RFE: "bootrofrom= …" (boot read-only from) startup option

**Albretch** · 12-22-2016, 10:00 PM

there actually is a way to boot from an iso knoppix image which is mounted read-only (ro), namely: using the "forensic" startup option. You would, say, startup with the one liner:

boot: knoppix64 no3d init 2 forensic bootfrom="/dev/sd"

then on init 2 you go:

mount | grep sd

to get:

/dev/sd on /mnt-iso type ext4 (ro,relatime,block_validity,delalloc,barrier,user_ xattr,acl)

The problem with the "forensic" option is that then all other partitions are mounted write-protected, read-only. Or, how do you work around this? There should be a "bootrofrom= ..." option for those of us who want to make sure the knoppix baseline is not being altered and want to be able to easily check if that is the case. On init 2 you could always edit /etc/passwd in order to create and change user directories Since the Internet has become such a promiscuous environment in which "Russian hackers" are constantly messing for fun and profit every connected device, introducing such a startup option would be great. I don’t believe at all in antivirus software It shouldn’t be that hard. Probably just including menuentries in the grub2 loader? What may I be missing? lbrtchx

**Albretch** · 12-22-2016, 10:06 PM

why do you make so hard properly formatting a message? Why can't poster not enter plain html?

**Albretch** · 12-22-2016, 10:08 PM

after noticing the corrupted formatting but I can't edit it at all

**Werner P. Schulz** · 12-22-2016, 10:46 PM

http://knoppix.net/forum/faq.php?faq...eading_posting

**joselb** · 12-23-2016, 07:39 AM

I normally use the "forensic" option with a pendrive. But what I do is keeping some files/folders (new versions of tor browser, firefox and libflashplayer.so, checked with the sum when downloaded) zipped and encrypted in some folder inside my Knoppix with gpg (gpg -c --cipher-algo AES256 file.zip). So, I boot with knoppix forensic, write my wifi password and then decrypt those files (gpg file.gpg), remember that home folder is not read-only in that session. Every time I boot all is clean. The problem could be if my home folder (and so, my browsers and files) are hacked/cracked in that session. I avoid scripts (noscript addon) and normally I only use the browser, only some times flashplayer (yes, that´s dangerous), but if I want I can delete all the decrypted files and encrypt them again in that session. But it´s great to know that in the next boot (or if I begin the process again in the current session) all is always clean.

**Albretch** · 12-24-2016, 04:07 AM

well, yeah I also:

1) make the image file read-only
2) make their attributes unmodifiable (lsattr chattr)
3) resize the file system to its bare minimum (using gpated)

but a boot ro from an image would be a great option

**joselb** · 12-24-2016, 10:58 AM

I don't understand it very well, even if you boot from an image, using forensic option it will be read only, but it's impossible to use knoppix if ALL is read-only, some parts won't be that way. But the system part will remain read-only and protected in every boot. Maybe I miss something here.