Remastering Puppy 2.01: .xinitrc file won't change

[jim232777]

I'm trying to remaster 2.01 after adding XFCE. (this is my only addition.) Xfce requires a small change to the .xinitrc file in /root.

The script seems to go OK, and when I get to the part where it offers to let me change the contents of /tmp/root, I correct the .xinitrc file. However, when I finish the process, the CD that gets burned has the *original* file instead of the *modified* file that I saved to /tmp/root.

Everything else seems to be fine. If I boot the new CD, all I have to do is change the .xinitrc for things to work.

Any ideas?

Jim

[Dougal]

Did you change the xinitrc file that's inside the newly created sfs image?
It asks you after it creates the image with a pristine xinitrc.

If so it's strange, but I can tell you that Barry has added xinitrc to the files that get copied from your setup to the new image, so from 2.0.2 there won't be such a problem.

You can change it manually by opening up /usr/sbin/remasterpup2, then searching for part called "/etc section" (preceded by a lot of #'s, so just do a search for "######" or something). Then add a line sopying /root/.xinitrc to the list and you're done!

[jim232777]

AAAAAARGH!

Did you change the xinitrc file that's inside the newly created sfs image?
It asks you after it creates the image with a pristine xinitrc.

yep. sure did. changed /tmp/root/.xinitrc when it gave the message.

If so it's strange, but I can tell you that Barry has added xinitrc to the files that get copied from your setup to the new image, so from 2.0.2 there won't be such a problem.

You can change it manually by opening up /usr/sbin/remasterpup2, then searching for part called "/etc section" (preceded by a lot of #'s, so just do a search for "######" or something). Then add a line sopying /root/.xinitrc to the list and you're done!

OK. This time I edited remasterpup2, doing something like this.

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#######START WORKING ON /root#######
rm -rf /tmp/root 2> /dev/null
#do some work on /root before add it to the squashfs...
cp -a /initrd/pup_ro2/root /tmp/root #pristine /root
#copy all of my-applications/
cp -af /root/my-applications/* /tmp/root/my-applications/
#some dotpups get installed here...
cp -af /root/my-roxapps /tmp/root/
#window manager config files...
cp -af /root/.jwmrc /tmp/root/
cp -af /root/.fvwm95rc /tmp/root/
cp -af /root/.icewm/menu /tmp/root/.icewm/
cp -af /root/.xinitrc /tmp/root/.xinitrc                                                          <<<<<<<<<<<<<  this is the edit
#rox desktop settings...
cp -af /root/Choices/ROX-Filer/PuppyPin /tmp/root/Choices/ROX-Filer/
cp -af /root/Choices/ROX-Filer/globicons /tmp/root/Choices/ROX-Filer/

But again, after creating the image, burning a CD, and rebooting, my changes are gone. Where are they?!? Is there someplace that (again) creates the .xinitrc? I'm at my wit's end!

.

[Dougal]

But again, after creating the image, burning a CD, and rebooting, my changes are gone. Where are they?!? Is there someplace that (again) creates the .xinitrc? I'm at my wit's end!.

Sorry, as far as I can see all should work well... I don't think .xinitrc gets recreated anywhere.

Something else you could do is, at the end, just before the cd is burned, go to /mnt/partition-you-chose/the-building-directory/root/ and change xinitrc in there...

[sccat]

The simpliest remaster method is not simple enough.

[jim232777]

Something else you could do is, at the end, just before the cd is burned, go to /mnt/partition-you-chose/the-building-directory/root/ and change xinitrc in there...

Well, it actually wasn't that simple, as by that point, it's all wrapped up in the squash file. I had to mount the pup_201.sfs, copy it to a directory, edit the appropriate places, create another pup_201.sfs, then put THAT back into the directory. The CD booted up into XFCE, with the correct .xinitrc

Shouldn't have to do it that way, but it worked. Barry or whoever maintains the remaster script may need to look at this . . .

thanks for the help,
Jim

[sccat]

How TO

"mount the pup_201.sfs, copy it to a directory, edit the appropriate places, create another pup_201.sfs"

Thanks.

[Dougal]

How TO

"mount the pup_201.sfs, copy it to a directory, edit the appropriate places, create another pup_201.sfs"

Thanks.

I actually didn't understand what he meant by "copy it to a directory", all you need to do is mount pup_201.sfs:

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mount -o loop /mnt/where-it-is/pup_201.sfs /mnt/data

(/mnt/data is arbitrary, you can choose some other mountpoint in /mnt)

Then you go into it and edit the .xinitrc file and then unmount:

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umount /mnt/data

[sccat]

Thanks.

[BarryK]

jim232777,
When you modified remasterpup2 to copy .xinitrc, that's fine, but something
might be going wrong with the squashfs merge.
A bit later in the script, mksquashfs is executed, with the commandline option to merge the /tmp/root/ into the already existing squashfs file.
But, is there already the old .xinitrc in the squashfs file?
...I don't know, I'm just trying to guess what could have gone wrong.

[jim232777]

I actually didn't understand what he meant by "copy it to a directory", all you need to do is mount pup_201.sfs:

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mount -o loop /mnt/where-it-is/pup_201.sfs /mnt/data

(/mnt/data is arbitrary, you can choose some other mountpoint in /mnt)

Then you go into it and edit the .xinitrc file and then unmount:

Code: Select all

umount /mnt/data

OOPS! As a result of (a) getting obsessed with the copying issue and (b) trying to do too many things at once, my brain slipped out of gear on the fact that the squash file system is read/write. I was thinking "read only" like mounting an CD iso image. That's why I copied everything to a new directory and later re-created a new squashfs. You are, of course right.

something might be going wrong with the squashfs merge. . . . But, is there already the old .xinitrc in the squashfs file?
...I don't know, I'm just trying to guess what could have gone wrong.

Yeah, I was mulling that over. Just brainstorming here, but the squashfs merge might have problems and/or there might be a problem with unionfs and multiple copies of .xinitrc. Problem is, I'm just not very familiar with either of these systems, so I'm guessing.

Also, I wonder if the fact that we're talking about a 'hidden' file means anything. I think I discovered a similar problem with the .jwmrc (filename right? I'm at work right now . . .) file. After updating the menus to Puppy2 in my original XFCE installation, I ended up with Puppy 1.09 menus again in my remaster. I'm going to have to go back and pay particular attention to see if it's a bug, or if I just overlooked something.

[Dougal]

OOPS! As a result of (a) getting obsessed with the copying issue and (b) trying to do too many things at once, my brain slipped out of gear on the fact that the squash file system is read/write. I was thinking "read only" like mounting an CD iso image. That's why I copied everything to a new directory and later re-created a new squashfs. You are, of course right.

Ha! I caught my head yesterday thinking exactly the opposite: that I might have made a mistake and it's read-only...

One little thing that I thought might have caused the trouble (in some really strange way) is the way you had .xinitrc copied:

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cp -af /root/.xinitrc /tmp/root/.xinitrc

Maybe you should change it to how Barry did the other files:

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cp -af /root/.xinitrc /tmp/root/

I know your way works, but you never know...