DSL live, apps on USB drive

Forum: User Feedback
Topic: DSL live, apps on USB drive
started by: dslfool

Posted by dslfool on April 05 2004,17:37

Been soliciting (and receiving!) help from many via a number of other posts, thought I'd report success.

Goal: Run DSL 0.6.2 live from CD, restore extra apps from USB flash drive without requiring an Internet connection.

Thanks to cbagger for the suggestion to backup *.deb package files stored in /var/cache/apt/archives after Synaptic installs, and for the Synaptic install script (@ DSL Ideas and Suggestions ť Install Script for Synaptic). Here's a summary of what I've been able to do:

With an Internet connection -
1) copy Synaptic install script and dpkg-install.tar (downloaded from < http://damnsmalllinux.org/dpkg-install.tar > ) to USB flash drive
1) run Synaptic install script and install applications
2) copy the applications' .deb files from /var/cache/apt/archives to USB flash drive

On next DSL boot from CD, with or without Internet connection -
1) copy Synaptic install script from USB flash drive and execute (to create writable directories)
2) copy dpkg-install.tar and .deb files from flash drive
3) unpack dpkg-install.tar
4) sudo su
5) run dpkg-install.sh (to install dpkg)
6) run "dpkg -i *.deb"

OK, I've only tried this with xmahjongg and lxdoom (& dependencies), but for these this procedure is working. Now to try other apps and script this whole thing...

Posted by Rapidweather on April 06 2004,01:20

Next thing is to remaster your setup, so only a few files are needed for a restore.
---
:;):

Posted by dslfool on April 06 2004,02:17

Remastering does make a lot more sense, you're right, but somehow using that 50MB CD and the little silver flash drive is just so, well, cool... :laugh: