How to create persistent image on USB-Flash in 6.7.1?

Have just installed 6.7.1CD to USB-Flash. I got a list of error messages at the end, and don't know if they're of any significance:

cp: reading 'boot/isolinux/'loader.img': input/output error
cp: reading 'boot/isolinux/'grub.exe': input/output error
cp: reading 'boot/isolinux/'isolinux.bin': input/output error
cp: reading 'boot/isolinux/'linux': input/output error
cp: reading 'boot/isolinux/'linux64': input/output error
cp: reading 'boot/isolinux/'memdisk': input/output error
cp: reading 'boot/isolinux/'memtest': input/output error
cp: reading'KNOPPIX/KNOPPIX': input/output error

It's been some months since I tried to create a persistent image on USB-Flash, and I can't remember or find the info on how to do it. And I'm also wondering whether it's impossible because of those errors reported, the meaning of which is Greek to me.

Have just gone a couple more rounds with 6.7.1 flash-usb install, and things are just getting worse.

Instead of waiting for explanations of the above error messages, I decided to wipe the USB stick and try the installation a second time.

Problem #1. Gparted wouldn't show the USB stick in its device list, although I could see it with the filemanager.

Problem #2. when I tried reinstalling with the "use the whole disk" option, Knoppix chided me that the partition had to be in fat32 format (funny, it didn't mention it when I chose not to use the whole partition previously),

Problem #3 it then appeared to start to reformat the USB stick, but then abruptly declared it couldn't "find sdf1".

I removed the usb stick and mounted it on another system running Puppy Lupu 5.2.8, where it was perfectly readable and writable, and identified as (still formatted vfat). Gparted was unable to open it on that system as well.

Maybe if I can format it fat32 with Windows, Knoppix will be able to install to it?

After deleting the Knoppix files installed to the USBSTICK on my Puppy system, I moved it back to the machine running Knoppix, 6.7.1 and tried the USB-Flash installation again, using the option not to use the whole disk. It ended with exactly the same set of input/output errors as the first time. And Gparted remains unable to access the usbstick.

I booted into Windows to reformat the usb stick to fat32, but I couldn't get access to the disk. So I moved it over to Puppy again, deleted all of the Knoppix files once more, then took it back to Windows, where it finally mounted and let me format it fat32 (quick format).

I then ran the install to flash function again choosing the option not to use the whole disk.

Knoppix reported exactly the same input/output errors as the first time.

I then opened the install to flash window again, and noted that now the usb stick, which had been shown as having 1.9GB free before, was now shown as having 0MB available. I find this strange, since each of the three installations showed 99% complete before finishing, and the stick had only 480MB of files on it after that.

In any case, I tried the flash install again, this time choosing to use the entire disk.

It started with the message "formatting", stopped abruptly, and then reported:

Quote:

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/dev/sdb1: no such file or directory.

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I then decided to try installing again with the option not to use the entire disk, and once again I got the message:

Quote:

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/dev/sdb:

Flashdisk is not partitioned properly. The first (primary) partition must be DOS/FAT32

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So, I give up. It makes no sense to me.

My best guess is that there's not enough room on the usb stick, but the installation program's prompts and error messages certainly don't do anything to clarify the situation.

I installed 6.71 DVD on a 16GB sd memory card without any errors. The boot time is less than half as the compared with the boot from the DVD.
Everything seems to be working fine as far as I can see on a cursory try.
But I cannot find a way to make a persitent knoppix image that I can use at my next boot to load some of my special mods. All the references in the Internet are completely outdated and do not apply to this new version.
Does anyone know how to do this? Detailed insructions will be appreciated.
Thanks,
John

It used to be that when booting from usb-flash, a prompt to create a persistent image would appear briefly ("-3 seconds") during which you had to hit a key, or the opportunity passed, and the boot process continued. IIRC, you then entered the number of megabytes desired, minimum being "200".

See the thread
Creating Knoppix-data.img



from January 2011


Maybe the march of progress has dictated diminishing the window of opportunity even further? I'm still awaiting Klaus's explanation for eliminating the option of creating a persistent image on the hard drive, so you can use it with a LiveCD alone, as used to be the case.

I am happy to report that the problem of creating a persistent memory image is solved. All I had to do was to enter a number (e.g 3000) during the 3 second window of opportunity in the startup sequence.
Now I can use my SD memory based Knoppix 6.71 just like it would be on a hard drive permanently stored.
Klaus Knopper earned a A+++ for this.
John

Can anyone tell me how much space the 6.7.1 LiveCD requires to install to usbstick (i.e does it require 4GB, or can it make do with 2GB?)? Have had good luck using the Fedora USB installer for Windows, and might give it a try with Knoppix.

About 1GB should be more than enough. But you may need some place for persistent store, too. (And that store will be used if you copy the whole KNOPPIX directory to an HDD partition. That may be Klaus K's explanation that you await: Why run from CD when you already use HDD real estate for Knoppix files? In that case, you only boot from the liveCD, you don't run from it - and your drive isn't occupied either.)