usb boot without ramdisk

Forum: USB booting
Topic: usb boot without ramdisk
started by: wally

Posted by wally on May 15 2006,08:34

Is it possible to boot DSL from an usb stick, but without the usb stick is using a ramdisk?

The problem with the ramdisk is that you can't make everything as you want and save it and when you reboot restore it. There are somethings I want to change, but DSL doesn't remember after a reboot.

So is there an install method that can do this?

Posted by hs7sv on May 15 2006,08:55

You should use Backup/Restore to your usb stick (sda1 or sda2). It will save /home/dsl and /opt for you, and restore it when reboot.

Posted by wally on May 15 2006,09:01

/home/dsl and /opt allready are being saved, but if it is possible I want to save more then only those two.

For example: when I install a program to use and I reboot the program is gone again. And I want that the program is still there. Isn't that possible?

Posted by hs7sv on May 15 2006,09:06

If you want to use myDSL auto-loading, you can put .dsl that you want in /mydsl folder (this feature is for DSL-2.3 only), or / of DSL image partition (in case you are using Frugal Install).

Posted by wally on May 15 2006,09:24

And how do you do that with packages that are not a .dsl packages but a Debian package? (.deb)

Do they run automaticly on the same way? The package I can't find as an .dsl package is the crontab package to run cronjobs...

Posted by hs7sv on May 15 2006,09:30

myDSL auto-loading works on .dsl only.
You can make it to .dsl by using command deb2dsl, after apt-get it from Debian website.

Posted by wally on May 15 2006,09:58

ok, I have got the .dsl package, but I don't understand really where that I have to put the file.

I did an usb-hdd install from the live cd. So I guess that it is a frugal install.

The DSL image partition is the /KNOPPIX directory on the usb stick? Or is there another one? Cause I tried to copy it to the /KNOPPIX directory, but that is read-only...

Posted by roberts on May 15 2006,10:37

Given we are talking about a usb-hdd pendrive install..

Typically when you download extensions they are in the /tmp directory.
To save extensions, be it .dsl .uci or .tar.gz,
as user root copy them to /cdrom
/cdrom is just the mount point of the pendrive, which is typically /dev/sda1
You can use emelfm as super-user and drag and drop them to /cdrom or you can open an xterm as root and cp them.

Once copied to this location then upon next boot up they will appear loaded and ready to go.

There are other options but this is the easiest for this type of install.

Posted by wally on May 15 2006,13:26

Ok, thanx, it works now

Another happy Damn Smaller here :cool:

Posted by hs7sv on May 15 2006,16:09

roberts, DSL is really cool! Thank you so much

Posted by wally on May 16 2006,08:43

I've got another little question. I think it's to little to open a topic for it.

Is it possible to make a script run when you boot? I tried serveral things, but I didn't got it working.. Is there a place you can put your scripts or link to your script that it works?

I know it is a really noobie question

But when I put the script in the init.d directory it is gone when I reboot...

Posted by hs7sv on May 16 2006,09:00

On booting, you can add a command in /opt/bootlocal.sh, and put the script file in /home/dsl or /opt.
In Fluxbox, you can add a command in /home/dsl/.xinitrc

Posted by wally on May 16 2006,09:26

Thanx, that is just what I needed to know

Posted by wally on May 17 2006,07:29

For the people who want to know. I eventually put the script I wanted to start in the file .bash_profile in the home directory. This because I wanted to use a command that only is supported on the moment you are singed in as an user and your tty is /dev/tty1 (when I put the script in bootlocal.sh the tty was /dev/console).

The .bash_profile file is normally used to start x. I replaced the commando 'startx' in the file with my script path and name.

I hope there is someone out there who finds this information usefull...