SaveFile or SaveFolder: PuppyLinux

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SaveFiles/ SaveFolder (also known as PupSave file/folder) are required for a InstallationFrugal Frugal Installation to save modifications to the operating system. The changes are either written written to RAM memory first then to file or folder, or written directly to file or folder. This method of running is sometimes referenced to as 'Live' in other distributions, where the option to make changes may or may not exist.

The changes are anything modifying, adding-to or removing-from the linux file structure (RootFS). This typically includes settings, installing new applications etc. It also includes anything saved in the ~ user directory (usually root).

Savefile

If using the savefile option it is created on the first run when rebooting/shuting down. The user specifies the size, name, filesystem type and location of the file. The savefile's size can be increased if necessary.

Savefolder

In 2014 a new method of storing changes to the RootFS was created. Instead of using a file of a fixed size a directory is used, thus it is a savefolder rather than savefile. This does away with having to resize the file or wasting disk space if less space is needed than predicted.

Saving outside the Savefile/folder

To save documents outside of Savefile/folder go to /mnt/. For example, /mnt/home is the root directory/folder of your primary drive (C: drive in Windows speak).

Saving documents outside of Savefile/folder makes them easy to access by other OSes and other Puppy iterations.

Layered Filesystem

Puppylinux when frugally installed uses a layered file system, for more information see How Puppy works.

Boot Up Behavior

Puppy's behavior on boot up depends whether any Savefiles/folders are found:

If none are found Puppy will load the BaseSFS without any modifications. In many versions this will prompt the user to configure Puppy, also on reboot/shutdown the user is asked whether to create a save.

If only one save is found it will load automatically. (If 'auto-load' is not wanted see HowToAvoidLoadingSaveFile how to avoid loading SaveFile)

If more than one is found the user is prompted to select via a text menu.

Note: the boot files on a multi-session disk work differently from those used for live disk and frugal installs. They look for and make save files differently, see SaveFileMultiSession Save file multi-session for more information.

Save to RAM

Changes written to RAM can be stored to the file or folder on request or periodically - otherwise they will be lost on shutdown or reboot.

Temporary Directory and Temporary

/tmp

This is the location where temporary files are stored. Do not put anything in here that needs to be kept. The savefile does not save the contents of this directory on reboot/ shutdown.

Programs sometimes creating temporary files in a directory in ~ /root. This is inside the Savefile/folder. This may be a problem with limited room available, especially in the case of the fixed sized savefile. To avoid this, where applicable, configurate the temporary folder location outside Savefile, ie. somewhere under /mnt. If the program does allow the location to set a symlink to the desired location can be used.