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jenom

- jenom
- Posts: 29
- Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2014 4:18 pm

## Re: What refracta does ?

Tue Aug 19, 2014 5:46 pm

thanks for the download link to the script
already got it and even started reading it
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I will start by checking that all the needed pkges are installed:
#needs rsync syslinux genisoimage live-boot live-config squashfs-tools
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looking at the default excluded list
#items to be excluded - edit as needed
Some are obviously not needed to be saved (cdrom, media, tmp, swapfile), but how about -dev, -etc, -fstab, -sys ?
Are those will be re-created automatically when newly created ISO used for booting ?
Does this scripts applies same amount of compression as refracta ?
Thanks!
meandean

- meandean
- Posts: 392
- Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2011 5:16 am

## Re: What refracta does ?

Tue Aug 19, 2014 5:57 pm

The default excluded list should be fine. When you run it you may get informational error messages about certain things not being able to be copied, those are usually the things you probably want to exclude, but most likely the image will still be successfully built.
Either way running it wont make your system explode, the worst that happens is that it will fail to work...
Yep this uses the standard compression although I think there is an option for greater compression but I wouldn't suggest it.
Yep dev,sys,etc stuff is automagically created by the system.
jenom

- jenom
- Posts: 29
- Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2014 4:18 pm

## Re: What refracta does ?

Tue Aug 19, 2014 6:16 pm

I have faith in this script, as you said, it can not do any harm
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
meanwhile, I have changed repositories from testing to sid and upgraded
all went good, however in synaptic I selected and installed all "recommended" packages , so my system now around 5 gb (total 1969 pkg-es installed)
interestingly, I do not see any new major applications in the XFCE-s GIU menu, so very likely lots of small things got installed (libraries, program languages, etc...)
when done "apt-get purge" + "apt-get autoremove" , all was good
now I have a dilemma, either save as big as it is (because it works) or start from scratch and do a fresh installation to end up with a 2 gb lean system again (would take some time + effort)
thanks for all the info
golinux

- golinux
- Posts: 663
- Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2012 1:23 am

## Re: What refracta does ?

Tue Aug 19, 2014 10:32 pm

> jenom wrote:. . . meanwhile, I have changed repositories from testing to sid and upgraded
> all went good . . .

Good chance you might regret that with all the systemd stuff just now appearing in sid . . .
fsmithred

- fsmithred
- Posts: 2101
- Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2011 9:13 pm

## Re: What refracta does ?

Tue Aug 19, 2014 10:55 pm

@jenom:
What are you trying to accomplish? Do you just want a backup of your entire system that can be used to restore it in case of catastrophe? If so, you might be better off with some backup utility. I've used clonezilla in the past and was happy with it. (A windows XP install that took eight hours was restored in 20 minutes.)
Or do you want a bootable usb with a live linux system to use for whatever computing you do? If so, refracta2usb will be better than directly imaging the usb drive with the dd command. The latter method would be like running from a cdrom, and you won't be able to save files.
If you do use refracta2usb, read the quick start section of the help pages, which are available from within the program, and that should be enough to get you going. If you read all of the help pages, you'll be more confused. The program can do a lot of things you probably don't need. But feel free to ask any other questions you have about it.
For jessie/sid, you'll need the latest version of refractasnapshot (or meandean's script, which might need some updating first.) You should be able to run refractasnapshot or refractasnapshot-gui without making any edits to the config file. If you want a smaller iso, you can use xz compression by uncommenting the following line in refractasnapshot.conf:

Code:
  `#mksq_opt="-comp xz"`

Using xz compression, my installation, which is almost 4GB comes out to a 700MB iso file that fits on a CD.
Links to refractasnapshot for jessie/sid:
http://distro.ibiblio.org/refracta/file ... .2_all.deb
http://distro.ibiblio.org/refracta/file ... .2_all.deb
@meandean:
Changes in refractasnapshot for jessie/sid need to include something like the following (note the changes in syslinux and isolinux paths.)

Code:
  `copy_isolinux () {
  if [[ -f /usr/lib/ISOLINUX/isolinux.bin ]] ; then
  isolinuxbin="/usr/lib/ISOLINUX/isolinux.bin"
  elif [[ -f /usr/lib/syslinux/isolinux.bin ]] ; then
  isolinuxbin="/usr/lib/syslinux/isolinux.bin"
  else
  $DIALOG --title=Error --$ERROR --${BUTTON0}="OK"${BUTTON0NUM} \
  --text="You need to install the isolinux package."
  exit 1
  fi
  if [[ -f /usr/lib/syslinux/modules/bios/vesamenu.c32 ]] ; then
  vesamenu="/usr/lib/syslinux/modules/bios/vesamenu.c32"
  rsync -a /usr/lib/syslinux/modules/bios/ldlinux.c32 "$iso_dir"/isolinux/
  rsync -a /usr/lib/syslinux/modules/bios/libcom32.c32 "$iso_dir"/isolinux/
  rsync -a /usr/lib/syslinux/modules/bios/libutil.c32 "$iso_dir"/isolinux/
  else
  vesamenu="/usr/lib/syslinux/vesamenu.c32"
  fi
  rsync -a "$isolinuxbin" "$iso_dir"/isolinux/
  rsync -a "$vesamenu" "$iso_dir"/isolinux/
  }
  `

jenom

- jenom
- Posts: 29
- Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2014 4:18 pm

## Re: What refracta does ?

Tue Aug 19, 2014 11:10 pm

Already wiped out that monster, and installed this time a siduction xfce from fresh
Adding wifi drivers was a bit tricky,iwlwifi,but all works now.
Removed all the heavy stuff: chromium,abiword,gnumeric,mc,brasero,hexchat
Used bleachbit to clean locales 254 mb....ended up with 2.2 gb system
Needed to install syslinux,live-boot,live-config to run makelivecd.
When run it,it started to complain about missing /vmlinuz and /initrd.img, but it went ahead.
At the end it created a 645 mb iso file.....I still need to put it on the USB and try it out !
fsmithred

- fsmithred
- Posts: 2101
- Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2011 9:13 pm

## Re: What refracta does ?

Wed Aug 20, 2014 12:14 am

If your system does not have /vmlinuz and /initrd.img, you should create those symbolic links and then run the snapshot script again. (Or else you could edit the config file and the isolinux boot menu to point to the actual kernel and initrd.)

Code:
  `ln -s /boot/vmlinuz-<version> /vmlinuz
  ln -s /boot/initrd.img /initrd.img`

(Use the correct names that you see in /boot.)
meandean

- meandean
- Posts: 392
- Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2011 5:16 am

## Re: What refracta does ?

Wed Aug 20, 2014 1:14 am

> fsmithred wrote:@meandean:
> Changes in refractasnapshot for jessie/sid need to include something like the following (note the changes in syslinux and isolinux paths.)

Thanks chief, I am about to start my adventures into jessie and was wondering about what changes I was going to run into.
Any changes to the excludes entries?
Anything else I should be aware of?
Thanks again bug guy, hope things are cool with you!
fsmithred

- fsmithred
- Posts: 2101
- Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2011 9:13 pm

## Re: What refracta does ?

Wed Aug 20, 2014 2:02 am

Yeah, things are good. Been busy and haven't done much coding this summer. I figure there's still plenty of time until jessie freezes. Glad to see you around again.
I don't think there were any excludes added for jessie. One thing that has changed with live-config is that there's a new word for syslinux boot options. What used to be "config=blah" is now "components=blah". Most of the discussion about what has changed is in two threads, I think.
new-versions-of-installer-and-snapshot-9-1-x-for-sid-t383.html
sid-refracta-and-refracta-tools-t292.html
meandean

- meandean
- Posts: 392
- Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2011 5:16 am

## Re: What refracta does ?

Wed Aug 20, 2014 2:38 am

ughhh....I hate change...makes my brain hurt...
thanks for the info!
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