Build a LIVE Kubuntu Flash Drive, How-To

[Qqmike]

Re: Build a LIVE Kubuntu Flash Drive, How-To

Glad you got it.
Thanks for your feedback and tips.

"Too bad I broke it by downloading upgrades..."
Getting "right and proper" upgrades is, as yet, a subject that seems to be open for contributions/further work.
I'm not sure anyone here has a definitive method on it. I have intended to google it, but as yet, no time to do so.
Here's some seemingly good/promising work on it:
UPDATING it, see thread:
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...6510#msg166510
8.10 > Software > SpikoPath



"Gparted in Kubuntu 8.04 does not show an option to change labels. Instead I used... [etc]..."

That's correct. I get it (labels)by using the Live CD version
gparted-live-0.39-13.iso
11-28-2008
Thanks for giving us the "old, tried & true" way (which I believe might be in the OP).


Finally, I'll have to check the CLI copy cp stuff; I thought I tested everything I wrote on that ( ? ), but maybe not.
--Thx.


Again, thanks, JohanLingen.

[JohanLingen]

Re: Build a LIVE Kubuntu Flash Drive, How-To

My first and foremost problem in updating was the available disk space, not any kernel issues.

Is Adept capable of installing, configuring and discarding any package right after download? (instead of downloading everything, then installing everything, then configuring everything and only then discarding downloaded packages)

[Qqmike]

Re: Build a LIVE Kubuntu Flash Drive, How-To

"Is Adept capable of installing, configuring and discarding any package right after download? (instead of downloading everything, then installing everything, then configuring everything and only then discarding downloaded packages)"

Good question. I don't know. Hopefully, one of the other guys will chime in.

[andybleaden]

Re: Build a LIVE Kubuntu Flash Drive, How-To

Now then...bit of an update as I have upgraded my live pen drive using usb creator to run jaunty alpha and kde4.2 which runs brilliantly on both home and work pc...however it will not let it upgrade the kernel and says in konsole that it can not do it because it is a live system...is there a way around this?..or should I just take the plunge and get on an install or be a little patient at least til jaunty gets an official release?

[Qqmike]

Re: Build a LIVE Kubuntu Flash Drive, How-To

I don't know. And I haven't seen much on the topic at all: updating the flash drive. We need to do some research on this, make that a project to investigate.
Here's some talk on it from our forum:
UPDATING it, see thread:
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...6510#msg166510
8.10 > Software > SpikoPath

I think most people just run the un-updated download versions, which for the purpose of the flash drive may be just fine, UNLESS there are unfixed bugs, in which case, you might have to apply patches manually, and so on. This whole subject is one I haven't done anything on (yet).

[toad]

Re: Build a LIVE Kubuntu Flash Drive, How-To

I can't remember how you did it, Andy, but if you have a compressed squashfs in there then I believe the only way to update/change things is to unpack it, mount it, update it, umount it and repack it as in remastering. You might find the "remastering dead easy" how to useful (if applicable!).

[andybleaden]

Re: Build a LIVE Kubuntu Flash Drive, How-To

Well I had a look at the bugs page and as posted elsewhere did this

I am testy jaunty and kde 4.2 and tried this to no avail. My error message was this:

Setting up linux-image-2.6.28-4-generic (2.6.28-4.11) ...
Running depmod.
update-initramfs is disabled since running on a live CD
Failed to symbolic-link /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-4-generic toinitrd.img.
dpkg: error processing linux-image-2.6.28-4-generic (--configure):
subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 17
Setting up linux-image-2.6.28-6-generic (2.6.28-6.17) ...
Running depmod.
update-initramfs is disabled since running on a live CD
Failed to symbolic-link /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-6-generic toinitrd.img.
dpkg: error processing linux-image-2.6.28-6-generic (--configure):
subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 17
Errors were encountered while processing:
linux-image-2.6.28-4-generic
linux-image-2.6.28-6-generic
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

I tried using this command :

sudo update-initramfs -u

and was told again that:
update-initramfs is disabled since running on a live CD

However the advice from the bug report here :
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...er/+bug/292159

says

Currently, "sudo apt-get upgrade" is forever broken, because it always tries & fails to install the kernel update. This is a huge turn-off for anyone trying out "usb-creator"-built persistent USB installations.
:: Workaround ::
Workaround discussed here: http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/index.php?topic=3096170
in brief
"A bit of digging has revealed that the /usr/sbin/update-initramfs script is a stub on the live CD (or the bootable USB drive made from a live CD). The original version can be found in:
/rofs/usr/sbin/update-initramfs
so you can (as root):
mv /usr/sbin/update-initramfs /usr/sbin/update-initramfs.old
and then:
ln -s /rofs/usr/sbin/update-initramfs /usr/sbin/update-initramfs

This worked our at least seemed to

[Qqmike]

Re: Build a LIVE Kubuntu Flash Drive, How-To

andybleaden, wow! thanks for all that nice work.

I'll work through your post soon and see how it goes. Right now, I'm stuck on another project, and then I have to re-do my 8.10 (or even 8.04) flash drive (long story).

Thanks, again, Andy. Be curious to see how others do with this, too.

[andybleaden]

Re: Build a LIVE Kubuntu Flash Drive, How-To

No problem..it was all someone else's I guess. However it seems to have sorted the error but not changed my kernel version which is still showing .4 and not .6 which is a pain. Tried to purge it as well...any ideas?

It ain't the same without using grub

[andybleaden]

Re: Build a LIVE Kubuntu Flash Drive, How-To

oh eck I have duffed the pen drive.bum.poo. and all those other open source words...thought that if i wanted to change the kernel loading I could delete one and then it would automatically replace it with the other....er no

Now it will not load any kernel so will have to recreate a new pen drive linux with jaunty alpha three and kde 4.2 and then update it all over again ...grrr!

Never mind it might teach me

However I must say that it was running 4.2 before really nice before and getting sorely tempted to install it permanently but will not until jaunty is sorted ....as my skills above prove...at least I have a nice warm kde 3.5 hardy system to use on my actual system.

Back in a few days with kde4.2 mark 2!

[Qqmike]

Reorganized!!!---Re: Build a LIVE Kubuntu Flash Drive, How-To

Building a Live Kubuntu Flash Drive, with Persistence

MAJOR REORGANIZATION ...

*** The topics of this thread have been reorganized 8 February 2009 ***
*** The following TOC applies now ***
*** It includes the major how-to posts originally posted by me in this thread ***


=> => I reorganized my major posts of this thread.

All major posts are now included in 3 posts:
The first post,
and in Reply #1,
and in Reply #3.

Nothing was removed, just moved.
All past how-to's going back to 7.10 Live are still here.

See the first post for the Table of Contents.

The TOC is summarized here:


TABLE of CONTENTS

First post:

Kubuntu 8.10 Intrepid Ibex KDE 4 ** Major Edit on 12-26-08 **
Live Flash Drive with Persistence - - - Complete & Simplified
(using GRUB as the bootloader; no Syslinux)
includes:
-- Using iso files to get Kubuntu and GRUB (without burning a live CD)
-- Working in GUI or CLI
-- Cloning your finished flash drive


Reply #1: usb-creator program (8.04 & 8.10)

Reply #3: History – Sequence of past how-to's
----- Building a Live Kubuntu Flash Drive for Gutsy 7.10
(not persistent; GRUB chainloads Syslinux)
----- Live Kubuntu 7.10 + Live Ubuntu 7.10 on a 2GB flash drive,
(not persistent; gRUB chainloads Syslinux to dual boot)
----- Live Kubuntu 7.10 flash drive WITH PERSISTENCE
(using GRUB all the way (i.e., no chainload to Syslinux))
----- Kubuntu HH 8.04 on Live Persistent Flash Drive
(using GRUB (no Syslinux); Bug fix: It addresses a well-known bug at the time
“[hardy] livecd: keyword "persistent" results in busybox and (initramfs)”

[Qqmike]

Re: Build a LIVE Kubuntu Flash Drive, How-To

@JohanLingen
In Reply #135, you made a correction and a suggestion that are correct. I incorporated both in the main how-to, see the NEW first post (the new OP). Also note my post above: MAJOR REORGANIZATION.

Thanks!



Your suggestions/correction was (Quote):

FYI to update the manual:
1) Gparted in Kubuntu 8.04 does not show an option to change labels. Instead I used
Code:

sudo e2label /dev/sdX1 kubuntu810
sudo e2label /dev/sdX2 casper-rw

2) cp -r ../* does not copy hidden files, instead use
Code:

sudo cp -RT /media/CDfiles/ /media/kubuntu810/

(notes: capital R and T; do not append * to source)

[Qqmike]

Re: Build a LIVE Kubuntu Flash Drive, How-To

Updating the live flash drive --

@andybleaden,

Your post, Reply #142, and the two links you gave there, seems to be the state-of-the-art in updating the Live K/Ubuntu flash drive.

I didn't try it yet, but spent some time studying it, and it should work (or, it won't for me, for some unknown reason). Nice research you did there for us.

The open question remains, whether future versions will come with a better update capability without having to work through these bugs/workarounds. Interest has grown a lot in the live flash drive segment.

Thanks.

[Qqmike]

Re: Build a LIVE Kubuntu Flash Drive, How-To

If anybody has put HH 8.04 on a Live Persistent flash drive using my manual how-to method (NOT using usb-creator), what is your experience with it?

Mine is a train-wreck.
I've tried for two weeks on and off, starting from scratch with super-clean flash drives, lately using the new 8.04.2 announced by kitterma the other day.
All sorts of problems. Adept crashing, not installing packages.

My method works to build the flash drive OK, but the OS is not performing once loaded and running.

But main issue is with this:

kio-media Kdialog
Will not save configuration
file “/home/ubuntu/.kde/share/config/kdeglobals” not writable.
I checked it and owner:group is ubuntu, BUT no one has any permissions: --- --- ---, not even ubuntu. I tried changing ownership/permissions in all possible permutations (using fresh flash drives), no luck, some changes made things even worse (cannot log in, cannot start kde config, etc.).

(and other related messages, cannot write to kwinrc, konquerorrc, kickerrc, and a whole list)

I did not try this with usb-creator which is available for 8.04 (thx to toad) here:
https://launchpad.net/~evand/+archive/ppa
(if you use that method, you may also need to enlarge to casper-rw space; if so, see
How to Create a Larger casper-rw loop file:
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/category/using-linux/ )
I did not try that, but it's a start.)

II 8.10 did seem to go ok, manually or with usb-creator, but I did not extensively test how it holds up.

Makes you wonder if Kubuntu is a good candidate for live persistent flash drive use.
I'm really beginning to see that the support of the devs is crucial for making things like this work. If you are not a programmer sort, there's not much you can do

Interestingly, the best one I've built is for 7.10.


I posted the same question/issue at Ubuntu in Herman's how-to:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=575406

My method uses GRUB (regular) and combines Techno_Cowboy's suggestion regarding persistence menu.lst, but the type of method is moot -- what matters is how the OS performs once booted.

[Qqmike]

Re: Build a LIVE Kubuntu Flash Drive, How-To

Well, Herman offered a pretty decent response: don't.
Seems he's gone away from live-persistent to a full-regular install to flash drive, like I was doing throughout this thread with a few distros:
-- How To Make GRUB Thumb Drive
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3081748.0
How to install K/Ubuntu 7.04 to an external USB hard disk drive (HDD), Reply #1

Makes sense, BUT, based on his experience to date and my own, the time to boot-up can quite long, like 4-6 minutes, sometimes with nothing more than a blinking “-” in the upper left hand corner.
I'll let him speak for himself in the Ubuntu thread I ref'd above and the 2nd where he lays out his experience with it thus far:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=6786509
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=789528


Hmmm.
Anybody try 8.04 in live-persistent yet?

Puppy—esp the new one—is really fast and snappy and has more features/apps, a good choice for a lightweight rescue stick. I guess I'd like to see Kubuntu go on the darned thing w/o problems, as a matter of principle, then I might be able to give up the ghost