configs.tbz - how large could it get?

[dunbar]

I am using /dev/sda1 to store configs.tbz (I boot with 'knoppix myconfig=/dev/sda1').

I do not save a persistent home directory - not on any device.

During one attempt to save my configuration, I had a problem saving.

Turns out my 4 meg SmartMedia card did not have enough remaining free space on it, so I simply deleted a file and made room for a larger configs.tbz - all was fine.

At present, the configs.tbz file is ~940 kb, and I have seen its' size range between 600k and 1.1 meg.

Any ideas how large configs.tbz file might get? Will I need a bigger card?

[Dave_Bechtel]

--It depends on how many files were modified during the session. It can sometimes get bigger than a 1440k floppy. You might want to allocate 2meg or so, but then again you might not need that much.

I am using /dev/sda1 to store configs.tbz (I boot with 'knoppix myconfig=/dev/sda1').

I do not save a persistent home directory - not on any device.

During one attempt to save my configuration, I had a problem saving.

Turns out my 4 meg SmartMedia card did not have enough remaining free space on it, so I simply deleted a file and made room for a larger configs.tbz - all was fine.

At present, the configs.tbz file is ~940 kb, and I have seen its' size range between 600k and 1.1 meg.

Any ideas how large configs.tbz file might get? Will I need a bigger card?

[dunbar]

I was hoping the answer would be under 4 megs, thank you Dave.

[brucec]

It can actually grow pretty big depending upon what applications you are using and how.

Mine is currently 3.4 MB, since it appears to save not only my Mozilla IMAP login information, but also my mailbox headers (some 12,000 headers in 3 mailboxes).

I don't think it stores Mozilla web caching data, but it may... it all depends upon where Mozilla stores the data and if KNOPPIX considers that part of the app configuration data.

I've got a 128MB card that I have mostly full of pictures, so I can always delete another picture to make more space for KNOPPIX configs.

...Bruce

[paradocs]

Hello all,

Thanks for this information. I am experimenting
with KNOPPIX with no hard drive. I have a
modification of the script
/usr/sbin/saveconfig
which places configs.tbz in the folder
/ramdisk/home/knoppix

From here I burn it onto and restore it from
a second drive which is a CDRW.

Although it is slow I am able to keep and restore
my settings with good reliability and low expense.
Another advantage is that multuple backup or
versions can be kept on a CDRW disks.
An 8cm CDRW gives 240 MB of space and is easy
to carry.

Best Wishes,
paradocs

[dunbar]

Mine is currently 3.4 MB, since it appears to save not only my Mozilla IMAP login information, but also my mailbox headers (some 12,000 headers in 3 mailboxes).

Coolness; I guess I'll have to hunt around for a bigger card after all!

[dunbar]

From here I burn it onto and restore it from
a second drive which is a CDRW.

I've never seen a CDRW treated as a live mounted read/write partition under Linux; I can do that with DirectCD 3.04 in Windows, and I would love to know if you are doing something similar with Knoppix.

So, I wonder - what method are you using for burning that CDRW?

Are you burning the configs.tbz directly to CDRW whan creating it, or do you manually burn it after saving it elsewhere?

[paradocs]

Hi dunbar and all,

You are correct in understanding that CDWR for Linux does
not yet allow reading and writing to up date the CD.
Packet writing is being developed and will be here soon.

My project is to explore KNOPPIX as a model for a basic
user. When you shut down the user must run a script
that blanks the whole CDRW in a second drive and saves
all of your data in /ramdisk/home/knoppix This takes
5 minutes and reports back if the data burn was able
to be read and the check sum correct. I have not yet
added encription.

Simply boot with the floppy, the KNOPPIX CD, and your CDRW
in place; you data is restored. You then work only from the
ramdisk in memory. You must have faith in the electric grid
since a power lapse will instantly destroy your work between
backups. I rotate through about 10 CDRW disks.
Up dating is easy, just use the latest KNOPPIX CD.

While limited, this approach can furnish a student or kiosk
user with portable leaning materials and back up for $5.

I think the new Linux kernel will be able to do direct
access to the CDRW and check for media flaws and
make updates to part of the data. That will be great.

Here is a link to burn_home
http://www.knoppix.net/docs/index.php/BurnHome

Best Wishes
paradocs