SV-TUTZ : BT3b PERSISTENT CHANGES

[BTuser3]

Thanks for all those who posted replies to help.

I have a spare USB key which has already my stuff on it (music, programs, etc) and I decided to use that in order to boot BootTrack v3. OK, so I installed BTv3 on it, without recreating any partitions or all that, and it worked. No surprise, it just updated the MBR to reflect booting into BT3 on a reboot (thats as long as you leave the "boot" and "bt3" under the root directory of your USB key). Ok, now comes the part where am not sure about:

If I want to use that same configuration but let BT to write changes into /dev/sda1 (I dont want to have a second partition), will that work or I will need to create a folder called changes and point BT to /dev/sda1/changes? Basically, since I can write things to /dev/sda1, which is also the root directory of the USB key, why would should I not be able to write changes on that same partition? I think its possible. Any one have tried this? I will do some tests and report results, but if anyone already tried it, please let me know. Thanks.

[BTuser3]

I would also like to add: most of us know that Knoppix distros do work with persistent changes without creating any second partitions (pendrivelinux.com). Looking at the configuration of one of them, the following exists: an "mcnlive.loop" file (which acts as a loop device for saving changes), syslinux.cfg file (which has in the boot line, apend ... ... persist fromusb). Am not sure why it should not be possible to do the same with backtrack.

Am also working on booting Backtrack 3 from Windows without having to reboot it (just like many cases in perndrivelinux.com). So far, it actually works with me, its just that when KDE starts, the screen gets way too big and BT never actually succeeds to load it up. I dont think this is a majot issue, I will play around with the configs of Qemu and/or BT boot options. If anyone is interested on a mini tutorial on how to boot BT from Windows without a reboot, please let me know, I will come up with something nice and easy to follow (once I figure it out 100%.)

More testings under way.

[Munkey106]

If anyone is interested on a mini tutorial on how to boot BT from Windows without a reboot, please let me know, I will come up with something nice and easy to follow (once I figure it out 100%.)

More testings under way.

I'd absolutely love that, though I'm not sure if it's possible. It'd be great if it is though!

[BTuser3]

I'd absolutely love that, though I'm not sure if it's possible. It'd be great if it is though!

OK, most tests were done!

Actually its easier than I thought.

I booted BT3 today from within windows XP (without rebooting that is) and it works wonderfully, in both TEXT and GUI modes. I will post a mini-and-simple tutorial once I finalize a couple more things. ALSO, I got the persistent mode change to work within the same FAT32 partition (without the need of a second partition).

The concept is simple: instead of creating a second partition with ext2, just use an image file which is formatted with ext2 instead, and which resides in the root directory of the USB key. For BT3, that would be where the bt3b141207.iso file is, or in case where we are using the "reboot way", the boot and bt3 folders.

I tested the persistent change by changing the background and root password. Both were still there after a second "reboot-within-windows" attempt.

So up to this point, we have a working BT3 bootable from within Windows, under one FAT32 partition, and with persistent changes.

More tests under way to have the same concept work while actually rebooting from the USB stick and using that image file.

Here is a teaser picture:

hxxp://farm4.static.flickr.com/3026/2549101245_217ffb4e65.jpg?v=0

Dont forget to replace the xx...

[aidan_curtis]

me too would be interested in full explaination of both xp boot and save changes without ext2 partition

[aidan_curtis]

please could you us tell how to create the image file for the fat32 usb persistance
Thanks

[BTuser3]

I posted the tutorial under

http://forums.remote-exploit.org/sho...8620#post88620

Enjoy