Asking for Persistence options details explained

[j0m]

Hi, this is my first post here and I hope not to ask too dumb questions, but I've googled / RTFM alot and can't find detailed info anywhere on this.

OT: I'm using Knoppix 4.0.2 DVD_EN on an Acer Aspire 5024 laptop (and hw recognition is _really_ flawless _now_, had some problems using 4.0 DVD_DE with keyboard and touchpad).

Problem: I need to have a partition / image on my USB stick to store _all_ changes I make to knoppix while working; I've already read about "Create persistent image" and "Save configuration / settings" and tried both, but settings didn't get stored as expected. First of all, I can't understand why should I use them both. It seems that _all_ the files saved inside the "Save conf"-created .tbz file are also available inside the "Create pers. image"-made knoppix.img, while the converse is not true, as docs and programs get saved only inside the image.
Furthemore, "Save conf" saves the .sh and .tbz files _once_: if I make more changes _after_ creation, I need to "Save" _again_ to make changes permanent. Instead I want settings-saving to be(have) like knoppix - live (i.e. I expect to change / install / download whatever I like, simply reboot once I'm done, and find everything right there).
If I'm right, "Save conf" is not relevant (read - redundant) for my situation. But, if so, can anybody tell me what those 4 self-explanatory ( ) options at boot (Home / System / Overwrite / Init) do ? Because I've already tried a few combinations, but it loses my network settings and other little things I did. Of course, all the times I tried knoppix.img got merged with UnionFS successfully (I didn't forgot to type the home=knoppix.img cheatcode)

PS: Is there an easy way (no remastering, thanks ) to keep from entering cheatcodes over and over (i.e. saving them along other system-wide configuration info inside the persistent image) ?

PPS (OT): Why does the desktop get totally f*cked-up colors when coming back from Ctrl-Alt-FX (getting to the virtual consoles and back) ? Is there a workaround, other than "init 1; init 5" ?

[j0m]

Don't know why, but it seems my post (topic) passed un-detected / observed... I hope there's somebody able to help me with this, but I think that the main question deserves more than a reply here (maybe sticky ? what about a wiki article ?), because detailed explanations of the "Save ..." + "Create ..." actions interplay and of the options for the persistent home boot-screen are non-existent, even googling around for a whole afternoon !

Even bypassing cheatcodes-compulsory-typing-at-boot is not mentioned anywhere (except re-mastering maybe ?), and considering that system settings can be tweaked and apps installed (once I get around persistence issues), how is it that it seems there is no way around cheatcodes to force the DVD+USBpen combo to enable dma, usb2, etc. at boot or at least before entering runlevel 5 ?

Thanks in advance to anyone who will give me at least a few hints...

[ckyip]

I used wingrub from http://grub4dos.sourceforge.net/ to boot into dvdrom image or hard disk installed knoppix (by 'knoppix-installer' program).
The cheatcode keep in the config file 'C;\grub\menu.lst' of wingrub. So cheatcode don't lost every boot.

I keep both dvdrom image and hard disk installed knoppix because some hardware detection of hard disk installed knoppix is not as good as dvdrom boot. For example on my DELL 700m notebook, fan operation not configured by default of hard disk installed knoppix. I have to fix this by searching the web. Found i8kutils to fix this. I changed some i8kutils setting for lower temperature of my notebook.

Harddisk install can do more thing that boot from dvdrom image. Install more program. XFree86 boot up not flashing LCD screen of my notebook. Poor man install will.

fat32 partition boot knoppix dvdrom image method:
http://www.knoppix.net/wiki/Basic_Poor_Mans
ntfs partition boot knoppix dvd image method:
http://www.knoppix.net/wiki/Win_Partition

[j0m]

I see what you say, because I've read those docs, but that's not what I was trying to achieve: I need to boot from DVD and have settings, small apps and docs stored on my USB pen to survive reboots (so I want changes to be "live", not sort of snapshotted as it seems is the case with the .tbz + .sh "save"d configuration). Of course, as I don't need / want snapshotting, I lose reversability of changes after reboot (reverse-wise, maybe, the "save conf" action would make much more sense, but, I stress it once more, at the moment I need the most similar experience to an installed linux system, without touching hdd, so the DVD+USBpen combo is a (the only ?) nice idea.

[ckyip]

I found that version 4.0.2 already support unionfs mount your knoppix.img file. Not only the home directory.
It will autodetect your knoppix.img file with a screen ask you use it or not when boot up.

I try:
nvi
(command not found)
apt-get update
apt-get install nvi
nvi
(open nvi editor)

So DVD+USBpen combo feature already supported.

I think the step is important that:
You first create knoppix.img
Then reboot computer
Boot up ask your to use knoppix.img detected. choose yes.
Then do the thing you want.
All the changes already storage in knoppix.img file.

After reboot:
Boot up ask your to use knoppix.img detected. choose yes.
You changes already here.

I don't try much about this usage.
If something not work in this usage. Please post it out.

[j0m]

Ok, so if anything works for you, it seems to confirm that in my case I only need to "create persistent home" once, and load it at every boot, but a few questions:

1) "save configuration" is _not_ needed (and, maybe, possibly conflicts ?)
2) does your install survive reboots ? because UnionFS alone only determines ability to install, but it's UnionFS+USB writable .img combo that enables persistence across work sessions
3) if so, what about the options you enable at boot for the persistent home ? there are 4 options, only the 3rd of which defaults to disabled. what do you set them to, if any ? do you know how every single option affects behavior ?
4) what about skipping cheatcodes boot-time typing ? do you know _if_ they can be saved anywhere inside the .img ?

[ckyip]

Ok, so if anything works for you, it seems to confirm that in my case I only need to "create persistent home" once, and load it at every boot, but a few questions:

1) "save configuration" is _not_ needed (and, maybe, possibly conflicts ?)
I think the unionfs used like the whole ramdisk start from version 4.0.2
So version before 4.0.2 use other methods save configuration.

2) does your install survive reboots ? because UnionFS alone only determines ability to install, but it's UnionFS+USB writable .img combo that enables persistence across work sessions
Install survive after reboots.
Your create knoppix.img file in USB (/dev/sda1)
But notice that mount USB writable before create your knoppix.img file inside it.

3) if so, what about the options you enable at boot for the persistent home ? there are 4 options, only the 3rd of which defaults to disabled. what do you set them to, if any ? do you know how every single option affects behavior ?
I have no change to 4 options when boot up. Except that you must choose 'yes' to enable the detected knoppix.img
I have not try the difference options combination. I don't know the result.

4) what about skipping cheatcodes boot-time typing ? do you know _if_ they can be saved anywhere inside the .img ?
I think cheatcode will not keep in .img file. Because cheatcode used for enable/disable some autodetect feature.
It should enter at boot up enable/disable some feature that cause fail to boot.