Multi-boot frugal SSD with Fatdog64 900alpha - boot problems (Solved)

[keniv]

I have never used Fatdog but having seen this new version I thought I would try it. I have downloaded the fatdog.iso and checked the md5 checksum. I wish to make a manual frugal install on a ssd booting with grub2. I have legacy bios. I also have other pups on this ssd as well as Mint Linux. On mounting the the fatdog.iso I do not see some of the files I would normally expect to see. I have looked at some of the extensive information on fatdog but I have not as yet even found whether the above can be done far less how to do it. Any help on how to do the above would be much appreciated.

Regards,

Ken.

[jamesbond]

If you already have grub2 configured elsewhere and are comfortable to edit existing grub.cfg yourself, then the only file you to boot Fatdog is vmlinuz and initrd.

[step]

[...] I have looked at some of the extensive information on fatdog but I have not as yet even found whether the above can be done far less how to do it. Any help on how to do the above would be much appreciated.

Hi Ken, thanks for trying Fatdog64. In addition to what jamesbond said, the documentation includes a primer specifically for Puppy Linux users. Link to the online version (the offline version is on the Fatdog64 Desktop). http://distro.ibiblio.org/fatdog/web/fa ... index.html

[keniv]

@step, @jamesbond

the documentation includes a primer specifically for Puppy Linux users. Link to the online version (the offline version is on the Fatdog64 Desktop).

Yes thanks for the link which I had already found in my search. I got the code below from from that source. I then tried to adapt the code I was using to boot a pup to boot Fatdog.

Code: Select all

title Fatdog
    uuid xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    kernel /fatdog-directory/vmlinuz
    mergeinitrd1=local:/fatdog-directory/initrd
    initrd /fatdog-directory/initrd-nano

This is the code I use to boot Fossapup.

Code: Select all

menuentry 'Puppy Linux - Fossapup95(64bit)SSD' {
  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 4af42c9e-ef64-4453-a3c3-96da260b25e0
  linux /95fossapup64ssd/vmlinuz pmedia=atahd psubdir=/95fossapup64ssd pfix=fsck
  initrd /95fossapup64ssd/initrd.gz
}

This was my boot stanza for my first attempt to boot fatdog.

Code: Select all

menuentry 'Fatdog Linux - 900 alpha(64bit)SSD' {
  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 4af42c9e-ef64-4453-a3c3-96da260b25e0
  kernel /900fatdog64ssd/vmlinuz
  initrd /900fatdog64ssd/initrd

Got a "could not find kernel" error with this. I also tried changing kernel for vmlinuz at the beginning of the third line without success. I should say that both the uuid and the directory name are correct.
I then tried the code below.

Code: Select all

menuentry 'Fatdog Linux - 900 alpha(64bit)SSD' {
  uuid 4af42c9e-ef64-4453-a3c3-96da260b25e0
  kernel /900fatdog64ssd/vmlinuz
  initrd /900fatdog64ssd/initrd
}

Based on what I have used to boot Fossapup and my tries to boot Fatdog can anybody suggest a correct boot stanza for Fatdog?

Regards,

Ken.

[keniv]

@step, @jamesbond

the documentation includes a primer specifically for Puppy Linux users. Link to the online version (the offline version is on the Fatdog64 Desktop).

Yes thanks for the link which I had already found in my search. I got the code below from that source. I then tried to adapt the code I was using to boot a pup to boot Fatdog.

Code: Select all

title Fatdog
    uuid xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    kernel /fatdog-directory/vmlinuz
    mergeinitrd1=local:/fatdog-directory/initrd
    initrd /fatdog-directory/initrd-nano

This is the code I use to boot Fossapup.

Code: Select all

menuentry 'Puppy Linux - Fossapup95(64bit)SSD' {
  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 4af42c9e-ef64-4453-a3c3-96da260b25e0
  linux /95fossapup64ssd/vmlinuz pmedia=atahd psubdir=/95fossapup64ssd pfix=fsck
  initrd /95fossapup64ssd/initrd.gz
}

This was my boot stanza for my first attempt to boot fatdog.

Code: Select all

menuentry 'Fatdog Linux - 900 alpha(64bit)SSD' {
  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 4af42c9e-ef64-4453-a3c3-96da260b25e0
  kernel /900fatdog64ssd/vmlinuz
  initrd /900fatdog64ssd/initrd

Got a "could not find kernel" error with this. I also tried changing kernel for vmlinuz at the beginning of the third line without success. I should say that both the uuid and the directory name are correct.
I then tried the code below.

Code: Select all

menuentry 'Fatdog Linux - 900 alpha(64bit)SSD' {
  uuid 4af42c9e-ef64-4453-a3c3-96da260b25e0
  kernel /900fatdog64ssd/vmlinuz
  initrd /900fatdog64ssd/initrd
}

Based on what I have used to boot Fossapup and my tries to boot Fatdog can anybody suggest a correct boot stanza for Fatdog?

Regards,

Ken.

[jamesbond]

Grub 2 configuration manual

You put --set=root and --fs-uuid in the wrong order.

Assuming the UUID is right:

Code: Select all

menuentry 'Fatdog Linux - 900 alpha(64bit)SSD' {
  search --no-floppy --set=root --fs-uuid 4af42c9e-ef64-4453-a3c3-96da260b25e0
  kernel /900fatdog64ssd/vmlinuz
  initrd /900fatdog64ssd/initrd
}

[keniv]

@jamesbond
Thanks for the link to the Grub2 configuration manual. I am not familiar with Grub2. I am only using it as I installed Mint linux to a new ssd and now have to use it's Grub2 to boot everything else. It's a bit of a pain having to make changes to it via Mint. I much prefer grub4dos. However, I've made your suggested change to the boot stanza for Fatdog.
I'm typing this in Mint so I'll shutdown and try rebooting into Fatdag and I'll report back on what happens.

Ken.

Edit: I am getting "can't find command kernel" then it drops out to the grub boot menu. Here's what I get when I run blkid in a terminal which I've just done.

Code: Select all

/dev/sda4: UUID="4af42c9e-ef64-4453-a3c3-96da260b25e0" TYPE="ext4" PARTUUID="b1e71361-0079-4885-919e-32d1c6021e1b"

It is the same as the UUID in the boot code. I'm now baffled. Have you any other suggestions?

[step]

Try replacing "kernel" with "linux".

[keniv]

@step
That did it. Have just booted into Fatdog. It took ages with nothing on the screen. I would have given up if I had not read it took some time. Might put some "echo" comments into the boot code. I have done some setting up and made a savefile. Initial impressions is that it's quite different. Have given up for tonight but will do some more tomorrow. Thanks for the help in getting it to boot.

Ken.

[jamesbond]

Glad you made it work, Ken

@jamesbond
Thanks for the link to the Grub2 configuration manual. I am not familiar with Grub2.

Ah sorry I thought you are familiar with grub2. I immediately assumed so when you said you want to use an existing grub2 bootloader in the first post.

Try replacing "kernel" with "linux".

Typing a reply past midnight will do this thing to you Thank you step for the correction.

It took ages with nothing on the screen.

Ah, you're a good candidate for initrd-nano then. If your boot drive is not NVME (that is, the drive doesn't show up as nvmen0pxxxx in Fatdog), you can try the following stanza (please create a new stanza) for faster boot:

Code: Select all

menuentry 'Fatdog Linux - 900 alpha nano' {
  search --no-floppy --set=root --fs-uuid 4af42c9e-ef64-4453-a3c3-96da260b25e0
  linux /900fatdog64ssd/vmlinuz rootfstype=ramfs mergeinitrd1=local:/900fatdog64ssd/initrd 
  initrd /900fatdog64ssd/initrd-nano
}

Make sure you put both initrd and initrd-nano in /900fatdog64ssd.

[keniv]

@jamesbond

Code: Select all

menuentry 'Fatdog Linux - 900 alpha nano' {
  search --no-floppy --set=root --fs-uuid 4af42c9e-ef64-4453-a3c3-96da260b25e0
  linux /900fatdog64ssd/vmlinuz rootfstype=ramfs mergeinitrd1=local:/900fatdog64ssd/initrd 
  initrd /900fatdog64ssd/initrd-nano
}

The above worked and boots up prety quickly. Currently I've kept both menuenteries for Fatdog. Can you tell me what I'm "loosing" if anything if I boot in this way?
I've had a little more time to try things. Some are quite familiar but others are not. I've never been a lover of Seamonkey so I'm currently using Portable Firefox which I'm posting from now.

Make sure you put both initrd and initrd-nano in /900fatdog64ssd.

Interesting you should mention this as I have thought of what I could remove from the files/directories I have in /900fatdog64ssd. The only file/directory from the .iso that I did not include in /900fatdog64ssd was lick. I thought of removing usb-boot, isolinux.bin, isolinux.cfg and efiboot.img. I'm only thinking of doing this by way of a bit of a tidy up. Is it OK to do this? Are there others I should consider?

Thanks again for the help,

Ken.

[jamesbond]

The above worked and boots up prety quickly. Currently I've kept both menuenteries for Fatdog. Can you tell me what I'm "loosing" if anything if I boot in this way?

Nope, you don't lose anything. This method is meant exactly for this situation. The only downside is that it doesn't always work - but when it does (like in your case), there is no disadvantage at all.

I've had a little more time to try things. Some are quite familiar but others are not. I've never been a lover of Seamonkey so I'm currently using Portable Firefox which I'm posting from now.

And since you can post, it obviously works, which is good to know.

Interesting you should mention this as I have thought of what I could remove from the files/directories I have in /900fatdog64ssd.

You only need vmlinuz, initrd, and initrd-nano. Everything else is superfluous.

cheers!

[keniv]

@jamesbond
Thanks for answering my questions. I have now had time to do a little more and perhaps you'll not be surprised to hear that I have more questions but as they are not about booting I think it best to start a new thread which I'll do when time permits.

Ken.