[SOLVED] Install Mint Xfce from partition ... not LiveCD ???

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timber

Re: [SOLVED] Install Mint Xfce from partition ... not LiveCD ???

Post by timber »

Hi Breaker,

Glad to hear that you were able to install MP.

So far, I'm finding the Xfce (Puppy) version a bit buggy, although I think all problems I'm experiencing stem from incompatibility with my video hardware. Xorg doesn't want to install on my box, I have to use Xvesa. (Many of the Xfce version features require that xorg be installed.) I have a built-in, intel video card (Sony laptop) and perhaps with the right drivers and xorg.conf entries it would work. Had my screen freeze up a couple of times and got tired of trying so, for now, I went back to MacPup and switched to the JWM windows manager. Changed themes, icons and added a (vista like) side panel. I like the look and feel of it now... and it works smooth and fast.

ciao
timber

Re: [SOLVED] Install Mint Xfce from partition ... not LiveCD ???

Post by timber »

BTW, here's the link to Tipsy information.
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=41785

I think you will probably like it ... even without xorg working on my machine, it's nice.

I've come to a conclusion, however, as fast as Puppy is I still prefer the ability to customize LM Xcfe 7 CE and use the command line with apt-get, update, upgrade and access Synaptic.

LM Xcfe CE is simply the best of the best, I keep coming back to it. :mrgreen:
It just works ... and has a great balance of aesthetics, speed and features that help me work.

timber
timber

Re: [SOLVED] Install Mint Xfce from partition ... not LiveCD ???

Post by timber »

In the event anyone following this thread ever needs to install the Slitaz, LiveCD image (.iso file) from hard drive, they can add the following code (customize to suit) to the 40_Custom file.
I placed the Siltaz iso file on a separate partition and updated grub after making the 40_Custom file entry to make the live iso boot accessible from the boot menu.

Add the following to the 40_Custom file for Slitaz "Live" install from the Hard Drive (rather than from CDrom):
(edit iso locations and iso name as needed, of course)

Code: Select all

cat << EOF
menuentry "slitaz-2.0 Live CD" {
loopback loop (hd0,6)/slitaz-2.0.iso
linux (loop)/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.25.5-slitaz pmedia=idehd iso-scan/filename=/slitaz-2.0.iso --
initrd (loop)/boot/rootfs.gz
}
EOF
It took a bit of trial and error to get these working and I haven't found them listed elsewhere so I thought I'd add this to the thread since we have other "LiveCD" iso images booting from the hard drive listed here.

timber
breaker

Re: [SOLVED] Install Mint Xfce from partition ... not LiveCD ???

Post by breaker »

cool, timber, I'm going to try this one and Tipsy puppy. slax is another very light distro, but with KDE, have you tried it?

EDIT: I'm on SliTaz right now. Wow, it is pretty nice for the ram. Super fast boot, etc. I used pmedia=satahd instead of pmedia=idehd since I have sata.
breaker

Re: [SOLVED] Install Mint Xfce from partition ... not LiveCD ???

Post by breaker »

Have you played with Linux Mint 8 Fluxbox RC1?

Code: Select all

#!/bin/sh -e
cat << EOF
menuentry "Linux Mint 8 Helena Fluxbox RC1" {
 loopback loop (hd1,4)/LinuxMint-8-Fluxbox-RC1.iso
 linux (loop)/casper/vmlinuz boot=casper iso-scan/filename=/LinuxMint-8-Fluxbox-RC1.iso noeject noprompt --
 initrd (loop)/casper/initrd.lz
}
EOF
I'm on it now, it's pretty nice and fast...
timber

Re: [SOLVED] Install Mint Xfce from partition ... not LiveCD ???

Post by timber »

Hi Breaker,

I'll give Slax a try ... I'm not a fan of KDE but that won't stop me from checking it out.
Linux Mint 8 Helena Fluxbox RC1 will definitely be on my list to try also.

Here's the code for Tipsy, although it's just like most others in the Puppy family.

Code: Select all

cat << EOF
menuentry "Tipsy Puppy Live ISO" {
loopback loop (hd0,15)/tipsy-puppy-413R1.iso
linux (loop)/vmlinuz pmedia=idehd iso-scan/filename=/tipsy-puppy-413R1.iso --
initrd (loop)/initrd.gz
}
EOF
Yes, I like SliTaz a lot ... it's nice to have something resembling a Command Line and it's got a good feel to it.
I got it to boot the iso fine and it runs great this way ... but can't seem to install it to my hard drive.
Keep getting a message that it can't find rootfs.gz.
Tried a few tricks but haven't figured out the combination yet.
I made sure to add the source and target partitions to fstab and even extracted rootfs.gz to the first layer on the iso partition but I get the feeling that the install is looking for rootfs.gz on the CD (not really sure).
Also can't get my WEP Wireless working in SliTaz ... the network setup is a bit different than what I'm used to.

I'll get it all figured out somehow, I'd like to have the hard drive install if possible. (Should be possible ... it's Linux)

Later

timber
timber

Re: [SOLVED] Install Mint Xfce from partition ... not LiveCD ???

Post by timber »

Alright, got SliTaz installed on the hard drive.
As I suspected it might, the installer looks for rootfs.gz on the cdrom (but I'm using the iso located in /media/isotemp) ...
... so I mounted the iso as the cdrom:

Code: Select all

#mount -o loop /media/isotemp/slitaz-2.0.iso /media/cdrom
Now when invoked, the installer finds rootfs.gz and the install goes smoothly.

Still can't get the wireless WEP configured though.
I configured/ installed the firmware and installed the correct module for my wireless card but my wireless is not seen.
Has something to do with iwconfig - I need to go back to the SliTaz site and read up to get this going.
After configuring my firmware/ module and adding my WEP information, I should be able to see my wireless as wlan0 but nothing.
Anyone with Openbox wireless config experience is welcome to jump in and help me out here. I'm losing hair with this one.

thanx

timber
breaker

Re: [SOLVED] Install Mint Xfce from partition ... not LiveCD ???

Post by breaker »

timber,

Just like with MacPup, with Tipsy Puppy I get the message
pup_413.sfs not found.
Dropping out to initial ramdisk console...
How did you overcome this? The only way I was able to boot MacPup was to simply make a subdirectory called macpup then just extract the entire iso to it, then just make a custom menuentry pointing to the kernel and ramdisk in that directory.

thanks,

breaker
timber

Re: [SOLVED] Install Mint Xfce from partition ... not LiveCD ???

Post by timber »

breaker,
pup_413.sfs not found
I extracted the Tipsy iso on my "isos partition" and copied all of the extracted files (from the folder that is created by the extraction) to the parent directory.
In other words all extracted files are copied to the root of the source partition.
You need to make sure that no other "sfs" files except the one(s) extracted from the iso are accessible (e.g. none from other distro or earlier saves when run as LiveCD etc.)

For the install to hd from LiveISO or LiveCD I think I may have also copied the pup_413.sfs file over to the "new" (target) partition (where I was installing Tipsy)

I think that should do it.

timber

p.s. I'm downloading LM 8 Fluxbox RC1 right now to give it a try ... why not, I've already got at least 8 operating systems on this laptop already ... :roll:
Unless I can get my wifi working with SliTaz it won't stay long. I think I have to use WPA not WEP and the more I read about getting SliTaz to recognize NIC's the less inclined I am to spend too much energy on it.
breaker

Re: [SOLVED] Install Mint Xfce from partition ... not LiveCD ???

Post by breaker »

timber,

SliTaz has an older kernel I think. Wireless support is better on newer kernels, except my wireless worked fine on LM7 XFCE CE, so go figure (in fact, it worked automatically while Helena main needed me to add restricted drivers, go figure). In any case, I read a review referenced by Distrowatch that SliTaz had some work to do in the wireless LAN area.

As far as all of the Puppy variations, I don't want to knock your methods, but as long as I am going to extract the whole iso anyway, I feel it is just as easy to point grub2 directly to the kernel and initrd of the extracted files, which works fine... oh well. Which reminds me, after you run Puppy in it's normal frugal/ram mode, what changes if you install regularly, in other words, what is a non-fugal install all about, does it not run as root all the time?

When you try Helena Fluxbox, be sure to run mintupdate (everything is right-clicky for the menus) because there are some bugs that are addressed with this. Also check out the post concerning the bugs, and the link to the updates, which includes a recommendation to purge mplayer.

I think Fluxbox is indeed faster, but I must say I am used to XFCE, and it has fonts and a layout I really like.

breaker
timber

Re: [SOLVED] Install Mint Xfce from partition ... not LiveCD ???

Post by timber »

Hi breaker,

Not really sure what the difference of "Frugal" install is ... I always just use the "Full" install.
I think you are correct that the "Full" install has a user vs running as root all the time. (Can, of course, still be run as root if needed)
As for SliTaz it looks like it would be a great little distro if they upgrade the kernel and get the hardware/ driver/ wireless thing fixed.
I tried CrunchBang the other day and couldn't handle it, just didn't do it for me. Not bad just not the user interface that I want to use.
Probably fine if I were to customize it a bit.

I'll check out the bug list for FluxBox RC1, I expect a few things since it's still in the weeding out process.
I've got it downloaded and will do a "LiveISO" run shortly to give it a spin.

I know what you mean about Xfce ... I keep running back to it to feel at home.
The only problem I find with trying all these distros is that Mint 8 seems pretty slow now.
Xfce sure is a nice balance of comfort and speed. It's earned it's place at the front of my hard drive.

caio

timber
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