PuppyLinux: This is how I install Puppy Linux 2.0*

This is how I install Puppy Linux 2.0*

By Fitzhugh
Questions? Feel free to contact me by leaving me a pm (private message) on the forum: http://www.murga.org/~puppy/∞ username fitzhugh. If you provide an email address I will contact you via email so we can correspond more efficiently. I'd be glad to walk you through if I can, though I have not tried other hardware, dialup, cable or wireless. You will find those covered elsewhere.

Type of installation: standard/simple

Note: It looks a lot more complicated written down than it actually is!

Hardware

eMachines 1000b
Pentium III 1000mhz
256 ram
Integrated graphics card up to 1024x768
Integrated sound card
Regular keyboard and mouse, or usb wheel mouse (actually both)
SBC DSL account

To install

Write down your isp connection info: IP number, netmask, service name, dsn server etc. if using DSL, (I haven't used other means, but hear they work fine).
Create CD: Download the CD image and burn to cd: [URL="http://puppylinux.org"]puppylinux.org[/URL]
Reboot with cd in drive (may have to switch boot order first, but probably not)
Answer As it installs it will ask you a few questions:
Keyboard layout (i.e. US for me in USA).
xorg or xvesa: [xorg lets you set refresh rates, important to me]
Graphics/monitor: monitor type (if you know your monitor frequency specs then try last option, otherwise choose from list. I used last option and lied to it, telling it my monitor could handle from 30-70 horiz [true] and 85-160 vert. instead of ~60-160 because that kept it from choosing low refresh rates and flickering, which I hate - not an issue on flat screens). Note: be sure and select the line you want by hitting space after scrolling to it!
Video mode: Note: to my surprise I found choosing a [I]higher[/I] resolution caused better (higher) refresh rates, prior to realizing I could fool it as above. Only thing that took any tweaking at all was finding the best one of the options. Note that choosing one that is not supported by your hardware might cause damage. However, I knew my monitor could take more than the list indicated. I suggest finding out what you can about your monitor's capabilities before you start.
Test xorg by clicking the test option.
Click Save and t will finish booting.

Initial Configuration

Ethernet: Menu: Setup, Ethernet/network wizard. This is quite simple: just enter IP, netmask, DNS, router if needed.
Internet: connect icon on the desktop, choosing PPPOE since I'm using DSL, click connect icon again, this time it takes you to what you selected first time (dialup, pppoe, etc.) entering ISP info (even sets up firewall via pulldown). Click start... that's it! Only problem I had was I forgot I used an odd username w/ my ISP since I only entered it one time before when configuring dsl on windows some years back. The set up is so simple I couldn't find anything to try differently! Finally it dawned on me that it was just me, not the computer, that was confused :)
Reboot: Notice the blue number indicated Megs space in memory in taskbar. It is probably around 50 at this point becuase it is ALL in memory. Reboot and it will save to the hard drive, returning with a BUNCH more memory free, as it will from then on. It will boot into ram each time, but with more free space. This makes it very very fast. 256 is plenty for this - it can do lower.

That's it!

You can also choose other ways, like NEVER touching the hard drive at all. installing to USB pen drive (your whole computer on your keychain, using most any hardware you find in your travels!) or save everything on the cd each time with multisession live cd.