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We have a distro, Lubuntu 16.04, which we want to pack with a concrete SW, ToolboX (util/deb/toolbox_1.0-1.deb will install Geany, LaTeX packages, GNU Octave, etc., some extra 1.2GB, overall). Now, we have a functional installation and want to produce a persistent live version out of it, so that users (children, mostly without Linux knowledge) can easily burn a USB stick and start using it, keeping track of WIFI password and local files.

First thing I've tried is to produce an ISO with systemback, which works nicely after been copied (dd) to an USB stick. Problem is that systemback won't add persistence. Following these instructions, I've tried to add persistence to the stick, but it fails for some reason (it works well with an original Lubuntu ISO, but doesn't work for the ISO generated by systemback). Even if it would, this produces the stick itself, but the goal is to have an ISO that, when copied, provides a persistent version of the customized distro.

What are the alternatives out there to end up with this ISO?

nightcod3r
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  • "but the goal is to have an ISO that, when copied, provides a persistent version of the customized distro." I doubt this is possible otherwise we'd all download an ISO with not need to install the OS through an USB/DVD and we would all just dd it over the current install. – Rinzwind Sep 11 '17 at 10:24
  • @Rinzwind Then, that's the question to answer in the first place. If you have a USB stick with persistence, then you can create an ISO with dd, and copying it on another stick will run the same way (only that this second stick must have the same size than the first one). – nightcod3r Sep 11 '17 at 10:31

2 Answers2

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Have you considered MX Linux (antiX + MEPIS) or antiX Linux?

https://antixlinux.com/the-most-extensive-live-usb-on-the-planet/

The MX Live USB Maker that is inlcuded with MX Linux is great for this sort of thing and setting up persistence is very easy. You can build the whole system you like then clone it straight to a USB stick with all the persistence settings carried over.

zephyr707
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    +1; Yes, I know :-) That boot system is implemented in a different way from Ubuntu, so I don't think we can use the same method for Ubuntu. But there is a new feature in Ubuntu 19.10, that makes things easier. See this link and that link – sudodus Nov 11 '19 at 10:56
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The following approach will work:

An alternative method to distribute your system would be to backup the casper-rw partition with your tweaks, and to restore it into 'standard' persistent live systems (made by mkusb but without tweaks).

Backup and restore of persistent overlay data

I downloaded the iso file made with Systemback. mkusb complained, that it was not an Ubuntu family or Debian iso file. But with the setting usb-pack-efi mkusb created a persistent live drive. So the solution was easier than I could imagine :-)

sudodus
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    In the case of a Windows user, how do you propose to flash the image file to the pendrive? – nightcod3r Sep 11 '17 at 11:01
  • You can use Win32 Disk Imager. See this link, https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Win32DiskImager/compressed-image_2_USB-or-SD – sudodus Sep 11 '17 at 11:11
  • This is the only step which looks confusing to me: "Make a cloned image of the whole drive". How do you propose to do it? dd? If so, having a 16GB drive, will it produce an image of the same size? (The reason for me to use systemback is that it backups only the part that is used.) – nightcod3r Sep 11 '17 at 15:52
  • The method I use is to create an image, one a small drive (the smallest that would be recommended) and then also decrease the size of the partition located at the end of the drive (which is the 'usbdata' partition if made by mkusb), to allow for some 'undersized' pendrives (the real size of an 8GB pendrive can be 7.8GB). Then you can clone only to the end of the partition located next to the end of the drive. -- After cloning to a bigger pendrive it is possible to move and 'grow' the 'usbdata' and 'casper-rw' partitions to use the whole pendrive. I have tools and can help you with it. – sudodus Sep 11 '17 at 16:24
  • You might find the alternative method using a backup of the casper-rw partition more convenient for you, but a bit more complicated for the end users to build their systems. – sudodus Sep 11 '17 at 16:28
  • Let us continue this discussion in chat. – nightcod3r Sep 11 '17 at 17:05