This thread describes how to install a complete Operating System (FatDog), nVidia drivers and GPUGRID on to a 1GB or larger USB memory stick (or if you prefer FatDog-64 can run completely in RAM so you don't even really need a stick). The procedure is much easier than you might think.

Advantages:

Saves the cost of a hard drive.
Saves the cost of an operating system.
Saves the energy to run a hard drive.
Allows you to try Linux/Puppy/FatDog with no commitment what so ever.
It is fast, easy and fun.

FatDog64 is a complete 64 bit operating system that is under 200MB. Being so small it can run completely in RAM which makes it very fast. Best of all it is completely free.

Why not give it a go? No commitment is required. Nothing needs to be installed to your hard drive, in fact once you make a bootable disk you could unplug your hard drive and the system would still run just perfect.

FatDog64 running BOINC/GPUGRID: http://yfrog.com/7gfatdog64boinchardinfop

Summery of the process:

Download and burn the FatDog64 ISO to a CD or DVD.
Boot from the optical disk then download nVidia drivers and BOINC.
Set up the drivers first and then run BOINC.
The whole thing will be running completely in RAM at this point.
(Optional) Install the OS to a stick and save your settings.






Steps in more detail:

Note: An nVidia GPU is required to run GPUGRID. 1GB of RAM or more should be available as well.

1) Download the FatDog64 iso from: http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/fatdog/iso/

2) Burn iso file to a CD (as an iso disk image, not as data)*

3) If your computer is not set to boot from CD select "boot from CD" in BIOS or boot menu (at f2 or f12 typically).

4) Boot from the FatDog64 CD (you can unplug your hard drive if you are worried about it, FatDog64 will not be needing it)

Note: FatDog64 should come to a GUI screen automatically. If you are left at a command prompt with no GUI see **

5) Set up networking by left clicking "Net-Wizard" and follow the directions.

6) Open an internet browser by left clicking "Firefox".

7) At the default home page single left click "click here for pet packages". Single left click the folder "500".

or follow this link: http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/fatdog/pets/500/


UPDATE

A new pet package is available with the new nVidia 256 series driver.

8) Download the nvidia driver pet by right clicking on nvidia-195.36.15-amd64.pet (or if you prefer nvidia-256.3-amd64.pet) and then left clicking on "Save Link As" and then clicking on "Save" . Pay attention to where it puts the file (defaults to "Downloads").***


9) On your local computer go to "nvidia-195.36.15-amd64.pet" (or to the version you downloaded) which should most likely in the "Downloads" folder on the desktop and left click it. It will install automatically.

10) Restart X server (just the GUI, not the whole OS) by left clicking on the icon in the lower left of the screen and then left clicking "Restart X server".

11) Use Firefox to download BOINC for 64 bit Linux from the BOINC download site. The BOINC site should auto detect the correct version automatically (currently "6.10.56 for Linux x64 (4.57 MB)"). Pay attention to where it puts the file.
http://boinc.berkeley.edu/download.php


12) Right click on the BOINC file, go to properties and make the file executable by putting check marks in the "exec" boxes (left click in the box to make a check mark).

13) Left click on the .sh file, BOINC installs itself.

14) In the same folder you found the original install file there should now be a new folder named BOINC. Open the folder by left clicking and left click on "boincmgr".

That is it. The rest should be familiar to BOINC users (set up BOINC preferences and attach to GPUGRID). If you stop at this point the whole thing will run perfectly fine in RAM. Only thing is if power goes out everything is completely gone and you will need to start over. Installing to a USB memory stick will make your install more durable in the event of a power outage or reboot.




Instructions for installing FatDog64 to USB stick:

(Thank you TG)

15) Go to the "setup" menu , select "Puppy universal installer"

16) Select "USB Flash drive" and hit "OK"

17) Follow the instructions. Note GParted is similar to "Partition Magic". Make sure the bootable flag is set with Gparted.

18) Shutdown the system (all the way down this time).

19) You will be asked if you want to create a permanent storage. Answer yes.

20) Remove the CD, reboot.(make sure your bios/boot menu is set to boot from USB) Your USB stick will now remember settings between restarts. Redo steps 4a- if necessary.

*
If you don't have an ISO burner check out:

http://www.imgburn.com/ or

http://www.ntfs.com/iso-burning.htm

**
(Thank you Toni)
4a. You will be left at the console. Enter the command "mp"
4b. An editor appears. Type ctrl-o and, when requested a file, enter /etc/X11/xorg.conf (respect capitals)
4c. In the "Device" section, add the following line
Driver "vesa"
4d. Save and exit (ctrl-q)
4e. Type "startx".
4f. This should put you on a low-res GUI from which you can resume with the following steps. After you install the proprietary nvidia drivers, the resolution will be fine.

***
These files may change names as they are updated. If you can't find the exact file look for a similar file name.

I saw Dotch a few weeks ago and though it looked interesting but never got around to checking it out.

Puppy Linux has been a favorite of mine for years now so it was natural to attempt to get Puppy working with BOINC/GPUGRID.

When my good friend BikerMatt sent me a 6 core CPU I built a system around the 1055T right away. I didn't have an empty spare hard drive laying around so I tried the normal 32 bit version of Puppy Linux which requires no hard drive. 32 bit Puppy worked for BOINC and Rosetta but it had several limitations:

1) The 32 bit version could not see all the system memory.
2) The 32 bit version was evidently compiled to use a max of 4 cores and the 1055T has 6 cores.
3) The 32 bit version could not run GPUGRID.

After some searching I found FatDog64 and I was very excited because FatDog had the potential to overcome all of the 32 bit version's deficiencies. When I saw that the nVidia driver was available as an easy to install "PET" package I knew I had to give it a try. I was thrilled to discover that FatDog64 did not have any of the 32 bit version's deficiencies.

I'm about to check out Dotch. At this point I'm wondering why Dotch needs to be roughly 3 times the size of FatDog?

BTW I'm not responsible for FatDog, I'm just the guy who got FatDog working with GPUGRID (which is easy/nothing). Kirk is the genius who took Barry's already awesome Puppy software and got it working on a 64 bit kernel.

Evidently the nVidia driver in the "PET" is a bit dated. It works fine with my GT240 but not with Fermi cards. Looks like I'm missing step 4f:

(thanks to skgiven for pointing out the omission)

4f) This should put you on a low-res GUI from which you can resume with the following steps. After you install the proprietary nvidia drivers, the resolution will be fine.

At this point I don't actually know how to install newer drivers than are contained in the PET so I'll need some help with this one. I'm more of a Puppy Linux fan than a Puppy Linux expert.

PET packages have me spoiled since they install with one easy click...

Uhm.. we can't edit it, either :( How strange!

I took the liberty to edit your post, but please PM me at your convenience so we can try to debug the unable-to-edit condition. I prefer not to start a new thread so the links pointing here will stay valid.

Update:

"PuppyPC" is now a completely different computer. The old system was an AMD 4000+ with a single GT240. The new system is diskless and is running an AMD Athlon(tm) II X2 250 (3.0GHz dual core) CPU and twin XFX GT240 video cards (thanks to BikerMatt for some of the hardware).

FatDog64 had no trouble at all with the dual video card setup.

One thing did give me a bit of a headache, the AZIO AWU354 wireless USB network adapter is evidently not directly supported. The AZIO AWU354's chipset is the Ralink RT2070. After a few failed attempts to get it working I gave up and installed a wireless PCI card and all is well.

Not sure why but it really gives me a thrill to see the system running so well with no hard drive...

We mirrored the ISO here http://www.gpugrid.net/pub/Fatdog64-500.iso

Hi bigtuna,

I've been curious, but also hesitant. My PC's are very picky, after very many failed WU's while experimenting with Mint 8 Gnome/Kde, Ubuntu 10.04 Gnome/Kde/Xfce, Mint 9. I went back to Mint 8 Gnome & Kde.

Since Fatdog is still rc3, I didn't dare. Would there be any point in starting with Puppy 5, & follow the steps for Puppy 4 upgrade to Fatdog: http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=28068

Only problem is, I don't know if there is a fatdog-5.sfs needed to upgrade. Would doing this, if possible, be more bloated, but stable?

Since Fatdog is still rc3, I didn't dare.

For WCG (which only have x86 apps) you need to create a cc_config.xml file in the Boinc directory, open it as a text file and save it after adding the following lines,

<cc_config>
<options>
<alt_platform>i686-pc-linux-gnu</alt_platform>
</options>
</cc_config>

I should have also said you need to exit Boinc and then open it up again (leave it a few seconds in between).
It's fine, you won't lose all the tasks - they are in RAM.

We had a power outage which killed my RAM only machine. Normally it only takes a few minutes to boot, load the driver, install Boinc and get up and running again.

I took the power outage as an opportunity to try out FatDog 64 final (I was running rc3) and the new 256 series drivers (I was running the older 195 series drivers)and I couldn't get it to work. Curiously reverting back to rc3 and the 195 series drivers did the trick and the computer started like normal??

Anyhow for some reason the newer stuff does not install the same way and when you restart x (after loading the driver) it never comes back, not even with the xorgwizard command.

Any help would be appreciated.

TIA