New Remaster script Working!!

Under development: PCMCIA, wireless, etc.
Message
Author
stemsee

#31 Post by stemsee »

EDIT 11+ functions

EDIT 30 September 00:00
see first post
Last edited by stemsee on Sun 12 Oct 2014, 22:19, edited 5 times in total.

slavvo67
Posts: 1610
Joined: Sat 13 Oct 2012, 02:07
Location: The other Mr. 305

#32 Post by slavvo67 »

Hi Stemsee.

I was unclear which option to choose for my puppy so it ended up using the automatic default. It started doing its remaster when I noticed my memory was running dangerously low. I noticed the script was using root for all the remaster files. I don't recall if there was a directory option for workspace but if not, you might want to consider adding an option to choose a workspace other than root.

Best,

Slavvo67

stemsee

#33 Post by stemsee »

Slavvo67

Download the latest uploaded 26th evening,. There is more time to read the options. Default is now on /sda2. The version you have has an error which occurred after I added burn to cd/dvd and write to usb functions.

sfsdirect is fastest and gives options for ram (/tmp) or on device (sda/sdb etc)

slavvo67
Posts: 1610
Joined: Sat 13 Oct 2012, 02:07
Location: The other Mr. 305

#34 Post by slavvo67 »

Hi Stemsee:

I just wanted to report back that though backup was fast, it didn't seem to work quite right. The first time I booted, I had garbled lettering under the menu and icons. The next time, the lettering appeared ok, however my wireless usb card wasn't being read so no wlan0. I'll will do more testing but so far, it looks like the remaster needs some tweaking.

Best,

Slavvo67

P.S. - Using OV Precise Retro 5.8

stemsee

#35 Post by stemsee »

slavvo67

thanks for feedback!

sfs-direct-remaster works from the running system if you happen to use the system while it is remastering that could cause errors. Also
after remaster and before reboot did you remove the savefile? or change the grub kernel boot argument to pfix=ram (or copy, but not fsck)?? As the contents of the savefile should then be included in the remastered .sfs. Also before installing the latest package did you properly remove the previous package?

However, I have again improved the scripts and removed the third script UnReSync which is already a function of the other two scripts.

Now I am testing, it should be ready soon.

Jasper

#36 Post by Jasper »

Hi stemsee,

From the last item on page 2 of this thread, two days ago, you wrote:

Hi Jasper

So sfsdirect is slower or faster for you? You can edit the sfs and remove /boot/fd/efiboot.img that weighs 10mb by itself!!!

Dated savefile? please provide details so I can include it or the possibility to create it in the special functions section of the script.! I am also thinking about including kernel/modules/firmware upgrades from my personal repositories.

I have now finalised my own thoughts on a dated-save-folder
and I will post the details here, but first:

* re your opening words above - slower or faster than what - some 5 minutes?

* re your earlier words -
These would best be created by each distro's creator/maintainer (or anyone with know how and time to submit such a file to me for inclusion) with provision for likely-to-be-installed apps. Then the script would automatically select the appropriate exclusion file by matching the DISTRO_SPECS variables!
If you want to know what I might want to install tomorrow - ask me, not someone else - but then I have no idea. That's the way I read my emboldening of your words. However, I suspect you could remaster any FULL installation with infallible accuracy. - but to what advantage?

* I unload ALL my sfs files before I remaster (else they may as well be pets) - tinkering with your sfs (except to extract the sfsdirect and/or unattendedremaster files for separate use) is assuredly not the answer.

My regards

stemsee

#37 Post by stemsee »

Hi Jasper

Do not be taken by my rhetorical goading .... of course I know how fast it is! Relishing the fact!

" with provision" simply means consider where such apps store personal data and caches for the purpose of cleaning/adding folders/files to exclude list during remaster!

I have added cd-rw dvd-rw utilities, multisession cd/dvd creation! But I can't test it because I broke my usb dvd writer!

Still to do .... integrate kernel upgrades with modules as built-in or sfs.

Jasper

#38 Post by Jasper »

Hi stemsee,

Your reply had one helpful explanation, but I would appreciate your views on any possible advantage of remastering a full installation and my views on the deficiencies of your sfs.

Also, whilst I have no personal knowledge, I suspect the CD-R is currently significantly cheaper and more widely used than the CD-RW, though either type is easily burned.

Your multi-session-live-CD/DVD method works superbly, though not quite perfectly, for me as I had to make one adjustment (which I'll soon explain in detail).

I no longer have any frugal installations - so my concern is for others - as your sfs has, it seems, needed to be so large and so specific to deal with very few distros and perhaps particular versions thereof.

My regards

PS I favour, and use, the DVD+RW because I thought it faster than the DVD-RW and it requires no formatting prior to first use. On second thoughts, perhaps you had already catered for CD-R and DVD+RW.

stemsee

#39 Post by stemsee »

@Jasper I do not fully understand the reason for your question! The advantage of remastering a full installation is threefold.
1) It creates a compressed backup which can be transferred to some other device.
2) It creates a frugal installable sfs from a full install. (reverse of f2fs install)
3) It satisfies my curiosity.

Of course if you have never experienced the sheer speed of a full puppy install, and the convenience of removing packages permanently with zero whiteouts then you will miss this point of view.

EmSeeV2 was developed entirely as a full install and converted to an sfs, because when you delete things they can't come back and bite you on the bum (so to speak), as with frugal installs and savefiles.

slavvo67
Posts: 1610
Joined: Sat 13 Oct 2012, 02:07
Location: The other Mr. 305

#40 Post by slavvo67 »

Gentlemen:

Perhaps another opinion as to why remastering is important. I currently have 5 PC's in my house, though 4 are somewhat older. The one I type on now had the DVD writer burn out and there is no operating system that boots properly from the hard drive (I suppose I can change that). So, I basically have a PC with USB ports to boot from. One of my other computers has the opposite, a working DVD writer but an old Bios that does not allow booting from USB. The third, newer one, is solely for work and I need to keep Windows there for certain compatibility purposes. This one, as it's my work only computer, has everything working properly. The other two are for other family members, so I leave them alone.

So, for me, once I add all the packages that I want and the dependencies to make sure they work properly, the patches such as the recent BASH and Heartbleed fixes and my own bash script packages, I want to keep it and I want to use it on any computer in the house, regardless of the restrictions on each of them (boot from CD on one, USB from the other).

So a Remaster / Backup program that works somewhat quickly (so I'm not keeping the computer on half the night to get it done) with many options is worth its weight in gold. This may not be a program for everyone but for me, Stemsee gets my full applause! Keep on a rolling!

Cheers!

Slavvo67

Jasper

#41 Post by Jasper »

Hi stemsee,

Thanks for your partial and interesting response to my open questions.

I have been, and I remain, one of the most ardent supporters of your excellent project, which has improved my personal remaster time from some 37 minutes (using xz) to less than 5 minutes (using your gz compression). Your work has also prompted me to marginally improve the way I remaster my main sfs, make an iso and burn to a DVD or CD and retain a history of the results.

So my personal outcome is perfection, but it seems unarguable that amigo and others were right about the severest problems in creating a universal “one-click

stemsee

#42 Post by stemsee »

@slavvo67

I know where your coming from ...thanks for the support ... gold? nice ... how does one weigh a program? paypal will do!

@Jasper

(1) No
(2) It Depends on ram ... if not enough I believe it gets mounted on a loop in some miraculous fashion, which I am ignorant of. And decompresses on the fly per access.

Do what I do ...experiment with it.

slavvo67
Posts: 1610
Joined: Sat 13 Oct 2012, 02:07
Location: The other Mr. 305

#43 Post by slavvo67 »

Stemsee:

When things pick up for me, I'll gladly hit your Paypal!

Jasper:

As for investing money for a new DVD drive, it seems a waste to invest even a dollar in old technology to put into even older technology, though I would price a DVD / Blue-Ray closer to $50. The desktop PC is a dinosaur and anything with a disc is, as well. Blue Ray, DVD, CD, all old, wasteful and outdated. People don't watch DVD's anymore, they watch Roku. Everything is going up to the cloud. Companies don't even buy servers, anymore, they use Amazon or other cloud servers. It is my contention that Puppy will be a dinosaur, soon as well (if not already).


Best,

Slavvo67

stemsee

#44 Post by stemsee »

Here it is!

rc2 of StemSeeS-Remastering-Suite.sfs

see first post
Last edited by stemsee on Sun 12 Oct 2014, 22:20, edited 4 times in total.

Jasper

#45 Post by Jasper »

Hi all,

The sfs-direct-remaster part is probably still less than 50 lines of code (except it doesn't unload sfs files and it failed to deal correctly with StartMount from 01micko - workarounds fix both for me).

It takes just a single line of code (may look like two lines) to make an iso instantaneously from a folder with full data.

Burniso2cd (already included with Precise 5.6) will burn an iso to CD or DVD.

A Multi-session-live-CD/DVD (for saving changes back to a CD or DVD) usually needs, in my experience, only the "/etc/rc.d/BOOTCONFIG" path folders and file in a dated-save-folder.

Ted Dog, for the record, produced his excellent "ram2sfs" (with xz compression way more than a year ago).
-----------------------

In my view, it is indubitably a retrograde step to include the above 50 odd lines of code in an sfs of 5MB (12MB when expanded) which gets automatically built into a remaster, but then "handsome is as handsome does".

-----------------------
Here endeth my contribution - though I'll follow any worthwhile comments/reports with interest.

stemsee

#46 Post by stemsee »

"unload sfs files" ... that is part of 'the preparation process'. Before beginning remaster load/unload sfs files as required. Also delete internet connection profiles and passwords for screen-lock, websites, etc for a 'pristine' remaster, or leave them for a personalised remaster! BK's built-in remaster is 'best' for producing a pristine remaster, and attendance required. ..." it failed to deal correctly with StartMount from 01micko.." because 01micko's StartMount was not written with SFS-Remastering-Suite's requirements in mind! You could request 01micko to modify his script accordingly!

The other utilities are not needed but provide an all-in-one convenient app that over-reaches my original intention, and probably doesn't achieve the same level of results as the standalone utilities.

However, I can also supply a purely OVPrecise minimal remaster script if appropriately requested!

However, my scripts are just the way I hoped they would be! So I am not too bothered about falling short of an audience's diametrically opposed expectations. Suffice to say, you get what you pay for, satisfaction is neither guaranteed nor required.

stemsee

#47 Post by stemsee »

StemseeS-Remastering-Suite_1.7.pet
see first post
Last edited by stemsee on Sun 12 Oct 2014, 22:21, edited 1 time in total.

tlchost
Posts: 2057
Joined: Sun 05 Aug 2007, 23:26
Location: Baltimore, Maryland USA
Contact:

#48 Post by tlchost »

stemsee wrote: Suffice to say, you get what you pay for, satisfaction is neither guaranteed nor required.
You might want to add the lIne "Welcome to Lowered Expectations",
or, "I really don't care if it works for you or not"

User avatar
Puppus Dogfellow
Posts: 1667
Joined: Tue 08 Jan 2013, 01:39
Location: nyc

#49 Post by Puppus Dogfellow »

Jasper wrote: Guys - my first car, a 1937 Morris 8, cost £5, so I may well be well out of touch, but I'd be mildly surprised if £10 wouldn't cover a replacement DVD drive.
been thinking a lot about three wheeled cars since misreading this this morning, having taken "Morris 8" as "Morgan 8." not to derail or get off topic, but what sort of shape was it in when you got it, Jasper?

mirroring this, stemsee--looks interesting.

stemsee

#50 Post by stemsee »

@tlchost

You exaggerate my disposition! Or even misrepresent it. Better to say I wrote the program according to my knowledge, I don't KNOW about 01micko's startmount and I have never used a puppy multi-session cd/dvd, nor do I plan to, except to test a script.

I think that being considerate and patient is important. But self awareness first! "Happy are those aware of their own .... needs."

Post Reply