Problems with creating save.dat container

Post here if you are a new Porteus member and you're looking for some help.
karupoiss
White ninja
White ninja
Posts: 4
Joined: 13 Feb 2015, 16:19
Distribution: ubuntu
Location: Estonia

Problems with creating save.dat container

Post#1 by karupoiss » 24 Apr 2015, 15:06

I am using the XFCE desktop for Porteus and I want to create the save.dat container for saving my changes in the system. I open up the save file manager and choose the name for the file and destination (I chose the folder where Porteus is installed on the usb stick). Then I press Ok and a window pops up where it says "Processing now" Creating save.dat file.. and it is doing it for over half an hour already. The process bar is the same, at 0 percentage.

What am I doing wrong, how can I create that file?

User avatar
brokenman
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 6105
Joined: 27 Dec 2010, 03:50
Distribution: Porteus v4 all desktops
Location: Brazil

Re: Problems with creating save.dat container

Post#2 by brokenman » 24 Apr 2015, 16:25

What size file are you trying to create? Remember that you are limit by the write speed of the device.

You can manually create a 500Mb savefile like so:

Code: Select all

TARG=/tmp
NAME=porteussave
KBYTES=512000
dd if=/dev/zero of=$TARG/$NAME.dat bs=1024 count=$KBYTES
mkfs.xfs /tmp/porteussave.dat
Your savefile will be at /tmp/savefile.dat and you MUST move it outside of the live file system.
How do i become super user?
Wear your underpants on the outside and put on a cape.

User avatar
francois
Contributor
Contributor
Posts: 6434
Joined: 28 Dec 2010, 14:25
Distribution: xfce plank porteus nemesis
Location: Le printemps, le printemps, le printemps... ... l'hiver s'essoufle.

Re: Problems with creating save.dat container

Post#3 by francois » 24 Apr 2015, 23:08

Porteus is linux. If you have a linux filesystem there is no need for a save.dat container. :)
Prendre son temps, profiter de celui qui passe.

herbert_johnson
Ronin
Ronin
Posts: 1
Joined: 28 Sep 2015, 19:38
Distribution: KDE 3.1
Location: Denmark

Re: Problems with creating save.dat container

Post#4 by herbert_johnson » 28 Sep 2015, 20:08

Hello,

Sorry for hijacking the post, but..

I am totally new to Linux and to Porteus, and very keen on using it, but is struggling with the .dat-container as well..
brokenman wrote: Your savefile will be at /tmp/savefile.dat and you MUST move it outside of the live file system.
I too, have been trying to put my .dat-container in the Porteus-directory, but if I cant do that, can I put it in the root of the USB stick ie.?
And how do I type the correct destination into the .cfg file?

I have noticed when Porteus boots the screen says "using Porteus data from /mnt/sdb/Porteus."
In order to get the .dat container the "easy" way, I figured I would put my .dat-container in the Porteus-directory, therefore typing the destination for the save-file destination as "/mnt/sdb/Porteus/name.dat".
But Porteus cant find the .dat-container, so something is obviously wrong.

Thank you in advance, and thank you for Porteus. :-)

Herbert J.

User avatar
Ed_P
Contributor
Contributor
Posts: 8344
Joined: 06 Feb 2013, 22:12
Distribution: Cinnamon 5.01 ISO
Location: Western NY, USA

Re: Problems with creating save.dat container

Post#5 by Ed_P » 28 Sep 2015, 21:22

Welcome Herbert J.

The easiest way to create the save.dat file is to use Porteus's Save File manager. Found via menu > System Tools. Saving it to the flash drive's porteus folder is fine but do note that Linux is case sensitive, thus Porteus and porteus are two different names so maybe saving it to the flash drive's root might be a better place to start. And no need to get to get carried away with size, start with 512MB and you should be fine. I have one system with one half that.

At some point you will hear about the flash drive's UUID but for the moment lets concentrate on the save.dat file. Once you have created it, and located it you need to add it to the porteus.cfg file. Something like this:

Code: Select all

APPEND initrd=initrd.xz changes=/porteussave.dat
or

Code: Select all

APPEND initrd=initrd.xz changes=EXIT:/porteussave.dat
As for what the difference is between the two check the /mnt/sdb1/boot/docs/cheatcodes.txt file.

Once the cfg file has been changed reboot to impliment it.

BTW I'm assuming your flash drive is formatted as FAT and not a Linux format.



FYI There's no charge for starting a new thread. :)
Ed

donald
Full of knowledge
Full of knowledge
Posts: 2065
Joined: 17 Jun 2013, 13:17
Distribution: Porteus 3.2.2 XFCE 32bit
Location: Germany

Re: Problems with creating save.dat container

Post#6 by donald » 28 Sep 2015, 22:17

Just to add a detail:
typing the destination for the save-file destination as "/mnt/sdb/Porteus/name.dat".
But Porteus cant find the .dat-container, so something is obviously wrong.
sdb reffers to a drive, but the (save.dat) File resides on a partition, it should be sdb1 or sdb2 etc.

Post Reply