[SOLVED] Can I install Porteus on old 32bit laptop - w/ dualboot?

[gotPortee]

Hello all,
I have an old 32bit Dell 10" laptop - I am currently using like a portable tablet because of its small size.
I've installed a 120gig SSD in the laptop and divided it into 2 partitions.
The first partition has puppy linux (ubuntu 18) installed.
The 2nd partition is waiting for a 2nd Linux OS which I would like to be Porteus if possible.

I anticipate it is possible to install Porteus in the 2nd partition - and have a dual-boot system.
I have Porteus 4xx 32bit loaded into a live USB for the installation.
I also have a grub boot repair utility on USB if that is necessary to fix any possible dual-boot issues.

Are there any warnings or suggestions anyone would want to offer?
Sincere thanks!

[Ed_P]

Can you boot the USB? Did you read the USB_INSTALLATION.txt file on the USB? Copying all the files to the computer's hard drive should be fairly straight forward if you use the same drive format.

This is my grub2 menu for booting my USB, your menu should be similar.

Code: Select all

menuentry " Porteus 4.0 USB - AF'" --class slackware   --class icon-porteus  {

     set porteus_parms="volume=33 reboot=cold extramod=/Modules"

     set bootdrv=$root
     search -f /USB_INSTALLATION.txt --set=root
     if [ $root != $bootdrv ]; then
        linux  /boot/syslinux/vmlinuz $porteus_parms
        initrd /boot/syslinux/initrd.xz
     else
        echo "----------------------------------------"
        echo USB drive NOT found.
        echo
        sleep -v -i 10
     fi
     set root=$bootdrv
     }

Porteus doesn't install grub2 so you will need to manually add a menu for it to your multiboot menu.
Any particular reason for choosing Porteus 4.0 verses 5.0?

[gotPortee]

Can you boot the USB?

Yes

Did you read the USB_INSTALLATION.txt file on the USB?

I'll do that!

Sorry - I didn't anticipate that being part of the files on the USB

Copying all the files to the computer's hard drive should be fairly straight forward if you use the same drive format.

So - I think what you are saying here - is rather than booting up on the live USB and initiating some kind of installation application - I would simply copy the files in the USB over to the 2nd partition. Then perhaps I could simply boot up into a grub repair USB application and let it detect both linux systems and create the grub boot-up.

This is my grub2 menu for booting my USB, your menu should be similar.

Code: Select all

menuentry " Porteus 4.0 USB - AF'" --class slackware   --class icon-porteus  {

     set porteus_parms="volume=33 reboot=cold extramod=/Modules"

     set bootdrv=$root
     search -f /USB_INSTALLATION.txt --set=root
     if [ $root != $bootdrv ]; then
        linux  /boot/syslinux/vmlinuz $porteus_parms
        initrd /boot/syslinux/initrd.xz
     else
        echo "----------------------------------------"
        echo USB drive NOT found.
        echo
        sleep -v -i 10
     fi
     set root=$bootdrv
     }

Porteus doesn't install grub2 so you will need to manually add a menu for it to your multiboot menu.

Any particular reason for choosing Porteus 4.0 verses 5.0?

I first downloaded Porteus 5 and made the live USB with it - but it would not boot up into the desktop.
I then dlownloaded Porteus 4.0 and put that on the live USB and it worked nicely.

Thank you very much for the help!!!!

[gotPortee]

I see the instructions on the USB - and I've watched the youtube video suggested from the USB instructions.
I'll see how that works! :-]

[Ed_P]

After copying the files to the harddrive run the /boot/Porteus-installer-for-Linux.com app with your other linux system.

Added in 1 minute 36 seconds:

I could simply boot up into a grub repair USB application and let it detect both linux systems and create the grub boot-up.

What's the name of your grub repair app?

[gotPortee]

Hi Ed,
You know - I don't know who the creator of the Grub-Repair USB I have is.
But I anticipate the author is a woman - because it boots up into a Ubuntu mini 14.0 desktop with an image of a girl jumping in the air.
It automatically activates a grub probe and repair script - and in most cases it will fix a broken boot sequence.
-
However in this case it did not.
I installed Porteus on the second partition using the built-in install application within Porteus.
Booted up into Porteus on a Live USB
There was an option within the Porteus install - to also update the grub boot - so not knowing exactly how that would affect things I opted for it.
So it created a new boot sequence with the Porteus boot screen
However - it did not include the Linux OS (which is Puppy Bionic 32) located in the first partition.
.
Porteus works nicely in that installation - all except it does not see the laptop's wifi adapter.
So in order for me to use Porteus in this laptop - I'm going to have to figure out how to manually get Porteus to examine the wifi adapter and activate it.
-
I also don't have a way to boot into the Puppy OS with that current configuration.
However - the Puppy Live USB system contains a Grub restore utility
Puppy uses Grub4Dos however.
I tried this - and the results is the laptop boots up into the Puppy Grub4Dos screen - and shows Porteus as a 2nd option.
But selecting Porteus as the OS option does not fully work.
There is obvously something missing in the transition - of handing over the system to Porteus which does meet Porteus requirements
So it hangs in a terminal display indicating it cannot get to the Porteus vmlinuz

[Ed_P]

Please post the Grub4DOS menu file.

And if you still have the Puppy Bionic 32 boot menu file post that also.

[gotPortee]

Please post the Grub4DOS menu file.

And if you still have the Puppy Bionic 32 boot menu file post that also.

Thank you Ed!

Here it is:

Code: Select all

# menu.lst produced by grub4dosconfig-v1.9.3
color white/blue black/cyan white/black cyan/black
#splashimage=/splash.xpm
timeout 10
default 0

# Full installed Linux

title BionicPup32 19.03 (sda1/boot)
  find --set-root uuid () e60e9db5-f89f-41bf-90be-9126cfe28252
  kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=UUID=e60e9db5-f89f-41bf-90be-9126cfe28252 ro 
#                      root=/dev/sda1
  initrd /boot/initrd.gz

title BionicPup32 19.03 (sda1/boot)
  find --set-root uuid () e60e9db5-f89f-41bf-90be-9126cfe28252
  kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=UUID=e60e9db5-f89f-41bf-90be-9126cfe28252 ro 
#                      root=/dev/sda1
  initrd /boot/initrd.gz

title Porteus-4.0 64bit (sda3/boot)
  find --set-root uuid () 1756162c-064b-4f71-857f-4ae76361f554
  kernel /boot/syslinux/vmlinuz changes=/porteus
  initrd /boot/syslinux/APPEND

title Find Grub2\nBoot up grub2 if installed
  errorcheck off
  find --set-root --ignore-floppies --ignore-cd /boot/grub/i386-pc/core.img
  kernel /boot/grub/i386-pc/core.img
  find --set-root --ignore-floppies --ignore-cd /boot/grub/core.img
  kernel /boot/grub/core.img
  errorcheck on

# Windows
# this entry searches Windows on the HDD and boot it up
title Windows\nBoot up Windows if installed
  errorcheck off
  find --set-root --ignore-floppies --ignore-cd  /bootmgr
  chainloader /bootmgr
  find --set-root --ignore-floppies --ignore-cd  /ntldr
  chainloader /ntldr
  find --set-root --ignore-floppies --ignore-cd   /io.sys
  chainloader /io.sys
  errorcheck on

# Advanced Menu
title Advanced menu
  configfile /menu-advanced.lst
  commandline

[Ed_P]

gotPortee, make your "Porteus-4.0 64bit (sda3/boot)"'s menu's

Code: Select all

initrd /boot/syslinux/APPEND

to be the same as the initrd in my Porteus menu above. Just manually change it, no need to run your fixit app.

(You might also consider changing the menu's title to match what you're booting.)

[gotPortee]

I'm not sure what you mean?
Firstly - what I listed is the menu.lst file within Puppy.
And it already has initrd /boot/syslinux/APPEND

Within Porteus there is a boot folder.
But it does not have a file or folder called "APPEND"
The change you want me to make - is that change within the Puppy menu.lst file - or within a Porteus menu file?
And if within a Porteus menu file - where would I find that file - since it doesn't exist within the boot folder within Porteus?

Sincere thanks!

[Rava]

I have an old 32bit Dell 10" laptop

title Porteus-4.0 64bit (sda3/boot)

What is it?
When your laptop is indeed a 32bit system, you cannot run a 64bit Linux on it.

what does this command in the terminal on Porteus tell you:

Code: Select all

sensors|grep Core

(maybe the command also works on Puppy Linux)

Added in 13 minutes 9 seconds:
In my system it tells me this:

Code: Select all

guest@porteus:/$ sensors|grep Core
Core 0:       +78.0°C  (high = +84.0°C, crit = +100.0°C)
Core 1:       +77.0°C  (high = +84.0°C, crit = +100.0°C)
Core 2:       +82.0°C  (high = +84.0°C, crit = +100.0°C)
Core 3:       +77.0°C  (high = +84.0°C, crit = +100.0°C)

I have an 8 core system. Physically the CPU has 4 cores (the ones you see listed above), each capable of executing 2 commands at the same time, resulting in max 800 %CPU e.g. as listed in top. (The max I ever recall was about 785% CPU)

[gotPortee]

I have an old 32bit Dell 10" laptop

title Porteus-4.0 64bit (sda3/boot)

What is it?
When your laptop is indeed a 32bit system, you cannot run a 64bit Linux on it.

what does this command in the terminal on Porteus tell you:

Code: Select all

sensors|grep Core

(maybe the command also works on Puppy Linux)

Added in 13 minutes 9 seconds:
In my system it tells me this:

Code: Select all

guest@porteus:/$ sensors|grep Core
Core 0:       +78.0°C  (high = +84.0°C, crit = +100.0°C)
Core 1:       +77.0°C  (high = +84.0°C, crit = +100.0°C)
Core 2:       +82.0°C  (high = +84.0°C, crit = +100.0°C)
Core 3:       +77.0°C  (high = +84.0°C, crit = +100.0°C)

I have an 8 core system. Physically the CPU has 4 cores (the ones you see listed above), each capable of executing 2 commands at the same time, resulting in max 800 %CPU e.g. as listed in top. (The max I ever recall was about 785% CPU)

Hi
I thought it was a 32 machine - and was surprised to discover Porteus installed itself as 64bit
So I did some digging on the CPU and it turns out it is an intel i686
The CPU is listed as 2 core - 4 threads - and is labeled as 64bit capable.
So that was a surprise to me! :-]

Right now I can't boot into Porteus because the boot-loader isn't configured correctly
I am able to boot up onto Puppy.

[Rava]

Right now I can't boot into Porteus because the boot-loader isn't configured correctly
I am able to boot up onto Puppy.

Hopefully that can be fixed.
Can you post the errors that are displayed while booting?

So I did some digging on the CPU and it turns out it is an intel i686 which is indeed a 64 cpu.
So that was a surprise to me.

Good for you.

When you are interested in running more recent versions of programs (e.g. a recent version of your favourite browser, you might be interested in my thread about upgrading the GLIBC of 4.0 Porteus to the same version as 5.0:
Upgrading Port x86-64 4.0 001-core to GLIBC 2.35
As you can see in my screenshot, it worked flawlessly and the pimped Port 4.0 could run the then most recent version of palemoon on Port x86-64 4.0 - which is otherwise not possible on a vanilla Port x86-64 4.0 because some recent programs need at minimum a higher version of GLIBC to run:

finally a screenshot:
Thumbnail


The full image (560.42 KB):
https://abload.de/img/2022-11-24forum.portes0ep3.png

Any questions or remarks on my pimping Port x86-64 4.0 001-core via upgrading GLIBC to 2.35 please not post in here but post in Upgrading Port x86-64 4.0 001-core to GLIBC 2.35
Thanks.

[Ed_P]

I'm not sure what you mean?
Firstly - what I listed is the menu.lst file within Puppy.
And it already has initrd /boot/syslinux/APPEND

Yes and that line in the grub4dos menu you posted is wrong for booting Porteus. Change it.

The change you want me to make - is that change within the Puppy menu.lst file

Yes.

Correct the line in the grub4dos menu.lst, reboot the computer so the grub4dos menu displays and select the Porteus menu to boot.

Added in 4 minutes 30 seconds:

I thought it was a 32 machine - and was surprised to discover Porteus installed itself as 64bit

What's the name of the ISO file you downloaded for Porteus?

After you get Porteus to boot download the syssnapshot.sh script shown on this page: Using Palera1n on porteus (Post by Ed_P #92632), save it to your /home/guest folder, open the folder in terminal mode, execute the command

Code: Select all

chmod +x syssnapshot.sh

then run the script in the terminal window using the command

Code: Select all

./syssnapshot.sh

and post the output of the command.

[gotPortee]

AH! I get what you mean!
Replace "APPEND" with initrd.xz

YES!
That makes sense!
And it works!
Now - very nicely booted into Porteus!!
YEA!!!!

Now is it possible to resolve the issue that Porteus does not see the wifi adapter?
Porteus does identify the Ethernet adapter within the Network Connections module
But not the wifi adapter
Nor does it identify the wifi adapter within the System info Center's Network information
So I suspect I may have to use a terminal command to start up the wifi adapter?

Sincere thanks!