Create a persistent AnduinOS 2.0.2 Live USB?

[Calab]

I would like to create a AnduinOS Live USB stick that has persistent storage. I've done some searching online, but most answers require running Windows software (like Rufus). I've looked at mkusb, but that program is not documented well and I find it a bit confusing.

Is there an easy way, using Linux, to make an AnduinOS Live USB that has persistence ?

[azat44]

You don't need Rufus or mkusb — AnduinOS has persistence built in. It's called AnduinOS ToGo, and it's been in the ISO since 1.4, so 2.0.2 has it.

Two steps:

1. Write the ISO to the stick with dd (e.g. sudo dd if=AnduinOS-2.0.2.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress oflag=sync — double-check /dev/sdX with lsblk first). This is the part that matters: you must use dd. Copying the ISO contents as files, or using a tool in "ISO mode", won't create the partition layout the overlay needs.
2. Boot the stick and, in the GRUB menu, pick AnduinOS ToGo instead of "Try AnduinOS" or "Install". That's the entry that mounts the persistent partition and overlays it on the root filesystem.

Use 32GB or more if you plan to install toolchains — the persistent area shares the stick with the ISO itself. After first boot, df -h / shows what you actually have left.

Full docs: https://docs.anduinos.com/Install/Burn-AnduinOS-ToGo.html

[Calab]

Thanks for the info. I didn't realize that it was an option on the advanced menu so I assumed it wasn't there at all.

One kind of related question... how can I disable the installer from starting up every time I go into the persistent USB?

[azat44]

Glad that sorted it.

Depends which installer you mean. If it's a window or icon that shows up after you log in, that's an autostart entry. Have a look in /etc/xdg/autostart/ for a .desktop file with "install" in the name. Delete it, or add a line saying Hidden=true at the end of the file. You're on the persistent setup now so that'll stick across reboots.

If you mean GRUB going back to the install entry every time you boot, that's a separate thing, you'd change the default menu entry instead.

Which one is it?

[Calab]

It was the installer window opening up after the Anduin desktop appeared. Nothing to do with grub. Deleting that .desktop file did the job. Thanks!

[Calab]

Now I'm seeing something else, which is confusing me...

I made the USB on my desktop PC and booted it. I customized it and installed clamav. I rebooted the USB stick a few times and everything was fine.

Then I plugged the USB stick into my Dell laptop and booted the USB. My Arcmenu is at the bottom CENTER of the desktop. The menu doesn't have my customization either. I tried booting a couple of times in case I mistyped on the grub menu, but there was no difference.

When I plug the USB stick back into my desktop and booted the USB, my Acrmenu is at the bottom LEFT of the desktop., where I set it and my customizations are exactly how I expected them to be.

I need to dig a bit more on my laptop to see what exactly is and isn't there.

[azat44]

Sounds like persistence just isn't kicking in on the laptop, so you're getting a fresh live session with stock defaults. That would explain both things at once: ArcMenu back in the middle, and none of your tweaks.

Easy way to confirm. Boot the laptop, then run:

df -h /
mount | grep -i overlay

and compare with what you get on the desktop. If the overlay isn't there, it's booting the plain live entry.

The usual reason is the two machines booting the stick differently, one in UEFI and one in legacy BIOS. GRUB loads a different config depending on which, so the entry you pick isn't necessarily the same one. Check with:

[ -d /sys/firmware/efi ] && echo UEFI || echo BIOS

Run it on both. If they don't match, go into the Dell's boot menu and pick the UEFI entry for the stick explicitly, F12 during startup. Secure Boot is worth a look too while you're in there.

One thing that would rule out a lot: on the laptop, make some obvious change, reboot, and see if it survives. If it doesn't, it's definitely not persisting rather than anything to do with clamav or your GNOME config.

[Calab]

Going back to my laptop and booting persistent mode has all my customizations and files - EXCEPT for the Arc menu position. Everything else seems to be how I set it up.

Booting persistent mode on my wife's desktop PC shows the same issue. Customizations are there, EXCEPT for the position of the Arc menu.

Is it possible that the Arc menu settings are being stored to the wrong place? Maybe it works on my desktop because that it where I made the customizations.

Also, FYI...

For more testing I tried to boot persistent mode on a Samsung laptop but it would not boot the persistent system... The following message was repeated several times, the I was asked if I wanted to try a network boot.

/init: line 38: can't open /dev/sr0: no medium found

It does boot the Live option fine.

[Calab]

I changed the desktop background and the menu style while I was on the laptop. The changes persisted when I booted on my desktop. The position of the Arc menu is still different between the two.

Here is the output from the two commands. I see no difference.

Desktop:
live@anduinos:$ df -h /
mount | grep -i overlay
Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/cow 56G 2.7G 51G 5% /
/cow on / type overlay (rw,relatime,lowerdir=/filesystem.squashfs,upperdir=/cow/upper,workdir=/cow/work,xino=off,nouserxattr)
live@anduinos:$ [ -d /sys/firmware/efi ] && echo UEFI || echo BIOS~
UEFI

Laptop:

live@anduinos:$ df -h /
Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/cow 56G 2.6G 51G 5% /
live@anduinos:$ mount | grep -i overlay
/cow on / type overlay (rw,relatime,lowerdir=/filesystem.squashfs,upperdir=/cow/upper,workdir=/cow/work,xino=off,nouserxattr)
live@anduinos:$ [ -d /sys/firmware/efi ] && echo UEFI || echo BIOS
UEFI
live@anduinos:$

If you want, I will start a fresh discussion for the Arc menu issue that I'm seeing.

[Calab]

I booted on the laptop, changed the desktop background and taskbar placement. The changes persisted on the desktop. At this point the desktop and laptop are working properly.