Re-mastering Proof-of-Principle Effort

[utu]

'are in use on a noimage reboot.

Last line should read: 'are in use AFTER a noimage reboot.'

[Werner P. Schulz]

I feel more comfortable NOT modifying the HD on my laptop.
The underlying Win7 system works very well, and I don't feel confident enough to repair it if I break it.

What shall happen with NTFS from Windows7? Knoppix doesn't change or install anything; it creates a new directory "\knx" and writes some files and folders to it; that's all.

The 'lame duck' may have the potential of a self-contained
re-mastering capability.

It doesn't need external storage nor another OS to complete
the re-mastering. After the kn-recombine rsync phase,
dismount the 'duck and reboot IT with the option 'noimage'
and proceed with the kn-recombine write operation.

This doesn't work. On my page at position "Reassemble your flash disk" I wrote

The old files 'KNOPPIX' and 'knoppix-data.img' respectively 'knoppix-data.aes' (= persistent memory) will be removed.

You cannot exchange in a running Knoppix Live session the existing KNOPPIX with a new compressed filesystem Image (KNOPPIX).

Greetings Werner
http://www.wp-schulz.de/knoppix/recombine.html

[utu]

You cannot exchange in a running Knoppix Live session the existing KNOPPIX with a new compressed filesystem Image (KNOPPIX).
http://www.wp-schulz.de/knoppix/recombine.html

I have to keep proving this.
It seems SO un-necessary, since the COMPRESSED filesystem is not the ACTIVE system.
It seems the COMPRESSED system should be inert once the ACTIVE system is built.

[vkrishn]

Suggesting but not recommending:
1. How about re-mounting knoppix-data.img as readonly.
2. Then creating new Union with KNOPPIX and directly compressing the new Union.
I think this procedure can be scripted.

[kl522]

Suggesting but not recommending:
1. How about re-mounting knoppix-data.img as readonly.
2. Then creating new Union with KNOPPIX and directly compressing the new Union.
I think this procedure can be scripted.

The way Knoppix-data.img file system is mounted/structured, you can't remount it as read-only, you will get 'busy' error.

[Blacksimon]

might be interesting to divide the script into a further function:
1) rsync of Unions
2) generate the compressed filesystem
3) write to USB

Between the first and second feature I'd like to manually edit some files or folders in case I notice that you have a problem ....

Stupid silly example:
I customized the splash screeen Compiz (splash_backgroung.png & splash_logo.png) with my logo
I have placed in / KNOPPIX-DATA/usr/share/compiz and then I updated the path to two files in CompizConfig.
Well, by mistake the name of the file that I used had two capital letters than the original ....
result is that the new recombined Knoppix filesystem I found both the original file and my files ... and so I lost the customization ...
In order to fix the problem I should start all over again by launching the script again ... with a huge waste of time

[Werner P. Schulz]

Using your flash disk Installation with persistent memory you shall not edit '/KNOPPIX-DATA/'!

In your "silly example" write your modifications to '/usr/share/compiz' not to '/KNOPPIX-DATA/usr/share/compiz' and use this path in CompizConfig.

And before "recombine" Knoppix test your flash disk Installation as long as there are no errors.

Greetings Werner * http://www.wp-schulz.de/knoppix/summary.html
Own Rescue-CD (Knoppix V6.7.1 remaster).

[Werner P. Schulz]

If you want short times for "recombine", why don't you use a free partition on HD as I described? The use of a second flash device is a lame duck.

I have integrated some calculations of transfer rate. With it you can compare the use of a partition of a HD versus a partition of a flash disk.

Caution: at "Reassemble your flash disk" you have to boot with a Knoppix CD/DVD or with another Knoppix flash disk Installation. Booting with productive OS doesn't work.

Greetings Werner

[utu]

.
I began this thread some months ago, bemoaning the high cost of
Gbs necessary to the needs of re-mastering. I had hoped for some
algorithm that would somehow magically perform this neat operation
on my meager 2 Gb LiveUSB.

Aside from the obvious, of acquiring the necessary Gbs outright,
over time, a number of our senior users have come to a consensus
that there are several ways to tap into the otherwise unused NTFS
real estate most of us have to get around 'the high cost of Gbs'.
At least three such approaches have been used and advocated:
1. Re-partitioning a Windows drive to create a new partition;
2. Using VirtualBox or equivalent virtual installs on either
...Windows or another Linux system; and.
3. Reading & writing to an out-of-service NTFS partition.

Surprisingly to me, over this time, the cost of LiveUSBs has
come down so much that an 8 Gb LiveUSB Class 10 can now be
obtained at a cost LESS than the cost of a 2 Gb Class 2 LiveUSB
when this effort began. Class10 LiveUSBs are now a viable and
inexpensive alternative for re-mastering CD-size Knoppix LiveUSBs.

Also, over this time, Werner Schulz has given us at least two
useful methods to carry out practical schemes of re-mastering
CD-size Knoppix LiveUSBs:
1. Using Virtual box (or equivalent) and Knoppix's built-in Own
outine to create a virtual system within which to develop and
finalize a custom LiveUSB; and
2. A generalized algorithm, kn-recombine that can be utilized in
several ways to recombine an initial compressed Knoppix image with
un-compressed Knoppix-data image to create a final compressed
Knoppix imgage containing both the contents of both the original
and that of the un-compressed data changes.

I believe Werner has nailed the re-mastering Proof-of-Principle
for CD-size Knoppix LiveUSBs with his algoritm, kn-recombine.
kn-recombine leaves it up to the user to specify where and in
what form to locate the necessary Gbs. Find kn-recombine at:
http://www.wp-schulz.de/knoppix/recombine.html

And thanks, Werner; well done.

[vkrishn]

The way Knoppix-data.img file system is mounted/structured, you can't remount it as read-only, you will get 'busy' error.

Remounting of Knoppix-data.img seems to work in 6.4.4
Only extra step was to create a new loop device.
I can post the method if useful.