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Topic: How do I save my downloaded extensions?, restoring extensions from a USB stick

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vees

Group: Members
Posts: 81
Joined: Nov. 2005

Posted: April 15 2006,23:58

Hi,

I am playing around with DSL 2.2 and I used it for the first time with a 512MB USB flash drive. I edited the file which lists the directories to be backed-up and I included the ramdisk directory where my MyDSL extensions had been downloaded. Then I used the 'backup/restore' option to backup all these files on myflash drive.

When I wanted to reboot, I got a warning to the effect that I still had extensions in my ramdisk. I was offered an option to save them, which I also did, separately - not in the backup file - on my flash drive.

Then I rebooted.

My Firefox extensions had been perfectly saved. My dial-up options had also been perfectly saved. Alas, while the MyDSL extensions had been restored to the ramdisk subdirectory where they had been taken from. But I could not start them again. Either they were not in the path, or something else was wrong.

What am I doing wrong? What should I do to save my downloaded MyDSL extensions and restore them on the next boot-up?

BTW - I tried the 'restore' option - but that did not work either.

What is the best way for me to use my 512MB of flash drive to save all my applications, options, settings, etc.?

Thanks in advance for any ideas!

Cheers,

VS

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Motto: chown -R linux:GNU world

mikshaw

Group: Members
Posts: 4856
Joined: July 2004

Posted: April 16 2006,00:19

You're backing up the extension packages, but they are not being reinstalled when you reboot.

First, take that subdirectory out of your filetool.lst. There's no need to backup extensions, and you'll only end up wearing your flash drive out much sooner by resaving the extensions to it every time you shut down. Once you have the extensions on your flash drive, they are there to stay, so there's no point in overwriting the same files every time.

You'll apparently need to tell DSL where the extensions are so they can be installed automatically when you boot. If you're using DSL 2.3 or later, you should have a "mydsl" directory on your flash drive. You can put them there. Or, put them in the root of your flash drive. If you have a second partition on the drive and want to put them there, you will need to tell DSL where they are by adding mydsl=xxx to your bootloader config.

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vees

Group: Members
Posts: 81
Joined: Nov. 2005

Posted: April 16 2006,04:17

Quote

You're backing up the extension packages, but they are not being reinstalled when you reboot.

correct - this is what is happening.

Quote

First, take that subdirectory out of your filetool.lst. There's no need to backup extensions, and you'll only end up wearing your flash drive out much sooner by resaving the extensions to it every time you shut down

ok. do flash drives 'wear out'? I did not know that. But I will take these sudirectories out of .filetool.lst.

Quote

Once you have the extensions on your flash drive, they are there to stay, so there's no point in overwriting the same files every time.

But how shall I put them there - simply by copying them there?

Quote

You'll apparently need to tell DSL where the extensions are so they can be installed automatically when you boot. If you're using DSL 2.3 or later, you should have a "mydsl" directory on your flash drive.

Nope, I am using 2.2. But anyway - who or what would place a mydsl directory on my flash drive? The backup command?

But since I use 2.2 - should I create this subdirectory?

Quote

You can put them there. Or, put them in the root of your flash drive. If you have a second partition on the drive and want to put them there, you will need to tell DSL where they are by adding mydsl=xxx to your bootloader config.

I had them in the root of the flash drive (one partition only, no other partitions on the drive). Can I simply do this with 2.2:

Code Sample

dsl toram mydsl=sda

(sda is my flash drive)?

So all I need to do is copy any downloaded extention into the / directory of my flash dive and then do

Code Sample

dsl toram mydsl=sda

each time I boot up?

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Motto: chown -R linux:GNU world

mikshaw

Group: Members
Posts: 4856
Joined: July 2004

Posted: April 16 2006,05:08

Specifically your drive would be sda1. You can add mydsl=sda1 to your bootloader config, but since you have only one partition it is not necessary. DSL automatically checks the root partition for mydsl extensions, unless you specify "base" as a boot option.

The mydsl directory is checked only with 2.3 or later, so there is no need to create it in 2.2 or earlier.

All you really need to do is copy the extensions to the root of sda1 (also seen as /cdrom from the DSL system) and that's it. This is assuming you are booting DSL, and not running it embedded in another operating system. The flash drive will wear out much faster than a disk drive, so it's best to write to it only when necessary. Since extensions are static you can write them to the drive once and just read them when you boot, rather than rewriting them to a backup file every time you shut down.

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http://www.tldp.org/LDP/intro-linux/html/index.html

humpty

Group: Members
Posts: 655
Joined: Sep. 2005

Posted: April 16 2006,08:18

Quote (mikshaw @ April 16 2006,01:08)

All you really need to do is copy the extensions to the root of sda1

vees, just 'move' those mydsl extensions to root of sda1.

when you download, the default is your home directory (ramdisk).
it just so happens that this directory is auto-backed-up to
backup.tar.gz which will be a very large file if you leave too much
stuff there. Your home directory should ideally be holding as little
as possible (like settings for firefox and other apps). This will also
save you time during shutdown and reboot as there less to backup.

you only need to add stuff to .filetool.lst like system files (also ramdisk) which are also likely to be very small.

your flashdrive on the otherhand is permanent media and is ignored
by the backup process. put things there, and they just stay there.

5 replies since April 15 2006,23:58

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