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Altoid

Member

Registered: 2017-05-07

Posts: 1,592  

Devuan Vuu-do Live SD Card update issue.

Hello:

Here I was very (very) happy with my new Vuu-do Live SD Card installation, having persistence on a second partition (50GB ext4) of a XP netbook's HDD (Asus 1000HE). If you need more details about the setup, it's here:

https://dev1galaxy.org/viewtopic.php?pid=8249#p8249

Everything was just as I wanted it to be and working perfectly.

As I was getting ready to test the dedicated application (coffee roasting software) I'll be running from the netbook, I remembered that I had not updated the installation.

So I went to SPM (Synaptic Package Manager) and made it do it's thing.
Well ...

It did, including a new kernel but unfortunately a couple of things went south:

1.
WiFi (which was working perfectly well) now does not detect any networks.
For the moment this is not a big deal but I do need it to to upload graphs to storage space in my email account.
Lacking a printer, I print them in colour at the office.

2.
My screen resolution went from the pre-existent 1024*600 to 800*400.
This is a problem because it screws up visibility on the app's GUI.

So, I went to see what xandr had to say:

:~$ xrandr
xrandr: Failed to get size of gamma for output default
Screen =: minimum 800 x 600, current 800 x 600, maximum 800 x 600
default connected 800x600+0+0 0mm * 0mm
   800x600      61.00*

I went looking for an xorg.conf in /etc/X11 but there is none.
So I downloaded and installed arandr to see if I could fix it.

:~$ arandr
/usr/lib/python2.7dist-packages/screenlayout/xrand.py:58 UserWarning: XRandR wrote to stderr, but did not report an error (Message was: 'xrandr: Failed to get size of gamma for output default\n')
warnings.warn("XRandR: wrote to stderr, but did not report an error (Message was: %)"%err)

The screen layout editor does pop up but Outputs -> default -> Resolution only shows the option for 800x600.

EDIT:Additional data
This is the xrandr output from the default installation:

:~$ xrandr
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1024 x 600, maximum 4096 x 4096
LVDS1 connected 1024x600+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 220mm x 129mm
   1024x600      60.00*+  65.00  
   800x600       60.32    56.25  
   640x480       59.94  
VGA1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
:~$ xrandr

This is the graphics hardware on the netbook.

root@vuudo:/home/vuudo# discover | grep Graphics
Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS/GME, 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller 
Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller 
Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS/GME, 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller 
Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller 
Intel Corporation Mobile 945GSE Express Integrated Graphics Controller 
Intel Corporation Mobile 945GME Express Integrated Graphics Controller 
root@vuudo:/home/vuudo# 

Question:
Other than the easy (MS) way of reinstalling Vuu-do on the card and not updating it afterwards, is there a way to fix this?

Thanks in advance.

A.

(BTW: greenpants -> this is a really great re-spin.)

Last edited by Altoid (2018-04-12 14:48:14)

fsmithred

Administrator

Registered: 2016-11-25

Posts: 2,501  

Re: Devuan Vuu-do Live SD Card update issue.

You tried to update a live system. Ouch. It can be done, but understand what's going on. If you set it up for full persistence, then any changes or additions get stored on the persistent partition, in their normal location (i.e. full path). That persistent file system gets overlaid on the read-only live system.

So anything you changed did not make any changes in the live system on the first partition. If you boot without persistence and mount the persistent partition, you can see those files and delete anything that isn't your personal stuff. Then when you reboot with persistence, it will be just like the first time.

If you update the kernel, you'll only be updating the one in /boot in your live system. But the live system gets booted from the kernel in the /live folder in the root of the iso (or device). The kernel in /boot only gets used after a normal installation. Same is true for the initrd. You would need to copy those from /boot to /live and name them to match what's there (and what's in your boot menu). This might be the source of your wifi problems. Another possibility is if your update switched you from udev to eudev and the network interface names changed. Check the interface names with 'ifconfig' or 'ip a' and make sure that wicd is using the right name. (little triangle in upper right will get you to preferences in wicd)

One more catch - the first partition is read-only during a live session. So either plug the sd card into another system to mount it and copy the files or use an undocumented trick to copy the files. Since jessie, if you run with persistence, your root user will be able to write to the first partition. In fact, you don't even need a persistent volume to do this - you just need the word, persistence, in the boot command. When you do this, you might notice (hint: look!) that the first partition is mounted at /lib/live/mount/persistence/ instead of /lib/live/mount/medium/.

Last bit of advice - full persistence is nice for saving files and making some config changes. When you start running updates or adding software, you're filling up your space, and you're making less of your system read-only (aka - unhackable). If you want to make big changes like that, you might be better off making a new iso. You can then copy the contents of that iso to the sd card to replace the files with the updated system. You may or may not need to delete any system files that are on the persistent partition.

Altoid

Member

Registered: 2017-05-07

Posts: 1,592  

Re: Devuan Vuu-do Live SD Card update issue.

Hello:

First of all, thank you for taking the time to write this up.  =-)

You tried to update a live system. Ouch.

Indeed ...  8^\'/!

It can be done, but understand what's going on.

Which I quite evidently did not.

If you set it up for full persistence, then any changes or additions get stored on the persistent partition, in their normal location (i.e. full path). That persistent file system gets overlaid on the read-only live system.

OK

So anything you changed did not make any changes in the live system on the first partition.

Right.
I had it more or less clear up to that point.

... boot without persistence and mount the persistent partition ...
... delete anything that isn't your personal stuff. Then when you reboot with persistence, it will be just like the first time.

Yes.
Done that once already.

If you update the kernel, you'll only be updating the one in /boot in your live system. But the live system gets booted from the kernel in the /live folder in the root of the iso (or device). The kernel in /boot only gets used after a normal installation. Same is true for the initrd.

I see ... (but still have to digest 100% ... )

... copy those from /boot to /live and name them to match what's there (and what's in your boot menu).

OK.

... the source of your wifi problems. Another possibility is if your update switched you from udev to eudev and the network interface names changed. Check the interface names with 'ifconfig' or 'ip a' and make sure that wicd is using the right name. (little triangle in upper right will get you to preferences in wicd)

I'm starting to get the idea behind the 'ouch'.

One more catch - the first partition is read-only during a live session. So either plug the sd card into another system to mount it and copy the files or use an undocumented trick to copy the files. Since jessie, if you run with persistence, your root user will be able to write to the first partition. In fact, you don't even need a persistent volume to do this - you just need the word, persistence, in the boot command. When you do this, you might notice (hint: look!) that the first partition is mounted at /lib/live/mount/persistence/ instead of /lib/live/mount/medium/.

I'll have a look there ...

Last bit of advice - full persistence is nice for saving files and making some config changes.

Indeed ...
But no big stuff. As it gets stuffed.

When you start running updates or adding software, you're filling up your space, and you're making less of your system read-only (aka - unhackable).

I understand.
Like I mentioned earlier, this is a dedicated persistent install for running a dedicated application from a netbook.
The princiopal idea is to run lighter than the XP installed in the machine and to run the Linux version of the app, keeping it as far away as possible from the XP instalaltion.

I should have left it alone, but ...
I had the idea that it had to be as 'up to date' as possible but looking back, while it may be a good idea for any running system, in this particular case it does not make much sense. More so after royally buggering it up.

If you want to make big changes like that, you might be better off making a new iso.

Quite so ...
And probably much easier.

Now, that would mean booting up the live *.iso, upgrading and changing everything I need to change while up and then 'refracting' it all into a new iso which will keep all the changes.
Right?

Anything specific I'd have to be aware of when doing this?

You can then copy the contents of that iso to the sd card to replace the files with the updated system. You may or may not need to delete any system files that are on the persistent partition.

OK.

Once again, thank you very much for writing this up.

Best,

A.

fsmithred

Administrator

Registered: 2016-11-25

Posts: 2,501  

Re: Devuan Vuu-do Live SD Card update issue.

Now, that would mean booting up the live *.iso, upgrading and changing everything I need to change while up and then 'refracting' it all into a new iso which will keep all the changes.
Right?

Anything specific I'd have to be aware of when doing this?

Yes, of course! Look at /etc/refractasnapshot.conf and set the work_dir and snapshot_dir to someplace that has enough space to hold a copy of the filesystem plus the new iso.

Actually, you don't even need the iso. You can copy $work_dir/iso/live/* to the live folder on the sd card rather than extract them from the finished iso.

Altoid

Member

Registered: 2017-05-07

Posts: 1,592  

Re: Devuan Vuu-do Live SD Card update issue.

Hello:

Now, that would mean booting up the live *.iso, upgrading and changing everything I need to change while up ...

Yes, of course!
Look at /etc/refractasnapshot.conf and set the work_dir and snapshot_dir to someplace that has enough space to hold a copy of the filesystem plus the new iso.

OK, I had not thought of that important detail.

... don't even need the iso. You can copy $work_dir/iso/live/* to the live folder on the sd card rather than extract them from the finished iso.

OK.

I'll post the results as soon as I get it up and running.

Best,

A.

wdq

Member

From: United Kingdom

Registered: 2018-03-15

Posts: 76  

Website

Re: Devuan Vuu-do Live SD Card update issue.

Have you tried to reinstall the intel graphics driver and wicd try ifconfig and at wicd guy go advanced and check if the right wifi card is used wlan0 or maybe your has another name now that was my problem on my experiments and fixed them so i hope this can help you too

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Just a simple man!