window title text

[Ed_P]

is there a tuturial out there for making settings module?

It's not that hard to make a module. Just make a bash script, like below, make it executable, chmod +x, run it, copy the xzm file to your /modules folder.

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#!/bin/sh

if [ `whoami` != "root" ]; then
   echo -e "Enter root's password\033[1;31m"
   su -c "sh $0 $1"
   exit
fi
echo -e "\033[0m"; echo -en "\033]0;Make a Mod\a" 

#set -x;

if [ -d /tmp/mod/ ]; then
   rm -rf /tmp/mod
fi
mkdir -p /tmp/mod
cp -a -p --parents    /lib with your changes1/*              /tmp/mod/
cp -a -p --parents    /lib with your changes2/*              /tmp/mod/
ls -R                                                        /tmp/mod/
echo "If Ok press Enter"
read
dir2xzm   /tmp/mod/                   /tmp/mychanges.xzm
rm  -rf   /tmp/mod/ && echo && ls -sh /tmp/*.xzm
read

The hard part is determining what the settings folders/files are.

[Rava]

The hard part is determining what the settings folders/files are.

My approch with my script suite is to have fixed folders for both modules in which I copy the tested and working as planned files (e.g. a script) or settings files via

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cp -ap --parents 

e.g. I want to copy these files

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/home/guest/.config/mimeapps.list
/home/guest/.bashrc
/home/guest/.config/l3afpad/l3afpadrc
/home/guest/.mtpaint

into the target folder for my 992-rootcopy module - let's say the base folder for that being

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/mnt/sda5/Porteus_modules/rootcopy+usr-local_bin/992-rootcopy_5.0/

then the cp command thus would be

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cp -av --parents /home/guest/.config/mimeapps.list /home/guest/.bashrc /home/guest/.config/l3afpad/l3afpadrc /home/guest/.mtpaint /mnt/sda5/Porteus_modules/rootcopy+usr-local_bin/992-rootcopy_5.0/

I made a help.cp script to give lazy me copy&paste hints for aiding me in this cp business.

[Ed_P]

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cp -av --parents /home/guest/.config/mimeapps.list /home/guest/.bashrc /home/guest/.config/l3afpad/l3afpadrc /home/guest/.mtpaint /mnt/sda5/Porteus_modules/rootcopy+usr-local_bin/992-rootcopy_5.0/

Too hard for a new user to maintain, or even comprehend.

This is easier to create, understand and maintain.

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cp -a -p --parents   /home/guest/.config/mimeapps.list             /tmp/mod/
cp -a -p --parents   /home/guest/.bashrc             /tmp/mod/
cp -a -p --parents   /home/guest/.config/l3afpad/l3afpadrc             /tmp/mod/
cp -a -p --parents   /home/guest/.mtpaint             /tmp/mod/

[Rava]

I think we can offer both variants and the user can choose which one he prefers.

Also, in my book this

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cp -ap --parents […]

is more easy than this

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cp -a -p --parents […]

and using this

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cp -apv --parents […]

gives the info what is done. A user can skip the -v (=verbose) part, but since when copying from the live system to the hard drive a file or files it is in my book a good idea to be a bit more on the secure side, since when you not use changes= the settings or files are all lost after a reboot.
Could be the user worked some time to tweak settings to his likings. Then in my book it is good to have more control over the copying it to the folder for creation of the module.
Better more info that is sometime not needed but that keeps you on the more secure side of things than losing work you put some time and effort into.

Also, I recommend using a folder on a harddisk ext[234] partition since then you will have all other older files and settings already there and you either replace a file by its newer version or you add files to the folder and file hierarchy.

[Ed_P]

I think we can offer both variants and the user can choose which one he prefers.

Agreed.

Also, in my book this

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cp -ap --parents […]

is more easy than this

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cp -a -p --parents […]

Picky, picky, picky.

I recommend using a folder on a harddisk ext[234] partition since then you will have all other older files and settings already there and you either replace a file by its newer version or you add files to the folder and file hierarchy.

The same can be said for USB drives and FAT32, exFAT and NTFS drives.

[Rava]

The same can be said for USB drives and FAT32, exFAT and NTFS drives.

No.
When you use VFAT or NTFS then the file permissions and executable bits will all be messed up.

Not recommended at all to use VFAT / FAT32 or NTFS as the partition base for creating a Porteus module. Not sure about exFAT, i hardly used it, but I presume it's the same permissions and executable issue.
Unless you create a ext2 Filesystem container on that, mount the container, copy stuff on the container and use the path to the mounted container as the path for creating the module.

But that would be making it too complicated for most users in my book.

Picky, picky, picky.

Look who's talking!

[Ed_P]

I thought we were talking about where the .xzm module could be stored. The mod folder and all the files that go into it are on the /tmp folder.

[Rava]

I thought we were talking about where the .xzm module could be stored.

I see. A module can be tored anywhere, just like you wrote.
The base folder for creating one though cannot. Or at least you should use an UNIX filesystem for that.

[Ed_P]

I agree, that's why I recommend and showed /tmp in my script.

[Rava]

I agree, that's why I recommend and showed /tmp in my script.

And how does your script handle the old settings where the user already had a settings-module created for and only wants to add to that module?

[Ed_P]

how does your script handle the old settings where the user already had a settings-module created for and only wants to add to that module?

The user has the prior module activated and runs the script again with the new settings and files to create the updated module.

[Rava]

The user has the prior module activated and runs the script again with the new settings and files to create the updated module.

You mean, each time do a

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xzm2dir $PORTDIR/base/999-rootcopy.xzm /tmp/999-rootcopy

first (when the settings module is called 999-rootcopy.xzm ), and then copy the new files into the /tmp/999-rootcopy hierarchy?

[Ed_P]

You mean, each time do a

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xzm2dir $PORTDIR/base/999-rootcopy.xzm /tmp/999-rootcopy

No. I mean you boot with, or activate, the current module, make setting changes, rerun the script to recreate an updated module.