Unable to save files & configuration same Porteus DVD-RW

[joejac]

Hello,

Congratulations! is the first Linux that I ran the first time without any issues, and from DVD-RW.

I burned the ISO in a DVD-RW with the session open, so I can write to same DVD. My goal is to use a portable Linux, like if I had it in a 4GB hard disk, so I can write changes and files to the DVD, like Linux Puppy does. Unfortunately some programs like Skype did not run in my Puppy Slacko DVD, but all they run fine in Porteus 3.1.

I used the Porteus Save File Manager, but it do not allow to create the file in /mnt/sr0 I get "error Read-only file system", but it is a DVD-RW, I do not understand. Puppy works and stores information in its own DVD.

I downloaded Porteus with LXQt and I love it at first sight. Any help is very much appreciated, please consider I am not a Linux expert, I come from M$ world trying to get rid off Windows.

Thanks and best regards
joejac

[francois]

Please look at at the /boot/syslinux/porteus.cfg file for the MENU LABEL Graphics mode is there a changes= cheatcode in there? For example:

Code: Select all

LABEL gui
MENU LABEL Graphics mode 64bit_v31rc1  extramod KDE
KERNEL vmlinuz
APPEND initrd=initrd.xz from=/64bit_v31rc1 changes=/path/  login=root 
TEXT HELP
    Run Porteus the best way we can.
    Try to autoconfigure graphics
    card and use the maximum
    allowed resolution
ENDTEXT

Give us the output of that MENU LABEL Graphics mode of yours.

I do not work with cd or dvd anymore. However, if you have no changes= cheatcode this would be why you do not keep changes. Please give us the output of blkid in command line, so that we can modify accordingly your /boot/syslinux/porteus.cfg. Maybe you will need a save.dat container.

[joejac]

Hello and thank you francois,
I copy paste the contents of the file, this is way above my limited Linux knowledge, thanks for your help.
Regards
joejac

/mnt/sr0/boot/syslinux/porteus.cfg

Code: Select all

PROMPT 0
TIMEOUT 90
UI vesamenu.c32
DEFAULT LXQt
MENU BACKGROUND porteus.png
MENU TITLE Porteus-3.1 64bit

MENU WIDTH 30
MENU MARGIN 2
MENU ROWS 10
MENU HELPMSGROW 17
MENU TIMEOUTROW 28
MENU TABMSGROW 15
MENU CMDLINEROW 22
MENU HSHIFT 4
MENU VSHIFT 5

	menu color screen	37;40      #00000000 #00000000 none
	menu color border	30;44      #00000000 #00000000 none
	menu color title	1;36;44    #ffF6FF00 #30003f07 none
	menu color unsel	37;44      #ffffffff #00000000 none
	menu color hotkey	1;37;44    #ff8037b7 #00000000 none
	menu color sel		7;37;40    #ff111B78 #003f7fbf none
	menu color hotsel	1;7;37;40  #ffaf67f7 #003f7fbf none
	menu color scrollbar	30;44      #00000000 #00000000 none

	menu color tabmsg	31;40      #ffB6F538 #00000000 none
	menu color cmdmark	1;36;40    #ffff0000 #00000000 none
	menu color cmdline	37;40      #ffffffff #ff000000 none
	menu color pwdborder	30;47      #ffff0000 #00000000 std
	menu color pwdheader	31;47      #ffff0000 #00000000 std
	menu color pwdentry	30;47      #ffff0000 #00000000 std
	menu color timeout_msg	37;40      #ff809aef #00000000 none
	menu color timeout	1;37;40    #ffb72f9f #00000000 none
	menu color help		37;40      #ffD5F538 #00000000 none
	menu color msg07	37;40      #90ffffff #00000000 std


LABEL LXQt
MENU LABEL Graphics mode (LXQt)
KERNEL vmlinuz
APPEND initrd=initrd.xz changes=/porteus volume=100%
TEXT HELP
    Run Porteus the best way we can.
    Try to autoconfigure graphics
    card and use the maximum
    allowed resolution
ENDTEXT

LABEL fresh
MENU LABEL Always Fresh
KERNEL vmlinuz
APPEND initrd=initrd.xz nomagic base_only norootcopy volume=100%
TEXT HELP
    Normally Porteus saves all changes
    to the /porteus/changes/ directory
    on the boot media (if writable)
    and restores them next boot.
    Use this option to start a fresh
    system, changes are not read from
    or written to any device
ENDTEXT

LABEL copy2ram
MENU LABEL Copy To RAM
KERNEL vmlinuz
APPEND initrd=initrd.xz copy2ram volume=100%
TEXT HELP
    Run Porteus the same as above,
    but first copy all data to RAM
    to get a huge speed increase
    (needs >768MB)
ENDTEXT

LABEL text
MENU LABEL Text mode
KERNEL vmlinuz
APPEND initrd=initrd.xz 3 volume=100%
TEXT HELP
    Run Porteus in text mode and
    start the command prompt only
ENDTEXT

LABEL pxe-boot
MENU LABEL Porteus as PXE server
KERNEL vmlinuz
APPEND initrd=initrd.xz pxe volume=100%
TEXT HELP
    Run Porteus as usual, but also
    initialize a PXE server.
    This will allow you to boot Porteus
    on other computers over a network
ENDTEXT

MENU SEPARATOR

LABEL plop
MENU LABEL PLoP BootManager
KERNEL plpbt
TEXT HELP
    Run the plop boot manager.
    This utility provides handy
    boot-USB options for machines
    with vintage/defective BIOS
ENDTEXT

LABEL hd
MENU LABEL Boot from the first hd
COM32 chain.c32
APPEND hd0 1
TEXT HELP
    Don't start Porteus at all, but
    rather run any operating system
    installed on the first partition
    of the hard drive
ENDTEXT

[francois]

When you boot porteus, do you select the option?
MENU LABEL Graphics mode (LXQt)

After searching a little, you seem to be searching for that feature of puppy linux:
http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/linu ... tence.html
which I do not think is possible for porteus, unless one of the developpers says so.

However, you could save your sessions on hard disk or usb providing that you have some linux partition or that you use a save.dat container for ntfs filesystem (windows).

If you decide to store the persistance data on usb or hdd, you could decide to store it at each bootup by pressing the tab key when your boot your computer with your porteus dvd. A menu comes up to gain access to the cheatcodes you will have to write the location of your save file as specification to the changes= cheatcode.

In the output you provided, the important section is related to lxqt graphic mode:

Code: Select all

LABEL LXQt
MENU LABEL Graphics mode (LXQt)
KERNEL vmlinuz
APPEND initrd=initrd.xz changes=/porteus volume=100%
TEXT HELP
    Run Porteus the best way we can.
    Try to autoconfigure graphics
    card and use the maximum
    allowed resolution
ENDTEXT

Specifically:

Code: Select all

changes=/porteus

which would have to be changed to:

Code: Select all

changes=/path-to-usb-or-hdd/save-file-name

[joejac]

Hello Francois,

Yes I always use the first menu option: Graphics Mode (LXQt)
How can I know for sure if Porteus can write to same boot medium, I mean the DVD-RW, like Slako Puppy does?.
I like the aesthetics and functionality of Porteus, Puppy is good, but not all programs have worked for me in Puppy, and I want to be fully portable, with OS and Data in only one medium, not in 2, for me is inconvenient to use a HD or a USB pendrive for the session data. It would be perfect if Porteus can store the session data in same DVD, how can I know if there is a possibility to do so with Porteus?.

Last question, are there modules for Wine and for GIMP?, I have a couple Windows applications that I need to run. I was trying to find Gimp, Wine and other programs using the Package Manager, I updated the database, but it always shows zero results for the searched programs.

I am very pleased with Porteus, is fast, aesthetic, LXQt makes believe I am working with a formal installation, and the main programs work from a DVD, this is great! If Porteus can store the session data in the DVD, so I can use it the next time I boot Porteus from the DVD, it would be the perfect Linux for me! I want to be able to work from a cybercoffe computer, booting from DVD. If the DVD gets damaged or stolen, I got another DVD copy, very convenient.

What means FAA in my title? I didn't write that.
Thanks a lot
Regards
joejac

[Bogomips]

Code: Select all

root@porteus:/home/guest# usm -g gimp

 The following items were found.
 Choose an number to confirm.
 ctrl+c to quit

1) gimp-2.8.6-i486-1.txz
#? 1
etc.
root@porteus:/home/guest# usm -g wine

 The following items were found.
 Choose an number to confirm. 
 ctrl+c to quit

1) wine-1.7.33-i486-1alien.txz
2) wine-1.7.33-i486-1sl.txz
3) wine-1.7.9-i486-1alien.txz
4) wine-pipelight-1.7.33-i486-1alien.tgz
5) wine_gecko-1.9-x86-1alien.tgz
6) wine_gecko-2.34-i486-2sl.txz
7) winetricks-20130919-i486-1sl.txz
#? 2

Processing:   wine-1.7.33-i486-1sl.txz 

What means FAA in my title? I didn't write that.

Presumably Francois appealing to a higher authority.

[joejac]

Hello Bogomips and thank you.

I though I could use the GUI installer, so it has to be done using command line, I hope it takes care of all dependencies. I come from Windows world and I am not very proficient with command line, I will try those commands once I know how to storage the session data in same live DVD.

Thanks a lot and best regards
joejac

[francois]

The gui is as good as the cli. Though you should try the cli, you will get to know all there is to be known about the cli:

Code: Select all

usm -h

Where h is for help. 8)

And keep telling us about the qualities and problems of porteus. This is refreshing.

[joejac]

The gui is as good as the cli. Though you should try the cli, you will get to know all there is to be known about the cli:

Code: Select all

usm -h

Where h is for help. 8)

And keep telling us about the qualities and problems of porteus. This is refreshing.

Hello Francois, well probably I made a mistake with the GUI Package Manager, I will check in a few days because now I have a lot of delayed things to do.
Last Saturday I wrote my opinion on Porteus, after a short test I did same day, I posted it in YouTube in the following video, but my post was deleted, "freedom of expression," fortunately I have a copy that I quote below:
Did I say something wrong?? Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-bWpDUnD7I

Hello, I normally do not post, but something unusual happen today, let me explain. I use several Linux distributions, plus a Virtual Machine for the Win 7 programs not running in Linux. I always struggle with some settings, either flash, printer, scanner, wireless, to make skype 4.3.0 working it is allways a pain, but today I configured to my needs this Porteus portable linux operating system here: http://build.porteus.org/ including, 64Bits, GUI, LXQt, Firefox, Libre Office, Development Tools, Skype! Video Open Source Drives and Printers and it built a tailored Porteus OS, only 519MB, I burned it in a RW DVD and voila! up and running in one minute without touching my hard drive installation,

Skype worked at first try!, my old HP scanner and printer worked at first try, too. Windows 7 do not recognize my old HP ScanJet 3300C scanner, but all the Linux I have tried does it. But with Porteus 3 I did not have to configure or resolve any issue, anything! it detected my two monitors and they work independently, as I need it, I still can not believe it! Is the first time I use LXQt and I love it, simple and beautiful.

It has fast response, opening files from my local hard disk and even from the same DVD where Porteus is running. Very fast reading my USB pendrive. I live in a South American country and Porteus detected my USB mobile broadband connection, Porteus provided the right vendor and connecting parameter, then it connected fine at first attempt, Skype reconnected automatically.

I normally hide the panel, but this option is not available in LXQt "Configure Panel". Porteus also has a widget to measure CPU temperature, that is very important to me, this country is burning hot. What can I say, simply awesome!. And in "System Tools" it has an icon: "VirtualBox Builder", so this is very convenient in order to work Porteus from an external 500GB USB Hard Drive and other Operating Systems in Virtual Machines.

Finally in addition to be portable, I think this Porteus 3 is the best user friendly Linux distribution!. I will test it on other computers, old and more new, to see if it works so well as in my 4 years old HP Pavilion dv-6 laptop. cheers Jose

may be I was too optimistic, now I see that to store the session data it seems to be not so easy or perhaps impossible in current Porteus version, hope this can be improved in next version.
Best regards and please, keep going with this nice work!
joejac

[brokenman]

I am a little lost about how you are saving your changes to RW disk. You need to actually physically burn an optical disk using the laser in your DVD/RW writer. You can't simply save Porteus changes to an optical disk. It is literally read only. So you will need to open a CD burning program in order to add another session. When you do this you want to burn your save file file. This is NOT a fully portable solution and I highly recommend using a USB. A multi session CD/DVD may only be read by the computer on which it was burned until you finalize it (create the last session and close it), depending on which software you use to burn it.

[ncmprhnsbl]

this is the feature referred to: Slacko 5.3
http://i.imgur.com/QJ0BGu7.png
puppy copies to ram by default and saves on exit.. session burning in the shut down process (i guess)

[francois]

You plainly wrote it ncmprhnsbl. This way of storing info with puppy linux is explained a little more fully in the link I posted above.

[joejac]

Hello,

Yes brokenman I used that Puppy feature every time I use it in a small DVD RW 1,4GB. Puppy has some nice features, but I was not able to run some programs like Skype. And frankly, after using Porteus, well I feel more comfortable with it, hope the developers can find pretty soon an easy way to store the session data after shutoff.
After the disaster with the local economy, the USD went from 8 local currency units per 1 USD to almost 337 in 3 years, so it is not recommended to go around with a pendrive much less a laptop. Out of my home-office I use the puppy 1.4GB DVD which is very small and unnoticed in my shirt pocket, but I miss features.

Best regards
joejac

[francois]

It seems this is not a feature of porteus.

What is the problem for you to buy a usb key?

[fanthom]

why not to use a save.dat and place it on a hard drive? you could continue booting from DVD.