make my Linux Portable....

Condobloke

Condobloke

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LM 18.3
I have Timeshift enabled
I use Clonezilla for backups
(both of these save to external drives)

I am playing with this idea, and need confirmation that it will indeed work

If i use a 64Gb usb /thumb drive, and install a clean copy of LM 18.3 to it.....using unetbootin....and make an allowance in unetbootin to 'preserve files across reboots'....allow Updates to run.....and then "restore" one of the 'Timeshift' snapshots on top of that......????????

Will that work?

or......set up the thumb drive ....run updates......then restore a Clonezilla image to it ???

scratching head here....getting splinters....

My idea here is to take that thumb drive with me and plug it into a windows laptop and use my Linux wherever I may be. Anything I 'add' would be saved by virtue of the 'preserve files across reboots' thingie........

I would only need to use this for approx 3 weeks. There are some things one just cannot do in windows, that can be done in Linux

Further thoughts....would it boot ?...problems there ?
 


Hi Brian... an excellent question. I think I need to sleep on it and let some alcohol effect wear off a bit... but Wizard will still likely have the better thoughts on this matter. One thing about "persistence" installed on USB sticks: not all operating system files will update. I don't remember the restrictions about that offhand, and perhaps it will not create a problem with your scenario anyway, but there are some limitations.

Cheers
 
Thanks mate....it will boot because it would be treated the same as any other bootable usb......alter the boot sequence in win 10 and away it goes

I guess the real question is the persistence.....then again if I install a stock standard lm18.3 and then restore a backup from clonezilla over the top of that.....It should work ok....again the question is the persistence of the persistence !!...lol....i just talked my way around in a circle !!

ok...i will await the swish and flurry of a wizard entering the room !
 
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I like the bit about

Condobloke said:
...and need confirmation that it will indeed work
Click to expand...

:D:D:D

You ARE hopeful, aren't you?:rolleyes:

You have the germ of an idea and I hope it is not contagious, but I've had my flu vaccination so hopefully I am immune. I trod a similar path a couple of years ago at our old stomping grounds when Member there rp88 was a little coy about going a full install with Linux, and so I created on an 8GB usb stick a full install of Linux Mint 17.3 'Rosa' Cinnamon with persistence. I did a full install to it, gave it only about 256MB Swap just to keep it happy, and was able to perform updates on it out to the 8GB limit. Worked OK but slow.

Persistence under usual circumstances, such as you will find with Unetbootin or other, is limited to 4GB, but there is a way around that, and it is covered by a HowTo Geek article, I just have to track it down.

Given you're using an 18.3 "Mintie" you've already got Timeshift and that should work OK. Once you've set up the stick ... I'll call your 'puter install of LM the Host and the stick the Guest - you'd just screenshot the Host from time to time, then tweak the Location under Settings and Restore to the Guest, should go easy peasy. Under TS's Settings, you might want to go to Users and choose "include all".

Clonezilla I have used numerous times, but not for the purposes you describe. You could ask Steven Shiau, the developer of Clonezilla. Steven has this site

http://www.stevenshiau.org/

... on which he has his c-v and two (2) email addresses, spam-modified, just adjust them.

BTW1 - Do I really swish and flurry?
BTW2 - Elaine wants to know how Belle (Brian's dog) is doing and whether she is here or there. Email me ;)

Wizard
 
. Email me ;)...I did.

back on topic.....

Ok....having a rethink......thats what happens when you leave me to my own devices....

64Gb usb/thumb drive....create it as a bootable usb with LM 18.3 + Persistence. Wis mentioned Unetbootin is capable of providing 4Gb of persistence......3 Gb or even 2 Gb may well be enough for me.

Once the usb is made bootable.....I can email the material I need to myself via gmail.....or in some cases simply download a link or six via the windows laptop which the Linux usb will be plugged into.

I realised I dont actually need the whole kit and kaboodle on the usb/thumb drive. I can accomplish what I need to without reinventing the wheel.

I came across THIS PAGE ......which explains the method to follow in establishing persistence on the usb......(my only reservation with that page is the articles age....2014)

This approach would save me the drama (possible) associated with screwing around with timeshift and aptik etc

I progress....albeit slowly

Edit to add : a weekly snapshot from Timeshift contains approx 634000 items consuming approx 15Gb
 
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Brian just a holding post for now have to go out in a bit.

Below is a screenshot of Linux Mint 18.3 'Sylvia' MATE generated with persistence of 4GB

8TlduiL.png


SCREENSHOT 1 - SYLVIA WITH PERSISTENCE, PRODUCED WITH MULTISYSTEM

I've put it together using a French product called Multisystem, which I have been using for closer to 4 years than not.

Multisystem allows for the burning of multiple Live iso's to it, although only one at a time can have Persistence, and that attribute is limited I think to The 'buntus, the Mints, &c and I think Fedora.

So on a 16 GB stick such as this, I can travel with 6 - 8 Linuxes, all bootable. I also have a 64 GB stick on which I can place 25 - 30 Linux but seldom do.

Multisystem is found at http://liveusb.info/dotclear . You may need to employ eg Google translate. You can read about it at https://www.pendrivelinux.com/multiboot-create-a-multiboot-usb-from-linux/ .

If you choose to try, from Linux, Multisystem, forget the tar and the script. If you are using Debian-based Distros, go this route:

Code: 
sudo apt-add-repository 'deb http://liveusb.info/multisystem/depot all main'
wget -q -O - http://liveusb.info/multisystem/depot/multisystem.asc | sudo apt-key add -
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get -y install multisystem

I think I may have found a way (well, someone else may have found it), to increase the size of the Persistence to fill the stick and I am going to check into that and come back here later.

Brian that link you referred to

http://tuxtweaks.com/2014/03/create-linux-mint-persistent-live-usb/

... is for the most part accurate, still, if you look at all the comments at the bottom. Note the versions it works on and those not.

For the benefit of The Viewers:

I haven't checked for 4 weeks but will do so imminently - but Unetbootin a week after Ubuntu 18.04 'Bionic Beaver' was released, was NOT included in the Repos, for the first time in years. Further you could not just add the usual PPA because it referred to a previous version of Ubuntu and was not allowed.

Geza Kovacs is the developer of Unetbootin, I will look to see if the status quo has changed. Given the imminent release of Linux Mint 19, which will likely be based on the 'Beaver', that may carry through to them as well.

Cheers

Wiz
BTW - got your email buddy, will respond soon :)
 
@ CptCharis.....have looked at Knoppix and a few others....Puppy as well....I will (when I am back in civilisation) give Manjaro a run. I have always liked the sound of it.

But for now...Linux Mint is the go !....simple, easy and I am very familiar with it.

SO...(@ Wiz as well !)....come this following Monday I will buy a new 64 Gb usb drive and give it a whirl using Linix Mint 18.3 + Persistence.

? do i need to update the Lm18.3 install??....that would be several gb's or at least mb's of data in itself.......I am assuming that the updates would not count as deductions from the persistence ???....but would 'replace' space already used in the root area?....you can see i have no idea what the hell I am talking about here....so be gentle. (maybe the better course of action would be to simply install lm18.3 and NOT update it....just use it as is. The tasks required of it are very simple and straightforward...connect to the 'net...send and receive emails and access a handful of sites, successfully save the work I have done.)

Multiboot.......why would I use that as opposed to unetbootin ?....remember this only for a bootable usb which will only be used for approx 3 weeks. It is not intended for use with my other topic where i am preparing for the fresh install of LM 19

Still thinking/pondering/mulling. I guess the best way to see if it works is to try it out. I now have the Windows 10 laptop back in my possession (yuk)......come Monday (influx of funds ! ) I will give it a whirl.
 
I can see I am confusing you with the options available, so if you are confused, some of The Viewers may be lost :oops:

Although Pendrive Linux refer to Multisystem's ability to store multiple .iso's and boot from any of them, I am talking about only using the product to put one (1) LM 'Sylvia' on it, enable persistence, and go with that.

Following is a pic of my 16GB stick with LM on it, and 12.2 GB Persistence, customised a little to my liking.

h1wxaVd.png


SCREENSHOT 1 - SYLVIA WITH 12.2GiB PERSISTENCE

Note the presence on the desktop at left, of a USB drive icon for casper-rw. That is because I have modified the usual setup to allow for more than 4 GiB Persistence. I have done this before, but not with a Multisystem stick. I was interested to see that it works. It has survived 7 - 8 reboots, each time, adding something or two to test the Persistence.

You could use this principle if you wanted to carry with you a bunch of .iso's, videos, music, &c. On a 64 GB stick with 60+ of it as Persistence.

It really depends on what you want the Persistence for.

Let us know

Condobloke said:
Edit to add : a weekly snapshot from Timeshift contains approx 634000 items consuming approx 15Gb
Click to expand...

... is that including the data you want to work with, the apps you yourself have installed (eg Nightingale), all updates, and all settings?

Cheers

Wizard
 
Just for the heck of it...I whacked an iso on a sizable thumb drive.....(after I had checked the iso etc ).....ticked the box for 4gb of persistence (Unetbootin)....waited for it to do iots thing...rebooted, booted to the usb....up came linux....with no panel !......just the linux symbol in the middle of the diddle and nothing else.
After a lot of screwing around......i managed to get a panel with a menu and a few icons.......and it ran like it was wading through a bed of treacle !
wtf !!??
 
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oh....and in answer to your questions....

I dont need music and videos etc etc

I need the ability to use Thunderbird mail (which accesses gmail for me), I need to access various websites and save some material from them.....not huge amounts.......maybe 100Mb tops.

My idea behind loading all linux updates was only to ensure the OS ran ok with no dramas in the middle of saving info etc etc (Belle's transfers, quarantine arrangements, flight to singpapore and then to melbourne and then communication with Mickelham quarantine station and Sembawang quarantine station depend on this working.......my PC will be somewhere on a boat between here and Oz)

....and....the Timeshift snapshot which I had thoughts of 'dropping in'...contains everything....the whole show

I guess I could always load Timeshift up on the thumb drive and save the snapshots to the hdd on the laptop which the thumb drive is plugged into..??
 
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I did the 'MultiSystem' thing...bit more complex than the usual iso burner....but figured it out ok.
Typing from firefox on there now.
Having dramas with thunderbird...somhow i managed to input the incoming server, twice !....not sure how i managed that.
Anyway...I elected to give it 4Gb of persistence.......I will hammer it and see how it goes...

Note the presence on the desktop at left, of a USB drive icon for casper-rw. That is because I have modified the usual setup to allow for more than 4 GiB Persistence. I have done this before, but not with a Multisystem stick. I was interested to see that it works. It has survived 7 - 8 reboots, each time, adding something or two to test the Persistence.

Just in case i find I do need more than the present 4Gb...let me know how to alter casper-rw etc to increase the persistence
 
Condobloke said:
Having dramas with thunderbird...somhow i managed to input the incoming server, twice !....not sure how i managed that.
Click to expand...
Are you manually setting up Thunderbird? I usually copy the hidden .thunderbird folder from my home folder on the pc to the home folder on a flash drive. It brings all the settings, all the addresses, and all the emails with it.
 
Geez Brian, you & that dachshund (only kidding) of yours will get to be high maintenance :p

Working from the last Post back -

Stan's idea has merit (as I would expect), but could be expanded on by using Aptik - https://www.linux.org/threads/aptik-have-settings-will-travel.4529/

Then all settings are preserved (including Firefox and others).

Condobloke said:
...let me know how to alter casper-rw etc to increase the persistence
Click to expand...

Murphy's Law, but I needed a stick for some voodoo yesterday and reformatted that one. But easy to recreate, and I can take a video of it and link to it here.

Do I take it you found the Persistence function in Multisystem, by clicking on the eyeball to get extra functions? The Persistence function can take as long as burning the stick to complete. On completion, you then have 2 Menu items, one is the pristine live USB, the other (may have to scroll sideways to see "persistence") is the Live with Persistence. The boot default is 30 seconds.

Condobloke said:
I guess I could always load Timeshift up on the thumb drive and save the snapshots to the hdd on the laptop which the thumb drive is plugged into..??
Click to expand...

Quite possibly :confused:. With just a Live USB that has Timeshift installed, you can only restore a snapshot from Point A to Point B. However with a full install on the stick, I would think it likely you could take a snapshot. We can test that.

Just remind me ... you are on 'Sylvia' Cinnamon and Capta (@CptCharis ) is on 'Sylvia' MATE, am I right there?

Cheers

Wiz
 
Sylvia Cinnamon......yes I am aware that i end up with "2" menu items....one of them with persistence.

@atanere....i have done the copy and paste thing with .thunderbird before.....but it is a simple matter just to type in my email address and hit 'next' andn it finds the settings in the mozilla profile within a few seconds....i hit next again and it is supposed to check tjhe password and all should be ok.....but it keeps checking....and checking....and a few hours later...checking.
Ok....have copied .thunderbird to a usb......will proceed.

Bloody win 10...if ever its 'inventor' walks into view, I will do him/her some sort of 'harm'....maybe tell Belle to ignore him/her...
(btw.....Belle is having a serious miffed moment...dachshund indeed !!.....bottom feeder i heard her mutter/growl...)

(for all those uninformed unfortunates....Belle....is my dog...Australian Kelpie. red/brown in color, beautiful in nature, intelligence in every look.)
 
Condobloke said:
i have done the copy and paste thing with .thunderbird before.....but it is a simple matter just to type in my email address and hit 'next' andn it finds the settings in the mozilla profile within a few seconds....
Click to expand...
Yes, it usually works quite well for me like that too. But I now have 13 emails addresses that I set up (some more active than others) and so because of that I still always choose the copy/paste method to take Thunderbird on different journeys... sometimes to USB, but more often to a laptop for travel.

It's been so long that I've put it on a persistent USB that I just had to go test it again, but it did seem to work okay. The latest Mint 19 beta that I used to test was unreasonably slow though... not sure what's up with that.

Back in my work cycle again. Just popping in and out as I'm able.

Cheers
 
I tried the copy/paste approach....however....my gmail/thunderbird in .thunderbird...now exceeds 4gb....and therefore is too large to paste into the thumb drive....
 
Over 4 GB?!?! Yikes!!! :eek::eek::D:D

You might could benefit from figuring out how to make persistence larger than 4GB... but I think I might still worry about keeping that much data intact on a USB. I've had a few bad USB experiences over the years so I don't have the faith/trust in them like I used to.
 
I think Wiz is (hopefully) figuring that out (again) as we speak.

I am quite comfortable taking the chance.......because the whole lot will be sitting on googles servers if the thumb drive decides to turn its toes up. (which is why I elected to save everything that i need

in email form) Google very nicely offers 15 Gb free storage.
 
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