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sparky_backup_core

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Sparky Backup Core

Sparky Backup Core is a tool which lets you backup your existing Sparky installation, and create a new iso image of it. The tool is based and forked from Remastersys.

Installation

 sudo apt-get install sparky-backup-core

Tools

Sparky Backup Core provides two tools:

- 'sparkybackup' - text based, which creates a new iso image.

- 'sparkylinux-installer' - a text and Yad (GUI) based live installer which lets you install your Sparky based re-spin on a new partition, disk or machine. The tool is called Sparky Advanced Installer, and is available in all Sparky iso images.

Usage

Usage of the 'sparkybackup' tool in a text mode is manuall only, means all preperations have to be done step by step by you, before starting the process.

Step 1 - Basic configuration

The tool configuration is placed in /etc directory:

 /etc/sparkybackup/sparkybackup.conf

Edit the file with a text editor, as root and change some options:

a. Working directory (make sure you need up to 20 GB of space to create 4GB iso image):

 WORKDIR="/home/sparkybackup-sys"

b. The live system label:

 LIVECDLABEL="SparkyLinux"

c. New iso image name:

 CUSTOMISO="sparkylinux-4.6-arch-desktop.iso"

etc.

I do not suggest to change the live system user name, simply leave is as it is (live).

Step 2 - Desktop configuration

Step 3 - Building process

Tricks & Tips

Tip 1

The script can build an iso image from self compressed squashfs (done during the whole prosess) which CAN NOT be bigger then 3.99 GB. It means if the building process stops with a message:

 The compressed filesystem is larger than the iso9660 specification allows for a single file. You must try to reduce the amount of data you are backing up and try again.

you have to remove some stuff from the system and try again.

Tip 2

The tool builds BIOS compatible iso system as default. If you would like to build the iso image which will be BIOS and UEFI compatible, you have to:

a. Create 'offline' folder in the system's /home directory:

 sudo mkdir -p /home/offline

b. Change the folder owner to you (an option, can be managed as root):

 sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /home/offline 

(change $USER to your user name)

c. Download deb packages from Debian 'testing' repository:

64bit (amd64): efibootmgr, grub-efi, grub-efi-amd64, grub-efi-amd64-bin, libefiboot1, libefivar1

32bit (i386): efibootmgr, grub-efi, grub-efi-ia32, grub-efi-ia32-bin, libefiboot1, libefivar1

and place them in the /home/offline folder.

Make sure that the placed debs are in the same versions as available by APT before building the new iso.

Tip 3

Do not place much stuff in the /etc/skel directory. It breaks the live system and it won't start.

Tip 4

If your machine is a few (or more) years old, and can't handle with strong 'xz' compresssion, change it to 'gz'. It works faster, but creates 20-30 % bigger iso image than using 'xz'.

To change compression type, edit the configuration file (by any text editor):

 sudo nano /etc/sparkybackup/sparkybackup.conf

and change the line from:

 SQUASHFSOPTS="-no-recovery -comp xz -always-use-fragments -b 1M"

to:

 SQUASHFSOPTS="-no-recovery -always-use-fragments -b 1M"

Tip 5

Used personal stuff for customization (wallpaers, themes, etc.) have to be placed in system directories, but NOT in your /home - it will be not copied to the new iso directory.

Put your stuff in dirs, such as:

/opt/

/usr/share/wallpapers/

/usr/share/themes/

sparky_backup_core.1488743596.txt.gz · Last modified: 2021/05/04 15:25 (external edit)