System Crashed: Save Your Files With Puppy Linux

So, what can you do, when Linpus Linux crashed and you cannot reach your important files?
If you did a whole system backup, then you are on the lucky side, but what, if you didn't?
I found a way to save single files without restoring the whole system.
(Try it at your own risk)

Step-by-Step:


What you need:

- other Windows XP-PC or Notebook (it can also be Linux PC, if you can handle)

- USB Stick (with the size you need for backup, minimum 128MB, fat32 formatted) or
SD Card with external Cardreader (also with the size you need for the backup. minimum 128MB, fat32 formatted, but not every card reader will function, mine did)

- Program Unetbootin
- Puppy Linux




1) Downloads: ( 1- 10 mins. depending on download speed)

-> So, first of all download Puppy Linux from http://www.puppylinux.org/
I downloaded it onto my second Notebook with Windows XP.
The latest version was puppy 4.2

-> Then go to http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/
You need that program to make your USB-Stick with Puppy Linux bootable.
So, there is also a Linux version of Unetbootin, if your second PC/Notebook has Linux System.



2) make USB/ SD Card with puppy linux bootable: (1-3 minutes)

-> When both downloads finished plug in your USB-Stick or SD Card with an external CardReader into an USB-Port on your second PC/Notebook and open unetbootin.exe. (I did this all under a Windows system, so there also must be a way to do it under Linux)

-> When the unetbootin menu appears select "Disk Image" "ISO" and show the path where puppy linux.iso file is saved.

-> At the bottom select "USB Drive". Then you also have to select the correct drive (where the USB-Stick/ SD Card is in).

-> Then press OK and wait till process is finished. Unetbootin will copy Puppy Linux on the USB-Stick or SD Card.
After that the program will ask you to reboot or exit. Choose exit.
Now your Usb Stick or SD Card ist ready.




3) Booting on Aspire One from USB Stick / SD Card and Backup (10-20 mins.)

(Aspire One has to be shutted down before.)
-> Plug in your USB-STick / SD Card with external Cardreader into the left USB Port of the Aspire One.
-> Press Power button to start the system.
-> When acer Boot-Menu appears, press the F12 Button.
-> In the Boot device Menu select your USB-Stick or the SD Card from the appropriate drive.
-> The next screen asks you to load default or puppy. Select default.
-> Then the program will load kernel, drivers and other misc. things. wait
-> A Windows will appear asking you that it has found a ps/2 mouse and you should agree with that or select a mouse type.
I selected usb, because i also have an external mouse, which i use. select with arrow keys and press enter.
-> Now a window will appear asking you to select the keyboard layout. select your keyboard layout with the arrow keys.
-> The next window will ask you which graphic mode you want. I selected Xorg, because it has more options. select and press enter.
-> The next window will let you choose between 1024x600x16 and 1024x600x24. Select 1024x600x16 and press Enter.
-> After 5-10 seconds the puppy linux desktop will appear.
-> On the left bottom side you will find the icons for the aspire ones ssd, which is named sda1, and the icon for the usb-stick, which is named sdd. Their names can vary on other systems.
-> Now the problem is that if you want to click and open the sda1, puppy linux will show you to mount it, but when you choose to mount it will show an error message. So we have to mount it via console. The console program is near the above bottom.
Just click once on it, a black window will appear with # at the beginning. Now type this:

mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/sda1 and press Enter. sda1 stands for the name for the ssd of the AAO,
change it, if its name is different

-> After that a small green ball will appear on the sda1 icon and this means that you can read and write on that drive.
-> Now also click on the USB-Stick Icon (sdd). There will also appear a small green ball on the icon and window with the files in your USB-Stick /SD Card will appear. Let it open but make its screen size a bit smaller.
-> Ok, now click on the sda1 icon. A window will show you all the files in it. You can now find your important files that you want to save on the USB-Stick /SD Card. The path -> Home -> User will be usefull, because the Documents, Pictures, Music, Video and Downloads folders are there. When you found your files select them.

Now there are two ways to copy your important files onto the USB-Stick /SD Card:
-1 You can click right mouse button on the selected files. A menu will appear and you can click copy and have to write the correct path where you want the files to be saved.
-2 but the second method ist easier: only select the file and move it into the sdd-window. when you release the mouse button, a small menu will appear with command copy, move. just select copy. that's it. your file is saved.

-> Be aware that you now also can search for corrupted files on the ssd of the AAO. You can also change them, when you know what to do. My intention only was to show a way to save your important files.

-> When you finished saving your files, don't forget to unmount the sda1 drive. Just click with the right mouse button on the icon and select "Unmount sda1 (if currently mounted)"

-> So, we have finished. now click on Menu-> Shutdown-> Shutdown
-> A last window will ask you if it should save the changes to a specific file. i selected NO. Press Enter.
It will say Session not saved and close.

So now you can plug your USB Stick / Sd Card in to another PC/ Notebook and save your files on the hard disk or whatever.
I hope this method will help you.

 

Thanks for a very detailed descriptions. I was able to create the USB stick and it is loading fine however, hanging before finish. 9 steps was completed fine (done) last two Loading kernel modules (done) Loading swap partition /dev/da2 (done) then hanging with the message Waiting for modules to complete loading.... I am not just impatient have waited for more that half an hour.
Please advice possible steps.