Make changes to read-only file in text editor (syslinux.cfg)

[MuleSkinner]

I'm trying to follow all the steps in this thread and I'm stuck at the following step:

append initrd=/ubninit file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper quiet splash -- persistent
Rebooted, changes were persistent.

Which C.S.Cameron translated for me as the following:

Press Alt F2 and type "gksu nautilus"
Or you can open terminal and type "gksu nautilus"
(this opens nautilus as super user).
Now click file system, then double click cdrom, then you right click on syslinux.cfg and open with text editor.

I opened syslinux.cfg with text editor and it was a read-only file and I couldn't make any changes to it. Any help would be greatly appreciated as this is the last step of what I'm trying to accomplish.

[Kirboosy]

How much command line experience do you have?


Open a terminal and type in

gksudo gedit /path/to/syslinux.cfg

If you need further help just tell me where your file is located..

[sh4d0w808]

Right click on the file, properties, permissions and set up access options to read and write. After then try to open the file again with your editor (I'm not exactly sure that you can do the permission change, but tryx it.)

[TechWiz2100]

Right click on the file, properties, permissions and set up access options to read and write. After then try to open the file again with your editor (I'm not exactly sure that you can do the permission change, but tryx it.)

DO NOT DO THIS!!

While this is definitely away to circumvent the system its dangerous and not something that should be suggested, especially not to those who have little experience with linux in general.

The best way to edit the file is gksudo or sudo <cli editor> because permissions don't get screwed up causing potential boot issues or what have you later on.

[Kirboosy]

DO NOT DO THIS!!

While this is definitely a way to circumvent the system its dangerous and not something that should be suggested, especially not to those who have little experience with linux in general.

+1

Lets just keep walking the OP through the gksudo way

[MuleSkinner]

How much command line experience do you have?


Open a terminal and type in

gksudo gedit /path/to/syslinux.cfg

If you need further help just tell me where your file is located..

I did that and it just opens an empty pop-up box. No clue what to do next. BTW, I'm trying to make changes that are on my flash drive so I can make a persistent flash drive.

[Kirboosy]

Ok. What is the path to the file that you used? (my /path/to/syslinux.cfg was an example and not what you are supposed to use.)

Since its a thumb drive it should be something like /media/"thumbdrive"/syslinux.cfg

[MuleSkinner]

I got there by typing in what I pasted earlier:

Press Alt F2 and type "gksu nautilus"
Or you can open terminal and type "gksu nautilus"
(this opens nautilus as super user).
Now click file system, then double click cdrom, then you right click on syslinux.cfg and open with text editor.

When I get to cdrom, there is a little grey lock on the icon (not sure if that's meaningful information, but I thought I should mention it).

[Kirboosy]

Well the CDROM drive is readonly since the CD is most likely a CD-R. Unless you copy the files somewhere else you won't be able to modify the files.


Since you are trying to make a persistent thumbdrive why don't you use "Startup Disk Creator"? (System-->Admin-->Startup Disk Creator)

[MuleSkinner]

Since you are trying to make a persistent thumbdrive why don't you use "Startup Disk Creator"? (System-->Admin-->Startup Disk Creator)

I just tried Startup Disk Creator and I'm having the same issue with it that I did attempting various installers- I get hung up on boot up. When I get to where Ubuntu is displayed in the center of the monitor with the five sequentially flashing white to red dots underneath it, that page stays there and the desktop never appears. At least with the method I've been trying to accomplish in this thread, I can successfully boot up, get on the internet, etc.

Well the CDROM drive is readonly since the CD is most likely a CD-R. Unless you copy the files somewhere else you won't be able to modify the files.

There is no more CD-R in the method I've been trying, I'm just booting up with the flash drive.