Porteus

Hi Porteux team, I wolud try Porteux but when I readed the changelog I'm stopped, Why ? In the Porteux 1.8 reading this:"Removed magic folders support", sincerely I need to magic folder !!

But ever in changelog other version I've read: "Changed default audio server to pipewire" and this is could enable me to use my jabra headset via bluetooth (with Porteus 5.01 it not work).

How can I have magic folder and pipewire togheter ?

I've thinked for example to change all the module in the base folder in porteus v5.01 with the Porteux modules (but not the initrd in the boot folder to preserve linuxrc file original), do you think this could be function ?

Thanks a lot
Enzo

@enzo73, could you describe exactly your use case with magic folders?

By the way, Porteus 5.1 alpha has both magic folders and pipewire, AFAIK.

Hi, I use magic folders to have a dynamic installation to some software (like firefox and chrome) that are usually updated frequently (specially addons and bookmarks).

Sometime run Porteus from usb, magic folders are updated but is a little slow, other times I run porteus in ram, then I've inserted a cheatcode nomagic in porteus.cfg, magic folders aren't updated but Porteus/browser fly !!

To complete the information, I use Porteus in a office notebook (it's not mine), therefor I can't modify the internal disk, furthermore my usb is a Fat partitioned, for someone reasons I don't want change file system.

Porteus 5.1 have both magic folders and pipewire ? Very well but at the moment is in alpha stage, therefore ..

Thanks and see you soon
Enzo

enzo73 wrote: ↑

18 Mar 2025, 10:14

Hi, I use magic folders to have a dynamic installation to some software (like firefox and chrome) that are usually updated frequently (specially addons and bookmarks).

In this case you can copy /etc/rc.d/rc.local_shutdown (that runs every time the machine reboots/shutdowns) to your rootcopy and edit it to include file copies to your rootcopy folder.

For instance, for my Firefox to keep the history and open tabs over reboots, I have this in my rc.local_shutdown:
The other Firefox files that I don't change (related to my settings) I just manually copy them to my rootcopy and keep them untouched. I know it can be a bit tedious the first time, but once you do it you'll see this uses less resources and makes you have more control.

For magic folders use:
1.
mount -o loop $src $dest
mount -o bind $src $dest
in /etc/rc.d/rc.local

2. See how it is done in previous Porteux or any Porteus:
/etc.rc.d/rc.M
and copy required part to your system and save

3. Use symlinks:
ln -snfT /mnt/sdX/saved-Desktop /home/guest/Desktop
above code you can you can add to /etc/rc.d/rc.local
but remember that you cannot overwrite directory with symlink
you can overwrite directories with symlinks by creating xzm module with symlinks and load it as last, for example zzzzz.xzm or add these symlinks to your changes

4. use rootcopy for small files

Hi guys, thanks for all suggest, all very useful and confirm me, how much modular is Porteus (and Linux in general), nice the suggest to have a script (rc.local_shutdown) in closing phase to save firefox modify and equally to have a "mount bind" in the etc/rc.d/rc.local; thanks guys of heart !!

PS: My actual folders.cfg is:

/mnt/D298-CA06/porteus/rootcopy/home/guest/.mozilla /home/guest/.mozilla

And porteus.cfg is:

LABEL copy2ram
MENU LABEL Copy To RAM
KERNEL /boot/syslinux/vmlinuz
INITRD /boot/syslinux/initrd.xz
APPEND copy2ram nomagic

This is very useful because if I run Porteus from usb I can update all browers (or other software) components but, if run Porteus from ram, I can unconnect my usb and to have a very speed browser updated at the last time from usb, but is also true that I've less control and that firefox profile grows more and more :-(

At my point of view, to have a file like "folders.cfg" is more comfortable that use script rc.local_shutdown or etc/rc.d/rc.local and to have a "APPEND copy2ram nomagic" in porteus.cfg, seems to grant more that usb is not writed while I unmount it, it's right ?

Hope that Porteux, could think, even better, rethink the magic folders, in an even more comfortable and powerful way than is currently available on Porteus !!

Thanks again
Cheers
Enzo