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Steps to Installation
Step 1 - Acquire the container file (either ISO or ZIP) of required Puppy Linux version
Typically Puppy comes as a set of three files:
- vmlinuz
- initrd.gz
- *.sfs (* is determined by the Puppy version)
N.B. Some Puppy versions make use of an additional file: z*.sfs
These files are usually distributed within a single container file in either ISO or ZIP file format. It is this container file that one has to acquire so as to be able to make use of the Puppy operating system from either puppylinux.com download page, puppylinuxnews.org release or ftp.cc.uoc.gr archive
Step 2 - Choose how to use Puppy Linux with your machine with
This will depend on the media type. Whether it is to be used without installation 'Live', or as the single or one of many installed operating systems. Also if Puppy is to take a occupy or share a partition:
- LiveDVD-non-persistant - Typically on an optical disc drive, (or a USB memory stick, SD card, or external hard drive ) that your computer can boot from. It will install into Memory and erase on shutdown with no permanence. There is access to the rest of your computer hardware during the session, and any changes made to your hardware, like saving files from projects, persists, but the puppy system deletes from RAM on shutdown. A request to make a save file opens on first shutdown. Cancelling it makes no save file and the puppy system is deleted from RAM.
- LiveDVD-persistant - The same as live DVD above, but a save file is written to your system to save any system changes such as internet connection settings, system settings,installed programs, and anything in the /root directory added during the session. A request to make a save file opens on first shutdown. Follow instructions to make a save file and save settings(it can be increased in size later). Booting is faster next boot as even though it boots from the live media, it accesses copies of the Puppy system files in the hard drive save file in stead of the removable media.
- InstallationFrugal - typically on USB flash memory, or hard drive, does not takeover a partition. It installs a folder on the hard drive, SD card, or USB media where relevant system files are stored. It is a bit more permanent than live installations with a save file. It allows the system to boot from that folder in stead of a removable media.It requires grub booter to be installed (which can be done as part of the frugal install process, and/or with grub installer found through the menu). So that at boot up, the initiation process opens a window for you to chose which system you want to boot from. This way you can have say a windows system on the computer as well, and choose which system you boot to.
- InstallationFullHDD - typically on a harddrive, takes over a partition
- PXELINUX - uses network server drive
Step 3 - Learn about Puppy
To get the most out of Puppy learning a little about how it works is useful, see How Puppy Works page