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Installation - Persistent Install - How

theblackpig - Sep 23, 2011 - 10:17 PM
Post subject: Persistent Install - How

What I want to do is to run the live CD and save any changes to a usb HD, I think this is called a persistent install.
How do I do it?
Step by step please as I'm a bit of an ignoramus

Kano - Sep 24, 2011 - 10:26 AM
Post subject: Persistent Install - How

Use a partition called live-rw or a loop file with that name on your hd and add:

persistent

as extra option when you boot.

theblackpig - Sep 24, 2011 - 12:04 PM
Post subject: RE: Persistent Install - How

OK , my partition is now live-rw.
How do I add "persisent" when I boot the live CD ?

Tejas - Sep 24, 2011 - 12:14 PM
Post subject: RE: Persistent Install - How

The way I do it for Grub 1, it might not work so for Grub 2, is that on start up you see a menu. [Select line you wish to boot from, if you have to] Press 'e' to edit. Get lines to edit. Select line beginning 'kernel' and press 'e' again. Then append 'persistent' to this line. Press 'Enter', then press 'b'. Good luck.

theblackpig - Sep 24, 2011 - 01:00 PM
Post subject: RE: Persistent Install - How

I'm afraid you are right it doesn't work for the latest version.
Is it possible to edit the live CD?

Tejas - Sep 24, 2011 - 01:52 PM
Post subject: RE: Persistent Install - How

I can see where you're getting Winken

Eventually you'll want to copy the live CD on to your USB hd, and boot from there? Will be much faster. I've done it for my own normal hd, and I just run the live DVD image.

theblackpig - Sep 24, 2011 - 02:11 PM
Post subject: RE: Persistent Install - How

First of all Tejas can I thank you for your help.
Perhaps I should have explained what I'm trying to do.
At the moment I run puppy linux as follows:-
I insert a usb stick to any computer, insert the live Cd, boot from the live CD and now anything I do when I exit the live Cd is saved on the USB stick.This gives me a truly portable os
This is what I want to do withKanotix

Tejas - Sep 24, 2011 - 02:35 PM
Post subject: RE: Persistent Install - How

The way I understand it is that every time you use your live CD you will have to append 'persistent' tto the boot menu line. I use DSL to print from my clapped out old m/c as my new m/c all USB, and on closing down have persistence option. So, in your case for a truly portable os you need to stick the DVD image (more comprehensive) on USB and boot from USB, thereby dispensing with the CD. Otherwise every time you boot up, you'll have to remember to edit the boot line and add persistent. I'm not sure if there's a way of changing the boot up file on the CD, but you can easily request the BIOS to boot from USB, and once you take that route you might as well dispense with the CD altogether.

TheOne - Sep 24, 2011 - 04:39 PM
Post subject: RE: Persistent Install - How

In Grub2 you enter the boot command editing with TAB key (maybe it looks a little bit strange if you begin to type, just continue and don't worry about).

Tejas is right, that with an live usb stick, you can save that option permanently. So you will not need to enter it everytime you boot.

Regards TheOne

Tejas - Sep 24, 2011 - 07:07 PM
Post subject: RE: Persistent Install - How

http://kanotix.com/PNphpBB2-viewtopic-t ... 111da.html Frage

theblackpig - Sep 24, 2011 - 08:24 PM
Post subject: RE: Persistent Install - How

The problem with a live usb stick is that many computers won't boot from usb and if I'm borrowing a friends computer I don't feel inclined to alter their BIOS , will try again to alter at boot.

Regards
BP
Tejas that link is no longer usable

BP

Tejas - Sep 24, 2011 - 10:46 PM
Post subject: Re: RE: Persistent Install - How

theblackpig wrote:

I don't feel inclined to alter their BIOS , will try again to alter at boot.

Don't need to alter BIOS, modern BIOS have an Fn function key you can press which allows selcting boot medium, which I discovered after losing my BIOS pw. (F2 I think)

theblackpig wrote:

Tejas that link is no longer usable

Seems to link alright, having just tried it.

acritox - Sep 25, 2011 - 01:26 AM
Post subject: Re: RE: Persistent Install - How

TheOne wrote:

In Grub2 you enter the boot command editing with TAB key

isolinux uses the TAB-key, not Grub2.
all official Kanotix-Images have isolinux as bootloader (in live mode)

what about Kano's persistent script?
http://kanotix.com/files/fix/create-sys ... sistent.sh

Code:

# wget -q http://kanotix.com/files/fix/create-syslinux-usb-drive-persistent.sh

# chmod +x create-syslinux-usb-drive-persistent.sh

# find /dev/sd? -group floppy

/dev/sdX

# ./create-syslinux-usb-drive-persistent.sh /path/to/kanotix.iso /dev/sdX

sdX = your USB stick - WARNING: everything on the stick will be deleted.

acritox

TheOne - Sep 25, 2011 - 02:50 AM
Post subject: Re: RE: Persistent Install - How

acritox wrote:

isolinux uses the TAB-key, not Grub2.
all official Kanotix-Images have isolinux as bootloader (in live mode)

Of course, sorry. But in his situation TAB is the correct key. Winken

theblackpig - Sep 25, 2011 - 11:16 AM
Post subject: Re: RE: Persistent Install - How

acritox wrote:

TheOne wrote:

In Grub2 you enter the boot command editing with TAB key

Code:

# wget -q http://kanotix.com/files/fix/create-syslinux-usb-drive-persistent.sh

# chmod +x create-syslinux-usb-drive-persistent.sh

# find /dev/sd? -group floppy

/dev/sdX

# ./create-syslinux-usb-drive-persistent.sh /path/to/kanotix.iso /dev/sdX

sdX = your USB stick - WARNING: everything on the stick will be deleted.

acritox

Hi acritox, doI just put those commands in line by line ? do I have to download that script as well?
Regards
BP

acritox - Sep 25, 2011 - 11:43 AM
Post subject: Re: RE: Persistent Install - How

open Konsole, get root-privileges by typing "su -" [enter] (it will prompt for your root-password), then run the commands prefixed with "#" line-by-line (without typing the "#")

the third command outputs a list of usb-devices you can use.
if it gives you multiple choices be careful and pick the right one for the fourth command (i.e. replace /dev/sdX with the desired one)

of course you have to replace "/path/to/kanotix.iso" with the actual path where the iso is located.

theblackpig - Sep 25, 2011 - 12:10 PM
Post subject: RE: Re: RE: Persistent Install - How

Thanks acritox, will give it a go and let you know how it goes Winken

Regards
BP

Tejas - Sep 25, 2011 - 01:52 PM
Post subject: Re: RE: Persistent Install - How

acritox wrote:

of course you have to replace "/path/to/kanotix.iso" with the actual path where the iso is located.

I'm a bit puzzled here. Does this imply a USB boot Frage

Kano - Sep 25, 2011 - 01:59 PM
Post subject: Re: RE: Persistent Install - How

My script cleans the usb drive (it has a security check that it does not work on usb hd) and creates 2 partitions. The first is fat32, only slightly bigger than the the iso size, the 2nd is ext4. The ext4 partition will be used as permanent overlay, of course thats slower as when the overly is in a ramdrive. As it downloads syslinux from the internet be sure you are connected to the net when you execute it. btw. it also works with similar images from u. the script without "persistent" in the name can even handle win v/7/8 images as well. basically the persitent script would work there too, the 2nd partition is just useless Winken

acritox - Sep 25, 2011 - 02:00 PM
Post subject: Re: RE: Persistent Install - How

Tejas wrote:

I'm a bit puzzled here. Does this imply a USB boot Frage

yes. This script will erase a USB stick, put the kanotix ISO onto it, make it bootable and modify it so that persistent is enabled and that changes will be written onto the stick.

The_Seeker - Sep 25, 2011 - 02:36 PM
Post subject: RE: Re: RE: Persistent Install - How

These Kanotix scripts are excellent.

theblackpig - Sep 25, 2011 - 07:53 PM
Post subject: RE: Re: RE: Persistent Install - How

Kano - Sep 25, 2011 - 08:28 PM
Post subject: RE: Re: RE: Persistent Install - How

find /dev -group floppy

theblackpig - Sep 25, 2011 - 11:32 PM
Post subject: RE: Re: RE: Persistent Install - How

OK, nearly there,
When I enter
./create-syslinux-usb-drive-persistent.sh /Home/Downloads/kanotix.iso /dev/sdb1
I get
Error: No removeable drive /dev/sdb1

acritox - Sep 25, 2011 - 11:36 PM
Post subject: RE: Re: RE: Persistent Install - How

nobody said you should add a partition number there...

./create-syslinux-usb-drive-persistent.sh /Home/Downloads/kanotix.iso /dev/sdb

theblackpig - Sep 26, 2011 - 11:37 AM
Post subject: RE: Re: RE: Persistent Install - How

OK , corrected it ,now get

Error: No removeable drive /dev/sdb

Tejas - Sep 26, 2011 - 12:48 PM
Post subject:

Try /dev/sda, /dev/sdc, etc.

Kano - Sep 26, 2011 - 01:21 PM
Post subject: RE: Re: RE: Persistent Install - How

It does NOT work when the drive is not marked as removeable like an usb HD. It is possible to remove the check, but then you should really know what you do. It is possible to do just a normal install onto an usb hd. Without installed binary 3d drivers you can boot it on other systems too. If you really want to ignore the removeable status check put a # in front of "exit 4". But be warned: now you can wipe out internal hds too...

wakarimasen - Jan 27, 2012 - 08:52 AM
Post subject: RE: Re: RE: Persistent Install - How

Should the line:
./create-syslinux-usb-drive-persistent.sh /Home/Downloads/kanotix.iso /dev/sdX

be:
./create-syslinux-usb-drive-persistent.sh /Home/Downloads/kanotix-2.6.38.iso /dev/sdX

Or whatever the iso file name that is actually on the PC?

Kano - Jan 27, 2012 - 10:10 AM
Post subject: RE: Re: RE: Persistent Install - How

Well the name of the iso and the device should be modified to the correct name. It should even work with u if needed.

wakarimasen - Jan 27, 2012 - 11:47 AM
Post subject: RE: Re: RE: Persistent Install - How

I've created (but not tested yet) a persitent install USB, from a system running with the live DVD. After a few 'no such file or folder' problems, I ended up using the following

# wget -q http://kanotix.com/files/fix/create-sys ... sistent.sh
# chmod +x create-syslinux-usb-drive-persistent.sh
# find /dev/sd? -group floppy
/dev/sdX
# ./create-syslinux-usb-drive-persistent.sh /home/kanotix/Downloads/kanotix-2.6.38.iso /dev/sdX

Fingers crossed.....