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I created and have been using a persistent live usb disk with Ubuntu 18.04, for some time. During this time, I used a user account that I created, not the original user account for the live disk. I have just taken the risk of upgrading to 20.04, and mostly it seems to be working.

However, during startup, the system automatically opens into the default user account "live user" - aka ubuntu. I've been logging out and then logging in thru the preferred user account ("tom") but I'm finding that I don't have permissions to access any of the partitions without invoking superuser access. These partitions include casper-rw and usbdata, as well as a custom partition called dropout. I've noticed that these partitions are still mounted under the "live user" account. In other words, they're mounted at /media/ubuntu/... and seem to have associated restrictions.

So I'm somewhat confident that the problem relates to the automated login of the "live user" account. I need to use the other account, and have access to the partitions without operating as superuser. Can you help me?!

django
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1 Answers1

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Persistent Live USB Upgrade FROM 18.04 to 20.04

A Persistent USB uses a filesystem extracted from the compressed read only file filesystem.squashfs.

Any updates made to the persistent filesystem are kept in the casper-rw overlay file/partition, (sometimes called "writable"). The kernel used for running Ubuntu is part of filesystem.squashfs, and must be started before the casper-rw overlay is mounted.

In my experience the casper-rw/writable file/folder from Ubuntu does not work in previous versions and vice versa, (18.04 casper-rw does not work in 20.04).

A home-rw persistent file or partition, (if it exists), will work in other versions of Ubuntu. The home directory can also be copied to a fresh version of Ubuntu or to a Full USB install of Ubuntu, and save a lot of time upgrading the drive.

I am not quite sure what you got right now, but will give odds that it will not be stable.

I would suggest that you do a full install of Ubuntu to your USB and copy over the current home directory.

See: Use Ubuntu on external hard drive in 2 different devices?

Easy Full Install USB that Boots both BIOS and UEFI

How to Create a Full Install of Ubuntu 20.04 to USB Device Step by Step

Upgrade Persistent Flash Drive from 16.04 to 18.04

C.S.Cameron
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