Live Usb Arch Linux

[Kimberly Ballas]

HelloI tried the wiki but cowspace and airootfs doesn't really return much and google just searches for whatever it thinks I ought to be searching for instead, mainly installation issues, so after hours of trying, I'm here for a hint or a solution. This is my first post here, but I'm not a newby, I just lost my old account. I'm trying to run a live usb and keep it live because I have hard disk issues at the moment. But I'm running out of space because my root fs is only 256 MB, despite having 4GB RAM on board. I read something somewhere that make me think I have a chance of fixing this by booting with the copy2ram option which could start my system with more space, but would also load the 1.7 GB image into memory. I've yet to make the experiment, and it's still not ideal. I remember LVM being flexible and maybe just creating and mounting some tmpfs could do the trick, but I'm afraid my skills are rusty atm. Anyone ?

After a month of nobody answering here, I accidentally noticed something at boot allowing me to google differently. It turns out there is some file somewhere on my live boot stick, I bet somewhere in-editably archived within an image, namely the, archiso / initcpio / hooks / archiso file, that contains a line like:

I also found this: =210662 where a poor guy ends up creating it's own base arch linux iso, and runs into the same wall, and is being told that there's nothing left to be done, as a live media's partitions can't be editet, instead of being helped to create a proper image, by pointing out that he only needs to edit this file, I suppose, before he makes that iso, and try again.

This leads me to believe that 256M is an upstream default and the guys from antergos had to fix this. Which is simply bad policy from archlinux. I had several freezes and lost data many times, because I'm forced to use a live system and it runs out of space just while browsing, and I happen to be an arch fan and run constantly into trouble because someone thinks 256M is a good default. Not only that, but nobody seems to care to help either me or this other guy.

Meanwhile although I found the file on my stick, within an .xz named archiso.img... I'm unable to edit it, cause somehow the whole partition is write protected although the permissions tab shows I ought to have permission.

Then go use Antergos. Please. There is no reason for the iso to be bigger than it's contents. The problem here is not "bad policy" from arch devs, but rather the combination of your ignorance and arrogance: you are doing this completely wrong. If you want a persistent usb install, follow the wiki page for that. If you want to create an iso of your own with different content, follow the wiki page for that. If you want to bitch and moan and blame others for your own mistakes ... sorry, there's no wiki page for that.

EDIT: in case you have a problem with my tone, note that it is merely a toned-down reflection of your own. I also find it odd that you "lost" your old account. Are you sure it wasn't removed from the forum for good cause?

I have no issues with your tone. It was to be expected and since there is no non-verbal communication coming with it, you are welcome to read it however you feel inspired to do so. Bitchy or calm, it's all your choice while reading the same. But since I complain, it is only natural to not consider that the person writing might be actually just cool and outspoken, despite complaining objectively. Your very last question where you ask yourself if I wasn't maybe just banned only underlines the fact that you are having a ride on a train of thought that is sliding way too willingly in labeling-for-no-real-reason-land. The reason I'm here is that I couldn't find a solution and not because I feel like ranting. Pointing out flaws are part of solving problems and not a problem.

The topic I linked to isn't solved. The guy is being dismissed with a "A live system is something else, is not like a normal installation. It is read-only and can't be changed." Which according to what I just read is false. All the guy needs to do is press TAB at boot and add cow_spacesize=3 GB and would be able to install everything he mentioned and is unable at the moment. He was saying: "The reason I want to use all diskspace or at least much more than the current size, is that 256M is too small to install extra packages like Xorg, Openbox,.." again, he wrote: "or at least much more than the current size". He was open to alternatives, and was under the false impression that growing the partition on his sd card would also give him equivalently bigger room after boot.

Nobody seemed to care to mention to him that he could have more than the 256Mbs available without changing a thing on the card and that trying to change the "live system" -'s partition, is a false approach, and he really doesn't have to install arch if he is not yet willing to get the job done.

I also find it very intuitive - irony intented - to have cowspace mentioned buried between hundreds of lines of text revolving around pacman, yet we don't have a page about cowspace itself. Surely, I'm the one on the wrong foot here. Not only that but on top of it all: "This section is being considered for removal." Then again, I might have had stumbled upon that paragraph, read it, and not understood at that time, what to do with it.

I also don't think that the wording is fortunate: "you can override the allotment by setting the cow_spacesize= kernel option for the ISO manually, ". So we're supposed to be "setting" a kernel option that is non existent manually to existence. Does that make sense to anyone ? If you ask me, one sets something to a certain value, and a kernel option isn't a value. Maybe inserting or defining or even setting up would do. Or something like "You can override this allotment by using the cow_spacesize= kernel option together with your desired value by manually editing a boot entry"

I wouldn't even need to search a flawed wiki if it wasn't for the flawed live media, which instead of using 75% of that low-end system's memory and also let high-end systems take advantage of their potential seamlessly, is crippling things for the later. It is people on low end machines who have it very much more necessary to be manually setting a value to this then the others.

The purpose of 256M instead on default percent of RAM has one purpose: Stop users from installing Arch Linux in the volatile storage at early stage!. For example users that do not follow/read proper documented instructions. There are lots of example in this forum.

Since for installation purposes there is no need such "big" 256M free space, is just sufficient. Also for users that know what are doing, they read the documentation, will know how easy is change this simply setting to grow the rootfs.

If you want use arch-linux live with more root space (cow space), you can press e in archlinux's live menu and edit the boot options adding cow_spacesize=4G, where "4G" is the size (4GB) of the root when live device will booting.

I'm currently installing Archlinux on my new computer but Windows seems to be installed using UEFI and I'm quite in a rush right now and I don't have time to install Archlinux using EFISTUB or something like that (it seems very painfull to perform).

So here is my question : Is there a live persistant distribution based on Archlinux (and quite easy to install) ?

Except FaunOS because I can't find it anywhere on the internet (it seems that the project has been discontinued). In the best case I would like to have a Gnome3 desktop. Can someone help me ? =)

Archiso is a small set of bash scripts that is capable of building fully functional Arch Linux based live CD and USB images. It is a very generic tool, so it could potentially be used to generate anything from rescue systems, install disks, to special interest live CD/DVD/USB systems, and who knows what else. Simply put, if it involves Arch on a shiny coaster, it can do it. The heart and soul of Archiso is mkarchiso.

As for Manjaro, stable 0.8.11 has no possible persistence, I've been told Manjaro-dev (aka 0.9) has it though I cannot recollect my source. Might come in handy along with the distro powerful and easy to use tool to build a custom ISO called ManjaroISO. I used it last month and achieved all my goals :)

Arch linux can be installed on any USB2/3 device (look the wiki for "Installing Arch Linux on a USB key" with over 2GB free space in a way that allows using your USB install on multiple machines. This is what the distro recommends.

Be aware the rudd-o guide has great ideas indeed, but part of it is outdated especialy beware the GRUB install. I tried it and the boot failed, so continue reading for updated commands.Using this simple command from Arch (without the grub-mkconfig part) worked well for me to quickly install GRUB2 on external USB sticks. Or go with syslinux as nicely explained by Dirk-Jan here also for an external USB device (works with Syslinux 6).

I run Arch from a live USB. I want to use it to repair a broken Windows XP installation. I was presented with a console and I thought that starting the GUI windows system would be as simple as issuing startx. I was wrong. So how do I launch a GUI windows environment from the live USB?

Arch linux is extremely simple OS. It is made for people who want to build a system for themselves, i.e. it does not come with packages that you don't need. That means, you have to install by yourself almost everything you need, including window system.

First, you have to install xorg. Secondly, you have to decide what DE you want to use and install it.Third, you have to configure .xinitrc to run DE when you type startx.Don't forget about video drivers.

Also, if you are not a linux enthusiast and you want to just repair you windows(I am not sure how are you going to repair your windows with it), you should pick an OS that comes with GUI and a complete DE, so you won't spend hours to just configure and then delete it from flash drive.

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