Re-arranging cloop files

[vkrishn]

Did a usb install of v7.2 on 8Gb pendrive, and now,
I wanted to add a cloop file before the current KNOPPIX file by renaming it to KNOPPIX2.
Will this be ok, because seems that most of the time booting stops at point "starting syslog" msg ?

[utu]

I wanted to add a cloop file before the current KNOPPIX file by renaming it to KNOPPIX2.

Greetings, vkrishn

I'm guessing you have a DVD-size LiveUSB and that you find
that in your /mnt-system/KNOPPIX/ folder you find files
KNOPPIX and KNOPPIX1. Unless you are re-arranging how
KNOPPIX itself works, I think your next overlay should
be KNOPPIX2. Knoppix will look for the KNOPPIX file to set
itself up, and will add features by bringing in the KNOPPIX1
overlay, then look for KNOPPIX2, KNOPPIX3 on up to KNOPPIX7.
I think it (currently) runs out of cloop device assignments there.

Without knowing in more detail what you expect to accomplish
I think bringing in some new overlay " ahead-of " the basic
KNOPPIX file may give surprising and likely undesirable results.

Studying the file 'init' you may see how KNOPPIX handles
overlays. There are a lot of options there already.

[vkrishn]

Greetings, utu

I was wanting to rename the present KNOPPIX to next num,
I guess that would be KNOPPIX2 and then drop a KNOPPIX(new) file,
so now KNOPPIX2(Orig KNOPPIX ~ 3.9Gb) is overlayed after newer KNOPPIX.

Note that overlaying works properly,
but most of the time the booting stops at "starting syslog" msg.
If I press ctr+c, booting continues,
but then this is not ok as some important services may not get started.

I hope I am making sense.

[vkrishn]

Studying the file 'init' you may see how KNOPPIX handles
overlays. There are a lot of options there already.

Ah, yes.
Checked runknoppixlib() and runknoppixchroot(), seems orig KNOPPIX is needed.
Option would be to figure out the minimum files needed for init to run before switchroot.

[utu]

Greetings again, vkrishn

It's not clear to me what your needs might be, but there are two
additional means of modification built into Knoppix, other than
additional cloop overlays. Somewhat 'hidden' in the Knoppix-cheatcodes
text are the following ideas. Perhaps one of these might be of some
use to you.

Excerpts from knoppix-cheatcodes.txt

If you place an update*.zip or update*tar.gz file on the medium holding
the KNOPPIX data, it will be unpacked onto the overlayed filesystem
before starting "init", thus allowing quick reconfiguration of the
system.

The file "knoppix.sh", if residing in the main KNOPPIX directory, will
be execuded after autoconfiguration and before starting the graphical
desktop. It can be used in order to start additional services.

[vkrishn]

Normally additional cloop files are numbered after base KNOPPIX(3.9gb) file.
This is when the newer cloop file KNOPPIX2 contain only new applications.
General process is to cloop`pify the persistent file content (this process is well known)

What I am trying:
1. Install minimalistic debian(cli only).
2. Add all your application needed, for me, its most likely the ones not in knoppix.
3. upgrade to same kernel as knoppix.
4. Cloop`pify the whole system.
5. Drop is as KNOPPIX, before renaming KNOPPIX->KNOPPIX2

Cons:
Lots of extra/duplicate files get in cloop.
Pros:
I can create a small standalone specialized installs like rescue/diagnostic,
then drop it in current knoppix or use separately.

Well. tried the above and it works, though some minor tweaking needs to done before.

What I was thinking was if knoppix had option like:
knoppix_list=KNOPPIX,KNOPPIX3
This would allow to switch my system or mix match application during booting.

Another neat thing would be to have a base KNOPPIX(150mb cloop), and other cloops just application.

[utu]

Interesting approach; I do similar but different things to achieve much the same end.

1. I use 32-bit Knoppix CD to define a minimal Knoppix LiveUSB with reiserfs persistence.
2. I add programs I like that aren't in the initial LiveUSB such as M$-ttf-corefonts,
flashplugin-nonfree, geany & chromium, and a few special files of my own and then
convert all this additional stuff into a KNOPPIX1 overlay.
3. Then I renew the persistence file by reformatting with gparted.

Among the special files in item 2 is a small file which automates part of the new-overlay
process.

My 2Gb SanDisk LiveUSB has a 1.14 GB Fat32 partition with 356 Mb currently free and
a 718 Mb reiser partition with 603 Mb currently free. Much of the 'new' reiser material is
'new' cache information which I ignore in making overlays.

If-and-when I develop any significant new stuff in persistence, I will make a second overlay,
then a third, etc. But so far, I expect I may not need any new overlays if Klaus K makes
his own upgrade sometime later this year.

I see very little necessity in re-mastering, so long as most of my changes are additive and
not overlapping previous overlay material in some way.

It is also true that the CD-size Knoppix almost fulfills my needs. The DVD-size Knoppix
has many programs I'd never use.

In your scheme, I think so long as you carefully choose which overlays go in
/mnt-system/KNOPPIX/, you may pick and choose just which ones will be overlaid.
You can hide any others in /mnt-system/ (or someplace else) and they'll not be acted upon.

[dwstarke]

I also would like Knoppix to be modular, like the slackware derivative porteus (http://www.porteus.org/). I would use porteus, but they have split their 32- and 64- bit kernels and so you have to have complete separate filesystems for the two versions, unlike the dvd version of Knoppix in which they co-exist nicely in the same filesystem.
What I really want (and am working on, slowly) is a modular Knoppix (Debian, good hardware-detection with great filesystem) with modular software (preinstalled, injected into filesystem)