Dev1 Galaxy Forum / Refracta2usb (non-maintainer) fixes and updates..

Re: Refracta2usb (non-maintainer) fixes and updates..

dummy@example.com (fsmithred) — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 19:27:23 +0000

Thanks! I downloaded it and will start using it. I think you can stop calling yourself a non-maintainer.

Re: Refracta2usb (non-maintainer) fixes and updates..

dummy@example.com (dzz) — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 12:05:48 +0000

You would need a different utility, Refracta Snapshot, to make a bootable ISO image of a running system (essentially, a clone). It's in Devuan repos.

Refracta2usb is used to make the usb itself bootable and deploy an existing ISO image (or files extracted from). Plus other related functions e.g. multiboot layouts, organising boot menus and persistence volumes. The ISO must be <4GB ..

A bootable ISO (any size) anywhere on the same machine can also be started directly from grub, using an entry in /etc/grub.d/40_custom (example only):

menuentry "Vuudu ISO boot" {
  set isofile="(hd0,7)/isos/vuudu/vuudu.iso"
  loopback loop $isofile
  linux    (loop)/live/vmlinuz boot=live findiso=/isos/vuudu/vuudu.iso
  initrd   (loop)/live/initrd.img
}

Re: Refracta2usb (non-maintainer) fixes and updates..

dummy@example.com (kapqa) — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:42:23 +0000

thank you,

happen to be in the fortuante situation tho have

1. relatively fresh install of devuan 6 excalibur
2. third nvme that is about to be purged of botched OS
3. wanted to test-try refracta for quite some time

am i right in assumption that with this tool could:

1. make a bootable clone of my fresh install onto a 128 GB usb stick? (would need to exclude only the virtualbox vm's to fit onto 128GB ust-stick)
2. deploy this copy-clone afterwards onto the nvme?

remember to have used knoppix in the past on a portable usb, that was when firefox was still in early version numbers and iceape was still roaming around, and i kinda liked it.

Refracta2usb (non-maintainer) fixes and updates..

dummy@example.com (dzz) — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 00:52:30 +0000

I need to use r2u reliably for myself. But there were some issues in the original 2.4.3 to solve:

Parts of the original were no longer working properly, mainly due to upstream changes =>Excalibur.
Some dialogs not displaying well, e.g. off-screen.
Some "wishlist" functions missing but clearly possible, e.g. fix-mbr and reformat.
Not compatible with all DE's without modification.
Probably still some more to do.

Updated (but *experimental* and *non-maintainer*) refracta2usb version, packaged with changelogs and source code:

https://exegnulinux.net/apt/pool/main/r … ~2%2B1.dsc
https://exegnulinux.net/apt/pool/main/r … 2B1.tar.xz
https://exegnulinux.net/apt/pool/main/r … B1_all.deb

Anyone interested in multiboot usb want to test this? Excalibur/freia/ceres? Official maintainer?