Help with persistence on USB

Post here if you are a new Porteus member and you're looking for some help.
Kartex
White ninja
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Posts: 8
Joined: 31 Aug 2019, 08:00
Distribution: Porteus 4.0

Help with persistence on USB

Post#1 by Kartex » 31 Aug 2019, 08:19

Hello. Let me explain my situation. Although I have been using other Linux distros for a while, I am new to Porteus itself and I need to configure it to be persistent using only a USB stick. My computing skills are rudimentary so please take it easy with me.

I am currently using a computer without a hard drive. The only storage device I have is a 32 GB USB stick with Porteus 4.0 (64 bit) installed. I have tried other live distros - namely Knoppix and Fatdog64 - but I could not make persistence work on them. How can I prevent stuff I change in Porteus (that is, WiFi password, system settings, installed software, etc.) from resetting after reboot?

One specific thing I wish to make persistent is the Chrome installation. After installing Chrome, Porteus said that, for it to persist, I needed to move the Chrome module to the /modules folder located on the USB. But when I try to do it, I get an error message saying that permission is denied.

I do not have another computer with Linux installed on a hard drive; I only have one with Windows, which is not mine but I can borrow if I want to download stuff to my USB, and I do not have another USB stick. Can I make Porteus persistent using only the stuff I have?

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Ed_P
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Help with persistence on USB

Post#2 by Ed_P » 31 Aug 2019, 15:57

Kartex wrote:
31 Aug 2019, 08:19
One specific thing I wish to make persistent is the Chrome installation. After installing Chrome, Porteus said that, for it to persist, I needed to move the Chrome module to the /modules folder located on the USB. But when I try to do it, I get an error message saying that permission is denied.
Try copying it rather than moving it.
Ed

tom2238
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Distribution: Porteus MATE v5.0 x86_64
Location: Czechia

Help with persistence on USB

Post#3 by tom2238 » 31 Aug 2019, 16:48

Hello. My Porteus 3.2.2 32 bit on USB stick have this boot parameters (persistence):

Code: Select all

LABEL gui
MENU LABEL Graphics mode with changes
KERNEL vmlinuz
APPEND initrd=initrd.xz changes=porteus/casper-rw nocd zram=5% noload=x86_64
TEXT HELP
    Run Porteus the best way we can.
    Try to autoconfigure graphics
    card and use the maximum
    allowed resolution
ENDTEXT
All changes are saved to file porteus/casper-rw on USB stick. casper-rw is disk image with ext4 filesystem and USB stick is formatted to FAT32.
You need modify boot config file (e.g. syslinux with /mnt/sdb1/boot/syslinux/porteus.cfg). Changes cheatcode make Porteus save changes to file.

I'm use mixed 32 and 64 bit Porteus on USB stick.

Code: Select all

guest@porteus:/mnt/sdb1/porteus/modules$ tree
.
├── audio
│   └── audacity-2.0.6-i486-1wre.xzm
├── games
│   ├── bzflag-2.4.12-alt1_all-i586-x86_32.xzm
│   ├── gnome-mahjongg-3.10.2-i686-1dl-x86_32.xzm
│   ├── gnome-mines-3.10.1-i686-1dl-x86_32.xzm
│   ├── gnome-sudoku-3.10.2-i686-1dl-x86_32.xzm
│   └── libcares2-1.13.0-1.mga6.i586-x86_32.xzm
├── gnome
│   ├── adwaita-icon-theme_3.18.0-2ubuntu3_all.xzm
│   ├── gnome-backgrounds-3.10.1-noarch-1dl.xzm
│   ├── gnome-icon-theme-symbolic_3.12.0-1_all.xzm
│   └── gnome-icon-theme_3.12.0-1ubuntu3_all.xzm
├── lib
│   ├── porteus_libs_1-x86_32.xzm
│   └── rt61_driver-x86_32.xzm
├── mate
│   ├── console-cyrillic-0.9.17-noarch-1-x86_32.xzm
│   ├── cs-core_locales.xzm
│   ├── cs_CZ-locales-files.xzm
│   ├── cs-mate_locales.xzm
│   ├── glibc-i18n-i586-1jay-x86_32.xzm
│   ├── glibc-i18n-x86_64-1jay.xzm
│   ├── man-files-3.2.2-noarch-1.xzm
│   ├── numix-icon-theme-circle-20170405-noarch-1_slonly.xzm
│   └── numix-icon-theme-20170712-noarch-1_slonly.xzm
├── net
│   ├── bluez-5.48-i586-1-x86_32.xzm
│   ├── flashplayer-plugin-28.0.0.161-x86_32.xzm
│   ├── palemoon-27.9.0-x86_64-1.xzm
│   └── palemoon-27.9.2-i586-1alien-x86_32.xzm
├── settings_usb_2.xzm
├── system
│   ├── porteus-modules-manager-merge-1.0.xzm
│   └── 3168-slapt-get-x86_32.xzm
└── utils
    ├── dargui-1.0-i586-1-x86_32.xzm
    ├── dar-2.5.11-i586-1_slonly-x86_32.xzm
    ├── hardinfo-0.5.1-i586-1dj-x86_32.xzm
    ├── htop-2.0.1-i586-1-x86_32.xzm
    └── nano-2.6.0-i586-1-x86_32.xzm

8 directories, 33 files


docata
Ronin
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Posts: 1
Joined: 03 Sep 2019, 18:04
Distribution: Linux Mint

Help with persistence on USB

Post#4 by docata » 03 Sep 2019, 18:12

Hello, I have a problem with installing Porteus-CINNAMON-v4.0-i586 on a NTFS usb drive and wasn't exactly sure where to post this cry for help...

I get the following error:

Type 'ok' to continue or press Ctrl+c to exit.
ok
Flushing filesystem buffers...

Installation failed with error code '1'.
Please ask for help on the Porteus forum: www.porteus.org/forum
and provide the information from /media/docata/USB STICK/boot/debug.txt

Exiting now...
Partition 2 does not start on physical sector boundary.
cat: '/media/docata/USB STICK/boot/syslinux/lilo.menu': No such file or directory


Indeed, there is no such file under this path, only lilo.conf.

Below I am including the debuginfo:

oot@pc:/media/docata/USB STICK/boot# cat debug.txt
device: /dev/sdb
partition: /dev/sdb1
partition number: 1
partition mount point: /media/docata/USB STICK
installation path: /media/docata/USB STICK/boot
subfolder:
filesystem: fuseblk
bootloader: lilo
error code: 1
system: pc 4.15.0-58-generic x86_64
mount details: /dev/sdb1 /media/docata/USB\040STICK fuseblk rw,nosuid,nodev,relatime,user_id=0,group_id=0,default_permissions,allow_other,blksize=4096 0 0
full partition scheme:
Disk /dev/sda: 465,8 GiB, 500107862016 bytes, 976773168 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x67b6989a

Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type
/dev/sda1 * 2048 195311615 195309568 93,1G 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 195313662 976771071 781457410 372,6G 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 195313664 257812479 62498816 29,8G 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6 257814528 976771071 718956544 342,8G 83 Linux





Disk /dev/sdb: 3,8 GiB, 4048551936 bytes, 7907328 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0xb7bdef25

Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type
/dev/sdb1 2048 7907327 7905280 3,8G 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT

If someone has any ideas, it would be much appreciated.

Many thanks in advance! :hi:

donald
Full of knowledge
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Posts: 2064
Joined: 17 Jun 2013, 13:17
Distribution: Porteus 3.2.2 XFCE 32bit
Location: Germany

Help with persistence on USB

Post#5 by donald » 03 Sep 2019, 20:24

Hello docata

I get the same error message when I use the mount path your system uses.
( manually created and dev mounted because my system usually
mount devices at /mnt )

Code: Select all

device: /dev/sdb
partition: /dev/sdb1
partition number: 1
partition mount point: /media/docata/USB STICK
installation path: /media/docata/USB STICK/boot
subfolder: 
filesystem: fuseblk
bootloader: lilo
error code: 1
system: porteus 4.9.0-porteus i686
I have no problems like this one if i mount the same (NTFS) device
at /mnt/sdb1
and run the installer then.

thanhann
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Posts: 1
Joined: 27 Aug 2020, 03:14
Distribution: 6

Help with persistence on USB

Post#6 by thanhann » 27 Aug 2020, 03:21

please help me, i am also having problem with it. :)

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Ed_P
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Help with persistence on USB

Post#7 by Ed_P » 27 Aug 2020, 06:03

thanhann wrote:
27 Aug 2020, 03:21
with it. :)
"it"?? What is your "it"? What version of Porteus, what format your USB drive, what error message are you getting?
Ed

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