torios-dev team mailing list archive

[Nio Wiklund <nio.wiklund@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Israel and Paul,

I think most of my replies are to you, Israel, but I'm asking you, Paul,
to add instructions into the ToriOS manual: "How to add persistence to a
ToriOS live system".

[continuing to reply inline]

Best regards
Nio

Den 2015-03-29 14:32, Israel skrev:
> On 03/29/2015 12:31 AM, Nio Wiklund wrote:
>> ...
>> Hi Israel,
>>
>> I don't think you replied to this mail. Did you get it? What do you
>> think about recommending a persistent live system for this purpose?
>>
>> I really think persistence is the best solution [for the current ToriOS
>> iso file based live system], when people want to download tarballs, and
>> there is not enough RAM, and/or they want to keep what is downloaded,
>> installed or changed in live mode:
> Hi Nio,
> I am not sure, all these e-mails have the same title, so I may have
> missed it.
> Did you get my e-mail about dltbl?  I am not sure you replied to that
> one yet either.

I don't think I got a separate mail about dltbl, just the one, that I
replied to (where you also discussed other things), so please send it
again :-)

>>> I think a persistent live system provides the simplest and also the
>>> most flexible solution. It will automatically increase the drive
>>> space, which is limited by low RAM, and at the same time make the
>>> stored data (in this case tarballs) survive rebooting and poweroff.
>> -o-
>>
>> Most computers, even twelve year old computers (made 2003), can boot
>> from USB. For these computers a good alternative is to make an installed
>> system with the OBI-installer in ToriOS and create a compressed image
>> file of it,
>>
>> ToriOS-xxx.img.xz
>>
>> Such a system is easily installed with mkusb in linux and with Win32
>> Disk Imager in Windows
>>
>> https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Win32DiskImager/iso2usb
>>
>> The ToriOS compressed image file would correspond to my standard One
>> Button Installer, which comes installed in Lubuntu Trusty when you download
>>
>> http://phillw.net/isos/one-button-installer/dd_images/dd_blank-obi_7.8GB_27_LubuntuTrusty.img.xz
>>
>> The obvious and simple alternative is to provide ToriOS tarballs to be
>> used by the standard One Button Installer. I can prepare and update such
>> tarballs, but please consider a ToriOS-xxx.img.xz file.
>>
>> Best regards
>> Nio
> Many of my computers do not boot from USB, some I can shim with GRUB but
> setting the root to the USB drive, and manually setting the linux and
> initrd files before booting.
> I wouldn't think an img file is as compressed as an xz file.

My compressed image files *are* compressed with xz :-D

And mkusb can install from them. In Windows you would have to expand
them with for example 7-zip or winzip before running Win32 Disk Imager.
7-zip is free (while I think winzip costs money nowadays).

> Are you suggesting that we host an img file as well as building the ISO
> with an xz in it?

Yes, but these are separate.

A. *The ToriOS iso file should be like it is now* (only software updates
and debugging).

B. The ToriOS compressed image file corresponds to a tarball, but the
installing tool is mkusb, not the OBI.

1. *The OBI is installed in a ToriOS installed system* (corresponding to
the standard One Button Installer).

2. *A ToriOS ready-made installed system* , I would prefer to deliver it
with OEM (can be done if openbox is installed for that purpose).

Maybe we could make your script replacing OEM work also inside an
installed system, for example if it boots into a text screen as root the
first time. After running your script, the user is created and the
original user is wiped, 'booting to root' is wiped and everything is set
up to boot into the ToriOS desktop environment.

> I do think persistence would be very nice for being able to download
> tarballs.

And it is easy to do it :-D

@ Paul:

I suggest that you add the instructions into the ToriOS manual.

> But couldn't we also do something similar to what I suggested
> in the dltbl e-mail of offereing to save to an external USB, or a
> separate USB partition, etc... 

Yes, we can, but it would only be marginally easier for the user, if
easier at all. With persistence, the user need not select the storage
drive, it will be used automatically.

> perhaps mkusb could even add a partition for the remaining freespace?

No - mkusb only [wipes the target or] copies the iso file or image file.
No more, no less.

> Either way, I trust your opinions very much and value them.  I do want
> to make things easy for our users, and if an img file would make it
> easier, then I agree that we should have one.  If it will make the ISO
> too big then we will need to host it separately.

It should be separate from the ISO file.

> Will windows disk imager be able to make an ext partition for ToriOS?

No - win32 disk imager only copies the iso file or image file. No more,
no less.

-o-

Whatever is in the iso file or image file will be copied. So if you
provide an extra ext partition, it will also be copied by mkusb and
win32 disk imager. Also the bootloader and partition table will be
copied. So it is a bad idea for dual booting ;-)

If empty, it is better to create such a partition with gparted.

A home partition can be created.

An installed system with a GUID partition table can be created including
bios_grub and EFI partitions :-P