Can't save settings

[ranmaru]

I can't seem to save my settings.
For example, I have to download Opera from the repository each time I reboot.
I tried to "backup" as per the gui... it saved a tar file on my partition, but saved settings do not come back. I tried the cheat code upon initial boot to get it to check the partition where I put the the tar file. No go. Any suggestions? It's probably really simple...

I'm running the live CD tinycore 1.0, AMD 4000, 2 gigs ram, 250 gig hd...so no hardware problems.

[tobiaus]

in tc your extensions are not part of the backup. you can use the cheatcode tce=devicename, the backups are for your home folder, a few other items, and whatever you add.

if other items are not restoring, let us know what cheatcodes you use (restore=what?)

[ranmaru]

in tc your extensions are not part of the backup. you can use the cheatcode tce=devicename, the backups are for your home folder, a few other items, and whatever you add.

Thanks tobiaus for the quick response. That does clarify things a bit- extensions are not part of the backup. Can we then save extensions?

The "cheatcodes" are: tinycore tce=sda6 restore=sda6

I do have the correct partition picked out (in case you're wondering) since I see the backup files (tar) saved there.
Is there a way to have Opera and Opera settings (ex: bookmarks) saved and loaded upon reboot?

[roberts]

Of course you can save extensions.

If extensions are stored in a level-1 directory named tce on any partition then no boot code is needed. The system will auto scan devices looking for it.

Optionally you can name your tce directory something else but then the boot code tce will be required specifying both the device  and the directory name.

You can always choose to use the boot code with just the device to skip the auto scan thereby have a faster boot.

Sometimes, usually usb devices, another boot option is needed, waitusb=x, where is number of seconds to wait.

Some systems require waitusb=5 in order for certain devices to register before the extension collection or backup file can be found to be loaded/restored.

Your Opera bookmarks are included in the default backup.

The backup is controlled by two simple text files.

/opt/.filetool.lst is the list used to indicate which files and directories are to be included in the backup.
/opt/.xfiletool.lst is the list of which files to exclude from the backup.

The backup works similarly to the extensions, in that the system auto scans each device looking for mydata.tgz, so once you have made a successful backup, mydata.tgz then the boot code restore is not required. But by always specifying it will speed your boot.

The autoscan for both extensions and backup were made to allow a hands-free boot, i.e, not having to type boot commands each time.

The concept of TC is modular and factorization of static and dynamic content. Extensions being usually large static (not changing) are stored separately (the tce directory) away from dynmaic content, ie, your personal files, the backup files (mydata.tgz) These two, extensions, and backup, together with TC allows for a nomadic system with a known pristine boot state. No presistence is required to use TC.

[tobiaus]

The "cheatcodes" are: tinycore tce=sda6 restore=sda6

I do have the correct partition picked out (in case you're wondering) since I see the backup files (tar) saved there.
Is there a way to have Opera and Opera settings (ex: bookmarks) saved and loaded upon reboot?

those settings should be the ones you need. you're correct in thinking that the tar file is a sign you chose the right partition.

if opera in particular is not saving bookmarks, this may be an issue with the opera extension. or as i think roberts hinted at, you may need to find where opera saves bookmarks (if not in a folder somewhere in /home/tc) and include that in filetool.lst

i offer you two simple ways to see if your settings are being kept. one is to install leafpad, turn on wordwrap, and restart tc. if wordwrap is still there when you restart, your settings are being restored. another thing you can do is open a term and do this: echo text > hellothere (then after you restart, open a term and: cat hellothere ...it should then say "text.")

[ranmaru]

Much thanks tobiaus and roberts. Got it working now! I think I'm really going to like this tiny distro. I think this is what I was looking for around a year and a half ago when I was playing around with DSL... tiny, fast and very configurable.
I'm not sure what I did to get it working, maybe it was the cheatcodes and then a subsequent reboot. (It didn't seem to work on the first pass at it.... whatever).

[tobiaus]

that's not too surprising. i imagine the restore and tce codes need to be used on boot before they will be useful to the exit option or the appbrowser / scripts for extensions. glad you got it working.

[^thehatsrule^]

i imagine the restore and tce codes need to be used on boot before they will be useful to the exit option or the appbrowser / scripts for extensions.

iirc, you can also set the locations while in TC (ie setting backup device, and download location)

[Hentchel]

I am attempting to run headless, and would in fact like to delete the various libs used only for GUI from tinycore.gz (when I have time to figure this out).
I discovered that you don't need the GUI to do backup, you can simply invoke the underlying tool:   filetool.sh backup

I had understood that if you added the restore=hda1 option to the boot command that backup would also be automatic, but I've not found that to be the case, I have to manually invoke backup everytime I modify something. I am running within VirtualBox, so that might somehow interfere with shutdown sequence. My goal is to avoid linux install cycles by creating a base VBox image, cloning it for each host instance I want to run, running a script to modify hostname, IP, etc, then firing filetool backup. Any reason this is not wise?

I believe the three-way split of persistent information is correct:  1) core image and TCE's, 2) dynamic environment data (filetool backup) and 3) user data (full-functioned backup tool).

There are several "system" files I need to add to /opt/.filetool.lst in order to preserve basic initial configuration information.  These are: etc/passwd, etc/group, etc/shadow, etc/gshadow, etc/sudoers, etc/hosts, and etc/fstab.  I'm a little nervous about recreating the tinycore.gz file to include these important OS files.  Is there a tool that will ensure I get all needed content in the tinycore.gz image?

Regards,
Dave

[tobiaus]

looking up remaster on the wiki will tell you how to remove things from tinycore.gz

[captainpotato]

Rather than start a new thread, I thought I'd post here with my questions.

I've managed to get some of my settings to save, but not all of them. These work across reboots:
- Network IP address, netmask, routes, DNS servers (set using the CP's 'Netcardconfig' option);
- Wireless card firmware loading (created a .tce for it).

However, I cannot get these to remain across boots:
- WEP key;
- Mouse configuration (switching buttons).

I'm setting the WEP key with 'sudo iwconfig key <WEP key>' and using the CP's 'Mouse Tool' option.

Clearly I'm missing a folder or two in the list of locations that need to be backed up - any idea which ones, please?

[roberts]

The 'sudo iwconfig key <WEP key>' needs to be added to /opt/bootlocal.sh as
/usr/local/sbin/iwconfig key <WEP key>

The mouse settings are likely being saved as they are in the file .mouse_config in your home directory.
You just need to execute from .xsession

[captainpotato]

Thanks roberts - the wifi took a bit to work out why it didn't work, and then I realised I'd forgotten to specify the interface *blush*

You are right about saving the mouse settings - if I execute the the file from the shell it works, but I cannot get it to work from .xsession - what exactly should I be entering, please?

[roberts]

Seems there is some confusion with regards to xmodmap and xset commands in the current .xsession file. I am going to change the default .xsession in the next cut.
Hopefully the change will make it clearer and therefore much easier for these commands to work.

Here is what I am using and will become the new default:

Code: [Select]

Xvesa -br -screen 800x600x24 -shadow -mouse /dev/input/mice,5 -nolisten tcp -I 2>&1 >/dev/null &
DESKTOP="$(awk '/wm:/{print $2}' .desktop)"
"${DESKTOP:=jwm}" &
WindowManager=$!
wbar &
./.mouse_config &
wait $WindowManager

Note: Be sure the .mouse_config is set to be executeable.

[roberts]

Based on feedback, I will have mousetool set executeable and .xsession look for an executeable .mouse_config in the next cut.