DSL Ideas and Suggestions :: Lamer friendly DSL



I missed which type of pendrive install you did. Anyway, I've been finding, with the 2.3rc1 version that writing to /cdrom can be a little tricky. Because Of the way I want DSL to boot up (persistant apps) I've been saving them to the top directory and then adding the mydsl=sda1 cheatcode when I boot up. That way they load automatically. Robert explained that the toram chat code changes everything because you want sda1 to be unmounted after everything is loaded to ram. Then when you shutdown, the pendrive is remounted using the backup script before shutting down. The reason for that is to minimize writing to the pendrive. However, if you put mydsl=sda1 in the boot options, then sda1 is mounted at bootup to look for the mydsl apps and load them. It doesn't appear that it is then unmounted. That leaves it open for user dsl to save files to the top directory. I don't know how advisable this is because I corrupted a file system or two in the past by doing this. Anyway, I've been doing this with the 2.3RC1 pendrive HDD install on my mini-itx system and so far no problems.
Looks like there is still confusion with pendrive and toram. It actually works the same as a mydsl.iso created liveCD.

First anytime extensions are store on the base directory of a boot device they will be autoloaded. Having mydsl=sda1 is not necessary.

This is true whether using toram or not.

Using toram does not save from excessive writing on the pendrive. Whether you use toram or not, the ramdisk is used for writing. There is no writing occuring back into the compressed image on the pendrive.

Then what is the difference? Using toram, if you have the memory, will give somewhat faster performance, as it reads from ramdisk not pendrive. Also it sllows one to remove the pendrive and stick in another one. Just like it does with the liveCD.

The only effect toram has on extension  loading, is the use of the /optional directory. Since using toram unmounts the pendrive, you cannot click on the optional directory to load optional extensions, unless the pendrive is mounted.

The other area that is different is when not using toram, the pendrive is mounted at /cdrom so you can easily copy extensions there. If you use to toram, it is not mounted. So then you must mount the pendrive and copy extension to its mountpoint, typically /mnt/sda1
Although I can't say this from experience, it's my assumption that another issue with using auto-loaded extensions and toram is when one or more extensions is uci.  This type is mounted rather than installed, so the partition containing the extension cannot be umounted until the extension itself is umounted.
OK, I think I get it. I have enough memory for toram, and I specified it in the boot options when I installed to the pendrive, so I need to mount /mnt/sda1 to copy newly downloaded extentions to the base directory. I have found it necessary to have mydsl=sda1 to make them autoload however. Maybe I corrupted something again, or as I just noticed Mikshaw's post, sda1 remains mounted after the boot because the extentions in the base directory are .uci extentions.

Is it possible to change boot options and make them persistant after the install?
mikshaw, you are right. Once a UCI is used the device is mounted and therefore cannot be unmounted.

doobit, I have see a post that stated the toram option is ignored when entered via the frugal install script. It has only been tested at the boot prompt. It can be verified if a mount display /dev/shm is mounted on /cdrom
Next Page...
original here.