result.

[nooby]

Uelsk8s your the Man! Your good at this. You can't foresee every quirk
in my system but basically you have a good sense for it.

By deleting the old it allow me to start anew with nothing left from the Zenlive
things and all survived and it says

Setting up changes for /dev/hda1

so most likely there are a brand new on there which don't have any zen in it.

so now I will make a book mark to this thead and reboot and see if it get saved
and it all works as expected.