Install to live USB stick: latest antix2usb scripts

lagopus · posted: 2009-11-03 11:43

I open a new topic (though it's a follow up of this:
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Updated antix2usb.sh (bug fixes)
Created a new simple gui. It uses gtkdialog and uses default options.

Uploaded a tgz file to rapidshare:

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MD5: 8E09794AF28E2037E369C9C6D1EA08D0

From the README file:

The script antix2usb.sh is adapted from sidux's fll-iso2usb.sh

Quoting fll-iso2usb.sh:
# given an usb pen, eg /dev/sdb, /dev/sdc we create ** one ** partition on that
# device make it bootable, format it with ext3
# install grub into it
# copy the message file into the grub dirs
# create directory for iso, kernel, initrd (eg sidux)
# copy the files into there.
# create the menu.lst file on it

More information on this:
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antix2usb.sh creates ** two ** partitions, the first bootable hosting
the system, and the second on the space left on device formated to
receive user data. Both are formated ext3.

The script antix2usb-gui.sh is a gtkdialog-powered interface.
It allows the user to:
- select the iso file
- select the removable USB device (please select with the combobox, do not edit!)
- select the size of the bootable partition (no spinbox available...)
- select to have or not a persistent home file system (for versions post 8.2)
Then the antix2usb.sh shell is launched in a xterm providing feedback.
The gui performs some checks.

Localisation is provided for french language. Defaults to english.

It is not a fair piece of programming (that's the most I could do with
gtkdialog... thanks to the slitaz guys for the ideas I borrowed from
their slitaz/tinyutils scripts).

The goal was to keep the gui simple with a minimal set of options.

The script antix2usb.sh provides more options, maybe not fully tested.
See: antix2usb.sh -h for help.

Enjoy.
Feedback warmly welcome.
I will try topost 2 screenshots...

lagopus · posted: 2009-11-03 11:49

Screenshots (french locale; only french locale and default english supported:

Main dialog and help:

Execution, output in roxterm:

dark-D · posted: 2009-11-03 12:38

thanks lagopus for the script update, it looks great. i'll give it a try tonight. can i still use the option for ext2 in the non-gui script? i want to use ext2 because it isn't a journal file system.

lagopus · posted: 2009-11-03 13:07

ICE-M

Yes the ext2 option is still here in the antix2usb.sh script.
Should I add this option to the gui? The goal was: keep it simple!
I also may add an extra option passed to the kernel: screen resolution vga=nnn, with a combobox:
- default
- netboook (1024x600)
- eepc701 (7")
And maybe you will have a suggestion for writing a second line in the grub menu, like vga=normal acpi=off... in case the user gets some problem with some driver...

dark-D · posted: 2009-11-03 14:12

it looks nice this simple. the boot options can be added from grub and the user has to know what to add, so i'm not for them. i guess there is no need for the partition type if we can choose the first partition type and the second is made ext3. there is still a second partition, no ? __{{emoticon}}__ ) i'll post more when i try it. great work lapopus.

lagopus · posted: 2009-11-03 20:43

ICE-M:

it looks nice this simple. the boot options can be added from grub and the user has to know what to add, so i'm not for them

I agree, the user can edit the menu.lst file after installation.

i guess there is no need for the partition type if we can choose the first partition type and the second is made ext3. there is still a second partition, no ?

Or maybe the two partitions formated ext2 ?. Do we need a journalised file system on a USB stick?

anticapitalista · posted: 2009-11-03 21:33

One thing that needs to change is that the persistance option for rootfs must point to the partition that antiX
is not installed on, like you correctly did with homefs. For live usb persistance homefs and rootfs can be on
the same partition.

Apart from that, the app works very well and is quick and is an excellent addition to antiX.

Suggestions: If possible have the gui give the option of ext2 or ext3. Supposedly ext2 is better for persistance.
Once finished, maybe a pop up to say it is finished and to close the app.

BitJam has also been working on modifying your script. Maybe you'd like to get in touch with him and collaborate?

lagopus · posted: 2009-11-03 22:24

Thanks anti
about homefs and rootfs: I got the error:

mount: /dev/sdb1 already mounted or /persist-root busy
FAILED to mount persistent rootfs"-L antiXUSB" at /persist-root
Falling back to ramdisk.

but I didn't figure that I had to assign the same partition for both ! ok!

Once finished, maybe a pop up to say it is finished and to close the app.

Yes, it would be fine to have a popup; I thought about it, but I don't have a simple way to do it with gtkdialog...(open a popup and close the main dialog) I do NOT like gtkdialog; more powerful than zenity of course, but gives me a headache...
I will try tomorrow

eriefisher · posted: 2009-11-03 23:28

Nice work lagopus, this is looking real good.

One thing, do you think you could kill halevt and then restart it at the end of the script? Just ease of use.

secipolla · posted: 2009-11-03 23:55

I translated it to Brazilian Portuguese so you could check and see if you make a tri-lingual version or a separate en-br.
But since you're still tweaking it maybe its better to wait for the final. Anyway, I don't know anything of programming and just translated from"fr" to"br" and the messages, besides the README and the GPL license.
Also I'm not sure how it chooses the language (in antix2usb-gui.sh I put only 'br' in place of 'fr' but the proper UTF code is pt_BR).

BitJam · posted: 2009-11-04 06:18

anticapitalista wrote:For live usb persistance homefs and rootfs can be on the same partition.

Perhaps I don't understand what you mean because I would be surprised if this works (I would expect the homefs mount command to fail) and if it does work I think it would not be a good idea. I don't think rootfs and homefs should be mounted on the same partition at the same time as in:

Code: Select all

kernel /boot/whatever rootfs=/dev/sdc2 homefs=/dev/sdc2

If you specify a rootfs, it will automatically make /home persistent so there is not much need to use both rootfs and homefs at the same time. If I misunderstood what you were saying, please accept my apologies.

Also, I'm with ICE-M regarding filesystems. I think a non-journaling fs such as ext2 would be better for usb flash drives, both in terms of better performance and better longevity. You lose performance with the journal because (according to Linus) most flash drives have abysmal random write performance with some only able to do ten random writes per second. You lose longevity with the journal because you are doing a bunch of little writes to the same location so that part of the memory will wear out much sooner than the rest. They're making high performance chips/systems now that don't suffer from these limitation but I think they are going into the internal SSDs and not external usb flash sticks.

anticapitalista · posted: 2009-11-04 10:01

BitJam, yes you are right, but I have used rootfs and homefs pointing to the same partition with your script and lagopus' script and there is no error. It bootd fine with no complaints. Sure better not to have them on the same partition, rootfs on say sdc2 and another partition for homefs on sd3 (makes the scripts more complicated though). Alternatively users use only rootfs or homefs on the formatted partition.

erie, I think it is hal that needs to be stopped not halevt. (Though in my earlier thread I did say halevt).
However, sometimes, even without stopping hal, the script(s) complete(s).

lagopus · posted: 2009-11-04 10:09

Hey guys, you are giving me a hard time..
I have to get the time to answer your comments.
I have also some questions, about persistence and hal...
hold the line!

eriefisher · posted: 2009-11-04 22:48

Sitting here happily holding the line.

lagopus · posted: 2009-11-05 22:33

secipolla
Thanks for the pt_BR transaletion, I unpacked your files this evening. How do you manage to translate it so quickly!
Going to incorporate it to the next beta of the scripts, with some minor improvements and bug fixes.
Maybe ready saturday.