Xorg Wizard forced run

On the first boot, with PUPMODE=5, if the desktop fails, for example black-screen and hung, the only option is to press the PC's 'reset' button, or if it hasn't got one, hold down the 'power' button for 4 seconds.
Or, even just turn off the power on desktop PCs.

At the next bootup, if you are lacking Puppy-troubleshooting knowledge, you are back at the same situation. You would have to insert the kernel boot parameter "puppy pfix=nox" and then at the commandline type "xorgwizard".

The new Xorg Wizard, as I have implemented it prior to now (a couple of days ago), will be forced to run at a reboot, if the reboot was caused by a hard-shutdown by pressing the reset button, power button, or disconnecting the power. However, only when there is a "save file" that records the session state.

In the special case of PUPMODE=5, there is no save-file. What I have done now is implement a mechanism for a hard-reboot in this state to cause the Xorg Wizard to run at next bootup.

The mechanism writes a file, named 'pupdesk.flg' to a partition, which is then removed once a desktop is successful. Failing that, a hard-reboot means that 'pupdesk.flg' is discovered to pre-exist at the reboot, and the Xorg Wizard is forced to run, instead of automatically going direct to the desktop.

There are two Woof commits. The top one is the latest, fixes a problem with the first:
http://bkhome.org/fossil/woof2.cgi/info/c2e3a7e728
http://bkhome.org/fossil/woof2.cgi/info/42692b1836

On my "black tower" with Pentium 4 and SiS video, this new mechanism works great. At very first bootup, with automatic operation straight to the desktop, I get a mouse cursor on a black screen, and hung.
I then press the PC's reset button, and next bootup, I get the Wizard, and I then choose the Xorg 'vesa' driver, and I then have a working desktop.

---

Comments

Xorg mods


create a file in boot folder
Username: don570
" In situations where there is a pupsave file and the user experiences a power outage while saving a file, the pupsave file should be checked and fixed during the next reboot. Is that always done by puppy? If it isn't then I suggest a dummy file be stored in the boot folder at startup (and deleted during a clean shutdown) If the dummy file is found during the next bootup then this indicates a bad shutdown and 'fsck' is automatically done.

Re Xorg Wizard forced
Username: BarryK
"sage, For full-HD installation, a hard-reboot should cause the Wizard to run. don570, Yes, it is. That mechanism has been in place for quite a while. I have modified the kernel help screen, to display info about hard-reboot to force Xorg Wizard to run. Woof commit: http://bkhome.org/fossil/woof2.cgi/info/5d3b77f136

Tags: woof