live usb not work with persistent partition

[billypon]

I followed these steps creating my live usb:
1. parted two partitions: one is fat32, one is ext4 without journal(labeled casper-rw)
2. tried creating boot usb by UUI/unetbootin, and then deleted persistent file
3. tried booting with persistent file/partition
4. with persistent file: work fine.
5. with persistent partition: stay in terminal, and I can see 'initramfs' prompt

[sudodus]

Welcome to the Ubuntu Forums :-)

1. Is it enough to get a persistent live drive drive of an Ubuntu flavour, ToriOS or Debian Jessie, or

2. are you trying with another linux distro, or do you want help to fix the system you have, so that it works?

-o-

If 1: Try another tool, which creates persistence with a partition automatically, mkusb. It works with the Ubuntu flavours, with ToriOS and with Debian Jessie. See the following links

mkusb (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/mkusb)

mkusb/persistent (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/mkusb/persistent)

-o-

If 2: It looks like you have done things correctly. But there is some detail, that is wrong.

What linux distro and version are you trying to make persistent live?

Post the output of the following commands in a terminal window, when booted live-only from the USB drive


df

sudo parted -ls

sudo lsblk -ls

Put the output within
tags to make it easier to read :-)

[C.S.Cameron]

I think persistent casper-rw partitions are not working with Ubuntu 64bit 14.04 and later, created using SDC or UNetbootin.
It should work with recent 32bit Ubuntu or 12.04 64 bit.
If you need persistent 64bit 14.04 + you can do a grub2/iso install, (MultiBootUSB), or do a Full install, (if you have the disk space).

Oops, I forgot to mention mkusb comes with built-in persistent partition.

[sudodus]

32-bit and 64-bit versions of Ubuntu and Debian can be made persistent live with mkusb, and it works in BIOS mode as well as in UEFI mode. MultiBootUSB works too (as recommended by C.S.Cameron) and might work with other distros too (other than based on Ubuntu and Debian).

[billypon]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0vynHsskQAgYlhxdElJM09KaFE/view

my os is mint 17.3, but ubuntu mate 15 is also

[billypon]

ok, I will try mkusb

[sudodus]

Good luck :-)

Please come back and share your result. If you have problems, please describe the details, and I will try to help.

[billypon]

wow, it's cool~
mkusb works fine!!
thanks you all!!!

[sudodus]

I'm glad it works :-)

Please click on Thread Tools at the top of the page and mark this thread as SOLVED

It helps other people to find your solution. After marking it solved the thread will remain open, and you can ask more questions related to the persistent live system. But if you have a new and unrelated problem, you will probably get better help in a new thread with a good title describing the new problem.

[billypon]

but, I want to create another partition for home-rw
how shoud I do?
can I use gparted?
mkusb will wipe the whole disk each time(`mkusb wipe-1` is also).

[billypon]

mkusb has wipe menu: create GUID partition table.
but it's useless, because install operation will re-create all partitions.

can I do these with mkusb:
1. I don't need the "usbdata" partition
2. create another partition for home-rw
3. re-use disk without wipe the whole disk, so that I can save home-rw(casper-rw can be wiped)

so I want to usb, and I can create partitions manually

[sudodus]

but, I want to create another partition for home-rw
how shoud I do?
can I use gparted?
mkusb will wipe the whole disk each time(`mkusb wipe-1` is also).

Yes, you can use gparted (directly, not via mkusb).


Can I do these with mkusb:
1. I don't need the "usbdata" partition
2. create another partition for home-rw
3. re-use disk without wipe the whole disk, so that I can save home-rw(casper-rw can be wiped)

so I want to usb, and I can create partitions manually

You can re-format 'usbdata' to ext4 and give it the label 'home-rw'. It is a good idea to have both of them: 'casper-rw' for persistent changes of the root partition and 'home-rw' for persistent changes of the home partition.

[billypon]

but install operation will re-create all partitions

[sudodus]

You need not install again. Use gparted directly (not via mkusb) and edit the 'usbdata' partition - change it to a 'home-rw' partition with an ext4 (or ext2) file system.

[billypon]

and how do I do, when I want to update os?
use dd directly, and format the casper-rw partition?

[billypon]

can I use gparted?

I mean use gparted to create partitions, and use mkusb to install.

[sudodus]

Well, if you want to keep the os up to date there are several options.

1. Use an installed system (installed like installed into an internal drive, but in this case installed into a USB pendrive or USB SSD drive).


2. Persistent live system:

- Backup the /home directory of casper-rw partition or the home-rw partition if you make one

- Install a new system with mkusb

- Restore from the backup (to get your personal files and tweaks)


3. If you intend to update very often (for example like I do for iso-testing Lubuntu Xenial Xerus now), you can use another system, which boots from iso files.

You simply update the iso files and backup the casper-rw (and home-rw) partition(s). Sometimes you need to restore from the backup to match the new iso file. See the following links

One pendrive for all PC (Intel/AMD) computers - single-boot dual-boot multi-boot (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2259682)

and particularly

Post #6. A smaller and simpler pendrive for all PC (Intel/AMD) computers - 'grub-n-iso' (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2259682&p=13300523#post13300523) - Lubuntu 32-bit

...

Post #49. A compressed image file with a persistent live system of Lubuntu 14.04.3 LTS (32-bit) and mkusb version 10.4 (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2259682&page=3&p=13399888#post13399888)

[sudodus]

I mean use gparted to create partitions, and use mkusb to install.

In the particular case with mkusb you do it in the opposite order: 1 - mkusb; 2 - gparted

[billypon]

thanks @sudodus!
I use mkusb install system, and then use parted do these:
1. resize casper-rw
2. resize userdata
3. change userdata to 'home-rw' partition with an ext4 file system

but when I used mkusb, I selected ISO, not usb-pack_efi.
and I found and ISO partition, no ISO file.
if I want to you another system, can I use `dd if=xxx.iso of=/dev/sda4 bs=4096` directly(if space enough)?

[sudodus]

It means that the boot system is grabbed directly from the iso file (not from usb-pack_efi). In both cases mkusb flashes the iso file into /dev/sda4.

If you want to use a bigger iso file, you can use gparted and shrink the partition behind it (the casper-rw partition /dev/sda5) and after that expand /dev/sda4 into the now unallocated space. Then there will be space enough for a bigger iso file to be flashed into that partition. But you must also consider possible changes in the boot system, the grub.cfg file. So it can get complicated (depending on what iso file you intend to use).

-o-

Maybe it is better for you to select method 3. from post #17 in this thread and use the grub-n-iso method (and boot directly from iso files as they are).

The reason why I think so is that you seem not satisfied with just using the result made by mkusb. I think you want to understand the details, and you want to tweak your system. That method and those tools are described in post #6 and the following posts of the tutorial thread

One pendrive for all PC (Intel/AMD) computers - single-boot dual-boot multi-boot (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2259682)

Post #6. A smaller and simpler pendrive for all PC (Intel/AMD) computers - 'grub-n-iso' (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2259682&p=13300523#post13300523) - Lubuntu 32-bit

...

Post #49. A compressed image file with a persistent live system of Lubuntu 14.04.3 LTS (32-bit) and mkusb version 10.4 (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2259682&page=3&p=13399888#post13399888)

There are detailed descriptions in some of the posts, for example post #8, which might help you create exactly what you want :-)

Post #8. Build your own single boot or multiboot pendrive for all PC (Intel/AMD) computers (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2259682&p=13302278#post13302278)

[billypon]

OK, thanks!
It's helpful.

[C.S.Cameron]

I have not had much luck with persistent partitions when upgrading from one version of Ubuntu to the next.
Some things don't work well.

[billypon]

I have not had much luck with persistent partitions when upgrading from one version of Ubuntu to the next.
Some things don't work well.
there are two partitions: one is casper-rw, another is home-rw.
when upgrading, casper-rw will be wiped, and home-rw will be saved.
so I don't worry about it. ^_^

[sudodus]

Saving only /home (whether a directory or partition) has worked for me when upgrading the iso file. I think it will work for you.

Good luck :-)

[C.S.Cameron]

Yes, I recall home-rw worked with several versions on a multibood disk
I tried casper-rw and remember the USB booted with a second version but not much worked.
I think it then went corrupt.
Have you considered a Full install?