XenailDog 64 persistence question

[bookman761]

Hello,
I am a noob, so please excuse my ignorance.
I am trying to get my USB to be persistent using XenialDog 64. I have been successful with puppy linux but XenialDog operates differently.

I have made the changes.dat file but how do I make sure it is loaded when I reboot?

Also which choice do I make in the list of choices when booting?

Thank you for your help.
Frank

[backi]

Is your Xenial Dog casper Folder located on / root or in a SubFolder ?
Are you using Grub4Dos as Bootloader?

Here is one Example for Boot menu.lst Entry when doing a "Porteus" Boot and using Grub4Dos .
Save is on Demand ......or asked to Save or not to Save at Shutdown .

title XenialDog porteus-boot save on EXIT in /casper/changes.dat file (sda1)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /casper/vmlinuz noauto from=/ changes=EXIT:/casper/changes.dat
initrd /casper/initrd1.xz

But i would you advice you better use changes Folder than changes File (changes.dat)
Further Boot Methods can be found here .
Boot Methods :
https://github.com/DebianDog/xenialdog/wiki

[fredx181]

Hello,
I am a noob, so please excuse my ignorance.
I am trying to get my USB to be persistent using XenialDog 64. I have been successful with puppy linux but XenialDog operates differently.

I have made the changes.dat file but how do I make sure it is loaded when I reboot?

Also which choice do I make in the list of choices when booting?

Thank you for your help.
Frank

Hi Frank,

Probably most will prefer the "porteus-boot" boot method.
Can you please provide some more info, e.g. which bootloader you use, grub4dos, syslinux or..
Also have a look at XenialDog Wiki Porteus-boot
The examples there are for grub4dos or grub-legacy

Fred

[bookman761]

Im not using a Grub menu. I simply want to carry my OS on my USB stick (sdb1). Save my changes (on sbd1) so they persist after I shutdown.
If I need to go back , I simply boot from USB and I carry on where I was previously.

I think this would be a porteus-boot.
What are the steps to have it persist between my sessions?
Thanks,
Frank

[backi]

(I hope you know how to do this )
1.Format your Usb-Stick with Gparted to ext4 .....flag it as bootable .
2.Extract (from outside of the Usb-Stck) the Xenial Dog iso .
3.Copy from extracted Iso casper Folder to Usb-Stick .
4.Run Grub4Dos for your Usb-Stick
5. For creating a changes FOLDER automatically
Make your first menu.lst Entry look like this :



title XenialDog porteus-boot save on EXIT in /casper/changes file (sda1)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /casper/vmlinuz noauto from=/ changes=EXIT:/casper/changes
initrd /casper/initrd1.xz

When using changes.dat FILE
menu.lst should look like this:

title XenialDog porteus-boot save on EXIT in /casper/changes.dat file (sda1)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /casper/vmlinuz noauto from=/ changes=EXIT:/casper/changes.dat
initrd /casper/initrd1.xz

Both Methods do save on Demand .
Boot from your Usb-Stick.

[mikeslr]

Actually, if you know how to format a USB-Key, a better partition setup is to make the first partition Fat32 and the 2nd partition Ext3. The first partition can be small. It will only hold your bootloader and, if you want, some space to copy files you may want to later copy to a Windows system. The second partition will hold your XenialDog's files, including its 'casper' folder and the files and folders within it such as vmlinuz and initrd.gz and 'changes'.

Obviously, the bootloader's menu will contain the arguments for recognizing that your XenialDog64 is on the 2nd partition.

FYI, '.dat' is a compressed file with a fixed size. It is formatted as Linux. On a Linux formatted partition, a folder holding 'casper' and within 'casper' the 'changes' folder are not compressed and can expand to the full extent of the available space on your USB-Key.

Windows systems can't read Linux formatted partitions unless you install a program to do so. If you don't (a) you won't be able to transfer files and (b) Windows will always ask to format the USB-Stick. If the first partition of a USB-Key is formatted Linux, Windows won't see a 2nd or later partition formatted as Fat32 or ntfs.

As Linux runs without anti-malware, I don't want Windows to access anything other than datafiles and compressed setup files obtained from reliable sources.

mikesLr

[fredx181]

To add to above, see here mikeslr's post which explains how to do it all manually:
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... 077#950077

Fred

[bookman761]

Thank you .
Your help is much appreciated.
Frank

[mikeslr]

Hi bookman761, Hi Fred,

bookman761, at least for now ignore my suggestion of creating a USB-Key with a 2nd Partition formatted as Linux.

I've always created my 'Dog' installs either on an existing hard-drive partition or on a USB-Key that was formatted while running a Puppy. After posting, I realized that I had never tried to create one on a USB-Key running a DebianDog or a XenialDog. Figured I should before continuing to make that suggestion.

Under Puppies I do the following: (1) use gparted to format the USB-Key with 2 or more partitions. (2) Create a folder on the partition from which I want the Dog to run. (3) [Download, if necessary, then] Mount(=open) the 'Dog's' ISO to expose its contents. (4) Copy the exposed 'live' or 'casper' folder to the aforementioned folder. (5) Run grub4dos to create its bootloader and menu.lst on the USB-Key. And (6) as grub4dos does not automatically recognize a 'Dog' as an operating system creating a listing for it, edit grub4dos' menu.lst to add it.

Edited for reason explained in next posts

So I booted into [ignore this word Xenialpup64] Xenialdog64, plugged in a spare USB-Key I could work with, found gparted on Menu>System, ran it, mounted an ISO, copied its casper folder to the Key, and ran into a wall.

Grub4dos is neither installed nor available via synaptic or apt-get. As far as I know, a Linux package is only available from here: https://code.google.com/archive/p/grub4 ... /downloads. It’s downloadable in the form of a file compressed using 7zip. Xenialpup64’s Archiver could not decompress it. AFAIK, an application which can decompress 7zip files isn’t available under any ‘Dog’. Decompressing it under Puppy using UExtract created a folder whose contents are shown in the attached screenshot. I don’t know what to do with them in order to create a bootable USB-Stick.

As an alternative to grub4dos, either grub or grub-legacy could be used. Both are available via synaptic. Synaptic, in facts, offers a slew of ‘grubs’. In practice, any other than grub-legacy would be a PITA requiring a lot of hoop-jumping to customize. I’m not sure what, if anything, beyond the grub-legacy package would need to be selected for installation/download. Nor, am I sure how it would function under one of the ‘Dogs’.

Have I missed something simple?

mikesLr

[backi]

Another Option :
Quite similar to Puppy Universal Installer run from a Puppy burnt to Cd/Dvd .

1.Burn Xenial Dog to a Cd/dvd .......
2.boot it from Cd/Dvd .....
3.look somewhere in Menu>System> XenialDog-Frugal- Install ...
It contains everything you need for a frugal Install to Usb-stick

4.start it
5.Select your Usb-Stick ( probably sdb1) .
6. format it to ext4 with Gparted ......
7.make Usb-Stick bootable (set Boot Flag)with Gparted

There is an Option you will be asked to select XenialDog.iso or select Directory XenialDog Folder ...choose XenialDog.iso .....i had somehow Problems when using XenialDog Folder.
8.Go to Folder where your XenialDog.iso is located stored somewhere on your HardDisk .

9. install to sdb1
10.install MBR.....(use Grub4Dos )
11.Modify menu.lst to your liking .

See my Examples above .

Boot with your Usb-Stick .

[fredx181]

Hi Mike,

I don't understand. Maybe I'm missing something.

Indeed as backi says, once booted from CD, you can use the XenialDog Installer, but what you are trying to do is to do the install from another OS ? (Xenialpup in your case).
But that you described already yourself in Mikeslr's excellent how-to for installing XenialDog manually

EDIT: maybe I see what's the misunderstanding:

So I booted into Xenialpup64

You mean Xenialdog64 maybe ?

Fred

[backi]

Hi Fred !
Frank wrote"

Hello,
I am a noob, so please excuse my ignorance.
I am trying to get my USB to be persistent using XenialDog 64. I have been successful with puppy linux but XenialDog operates differently.

I have made the changes.dat file but how do I make sure it is loaded when I reboot?

Also which choice do I make in the list of choices when booting?

Thank you for your help.

Did reread his first post again.
(B.T.W. i never use changes FILE ....I prefer changes FOLDER)

So it seems he already did manage to install Xenial DoG64 with changes.dat FILE to USB ......even could boot .......but is confused about which menu.lst Entry to boot with .

So Frank..... can you hear me ????........if my assumptions are correct....and you are booting Xenial Dog64 from Usb-Stick using a changes.dat File.
Did you copy your casper Folder on root /.......or in a (Sub) Folder ???

When casper FILE is on / root of Usb-Stick:

first menu.lst Entry should look like this ,to boot Xenial Dog64 with save.dat loaded :

title XenialDog porteus-boot save on EXIT in /casper/changes.dat file (sda1)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /casper/vmlinuz noauto from=/ changes=EXIT:/casper/changes.dat
initrd /casper/initrd1.xz

Boot from your Usb-Stick.

This Boot Methods do only save on Demand ....or when you will be asked " to save or not" at Shutdown .

If you copy your casper Folder in a (Sub)Folder with name (for example) XENIAL_DOG ....... first menu.lst Entry should look like this :

title XenialDog porteus-boot save on EXIT in /XENIAL_DOG/casper/changes.dat file (sda1)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /XENIAL_DOG/casper/vmlinuz noauto from=/XENIAL_DOG changes=EXIT:/XENIAL_DOG/casper/changes.dat
initrd /XENIAL_DOG/casper/initrd1.xz

Fred correct me if i am wrong .

[mikeslr]

Hi Fred, backi,

The scribner's error in my previous post obviously messed up communication.

I had typed "So I booted into Xenialpup64, plugged in a spare USB-Key I could work with, found gparted on Menu>System, ran it, mounted an ISO, copied its casper folder to the Key, and ran into a wall. "

But thought I typed "So I booted into Xenialdog64, plugged in a spare USB-Key I could work with, found gparted on Menu>System, ran it, mounted an ISO, copied its casper folder to the Key, and ran into a wall. "

The object of my experiment was to --only running Xenialdog64-- build a USB-Key with two partitions, a Fat32 1st partition holding the bootloader and a Linux Ext3 2nd partition on which Xenialdog64's casper folder would be located

backi, the problem with starting by burning an ISO to a CD/DVD is that most new computers don't include burners and I think that there's something disingenuous in telling a newby that in order to run a free operating system you have to spend money on hardware.

Fred, I forgot about the exploration of weeinst. And even after you pointed to the post I didn't take the time to read it carefully. Scanned it, then wondered why you suggested it, failing to make the connection that if it could be used under Peppermint Linux, it could also be used under XenialDog64.

Guess I was having one of the days.

mikesLr

[rcrsn51]

Here is an alternative.

Since XenialDog is a "casper"-based ISO, see the additional instructions.

[mikeslr]

Hi rcrsn51,

Excellent. Nice, clear instructions even a newby could follow, eliminating the need to resort of using a terminal. Should work great in Stretch. [And, really, I do have to spend some time exploring ISOBooter, at least sufficient to get its existence and potential to stick in my flaky memory].

The only problem under XenialDog64 is that grub4dosconfig is not in its repo.

My guess is that the grub4dosconfig now in the stretchdog repo would function under any DebianDog and 'Ubuntu'Dog.

Perhaps a suggestion from Puppy usage. Puppy has a "no arch" repo which every Puppy can access. As its name suggests, it consists of applications which should be able to run under any Puppy regardless of its architecture. I think the applications in that repo are mostly bash-scripts and perhaps those whose binaries and libraries bear names which would not to overwrite version specific binaries and libraries.

Perhaps establish a similar 'no arch' repo for DebianDogs. And some pets whose installation would modify the various Dogs to enable them to access it via synaptic or apt-get.

mikesLr

[fredx181]

Fred, I forgot about the exploration of weeinst. And even after you pointed to the post I didn't take the time to read it carefully. Scanned it, then wondered why you suggested it, failing to make the connection that if it could be used under Peppermint Linux, it could also be used under XenialDog64. Embarassed

Guess I was having one of the days. Sad

No problem Mike !

Btw, as backi mentioned already, there's also the installer, "XenialDog-Frugal-Install" from Menu > System
EDIT: ooops... repeating myself, said that already above.

Fred

[fredx181]

Added grub4dosconfig to Xenialdog repos, install with synaptic (Reload first) or from terminal:

Code: Select all

apt-get update
apt-get install grub4dosconfig

This will make step 1. possible from XenialDog for setting up USB with isobooter, see here:
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... 028#964028

Fred