Boot stanza question - how to specify save location for Linux Mint iso booting.

[dcung]

Is there a way that I can boot Linux Mint iso and specify where to save changes?
This is my current boot stanza. Boot okay, but no save. I'd like to add wifi driver, and reboot.

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menuentry "linuxmint-22.1-xfce-64bit.iso" {
	set isopath="/iso/linuxmint-22.1-xfce-64bit.iso"
	set uuid="bb94d387-3044-473f-b27a-fb922738805b"
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root $uuid
	loopback loop $isopath
	linux (loop)/casper/vmlinuz boot=casper iso-scan/filename=$isopath noeject noprompt splash -- psave=sda2:linux-mint-save
	initrd (loop)/casper/initrd.lz
}

I create linux-mint-save directory, and tried putting psave=sda2:linux-mint-save, didn't work.

Also tried to read this, trying to pick something that I could adapt.
viewtopic.php?p=140623#p140623

[esos]

I create linux-mint-save directory, and tried putting psave=sda2:linux-mint-save, didn't work

No "save directory" like in PuppyLinux. You have to create extra a persistence partition for linux mint.
Alternative you can convert LinuxMint with FirstRibIT like puppy frugal install with save directory.viewtopic.php?t=12030

[fredx181]

I create linux-mint-save directory, and tried putting psave=sda2:linux-mint-save, didn't work

No "save directory" like in PuppyLinux. You have to create extra a persistence partition for linux mint.
...

Yes, you need a partition labeled writable (as it should be named nowadays (later Ubunu versions), it used to be named in the past 'casper-rw', why do they always change things ).
Then, boot stanza:

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menuentry "linuxmint-22.1-xfce-64bit.iso persistent" {
	set isopath="/iso/linuxmint-22.1-xfce-64bit.iso"
	set uuid="bb94d387-3044-473f-b27a-fb922738805b"
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root $uuid
	loopback loop $isopath
	linux (loop)/casper/vmlinuz boot=casper persistent iso-scan/filename=$isopath noeject noprompt splash --
	initrd (loop)/casper/initrd.lz
}

Also it should work by using a save-file, tell me if you want that and I can possibly help.
edit: tested now with save-file and it works but only when it's located on a FAT32 partition, to create 1GB savefile :

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dd if=/dev/zero of=writable bs=1M count=1024
mkfs.ext3 -L writable -F writable

edit: as FAT32 has a limitation of the size that the savefile can be (4GB), I'd say that a writable labeled partition (ext2/3/4) is better.

[dcung]

@fredx181

That works Fred, thanks!

Dumb dumb me, I created a FAT32 partition called "writeable" and also a savefile called "writeable".
So, 2 devices both called "writeable" are shown...
Anyway, it works, I managed to put wifi driver - hence using this Linux Mint to post this reply.

Screenshot_2025-03-17_17-35-10.png (49.91 KiB) Viewed 137 times

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Does this mean if I only created persistence partition (not necessarily Fat32, but any-type - ext3, ext4) labeled "writeable", it would have worked too?
(I'll try later, but you probably already know the answer).

[fredx181]

Does this mean if I only created persistence partition labeled "writeable", it would have worked too?

Yes, only a partition 'writable' labeled (btw, I forgot initially to mention it should be a Linux formatted filesystem, not FAT).