SOS - stuck in a desert and I broke KNOPPIX :(

[utu]

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Greetings, pastabake.

It may be that you have damaged your persistence file, but that the rest of your
Knoppix LiveUSB configuration is still intact. If you have made a lot of changes
to your LiveUSB then this may not be good news, but at least it will let you know
more specifically what your problem really is.

Try booting with a 'knoppix noimage' cheatcode to see if your LiveUSB boots OK,
but that all your changes are missing. If it doesn't boot with the noimage
cheatcode, you may need to start all over with a fresh LiveUSB and a new
'empty' persistence file.

If your LiveUSB boots ok with the noimage cheatcode,
but all your changes are missing then your options become:
1. repair the damaged persistence file; or
2. start over with a fresh, empty persistence file, and
a. reconstruct your lost changes from backup material; or
b. reconstruct your lost changes from procedural notes; or
c. reconstruct your lost changes as best you can, somehow.

In my time, I've had this problem and used 2 a, b and c as work-arounds;
I don't know how to simply repair a corrupted persistence file.