Backup a custom kernel installation...

[Cariboo]

Because of the issue described HERE I had to follow Uelsk8's recommendation:

Cariboo,
you are having a very odd situation there.
I wish i could tell you exactly what was stopping the kernel from loading.
The best course for you may be to compile a custom kernel with all of the scsi and sata drivers removed.
Uelsk8s

Yes, I had to compile a custom kernel and now I wonder if I could use "Remastersys" to backup/save this (valuable) installation, to have a working CD in case of a crash?
Or is there another system backup utility?

Any reply is highly appreciated
Cariboo

[uelsk8s]

grab the livetools from here: http://vectorlinux.osuosl.org/Uelsk8s/vl-live-tools-1.0.7-i586-1vl59.tlz
install the package and run vmklive either from the menu or from root terminal

[Cariboo]

grab the livetools from here: http://vectorlinux.osuosl.org/Uelsk8s/vl-live-tools-1.0.7-i586-1vl59.tlz
install the package and run vmklive either from the menu or from root terminal

Thank you, Uelsk8s, for your immediate response.....

I hope I don't bother you too much with this:

I downloaded the file, I put it in directory /tmp but now I'm stuck.
I know how to install *.bin files, *.tar.gz files, but I don't know what to do with a *.tlz file.
Can I get  more details, please?
Thanks in advance
Cariboo

[uelsk8s]

.tlz is VL's native package format.
You install it by running "installpkg pkgname".
if it is in tmp try "installpkg /tmp/vl-live-tools-1.0.7-i586-1vl59.tlz"

Uelsk8s

[Cariboo]

Thank you
and congratulation to the Vector Linux Dev. team...
This is an awesome OS...with the best support ever,,,
 

[Cariboo]

Hi all,

Thank you
and congratulation to the Vector Linux Dev. team...
This is an awesome OS...with the best support ever,,,
 

I was all exited. I started -->Menu/System/vmklive... It seemed to work. the menu came up, it calculated the size and so forth.
Now I wanted to burn the *.iso file to night, which was supposed to be in /tmp,
but I couldn't find it there.
I also tried 'find / -name *.iso' and couldn't find it either 

What is the correct procedure?
Any ideas?

  Cariboo

[uelsk8s]

if you didnt give it a name it will be called .iso and will be hidden.

[Cariboo]

Sure, I did ....

---> Menu ---> System ---> vmklive
Remaster window opens:
---> "Enter the name of the Live CD/DVD" :   (Default 'blank')
---> "Enter the name of the iso file you want it to make.": TEST

New Remaster window opens: "Saving your..."
New Remaster window opens: "Calculating the size of the install.."
New Remaster window opens: "Creating the Live CD..."
New Remaster window opens: "You're (spelling?) TEST.iso and TEST.md5sum are ready.
                                                 They can be found in the /tmp folder.
                                                  Click on any button when you are ready to exit."

I looked in /tmp for hidden files and I only found:

Directories .ICE-unix, .X11-unix, .xorg.conf2849
                                                                           
Files .XO-lock, xfsm-ICE-3V0RIU, xfsm-ICE-5OKBIU,                   
xfsm-ICE-A1., xfsm-ICE-LO.., xfsm-ICE-PY.., xfsm-ICE-PZ..

 

[newt]

I may be barking up the wrong tree, but it would seem to me that if you have /tmp set to be in ram (tmpfs) then, depending on the amount of ram you have, the file may not be able to be held in /tmp (boy, that was a big circular sentence).  Of course it wouldn't explain the successful message you receive, but a possibility nonetheless.  How is /tmp setup in your fstab, or is it not? Just an idea.

[Cariboo]

Thanks for the reply.../tmp does not show up in /etc/fstab...
It's not on a separate partition...
Whe I installed the system I only created "/" and "/home" as partitions...
so I think /tmp is strictly in "/" and I'm sure it's on the hard drive and not on RAM...

BUT you triggered a thought...and I checked the size of the VectorLinux partition and I noticed that there are only 400MB Free Space....
I'm going to re-partition the Hard Drive (/home has still 2.8GB Free Space and I'll take from there).

Talk to you later...
Cariboo

[Masta]

Well, I guess you figured it out already  . I was going to mention free space.

[Cariboo]

No luck...
I partitioned the Hard drive new:
/           4GB
/home 1.2GB
/tmp    1.2GB

I installed VL 5.9-std new and
I installed and modified kernel 2.6.22.19 because of THIS.
Then I got vl-live-tools installed.
After ---> Menu ---> System ---> vmklive, when finished I got
"Your TEST.iso and TEST.md5sum are ready. They can be found in the /tmp folder".
In /tmp I can not find any iso-file!
 
                                                 

[uelsk8s]

It may be that your new kernel is missing the modules needed for the livecd.
check if you have aufs.ko and squashfs.ko in your modules dir.

[Cariboo]

....................
check if you have aufs.ko and squashfs.ko in your modules dir.

I tried /lib, /usr/lib and I don't know exactly where this "modules dir" would be. 
Please, give me an hint!
Thanks

[newt]

This thread is good in that it should help to shape vl-live-tools package.  For instance, it seems that the live tools will indicate 'success' even after failure - failure should be indicated if failure is acheived (perhaps simply checking to see if the files exist upon completion of the live scripts; if they do and are of correct size then success, if not then failure).  If certain modules should be present prior to live distro creation then those modules should be 'checked for' prior to compilation; if they do not exist then failure or prompt for their location.  Just observations - it doesn't help cariboo's situation but perhaps it will serve a useful purpose in the future.

Cheers!!