Tiny core on Eden ulv 500MHz cpu

[mocore]

I have to completely disable boot from internal drive (to disallow the baseline damn small Linux to boot) to het tiny core booting from usb.
The inconvenience is that this requires to hookup monitor and keyboard which is inconvenient as the computer is in  a crammed utility area.

Any advice is welcome but I can live with it.

begging the question....

what (loader) / how  - exactly dose the the  " damn small Linux" boot ?

fwiw
with this info it might be possible to add an option to *whatever* loader's configuration
which boots from the usb-device/partition-uuid ...
and (if that works) set that ( in the loader cfg) as default and dsl as a fallback ( if usb-part-uuid is not found)

[Stefann]

I have to completely disable boot from internal drive (to disallow the baseline damn small Linux to boot) to het tiny core booting from usb.
The inconvenience is that this requires to hookup monitor and keyboard which is inconvenient as the computer is in  a crammed utility area.

Any advice is welcome but I can live with it.

begging the question....

what (loader) / how  - exactly dose the the  " damn small Linux" boot ?

fwiw
with this info it might be possible to add an option to *whatever* loader's configuration
which boots from the usb-device/partition-uuid ...
and (if that works) set that ( in the loader cfg) as default and dsl as a fallback ( if usb-part-uuid is not found)

DSL boots with syslinux3.70. later versions bring problems.
I don't know whether that supports uuid. t.b.h. I had never heard from uuid until last week.
the tiny core core does not fit on the boot-partition: that partition is just big enough for dsl.
And I sure want to fully setup a new p1 partition. Want a clean start. This time a BIG boot partition that includes the ice folder.

Thanks for the suggestion.

[mocore]

DSL boots with syslinux3.70. later versions bring problems.

what dose the tiny core usb boot (syslinux/grub/ect) ?

if its also using syslinux
this post might have some relevant perspective
 "Is it possible to use Syslinux to boot another drive?" @ https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=224923
in summery
ether chain-load the (syslinux)loader on the usb
or create an entry in the internal 'dsl' syslinux config , to set/select the usb partition and boot the linux/initrd from it  .

the process would be conceptually similar for other loaders , the cfg syntax would differ ..

[Stefann]

DSL boots with syslinux3.70. later versions bring problems.

what dose the tiny core usb boot (syslinux/grub/ect) ?

if its also using syslinux
this post might have some relevant perspective
 "Is it possible to use Syslinux to boot another drive?" @ https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=224923
in summery
ether chain-load the (syslinux)loader on the usb
or create an entry in the internal 'dsl' syslinux config , to set/select the usb partition and boot the linux/initrd from it  .

the process would be conceptually similar for other loaders , the cfg syntax would differ ..

tiny core also uses syslinux.
My existing DSL backup USB had a very small boot-partition, just enough for DSL image, I did not want to erase that to make place for tiny Core Image because "if something went wrong I sure wanted to have my DSL baseline and backup".
Indeed I got my 1st tiny core loaded by creating a bootable USB stick using the notes I got from DSL. Using the syslinux-3.70 (it's now at version 6). Mind you... basically using a process with tools from 2008...
From there I created multiple "pristine" USB-sticks using the tiny core built-in install tool.
It runs like a charm from USB now.

Yes... One can hobby around... but I'm setting this up with the idea that it will be a reliable base for multiple years. So really want to do this good. Want to use "as much non-modified tools as possible".

So... I'm n ow very well able to boot from USB and setup bootable internal drive... but... bit hindered by the refusal of the computer to obey the bios-boot-sequence. It boots from internal drive even now I set bootsequence to usb first. Internal drive is a CF-card that I can easily eject, but than I cannot write it. So... need to hookup monitor/keyboard. This is very possible, just a bit crammed in the utility room.

but.. now hobbying with un-setting the boot-flag:
- booting from internal drive into DSL
- unset boot-flag from the internal drive I just booted from
- reboot should than go from USB

we'll see....
I'll get it sorted out one way or the other.

[mocore]

the syslinux "*LOCALBOOT" config option might be of interest
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/boot/syslinux/syslinux.git/tree/txt/syslinux.cfg.txt#n292

DSL boots with syslinux3.70. later versions bring problems.
I don't know whether that supports uuid. t.b.h.
I had never heard from uuid until last week.

fwiw just happened to read

f you are going to run Tiny Core from a pendrive, or any removal device, you should be using UUID or LABEL, to properly identify the device.  The installation program for pendrives included with Tiny Core up to v3.6 provides an automatic setup with such features. You will also need a waitusb for slow removal devices to be detected. This is also provided with the install program.

in this case uuid is a command line option passed to the kernel/modules & (i assume ??... [1] ) init scripts
see also proc/cmdline

The kernel parses parameters from the kernel command line up to “–”; if it doesn’t recognize a parameter and it doesn’t contain a ‘.’, the parameter gets passed to init: parameters with ‘=’ go into init’s environment, others are passed as command line arguments to init. Everything after “–” is passed as an argument to init..

[1] https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/v4.14/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.html
[2] https://raspberrypi.stackexchange.com/questions/113645/what-is-the-difference-between-adding-ro-to-boot-cmdline-txt-vs-etc-fstab#comment220872_128206

[Stefann]

the syslinux "*LOCALBOOT" config option might be of interest
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/boot/syslinux/syslinux.git/tree/txt/syslinux.cfg.txt#n292

That is a real cool suggestion!
At the end... I did need to hookup the monitor&keyboard anyway.
At some point during the juggling with CF-cards and USB sticks I lost connection and had to have a HW console.
Suggestion really appreciated and of potential use somewhere in future where I only need to update TinyCore in stead of moving to a full new OS.

The uuid suggestions make sense but that was only a head scratcher due to the old syslinux I had with dsl and I needed to use in the transfer process. I'm now at the fresh tiny core that has that by default fully functional.

Anyway.... It runs now.
On a brand new pristine Tinycore from internal drive (which is a CF card).
TinyCore AND the full home automation application. All is running and controlling my lights, heat pump, solar panels, energy monitor, garden watering, jacuzzi, EV-charger, alarm system.

Real cool, real happy.