grub4dos.gz

[yoshi314]

I see no one has done a fresh installation of Tiny Core on a pristine XP system,
What is requested is a simple installation for newbies but what is attempted is not!

http://packages.debian.org/lenny/win32-loader

this would be a good way for major newbies. it would require some tweaking for TC, though (download links, construction of boot parameters, etc).

what it does, is fetch kernel+initrd, and grub4dos. plug grub4dos into windows' boot.ini file and generate a bootloader config. and that's pretty much it.

so the system retains windows' MBR while having extra boot menu option for linux.

[newbody]

Maro, I guess this part of your posts apply to my situation then.

I can confirm that a sudo mount -o remount,rw /dev/hda1 did not work (but also did not fail, as $?==0). Nevertheless umount /mnt/hda1 && sudo mount /mnt/hda1 worked instead and lead to a writable NTFS.

What complicates it is that I don't know things on your level.

It is true that I am practically like a newbie in that I don't know such things like
 umount /mnt/hda1 && sudo mount /mnt/hda1

despite me have seen such CLI codes since 1986 or at least 1989 when I was member of a Computer club and the Chairman there was a Unix fan and tried to teach us such things. I failed at it and still fails at it. No brain for such. Still I have booted some 75 different Linux systems on USB and some 40 or so on frugal install on NTFS so I am very used to be able to just boot things and not let a script force a new mbr version on me that I don't want to happen.

So as usual the latest version was not meant to work for me. I did try to ask that though.

So I need to do what you tested there and see if it works on my set up too.

What I still fail to get is the difference between the ntfs-3g.tcz and the ntfs-3g.gz and the initrd code extra load there of the  ntfs-3g.gz

You took that away. Does that mean it instead make use of the already installed  ntfs-3g.tcz you had or something? How else would it work oh it is already installed in the kernel?

[mocore]

what it does, is fetch kernel+initrd, and grub4dos. plug grub4dos into windows' boot.ini file and generate a bootloader config. and that's pretty much it.

so the system retains windows' MBR while having extra boot menu option for linux.

im surprised this method is not all ready in use
 as it seems (to me) the simple way to boot from m$ formated partition ,
 with least modification to existing system .  

i have not had chance to test 3.7rc
but from this thread it sounds like grub4dos is replacing ntldr with grldr .  

 more info / examples on ntldr > boot.ini > grldr method  yoshi314 talked of .

above example from "grub4dos guide"

[newbody]

Hi newbody
You need to install  ntfs-3g.tcz  

thanks Rich for caring about a total noob.

Yes and no.
RobertS writes here http://forum.tinycorelinux.net/index.php?topic=9762.msg53256#msg53256

Essentially what is missing in those who are backing into an existing grub4dos setup is:

1. loadpack tc-grub4dos.gz
2. copy /tmp/ntfs-3g.gz to /tce/boot directory along with tinycore.gz and bzImage
3, edit grub4dos menu.lst with the entry for tinycore to be as follows.

title Tiny Core Linux
find --set-root /tce/boot/bzImage
kernel /tce/boot/bzImage quiet tce=hda1
initrd /tce/boot/tinycore.gz /tce/boot/ntfs-3g.gz

You must specify your tce directory via the tce= boot option, as auto-scanning ntfs partitions is not
supported in the base.

Do not also install the ntfs-3g.tcz extension its function is replaced by the script auto installed ntfs-3g.gz

The problem is that it is on a too high tech for me to grasp exactly what to do.

this part is totally new to me

initrd /tce/boot/tinycore.gz /tce/boot/ntfs-3g.gz

What I also need to do is to get how to follow this part

1. loadpack tc-grub4dos.gz
2. copy /tmp/ntfs-3g.gz to /tce/boot directory along with tinycore.gz and bzImage

that loadpack is that some kind of extracting program then that unpack the gz and I need to sift out the ntfs-3g.gz part and move it to /boot

Loadpack seems to be something introduced in RC1 by RobertS he writes

* New GUI loadpack to load, when required, Starter Pack after boot.

So in my case I then have to practice on using that program then.

[roberts]

loadpack = "Use Control Panel -> Load Starter Pack to load tc-grub4dos.gz"

Hopefully you know how to find and edit your existing menu.lst and copy a file.

Oh, the joys of backing into an existing grub4dos installation.

[roberts]

There is a minor thing which may confuse users

When installation starts, you see

Applying grub4dos using bootlace.com .......

There is a pause

Then you see

success

Then there is another pause

Installation is not complete, but some users may think it is when they see success.

They may turn off the computer (I know they would need to be quick). On low performance computers it may take longer.

I suggest, "success" be changed to something else, for example, "continuing installation"

That "success" is a message from bootlace.com. I pass along its output.
I can display "continuing installation" after that.

[roberts]

A very minor thing. I don't know if it is realistic. Not important if you don't want to change it.

If possible, it would be nicer if the line spacing between comments during installation was more consistent.

I know there are various options, which complicates it.

If you are talking about the output in the Review window during installation, I am mostly passing the output from other called programs.

[jur]

OK, I did the test, on my Vbox XP virtual machine. I hope I remember all the comments.

1. From previous knowledge I knew to download the .iso as well as tc-grub4dos.gz. At the moment this info is quite obscure in the wiki. I think it ought to be somewhere a lot more prominent. Perhaps as a separate wiki main heading? I took the liberty of editing the wiki page, Guy. If this is unacceptable, please accept my apology and restore. I still have some things to do there.

2. It would be great if there was a wbar icon for starting this process, instead of using a terminal. We may be dealing with linux neophytes without the faintest clue of what to do next.

3. The first time round, I tried doing it without the wiki and immediately failed - I didn't know what to do after loading the starter pack. I fumbled a bit, created /tce and then proceeded with the process, which failed when it tried to umount and mount. I think that was because /tce existed and was in use.

4. So I deleted /tce and rebooted, starting from scratch again. This time I referred to the wiki.

5. The GUI is confusing in several areas: What is embedded vs frugal?

6. The select version to install confusingly opens the root file system. A newbie is going to be completely bewildered by this. I mean, I was! After a moment of thought I concluded it wanted the tinycore.gz file so I navigated to /mnt/hc1 to find the cd's boot dir. I would propose the GUI goes there automatically.

7. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you can't spec persistent /home and /opt on a NTFS drive, so these options should not even be there. I did actually pick them but on looking for them on the Windows drive, could not find them until I remembered this issue.

8. At the final screen, there is an additional button, 'prodeed'. Ditch this and for the sake of consistency, use the play button again.

9. At the end of the process, it seems as if the GUI hangs. There should be a firm ending message with a close button or something.

This is a great piece of work! I wanted this 2 years ago!

[newbody]

I did my best.

I missed the run part most likely so I should try that again. But this part

to move the /tmp/ntfs-3g.gz moving it to /mnt/sda3/tce/boot/
fails due to that hdd is read only. I most likely should put in an usb and move it to the usb as a termpory thing because I do see it there and I do see the boot and the bzImage and the tinycore.gz too but I am not allowed to copy it to that place due to read only.

Joy it is but not so fun to fail again and again.

I tested what Maro succeeded doing but that failed on my gear.

tc@box:~$ sudo su
root@box:~# umount /mnt/sda3 && sudo mount /mnt/sda3
root@box:~# whoami
root
root@box:~# cp /tmp/ntfs-3g.gz /mnt/sda3/tce/boot/
cp: can't create '/mnt/sda3/tce/boot/ntfs-3g.gz': Read-only file system
root@box:~#

So not sure how to do this. I am in TCL 3.7RC2 now but I fail to set it as rw. Sudo does not help either.
I had Fluff as sudo but that did not give it write permissions.

I do the loadpack once more. I did forgot the run command. Maybe that do it but most likely it only start the install to mbr thing.

[roberts]

You are not listening to me, but are following others still trying to use the ntfs extension.
There is no need to umount or remount, if you follow my instructions.

[newbody]

RobertS
oh you wrote an answer while me asked more questions.

You are not listening to me, but are following others still trying to use the ntfs extension.
There is no need to umount or remount, if you follow my instructions.

Then one need to sort out what it means to follow your instructions indeed.

I do my very best to grasp what you tell me to do.

What you write here

1. loadpack tc-grub4dos.gz
2. copy /tmp/ntfs-3g.gz to /tce/boot directory along with tinycore.gz and bzImage
3, edit grub4dos menu.lst with the entry for tinycore to be as follows.

Maybe work if one are booted from CD or USB but does it really work if one are already booted from the very hdd one are supposed to install the grub4dos on when one already have a grub4dos there that one are very satisfied with and already have at least ten working os on it?

 I did go to Panel and click on load starter pack and I found the file to load and did that and it said okay to it too and  it failed when I did this

2. copy /tmp/ntfs-3g.gz to /tce/boot directory along with tinycore.gz and bzImage

I tried to ways to follow that instructon. Using Fluff as sudo and tried using the Terminal as root.

That does not work for the hdd is still set as read only. So how does one change that?

I did follow these instructions. The reason I tested what Maro suggested was that it did work for him.

[roberts]

@jur, Why not follow the instructions I posted in original post? Or my follow-up post when an existing grub4dos is already in use.

Is there a wiki entry for this specific starter pack?

Why on earth would one start my creating a tce directory?
Was that in any of my posted instructions?
Neither is opening an terminal.

It is one thing if you want to hack, another if you want to test per my posted instructions.

I cannot figure out when I post a new program with instructions, They are not followed.

[roberts]

Boot options home=hda1 opt=hda1 work as expected. Of course the level 1 directory of your Widows Xp now has /home/tc and /opt directories populated. So then Tiny Core now occupies three directories on XP.

[newbody]

Everything is easy when one know how to.

I have finally success doing it my way. But how to retell it is not so easy.

This part of your text works well if one knows what it refers to which a newbie would not know.
Even I fail to despite me have long experience of trying to get what real linux users say to me.

loadpack tc-grub4dos.gz

So I did place the tc-grub4dos.gz in a place easy to find the /mnt/sda3/tce/boot/

I followed your advice to use the Panel and Load Starter package so I marked it and clicked on the button and that worked because your next instruaction work on my gear to the first part.
/tmp/ntfs-3g.gz  yes I see that part there but am not allowed to write it to the hdd. Copy it does but not write to so

so being Newbody one try work around. Where am I allowed to write? To an usb memory stick
so I plugged in one such and mounted it and used Fluff to copy and paste as sudo just in case.
And that worked.

So now the problem TCL has no way toi write it over to to /tce/boot directory along with tinycore.gz and bzImage because that hdd and partition is read only.

When is it not read only? well in Puppy and Porteus and in Knoppix if one tell them to accept to write to the sda3. Puppy was the one I used due to me most familiar with it.

And now after booting again I am in tinycore_v3.7rc2  using your boot entry for grub4dos and I have edited the menu.lst too and edit another file and tested that it works to write to the hdd.

But this was the easiest way to do it. Trust me.

[roberts]

The easiest way is to run the automated install script instead of manually editing and copying files.