[Gnomer]

I'm not sure if this is a remastering question or not but I just tried to create a live USB from the zen mini 2011-7 live CD (logged in as root) using the built-in script, ("More Applications" / "Configuration" / "ZEN-mini Live USB Creator") and although the script seemed to work just fine, the resulting USB install didn't boot. On this machine, (my VAIO laptop) it acted like the USB key hadn't even been plugged in (even though I set the bios to boot from it). On my desktop, it tried to boot from the USB but hung up with the message "GRUB Stage2..". I suspect that the problem is caused by my creating the USB install from the live CD as I'm guessing that this is normally typically done. I would have tried doing all of this from my real (live?) install but at the time I didn't know how to keep some directories under my home directory from being included. Another potential cause perhaps is that I created two partitions on the USB a 1 gig partition (where the O/S was written to) and an extra 3 gig partition for holding data. Should the USB have only one partition on it for this to work? Lastly, could the problem be caused by my USB key itself? Can't any USB key be made bootable? Thanks!

[melodie]

Hello,

I don't understand what you really want to create.

If you want a standard iso on a live usb, get an iso in your normal install and point to it in order to get an install on the USB stick. With PCLinuxOS Live USB, your stick must be formatted to ext2 or ext3. The ext3 will allow persistance.

Do not login as root to perform your tasks. Always try to do them from a user session and root login to X will be used ultimately when there is no choice left. (desperate choice... )

If you want to remaster your own system, there are plenty threads, docs, and advice at the main forum, a whole sub-forum is dedicated to this subject, you might want to go read a bit there.

Regards,
Mélodie

[Gnomer]

Thanks Melodie for the response. Sorry, I wasn't very clear. My intent is to actually remaster the live CD after having applied the latest upgrades, changed a number of system preferences and perhaps installed one or two software packages from the repos. Can this be done? If not, I should be able to do the more conventional remastering of my normal install so long as I can exclude subdirectories from my home directory (and I understand that's an option). Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I'll do some reading over in the main forum as you suggest.

[melodie]

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I'll do some reading over in the main forum as you suggest.

You can remaster your own system. The mylivecd program contains a list of options, and exclude=^/home/user/Personal_directory

and or other directories is one of the options. In console, don't use names with spaces for directories and files in the command line.
exclude the name of the file you are creating. create a directory for the temporary files and exclude it as well. The rest is about cleaning.... you will find full of useful information at the forum. For the Zen mini, if you want to use it, wait for the next one, same for the big Gnome one. There should be new versions withing a few days or weeks.

btw, in a root console, type "mylivecd --help" and you will get the whole list of options.

Regards,
Mélodie

[Gnomer]

Thanks again Melodie. Sorry for my delayed response. I'm still researching the matter although it sounds like it might soon be a moot point given a new release of Zen-mini is on the horizon. That should reset the number of packages downloaded when doing a "Mark All Upgrades" / "Apply" (from the Live CD) to near zero. I do a lot of work from the Live CD (I'm writing this post from the Zen-mini Live CD) as a means of testing software, etc. I noticed this morning that the number of packages downloaded when doing a software upgrade has reached close to 100 and so the new Live CD will be quite welcome!

[radicallymoslem]

http://live.learnfree.eu/ I use Live USB install from this website. Recognize all PCLinuxOS flavors from 2009.x to 2011.x even the new Zen Mini 2011.7

If your problems solved don't forget to add solved on your post.

[Gnomer]

Thanks RM for the link. For now, I think the best solution for me is to just wait for a new release of Zen-mini. That should at least keep me from having to do the package upgrade whenever I boot the live CD.