How to make persistent?

[Ozfer]

So I am new to Tiny Core and just installed it on my laptop. I would like to use it like a normal OS and have everything persistent from the settings, documents, and programs. Whats is the easiest way for someone new with TC to do this?

[gerald_clark]

Start by reading the book.
http://tinycorelinux.net/book.html

[Misalf]

One of the biggest benefits of using TinyCore, in my opinion that is, is that not all that crap that lands on your machine is allowed to survive, unless you do a so-called "backup". Either via cli commands

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backup
or

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filetool.sh -b
or when exiting the desktop / rebooting / shutting down using "TC Exit".
By default, this sores your  /home  and  /opt  directories in a compressed archive at
  /etc/sysconfig/tcedir/mydata.tgz

You can add more files/directories though, or exclude:

If you're using TinyCore with a "Desktop" (meaning GUI, I know you're using a laptop :p), start the "ControlPanel" by clicking its icon in the launcher (WBar) at the bottom of the screen. Then, in ControlPanel, click on "Backup/Restore". This will open the, well, Backup/Restore tool, which is quite self-explanatory in terms of how to use it, i think.

If you're in CLI only, without GUI, then you would manually edit
  /opt/.filetool.lst
to include files in your backup, and
  /opt/.xfiletool.lst
to exlcude from the backup.
Before shutting down or restarting the system, you need to run  filetool.sh -b  for the backup to be rerun.
Only the GUI TC Exit tool creates a backup automatically for you when you exit.

Also, read the book: http://tinycorelinux.net/book.html
It's free.

[Ozfer]

As someone who is new with this and doesn't know what all the lingo means. I just want the whole thing to be persistent and would prefer not having to do backups. Will common setup do this? Thank you for the information Misalf.

[Misalf]

Nope, not the hole thing.
/home and /opt, yes.
Anything else has to be added manually.
Before you even try, just adding everything (the hole thing) to the backup would be a terrible idea and wouldn't make any sense at all.

To give you an idea, here is my
/opt/.filetool.lst

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opt
home
etc/sudoers
etc/passwd
etc/shadow
etc/group
etc/gshadow
etc/udhcpd.conf
etc/profile.d
var/spool/cron/crontabs
root/.config
root/.xmms
root/.Xdefaults
root/.gtkrc-2.0
root/.gtkrc-2.0.mine
usr/local/etc/alsa/asound.state
usr/local/etc/bluetooth/audio.conf
usr/local/etc/ssh/ssh_config
usr/local/etc/ssh/sshd_config
usr/local/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-keyboard.conf
usr/local/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/19-intel.conf
usr/local/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/20-dri.conf
usr/local/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/50-mouse.conf
usr/local/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/50-synaptics.conf
usr/local/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/50-touchpad.conf
usr/local/etc/samba/smb.conf
lib/udev/beep
lib/udev/beep-dn
lib/udev/beep-up
etc/udev/rules.d/99-usb-beep.rules
lib/udev/idesk-tcuser
etc/udev/rules.d/99-idesk-mount.rules
etc/ppp
etc/usb_modeswitch.conf
etc/hosts.mvps
etc/vnstat.conf
etc/sysconfig/wifi-wpadrv
var/lib/vnstat
usr/local/etc/acpi


[Misalf]

and
/opt/.xfiletool.lst

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Cache
cache
.cache
.dbus
XUL.mfasl
XPC.mfasl
mnt
.adobe
.macromedia
.opera/opcache
.opera/cache4
.Xauthority
.wmx
stream.yuv
nohup.out
.dvdcss
.subversion
.local/share/recently-used.xbel
.config/geany/geany_socket_box__0
.gimp-2.8/pluginrc
.gimp-2.8/gimpswap.*
.thumbnails
.mozilla/firefox/Crash Reports
.mozilla/firefox/tc.default/*.bak
.mozilla/firefox/tc.default/crashes
.mozilla/firefox/tc.default/datareporting
.mozilla/firefox/tc.default/downloads.sqlite
.mozilla/firefox/tc.default/flashgot.log
.mozilla/firefox/tc.default/flashgot.log.bak
.mozilla/firefox/tc.default/healthreport
.mozilla/firefox/tc.default/healthreport.sqlite
.mozilla/firefox/tc.default/healthreport.sqlite-shm
.mozilla/firefox/tc.default/healthreport.sqlite-wal
.mozilla/firefox/tc.default/minidumps
.mozilla/firefox/tc.default/netpredictions.sqlite
.mozilla/firefox/tc.default/places.sqlite
.mozilla/firefox/tc.default/places.sqlite-shm
.mozilla/firefox/tc.default/places.sqlite-wal
.mozilla/firefox/tc.default/safebrowsing
.mozilla/firefox/tc.default/saved-telemetry-pings
.mozilla/firefox/tc.default/sessionstore.bak
.mozilla/firefox/tc.default/sessionstore.js
.mozilla/firefox/tc.default/signons.sqlite
.mozilla/firefox/tc.default/startupCache
.mozilla/firefox/tc.default/storage/temporary
.mozilla/firefox/tc.default/urlclassifier.pset
.mozilla/firefox/tc.default/urlclassifierkey3.txt
.mozilla/firefox/tc.default/webapps

(entries without preceding path are in $HOME)

[gerald_clark]

Tiny core is a tool kit for building custom systems.
It looks like what you want is not tiny core.  I suggest you try one of the many other small install and run distributions.

[Rich]

Hi Ozfer
The way Tinycore works is every time the system boots it rebuilds the filesystem from scratch. Therefore, if you modify
any of the systems config files, they'll need to be added to the backup. The  /home  and  /opt  directories can be made
persistent if you don't want them to need backing up.

[malikawan]

Hi Ozfer
Just Install tinycore normal when asking for boot code enter
home=sdxx opt=sdxx norestore
Here xx is your Hard disk drive letter like sda1 or sdb1
After Installation all of your data is permanent. Try this
And if you have already install just open tce folder than boot folder than extlinux and open extlinux.conf
add these boot code " home=sdxx opt=sdxx norestore "
If you need more help feel free to msg me.

[Misalf]

I wouldn't use the  norestore  boot code as this kind of disables the backup feature which is still useful for files outside of  /home  and  /opt .
If  home=  and  opt=  boot codes are used, just excluding  /home  and  /opt  from the backup and recreate it by running  filetool.sh -b  should be enough.

[coreplayer2]

I wouldn't use "norestore" boot code on a permanent basis either, think of "norestore" boot code as a temporary troubleshooting feature. 

If persistence via backup for home and opt directories is not desirable  then, do as Misalf has said. Install to a partition using home= and opt= boot codes.   Exclude all but but important config files which you may need on each boot from the backup, then make a backup which keeps your backup small.
If desired, you can prevent backup from recreating a new backup on every shutdown by modifying ~/.profile replacing

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export BACKUP=1
with

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export BACKUP=0
In time you may want to add a config file to your backup, which can be performed manually by adding it to /opt/.filetool.lst and running filetool.sh -b

[cosminbro]

I run filetool.sh -b, and after reboot the password for tc doesn't work, I can't log in. What's happened?

[Juanito]

I presume you are using piCore?

By default the user tc does not have a password. If you are trying to connect via ssh the password is piCore.

[vinceASPECT]

Hello,

Users can tell Tinycore to remember it's condition
per "computer power off" and  power back on....

"Backup"
"REstore"
"persistence"

are the topics................
----------------------------------------

you will require HARDWARE storage........... such as a physical pen drive......etc

.....it can be very difficult to "learn" the above subjects because it's NOT AT ALL RECOMMEND to do it by experimenting with important hardware computers that are likely to already contain Masses and Masses..... of valuable information users need to keep.
 
people's  experience varies........

E.G........experience somebody Loosing an entire University dissertation which is OCEANS  of work........JUST LOST..........due to insufficient  systems and "poor understanding os's"  that cause such a situation.


...........to stay safe , ALWAYS use spare redundant hardware device for your Learning experiments........

Tinycore IS NOT a computing operating system offering that safety from
initialisation and first usage.

best wishes.