Save.dat container (SOLVED)

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budchekov
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Save.dat container (SOLVED)

Post#1 by budchekov » 27 Nov 2013, 04:42

Hi,
I just can't figure out how to save changes, have a 1g file installed and this is the only porteus.cfg file I can find. Not the same as in the tutorial, ?

Any help appreciated.

Code: Select all

PROMPT 0
TIMEOUT 90
UI vesamenu.c32
DEFAULT mate
MENU BACKGROUND porteus.png
MENU TITLE Porteus-2.1 32bit

MENU WIDTH 30
MENU MARGIN 2
MENU ROWS 10
MENU HELPMSGROW 17
MENU TIMEOUTROW 28
MENU TABMSGROW 15
MENU CMDLINEROW 22
MENU HSHIFT 4
MENU VSHIFT 5

    menu color screen       37;40      #00000000 #00000000 none
    menu color border       30;44      #00000000 #00000000 none
    menu color title        1;36;44    #ffA32F2F #30003f07 none
    menu color unsel        37;44      #ff111B78 #003f7fbf none
    menu color hotkey       1;37;44    #ff8037b7 #00000000 none
    menu color sel          7;37;40    #ffffffff #00000000 none
    menu color hotsel       1;7;37;40  #ffaf67f7 #003f7fbf none
    menu color scrollbar    30;44      #00000000 #00000000 none

    menu color tabmsg       31;40      #ffA32222 #00000000 none
    menu color cmdmark      1;36;40    #ffff0000 #00000000 none
    menu color cmdline      37;40      #ffffffff #ff000000 none
    menu color pwdborder    30;47      #ffff0000 #00000000 std
    menu color pwdheader    31;47      #ffff0000 #00000000 std
    menu color pwdentry     30;47      #ffff0000 #00000000 std
    menu color timeout_msg  37;40      #ff809aef #00000000 none
    menu color timeout      1;37;40    #ffb72f9f #00000000 none
    menu color help         37;40      #ff666C85 #00000000 none
    menu color msg07        37;40      #90ffffff #00000000 std


LABEL mate
MENU LABEL Graphics mode (mate)
KERNEL vmlinuz
APPEND initrd=initrd.xz changes=/porteus timezone=America/Los_Angeles
TEXT HELP
    Run Porteus the best way we can.
    Try to autoconfigure graphics
    card and use the maximum
    allowed resolution
ENDTEXT

LABEL fresh
MENU LABEL Always Fresh
KERNEL vmlinuz
APPEND initrd=initrd.xz nomagic base_only norootcopy timezone=America
Los_Angeles
TEXT HELP
    Normally Porteus saves all changes
    to the /porteus/changes/ directory
    on the boot media (if writable)
    and restores them next boot.
    Use this option to start a fresh
    system, changes are not read from
    or written to any device
ENDTEXT

LABEL copy2ram
MENU LABEL Copy To RAM
KERNEL vmlinuz
APPEND initrd=initrd.xz copy2ram timezone=America/Los_Angeles
TEXT HELP
    Run Porteus the same as above,
    but first copy all data to RAM
    to get a huge speed increase
    (needs >768MB)
ENDTEXT

LABEL text
MENU LABEL Text mode
KERNEL vmlinuz
APPEND initrd=initrd.xz 3 timezone=America/Los_Angeles
TEXT HELP
    Run Porteus in text mode and
    start the command prompt only
ENDTEXT

LABEL pxe-boot
MENU LABEL Porteus as PXE server
KERNEL vmlinuz
APPEND initrd=initrd.xz pxe timezone=America/Los_Angeles
TEXT HELP
    Run Porteus as usual, but also
    initialize a PXE server.
    This will allow you to boot Porteus
    on other computers over a network
ENDTEXT

MENU SEPARATOR

LABEL plop
MENU LABEL PLoP BootManager
KERNEL plpbt
TEXT HELP
    Run the plop boot manager.
    This utility provides handy
    boot-USB options for machines
    with vintage/defective BIOS
ENDTEXT

LABEL hd
MENU LABEL Boot from the first hd
COM32 chain.c32
APPEND hd0 1
TEXT HELP
    Don't start Porteus at all, but
    rather run any operating system
    installed on the first partition
    of the hard drive
ENDTEXT
Last edited by budchekov on 27 Dec 2013, 01:10, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Save.dat container

Post#2 by Ed_P » 27 Nov 2013, 04:49

According to the menu's options only the Graphics Mode (mate) option saves changes.

Code: Select all

APPEND initrd=initrd.xz changes=/porteus timezone=America/Los_Angeles
Ed

budchekov
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Re: Save.dat container

Post#3 by budchekov » 27 Nov 2013, 05:08

Thanks Ed, which means what? Why aren't I seeing the same file as in the tutorial. what am I doing wrong, amending that line does nothing, I just want to get this done.

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Re: Save.dat container

Post#4 by donald » 27 Nov 2013, 05:16

@ budchekov
Look at:
http://forum.porteus.org/viewtopic.php? ... 405#p16630
If this don't help, ask again.

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Re: Save.dat container

Post#5 by Ed_P » 27 Nov 2013, 14:24

budchekov wrote:Thanks Ed, which means what?
It means when you boot Porteus you get a menu of the options shown and you need to select the 1st one.

However, your question implies that you aren't booting Porteus. Why not and what are you trying to do?
Why aren't I seeing the same file as in the tutorial.
Have no idea what tutorial you are referring to.
what am I doing wrong, amending that line does nothing, I just want to get this done.
The line doesn't need changing. What are you trying to do? Are you working with the downloaded ISO file? Have you burned it to a CD or a USB? Have you tried booting it yet?
Ed

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Re: Save.dat container

Post#6 by donald » 27 Nov 2013, 16:01

@ budchekov
To make it short:
changes=/path/filename.dat

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Re: Save.dat container

Post#7 by budchekov » 27 Nov 2013, 18:16

EdP wrote: However, your question implies that you aren't booting Porteus. Why not and what are you trying to do?
Er, no offense but you make no sense whatsoever, of course it's booted, from a Flash drive and the 'tutorial's' from Porteus

http://www.porteus.org/tutorials/57-gen ... d-one.html

I thought Porteus looked like a substitute for Slacko/Precise Puppy but this looks like a deal breaker, no save no point.

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Re: Save.dat container

Post#8 by donald » 27 Nov 2013, 19:41

@budchekov
..did you get it working now?...
If not, how often would you like to get the same answer?
If you use a save.dat file, you have to edit the changes= line with the path
to your save.dat file!!!
btw:knowing where the Tutorial is, doesn't help much if you don't read it.

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Re: Save.dat container

Post#9 by budchekov » 27 Nov 2013, 20:11

Of course I read it, followed instructions here and there to a tee, it doesn't work, get a can't find/locate file during booting.
Thanks for your help guys, the 'excuse' for not making the process automated is ridiculous, it should be, jeez editing files, it's the 21'st century.
Later..uninstall, back to Puppy.

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Re: Save.dat container

Post#10 by donald » 27 Nov 2013, 23:47

@budchekov
OK,maybe it's easier for you to format the flash-drive with a Linux-filesystem (ext2/3/4),
and make a new porteus Install.This way you don't need a save.dat file and
you will have persistence out of the box.

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Re: Save.dat container

Post#11 by Ed_P » 28 Nov 2013, 04:09

budchekov wrote:
EdP wrote: However, your question implies that you aren't booting Porteus. Why not and what are you trying to do?
Er, no offense but you make no sense whatsoever, of course it's booted, from a Flash drive
Ok, ok. Now I think I understand your situation. Your booting from the 1st menu option and your changes are not being saved. Right? How did you allocate your Save file? If I recall with 2.1 I had to use Porteus to initialize the file before my changes were saved. Unfortunately I don't remember the steps I took to do that. Hopefully someone jumps in and explains them for you. Not hard, but with your size file may take a few minutes.
Ed

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Re: Save.dat container

Post#12 by brokenman » 28 Nov 2013, 14:45

Thanks for your help guys, the 'excuse' for not making the process automated is ridiculous
Are you suggesting that Porteus somehow guesses exactly where on your system you placed the save file you created? Perhaps you should read the documentation. The process is completely automated if you are using a native linux filesystem. If you are using FAT or NTFS then you will need to tell Porteus where this file is. Pretty simple. Like all unices, it is ALL about config files. Even in the 21st century people still don't read documentation. Some things will never change I guess.
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Re: Save.dat container

Post#13 by Ed_P » 29 Nov 2013, 13:34

phhpro wrote:As we used to say in the good ol' days RTFM...
And then along came forums, where people try to help others.
Ed

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Re: Save.dat container

Post#14 by brokenman » 29 Nov 2013, 19:19

I get the impression this person was not looking for help. They clearly did NOT read the tutorial that they claimed to have read. It explains in very clear steps what to do. I would looove Porteus to be fully automated and be able to guess where people place save files ... but come on! The original save.dat file creator edited the porteus.cfg directly after creating the file. Then it offered to open the porteus.cfg so the user could edit it. None of these is the best option. If the user then moves the save file then they will be asking questions about why it doesn't work anymore. Better to switch on the brain and learn a little from the get go.

Should we do away with all documentation/manuals and just fill up the forum database answering the same questions all the time? Perhaps a category of video tutorials would be better used than documentation? Personally I always read documentation before I jump in to ANYTHING. It saves headaches and embarrassment. I hate reading so if there is a video tutorial I watch it first. Any takers for creating a set of useful video tutorials? Of course we will then need other people to point people to the tutorials and say WTFV!
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Re: Save.dat container

Post#15 by Ed_P » 30 Nov 2013, 03:49

brokenman wrote: I get the impression this person was not looking for help.
Really!! Why would someone post a question or describe a problem if they weren't looking for help???
brokenman wrote:They clearly did NOT read the tutorial that they claimed to have read. It explains in very clear steps what to do.
You are assuming that a. they can read English, b. they can understand English. I'm not sure those assumptions can be said for anyone posting in this forum.
brokenman wrote: The original save.dat file creator edited the porteus.cfg directly after creating the file. Then it offered to open the porteus.cfg so the user could edit it. None of these is the best option. If the user then moves the save file then they will be asking questions about why it doesn't work anymore. Better to switch on the brain and learn a little from the get go.
How about an error msg when Porteus boots that indicates the save file is no longer found if it's been moved? No searching involved but no mystery either.

I'm not positive but I believe my changes weren't saved with 2.1 either initially until I used Porteus to initialize the save file. I don't recall doing that in prior releases I tried. I could be wrong.
brokenman wrote:Should we do away with all documentation/manuals and just fill up the forum database answering the same questions all the time?
Which would take less time and effort?
brokenman wrote:Perhaps a category of video tutorials would be better used than documentation? Personally I always read documentation before I jump in to ANYTHING. It saves headaches and embarrassment. I hate reading so if there is a video tutorial I watch it first. Any takers for creating a set of useful video tutorials? Of course we will then need other people to point people to the tutorials and say WTFV!
Good grief. I'm not a fan of videos, too hard to hear. Embedded subtitles might help though. Documentation is useful, for problem solving, if it is indexed and broken down in an index or menu but that takes effort and skill and trust me good techs are poor documenters.

I think a forum is an excellent way to help people who are confused, lost, frustrated, etc. And I think the admins and senior members here are excellent at helping newbies. But I think my efforts to help the OP lost a potential Porteus user. :(
Ed

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