[Grml] Updating USB stick with persistency option?

[Stefan Weiss]

Hello.

I'm trying out to the persistency feature for the first time. I had a
4GB USB stick lying around, so I'm following the example in the wiki
more or less verbatim.

What I'm wondering is, can this USB stick be updated when the next Grml
version is released? Up until now, there was never any user data on the
stick (or CD), but now there could be something worth preserving in
$HOME. I'm not sure how exactly the persistency snapshots work, but I
guess simply running grml2usb with the new ISO won't be enough.

It's no big deal if an update isn't possible. I'll expect there will
only be a couple of shell scripts and .debs in my $HOME, and I can
easily transfer them to a different partition before updating. If that's
the case, should I wipe the home-rw, live-rw, and GRMLCFG partitions
when I install the new ISO?

Thanks,
stefan

[Stefan Weiss]

Stefan,
In my experience and understanding, Debian Live persistence does present
some issues with upgrading the underlying live system. The files found
in snapshots/persistence partitions always pre-empt their equivalents on
the image, which Debian Live seems to always assume to be older than the
snapshot. So if you have been apt-get upgrading and installing lots of
software to live-rw, for example, that will prevent any newer package
versions on the ISO from being seen. With home-rw, there shouldn't be
as big of a headache, but of course if you have altered the
grml-installed configuration files, those versions will remain and
preempt the ISO (you will have to copy over new grml user configuration
manually if you want it). I don't know about GRMLCFG because I don't
use it, but my guess would be that it will continue to replace the
relevant bits of /etc/ exactly as it did on your previous ISO version.
So I guess it will probably save some headaches to wipe live-rw, but
home-rw should be okay.
Best,
Will

Thanks, that makes sense.
I think I'll just play it safe and wipe all the snapshot partitions
before I upgrade. It's unlikely that I'll make major adjustments to the
system anyway, apart from installing a few packages and storing shell
scripts in $HOME.

- stefan

[Charles Alan Hewson]

Hi all,

Persistent boot option works and with grml2usb I have not needed to change the other related partitions. You may need to remove the "=nofile" as that was removed in upstream.

Note;
Some of docs you find on web are proposals and may not be in upstream or grml-autoconfig (http://live.debian.net/devel/rfc/persistence/).

persistent-encryption=luks works in daily snapshot I am testing. This can keep live-rw and home-rw more private and secure. Think lost USB. I do not expect GRMLCFG to support luks.

Be aware live-rw and home-rw at this testing do not do compression. The docs indicate live-sn and home-sn will but I have not gotten to testing that feature.

The information at http://wiki.grml.org/doku.php?id=persistency is good.

From: Stefan Weiss <weiss at foo.at>
Subject: [Grml] Updating USB stick with persistency option?
To: grml at ml.grml.org
Date: Monday, February 27, 2012, 6:24 AM
Hello.
I'm trying out to the persistency feature for the first
time. I had a
4GB USB stick lying around, so I'm following the example in
the wiki
more or less verbatim.
What I'm wondering is, can this USB stick be updated when
the next Grml
version is released?

Yes as long as bootable partiton is sized large enough.

Up until now, there was never any user
data on the
stick (or CD), but now there could be something worth
preserving in
$HOME. I'm not sure how exactly the persistency snapshots
work, but I
guess simply running grml2usb with the new ISO won't be
enough.

grml2usb will only affect the bootable partition and mbr. If you create a completely new stick you will have to create others manually.

It's no big deal if an update isn't possible. I'll expect
there will
only be a couple of shell scripts and .debs in my $HOME, and
I can
easily transfer them to a different partition before
updating. If that's
the case, should I wipe the home-rw, live-rw, and GRMLCFG
partitions
when I install the new ISO?

I have not needed to wipe but do need to update things for newer packages in release.

Thanks,
stefan
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[Stefan Weiss]

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