Tonight I installed to hdd during a live (root-only persistence) session, antix15 64bit full.

I wasn't aware that"root-only persistence" would have any bearing on the installed result.
I expected installer would behave similar to snapshot script ~~ preserving the all persisted content regardless whether the content loaded from rootfs or homefs.

The installer did not copy the content of /home/demo and /home/joe (account created prior to install by using antix"manage users" tool) to the hard disk.
User accounts & pw were preserved, but the content of each user's home is populated from /skel
and desktop session is generic icewm (not even antix default wallpaper applied, nor antix global session startup)

While investigating what else got left behind, I noticed that the content of etc/init.d/debian/
is identical to that present on the pendrive... but according to what I read here

========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"https://github.com/antiX-Linux/antiX-installer/blob/master/amd64/sbin/live-to-installed"
linktext was:"https://github.com/antiX-Linux/antiX-in ... -installed"
====================================

the /debian subdir isn't supposed to exist, post-install.

I don't remember having used 'root-only persistence', but 'root persistence' and that included home persistence. However I didn't install from a USB where I rebooted with root persistance, but I would guess that 'save changes' option in the installer should take these (persitent) chages to the hard drive.

retested
created fresh antix15 x64 full pendrive (antiX-15-V_x64-full.iso)
setup"root persistence" (both homefs and rootfs are created)
via controlCentre: add user"joe"
via controlCentre: customize global session, add a session startup item
change"demo" user wallpaper & add a custom startup item
logout
login as"joe"
change"joe" user wallpaper & add a custom startup item
(persist-save and) shutdown
reboot
choose second ("custom") bootmenu entry AND verify that F5:root_persistence is selected
login as demo, verify session customizations have been correctly persisted
logout
login as"joe"
login as joe, verify session customizations have been correctly persisted
launch"antiX installer" from desktop menu (choose jessie as repo source)
shutdown/reboot, then boot from hard drive

result:
Upon booting the hard drive installation, identical result for user"demo" and user"joe".
When user/pass is supplied in slim login screen, failed to execute login command

Sigh. I've seen this misbehavior previously. It's a SEPARATE (unrelated to installer) bug which others (d_o?) reputedly have been unable to reproduce.
In fact, during testing, I've even been unable to _consistently_ reproduce it.
Somehow it's related to using the controlCentre"global" and/or"user" session startup (cc menu entries).
One (or several) home -pathed user files wind up being owned by root.

======================

re-retest:
boot to a persistence session from the same pendrive,
delete contents of the hdd partition
run the installer. This time (not that it should affect the outcome but) leave as default: the machine-name, domain, services, etc.

identical result:
Upon booting the hard drive installation, when attempting to login as either user"demo" user"joe"
supplying user/pass at slim login screen yields failed to execute login command

======================

Here, I should probably mention that I've run into this scenario (failed to execute login command) previously, at least twice during the past few months.
From memory:

-- while testing (and confirming) the bug reported here viewtopic.php?f=53&t=5887
-------} this bug report is probably related: viewtopic.php?f=53&t=5871

-- while testing"whatif lightdm..." (persisting, then reverting) hinting-set-to-full-evince-not-open-last-page-t6072.html

continued testing (and/or attempting a workaround):

boot from the pendrive which was used to created the botched install (choose F5: root persisence)
and note that"all is (still) well" in the persistence environment ~~ both demo and joe can login & their session customizations are intact

mount the"antiX15root" volume (autonamed by the installer) and inspect the content of /home to determine which files are incorrectly owned by root.
Aaaargh. /home is empty.
WTF?
During that last run, did I neglect to first wipe the drive prior to install?
If so, did the installer detect a prior install and behave differently?
During install, I certainly didn't checkmark"preserve existing home" (shouldn't need to, and not attempting an 'upgrade' so would not want to)

spacefm (as root)
copy to to /media/antiX15root/home/ the directories /home/demo and /home/joe from pendrive
shutdown, remove pendrive, boot from hdd
-=-
failed to execute login command
this time 'round, there's an"added bonus" ~~ a 15--20 second delay between pressing return @password entry and the appearance of the"failed" message

wiped the hdd partition and perfomed yet another run. Here's where the"bug vs misunderstanding" comes into play:

If"preserve home" is checkmarked in the installer gui, upon clicking"next" a dialog informs
"All data on /dev/sda2 will be deleted, except for /home
Ok to continue? Y/N"

This time, I ticked this checkbox, even though it seems inapplicable in a live-to-installed scenario...
(during this run, as would be typical, the drive was clean)( /home DOES NOT exist on the target sdaXX )
...and arrived at the same"failed to execute login command" result.

I didn't understand it yet in all details. But the issue seems to be serious enough that you document it with screenshots. A sincere advise.

screenshots of the result would be pointless/unenlightening.
screenshots of each step, each dialog popup, during the install process... would be an ugly chore.
Hmm, recordmydesktop and capture a video? I'll consider doing that in the future.
Oops, wait. I don't have a"youtube account", so where would I upload the videocap?
=================

??? Across the past few months, things are being reported in, and fixed in MX... and fixes not backported to antix?
Can't login (MX14)
========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"http://forum.mepiscommunity.org/viewtopic.php?f=104&t=38964"
linktext was:"http://forum.mepiscommunity.org/viewtop ... 04&t=38964"
====================================



??? maybe live-to-installed script (not minstall) is the source of the install bug(s) that I'm encountering?

========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"http://forum.mepiscommunity.org/viewtopic.php?f=104&t=38235&start=10"
linktext was:"http://forum.mepiscommunity.org/viewtop ... 5&start=10"
====================================



Prior to installing, I thought I had checked: apt repository contains no newer antix-install version (vs version preinstalled to antix15)
edit (correction): preinstalled antix version is 0.6.10; newer version (i installed from repo) is v0.6.10.1

ouch.
========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"https://github.com/antiX-Linux"
linktext was:"https://github.com/antiX-Linux"
====================================
the source code for the preinstalled, QT-compiled, version shipped in antix15 is unavailable?


========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"https://github.com/AdrianTM/mx-installer/blob/5adc55d0fbe05a1384784797e6a5442f66193309/minstall.cpp"
linktext was:"https://github.com/AdrianTM/mx-installe ... nstall.cpp"
====================================


========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"https://github.com/anticapitalista/MX-installer/blob/master/minstall.cpp"
linktext was:"https://github.com/anticapitalista/MX-i ... nstall.cpp"
====================================

Wheee... lotsa diffs!
Searching for occurrences of"home", I found a conditional which reads like"if home doesn't exist as a separate partition... skip it".
C++ ain't my thang. Surely I'm misreading that, or misinterpreting the context.

That one fix of"Can't login (MX-14)" was fixed by a manual (almost divine) intervention. __{{emoticon}}__
What I actually encountered on MX-15 testing was that Anticapitalista doesn't recomend antix2usb anymore but Unetbootin. d_o also doesn't recoment to create persistence prior to live boot with antix2usb. And it works fine when you choose 'root persistence' from ISO's boot menu.
How many screenshots you make would be your decission, definitely you won't need to screenshot all steps. Otherwise I can understand that the readers who might help to fix it know the install and persitence process like the back of their hand and won't need any screenshots. __{{emoticon}}__

skidoo wrote:wiped the hdd partition and perfomed yet another run. Here's where the"bug vs misunderstanding" comes into play:

If"preserve home" is checkmarked in the installer gui, upon clicking"next" a dialog informs
"All data on /dev/sda2 will be deleted, except for /home
Ok to continue? Y/N"

This time, I ticked this checkbox, even though it seems inapplicable in a live-to-installed scenario...
(during this run, as would be typical, the drive was clean)( /home DOES NOT exist on the target sdaXX )
...and arrived at the same"failed to execute login command" result.

on the user account creation screen for the installer, try checking"save live desktop changes". I'm not sure it will grab everything...but it did grab a test file and preserve wallpaper changes from the live-demo account to the installer-created-user account.

I've been manually saving my home folder changes back to / etc/skel for years so that when I do reinstalls my preferences automatically carry over.

on the user account creation screen for the installer, try checking"save live desktop changes".

AFAIK, no such screen exists.
ima gonna run through an MX install now, to see how its installer differs from that in antix15

skidoo wrote:

on the user account creation screen for the installer, try checking"save live desktop changes".

AFAIK, no such screen exists.
ima gonna run through an MX install now, to see how its installer differs from that in antix15

I think we aren't speaking the same language. here's a screenie of what I mean.

Yeah, I found no screen"7a" in the work flow. Does it appear unconditionally for you, or maybe that step is presented if only certain conditions exist?
(maybe it's not displayed to a"root persistence" user, if no separate homefs exists?)

skidoo wrote:Yeah, I found no screen"7a" in the work flow. Does it appear unconditionally for you, or maybe that step is presented if only certain conditions exist?
(maybe it's not displayed to a"root persistence" user, if no separate homefs exists?)

*smartguy_mode*: Had you provided a screenshot of that step I would have immediately noticed the missing checkbox I was talking about. __{{emoticon}}__ __{{emoticon}}__ Edit: Sorry, a screeshot of a non-existent screen would not have helped.
Now I'll try to reproduce your issue with antiX 15 base.

MX-15-b2_x64.iso
using the same scenario (root persistence, aka =root!,home)(...and forego creation of a separate homefs)

mx installer presents the same workflow as antix

screen #6 invites adjustment of startup services. After I do so, a non-numbered"Reminders" title is displayed + a"Do you want to reboot now?" modal popup.
Regardless whether response to the popup is yes, or no, the installer app autocloses immediately when I respond to the popup.

d_o are you diving right into the installer during initial live boot (skipping persistence setup)?
That would explain (to me) why, in your testing, the installer is inviting root account password setup and asking you to setup a"default user".

Created with Unetbootin a USB with antiX 15 base on it isn't bootable. Trying with mx-live-usb-gui, essentially antix2usb script, I guess. Update: Same crap, must be the ISO, checking the checksum. md5sum is ok.
I will try to download an antiX 15.1 base 64bit ISO.
Found this issue reported: post43989.html#p43989
Will try anti's solution.