TUTORIAL: live install with changes, swap and data partitions

[gt5401d]

Great tutorial, just what i was looking for. To make it even easier I used qparted live cd and created all 4 partions first, easier than using BT as it's all GUI based. You'll have to look it up in google, can't post url's yet.

[balding_parrot]

qtparted is included in bt

just login, startx, and run qtparted

[gt5401d]

learn something new everyday

[consumption]

@balding_parrot

I don't know if I am allowed to post stuff like this but right now Dell has a great deal on a Western Digital Passport 160 gig. If you were looking for one.

I order one to install BT2 on. It was $95 shipped.

[shamanvirtuel]

that's the disks i work with... really nice in black....
really good, fast access, light....

[srinag]

There you go, the best install option in my opinion. all the benefits of a live install (easy use of modules) all the benefits of a disk swap space, all the benefits of a full install (changes saved automatically) and a partition to store data on.
Plus if you do manage to mess your install up, just delete the folders in the changes partition and you are back to a virgin install. And if you think that installing some piece of software or making some changes to your install may cause a problem, you can make a copy of those same two folders, as a backup just in case.

Pls cud you clear a doubt of mine, when you say benefits of a full install (changes saved automatically), you mean that if I install a new program it will have to be saved on the 3rd partition or do you mean that any settings such as inittab,lilo.conf or something else when changed will appear in this partition?

If I understood your original post, the first fat32 partition will be used to store BT2 and its modules and all future modules and programs. The 4th partition will be used for storing all user files so what is the 3rd partition for??

Hope I dont sound too dum, I'm new @ linux, pls help me out.

P.S : Is it possible to do a full(2.7gig) install of BT2 on an external USB hard disk? If yes pointers pls...

[balding_parrot]

The third partition is the changes partition.
It holds all of your changes, installed programs etc

[-~operator~-]

hey BP,

i followed your tutorial doing it with a 4 gig USB stick, and it did'nt work. I assume that writing the bootstrap to the stick didn't work. So i went for the simple way and used shamanvirtuels usb installer 4 windows which worked perfectly. My question is now:

i qtparted'd the stick following your way, so i got 4 partitions now. am i right that when i add "changes=/dev/sda3" to my syslinux.cfg, my changes will be saved?

[theprez98]

am i right that when i add "changes=/dev/sda3" to my syslinux.cfg, my changes will be saved?

Yes. If you delete the two folders on the 'saved changes' partition, it returns you to a 'virgin' install.

[balding_parrot]

hey BP,

i followed your tutorial doing it with a 4 gig USB stick, and it did'nt work. I assume that writing the bootstrap to the stick didn't work. So i went for the simple way and used shamanvirtuels usb installer 4 windows which worked perfectly. My question is now:

i qtparted'd the stick following your way, so i got 4 partitions now. am i right that when i add "changes=/dev/sda3" to my syslinux.cfg, my changes will be saved?

Strange ? I have never had it fail.

yes if you do that and run bootinst.bat the way I said, it will update it and your changes will be saved.