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====Frugal or Full Installation====

This page explains the differences between [[InstallationFrugal Frugal]] and [[InstallationFullHDD Full]] installation.

==Full Installation==
In a **Full installation** the linux directory structure takes up a whole [[WikiPedia:Disk_partitioning drive partition]]. The contents from Puppy Linux's BaseSFS are extracted to the linux directory structure. All subsequent software installations, file edits and additions are made directly to the partition's file system. The directory structure is stored as it appears in the [[FileManagers file manager]] or listed by a [[TerminalEmulator terminal emulator]].


==Frugal Installation==
A frugal installation involves using compressed 'filesystem-within-a-file/s' without expanding them. These files are,

When first run:
~- the Puppy Linux loads the [[BaseSFS]] (also known as ""PupSfs"") a [[SquashFS Sfs file]] containing Linux file system and directory structure ([[RootFS]]) (read only) eg. lupu_528.sfs

Additional files:
~- the Puppy [[SaveFile 'save file']] containing settings, additional software, modifications etc. (read/write) eg. lupusave-mysave.2fs
~- additional software [[SquashFS Sfs files]] (read only) eg. Gimp_2.7.3_528.sfs


On start-up these file-systems are super-imposed upon each other so that they appear merged. Additional files and alterations are written to the Puppy Save File (if within the Linux directory structure). The directory structure viewed in a [[FileManagers file manager]] or listed by a [[TerminalEmulater terminal emulator]] is actually **contained within** these compressed files.
For more information see [[http://puppylinux.com/development/howpuppyworks.html How Puppy works]].


==Comparsion==

|=||=|Full|=|Frugal (not in RAM)|=|Frugal (copied to RAM)|=|
|=|Drive partition required||Yes||No||No||
|=|Installation directory || Requires a drive [[WikiPedia:Disk_partitioning partition]]|| Almost any directory || Almost any directory ||
|=|Speed || Medium||Likely to be slower|| Faster||
|=|Installation file system || Linux Type ||FAT, NTFS, Linux Type || FAT, NTFS, Linux Type ||
|=|Installation Protection ||[[RootFS]] writable with root user access||BaseSfs Read only ||BaseSfs Read only||
|=|[[SaveFile Pup SaveFile]] || No, directly accesses [[RootFS]] || Yes, saved directly to disk|| Yes, in RAM (saved to disk on request/reboot)||
|=|Load/Unload [[SquashFS SFS]] files||Harder||Easy ||Easy||


==Also see==
[[HowtoAddSFStoFullInstall How to Add SFS to Full Installation]]

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==Categories==
CategoryInstallation