a new & improved, self-contained Knoppix personal backup

[utu]

.
I posted a simple backup program on this forum a while back at:
http://www.knoppix.net/forum/threads...ghlight=backup
I've refined it a bit. Mine now requires only about 77M, about half the space it formerly required.
Not only is this a nice backup, you can use the same procedure to re-establish all your
preferences on the next upgrade of Knoppix, as I just did.

Its use is as follows. More on this in the original reference, if needed.

When you make a new LiveUSB, don't use every last MB for persistence;
leave a little in /mnt-system, say 200MB or so. That is, just devote 200MB LESS to persistence.

After you have modified your new Knoppix LiveUSB somewhat, add 'backup' to your /home/knoppix directory; then, occasionally, as root, exercise 'backup' to put an update.tar.gz file into /mnt-system. Whenever you modify your new system, do another backup to keep current.

If you ever spoil* your knoppix-data.img, delete knoppix-data.img; move update.tar.gz
from the mnt-system into the same directory that knoppix-data.img was in and reboot;
re-establish the persistence file when prompted. Assuming Knoppix is again functioning,
either delete update.tar.gz now or move it back into the /mnt-system directory; don't
leave it in the same directory as knoppix-data.img. Make a new backup soon in any event.

Here's the little program:

#!/bin/bash
#
# 'backup'
#
# This script captures personal folders, adjustments, choices & tweaks, 
# but does NOT account for program additions or removals 
# relative to the LiveUSB's initial configuration; 
# e.g., changes achieved using Synaptic.
#
# Note: do 'chown root:root backup' & 'chmod +x backup'.
cd /
echo -e 'Tarring data to update.tar in /tmp..\c'                                                     
tar -cf /tmp/update.tar KNOPPIX-DATA/home/ 
tar -rf /tmp/update.tar KNOPPIX-DATA/etc/
tar -rf /tmp/update.tar KNOPPIX-DATA/root/
tar -rf /tmp/update.tar mnt-system/boot/syslinux/syslinux.cfg
echo '..Done.'
#
echo 'Zipping update.tar to update.tar.gz in /tmp.'
echo -e 'Patience; this may take a little time..\c'
cd /tmp #tar -tf update.tar > tar.lst
gzip update.tar; echo '..Done.'
#
echo -e 'Moving update.tar.gz to /mnt-system..\c'
mv update.tar.gz /mnt-system; echo '..Done.'
#
echo 'All done.'
#
exit 0

____________________________

* I consider knoppix-data.img 'spoiled' either when my LiveUSB won't boot, or when the OS
doesn't seem to act as it should. I've spoiled my share.
In my experience this has usually been a result of one of three errors on my part:
1..Changing the plugged status of the USB while it is doing a read or write operation;
2..Bringing in too much additional program content via Synaptic; or
3..Making some OS change as ROOT that didn't turn out right.

[Werner P. Schulz]

If you ever spoil* your knoppix-data.img, delete knoppix-data.img; move update.tar.gz from the mnt-system into the same directory that knoppix-data.img was in and reboot;

Before this step you have to boot Knoppix with cheatcode "knoppix noimage" to avoid problems with persistent memory.

At next boottime (without any cheatcode) I run in trouble. Knoppix recognize the file update.tar.gz and uncompress it and also ask for new persistent memory. But it doesn't start to LXDE. I can only change to a terminal and reboot. I didn't find a explanation for this curious behaviour.

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

[Werner P. Schulz]

A little suggestion

STOR=update$(date +'%m%d%y').tar.gz
cd /
tar -czf /mnt-system/$STOR KNOPPIX-DATA/home/ KNOPPIX-DATA/root/ \
    mnt-system/boot/syslinux/syslinux.cfg

[utu]

Greetings, Werner.

I hope the goblins have returned your lxmenu to your top-line-lxpanel by now.

Sorry you are having problems with my little backup program.
I can't duplicate your complaint here.
The steps are:

1. Use my program prepare /mnt-system/update.tar.gz.
2. Move update.tar.gz to /mnt-system./KNOPPIX temporarily.
3a If the system is behaving, leave /mnt-system/KNOPPIX/knoppix-data.img where it is
and reboot.
Screen should indicate both knoppix-data.img and update.tar.gz being read-in.
When system comes up, move update.tar.gz one level back to /mnt-system for safe-keeping.
3b If the system is not behaving, either delete knoppix-data.img or move it out of
/mnt-system/KNOPPIX/ and reboot.
Screen should first ask you to re-establish persistence (my words). Do so.
As I recall, once persistence is established, update.tar.gz is read in.
If that's not the case, reboot and things should proceed as in 3a.

I appreciate your refinements to my crude programming and will incorporate these
to some extent. I sometimes leave things 'spread out' so I can more easily remember
and/or change them. I am mindful of the elegance of brevity, but my short-term memory
isn't so good as it once was.

I have been lucky up to now not to get my update*'s confused. It is time I used a
technique such as yours to keep them distinctly identified. Thanks for the idea.

[Werner P. Schulz]

If the system is not behaving, either delete knoppix-data.img or move it out of
/mnt-system/KNOPPIX/ and reboot.

If I do so, I lose free space for persistent memory (=pm):

a) flash-disk Installation of my CD on a 4GB USB stick
b) after first boot Knoppix offers 3.3GB for pm, I selected 2GB
c) deleted 'knoppix-data.img'
d after next boot Knoppix offers 1.3GB for pm, I selected 1GB
e) deleted 'knoppix-data.img'
f) after next boot Knoppix offers 0.3GB for pm, I selected 0.2GB

Therefore you can only delete 'knoppix-data.img' after booting with cheatcode "knoppix noimage"

Step 2 and 3a isn't necessary. The contents of your just created update.tar.gz is allready within the old knoppix-data.img.

Now I did it in single steps and all went well:
1. create 'update tar.gz' within '/mnt-system'
2. reboot (cheatcode "noimage") and delete 'knoppix-data.img'
3. reboot and create new pm
4. reboot and move 'update.tar.gz' to '/mnt-system/KNOPPIX/'
5. reboot and move 'update.tar.gz' to '/mnt-system' or store it anywhere else

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

[utu]

Hi, Werner

A couple of fine points:

1..I prefer to do the tarring and zipping in the system-&-persistence side of the USB,
so the /mnt-system side only has to be as big as the zipped file.
Remember, I usually use just a 2 Gb USB.
So, I tar to /tmp , gzip there and mv the result to /mnt-system.

2..I'm not following you yet with the noimage cheatcode.
I guess if I've ever gotten an unreasonably small value offered
for persistence, I may have just started over & reformatted
the whole USB.

3...Most of the required space is for the browser's purposes.
I've just changed to IceWeasel 7 and my storage has gone from
77Mb to 44Mb. I wonder if you can confirm this.

[utu]

An update on the 'update' program
.
Here's an update using Werner's dating method, even in the status lines.
I've included a listing of tarred files, mailed to root, also suitably dated.

I now backup ~124 Mb into 48 Mb of tgz on /mnt-system.
IceWeasel alone accounts for 91 Mb of the 124 Mb it might be noted.

#!/bin/bash
#
# new.backup: do 'chmod +x new.backup' & 'chown root:root new.backup'
#
cd /
STOR=update$(date +'%m%d%y').tar
echo -e 'Tarring data to '$STOR' in /tmp..\c'                                                     
tar -cf /tmp/$STOR KNOPPIX-DATA/home/  KNOPPIX-DATA/etc/ \
                   KNOPPIX-DATA/root/  mnt-system/boot/syslinux/syslinux.cfg
echo '..Done.'
cd /tmp
STORZ=$STOR.gz
echo 'Zipping to '$STORZ' in /tmp.'
tar -tf $STOR > ~/$STOR.lst
echo -e 'Patience; this may take a little time..\c'
gzip $STOR; echo '..Done.'
#
echo -e 'Moving '$STORZ' to /mnt-system..\c'
mv $STORZ /mnt-system; echo '..Done.'
#
echo 'All done.'
#
exit 0

[Werner P. Schulz]

I changed the procedure a little:

1. create 'update tar.gz' within '/mnt-system'
2. reboot (cheatcode "noimage") and delete 'knoppix-data.img'
3. reboot, create new persistent memory and

tar -xzf /mnt-system/update.tar.gz -C /

4. reboot

The way in your update on the 'update'
over '/tmp' are only for clarity reasons but without any benefit.

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

[utu]

Hello, again, Werner.

Just to make sure we see eye to eye on this, I see two different scenarios for using this backup idea:

1..After making some personal additions, and otherwise the LiveUSB with persistence seems to be working ok;
2..After making some personal additons, and the LiveUSB with persistence isn't behaving properly.

In case 1, we want to preserve BOTH our personal stuff & the PROGRAM changes inherent in persistent store.
In case 2, we want to preserve our personal stuff, but we will have to sacrifice PROGRAM changes & start a new persistent store, which will not include any program changes outside of home/, root/, etc/ and syslinux.cfg.

I think this means we may only want to use the noimage cheatcode for case 2; specifically NOT for case 1.
For myself, dealing with case 2, I'd try the noimage first; if it gives a reasonable choice for persistent store
that's the way to go. If not, then I'd repartition the USB with GParted and make a new LiveUSB from scatch,
then add the update disregarding any use of noimage (in this specific instance).

[Werner P. Schulz]

If you boot Knoppix with cheatcode "noimage" you can only see persistent memory in the (compressed) file '/mnt-system/KNOPPIX/knoppix-data.img'. If you boot without this cheatcode you can also see the persistent memory in the (decompressed) directory '/KNOPPIX-DATA/'.

In "case 1" from you, all is done by Knoppix.

You can change personal settings in '/home/knoppix/' or '/root/', you can install or deinstall programs in '/usr/' and the program-settings in '/etc/'. But in reality Knoppix writes all this stuff in '/KNOPPIX-DATA/' using "UNIONFS".

To prevent later trouble you can do a backup (your "update.tar.gz") from your personal stuff, which is a part of 'KNOPPIX-DATA/', and leave out the remaining of '/KNOPIX-DATA/'.

In "case 2" you can
a) only delete persistent memory alone, or
b) reformat the whole USB flash-drive and reinstall Knoppix. But why this expenditure?