Moderator: fredx181
Hello again.
Today is a bad day; however maybe I will still be able to solve it.
I created a 'soniasave.dat' file inside the 'casper' folder on my Focaldog 20.04 usb stick which should contain all my changes made so far and some downloaded applications.
The question now is:
what do I have to do for the next reboot to be read in 'casper' 'soniasave.dat'?
The image that I join asks me to also change the boot option: but where do I do it?
thanks in advance for your help.
sonia
soniabu wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 5:40 pm...
I created a 'soniasave.dat' file inside the 'casper' folder on my Focaldog 20.04 usb stick which should contain all my changes made so far and some downloaded applications.
The question now is:
what do I have to do for the next reboot to be read in 'casper' 'soniasave.dat'?
The image that I join asks me to also change the boot option: but where do I do it?
thanks in advance for your help.
...
sonia
Hi Sonia, I wonder, how did you save your changes in the past few months then ?
Some more info needed for to be able to answer:
- How did you install Fossadog
- On what filesystem ? (e.g. ext4, FAT32)
(on ext4 you can use savefolder instead of savefile)
- Which bootloader you use ? (e.g. grub4dos)
(if grub4dos, see examples here: https://github.com/DebianDog/FossaDog/r ... -codes.txt , change changes=/casper/changes.dat to changes=/casper/soniasave.dat in menu.lst)
Fred
1) Fred, I made the 'logoff' in the evening and in the morning I found everything as left the night before; the saving in the previous installation was automatic.
2) FAT32
3) grub ...?
It is from this latest FossaDog installation - that I downloaded this morning - that all this happens.
Well Fred, at this point I try to act like I have 'grub4dos' and then I update you.
thx for answer Fred,
ciao sonia 
soniabu wrote:the saving in the previous installation was automatic
How ? and how did you install back then and how just now ?
Ciao, Fred
Fred I downloaded the operating system for both the first and second time from here:.
****---
FossaDog (Ubuntu 20.04 'Focal Fossa' LTS) 64-bit (updated 2020-09-19)
Post by fredx181 » Thu Aug 13, 2020 9:49 pm
FossaDog (Ubuntu 20.04 'Focal Fossa' LTS) 64 bit
(Ubuntu minimal "live")
Updated 2020-09-19, some bugfixes. Added to Dog Linux website now: FossaDog
Updated 2020-09-07 FossaDog-2020-09-07_64-bit-UEFI.iso, now with UEFI support (for testing) thanks @jamesbond and @Clarity !
Download links replaced Here
---****
The first time I did not create any changes.dat because he had never asked me and everything went smooth as oil; Now with the new installation, the software is always picked up from the first message and asks me to create a "savefile" that I did but I don't know how to change the "grub?" to make him read it. Also take into account that the first installation I had not changed the keyboard and it corresponded perfectly with my keys; this second inst. instead I had to ask you how to change the layout (remember?). It's all a bit of a mystery to me.
High Soniabu !
How you did install is still a "Mystery"...which Method ....Which bootloader you use ? (e.g. grub4dos) .. (and to what kind of Medium ---Usb stick ---HardDrive etc----.what kind of partition Type ---ext2/3/4 or fat ?)...
One way to diagnose/inspect your Installation Method would be...
post your " menu.lst " File .
Hi Sonia, OK, you downloaded the ISO, but after that... please describe in detail what you did to install Fossadog on USB (or is it top-secret ? 
)
Fred
This is how I worked the first installation (and also the second):
1) format fat32 usb stick;
terminal:
2) dd bs=4M if=focalfossa.iso of=/dev/sdc
The first time I started it, there were four options at the beginning;
I used the fourth one that I don't remember the exact wording.
So, after creating the internet connection, I started the Firewall
I performed the update, then I installed Ffox and Oular and some AppImage;
in addition, as you can read from the help messages posted in the forum, the other products
and suggested corrections.
With this configuration - which I have never touched and that I have never been
asked to create or save me a "savefile" - I have worked up to
the day before yesterday (about one months);
then unfortunately I had to re-install everything again
1) fat32 format usb
2) dd bs=4M if=focalfossa.iso of=/dev/sdc and now I find myself at this impasse:
he asks me to create the "savefile" but I can't let him read it at the next "boot".
When I start again I have these options now:
1= always fresh fossa;
2= create save file folder;
3= create save file
4= shutdown
I will now turn off Bionicpup8 and try again with FossaDog 20.04 and try to post menu.lst as required.
P.S. remember that I am so ignorant in Linux that first installation (and also the second) I could not have done anything else.
Below are the required "menu.lst" images.
Before, however,I forgot to inform you that when I start FossaDog after choosing the "savefile to file" option these messages appears:
Loading Kernel file
searching for initrd1.xz
using data from /mnt//sdb1///casper
setting directory for changes is needed
coudn't find /dog/dog/changes.dat correct your cheatcodes
enter to continue boot
----
I will join you the images
sonia
soniabu wrote:2) dd bs=4M if=focalfossa.iso of=/dev/sdc
Hi Sonia, that's a whole lot clearer now, thanks.
Well, the thing with that method (dd ...) is that it creates a bootable USB, but it's read-only, so you cannot write to it, creating the savefile there probably failed and you cannot edit anything manually (e.g. set the path to save).
I think best is to start over again, format the USB to ext4 with gparted (cannot do it from Fossadog, because it's mounted, need to do it from another OS, e.g. Bionicpup, or use another USB to format to ext4)
Do you think you can do that ?
If yes, tell me and I'll try to guide you further (to create bootable USB using grub4dos bootloader)
If no, we'll find another way.
Fred
Oh! what good news Fred.
I hope not to abuse your courtesy too much;
but to me you are like the match that lights up in the dark woods.
Well I have already formatted the usb stick.
How do I copy the iso file to it now?
Hi Sonia, good! Have to go out now, will get back later today or tonight.
Fred
ok Fred,
in the meantime i have read that unetbootin is a sotware that could do the job.
I'll try in the meantime you have time. If I can't or am wrong,
I re-format ext4 and start over with your future suggestions.
ciao sonia
Hi Soniabu !
Don`t want to interfere or confuse...but the next step would be to extract the Fossa Iso file (if you know how to do it ---for example with Uextract) and copy the now accessible " casper " Folder (the whole casper folder) to your formatted and bootable Partition on your Usb Stick.
Later.... probably Grub4Dosconfig will be applied. But there are different Options. Wait for FredX.
Grub4dos is is probably the better Choice instead of unetbooting....cause... more common...easier to handle in my Opinion...and more support for it.
But copying that "casper" Folder to your Usb Stick is essential and can be done already .
The casper Folder could be placed optionally/alternatively into a separate empty newly created Folder on your Usb Stick (name this separate empty new(Sub)Folder as you like but put that casper Folder into it ). But this is just another option for different reasons.
Oh thanks Bac but I tried unetbooting and it seems to find me correctly the changes.dat file (in Casper folder) I created in the first boot.
Apparently for now it seems to be working. I tried to read about Grub4dos but I got lost.
Now work on it a little bit so tonight I will have acquired some data for an evaluation.
if there was a need, however, I would start all over again with Grub4dos without problems. Tonight let's see what you think with some tests that I do now.
Thanks again Bac.
sonia
here is Backy in the first picture my current 'menu.lst'.
In the second instead, I found an image of the menu.lst of the first FossaDog installation where, as I wrote in the previous messages, I had never asked me to save the 'savefile' the arrow indicates 'changed' the presentation sequence of the choices at boot which I had modified it at the time for practicality.
What can you read important in this menu?
See you soon
sonia
Hi !
So i am confused why you got a changes.dat File .
What if you backup your changes.dat to another Medium.....and delete it on the Usb_stick......and start another trial according to my following Descriptions.
I am not quite sure if my following Statements only apply for using Grub4dos or also for unetbooting.
(just make a Backup of your menu.lst file and your changes.dat.......and make a try) .
Using Grub4dos is normally the Way to go.
So start again with backup-ed and then deleted changes.dat .
With your menu.lst sequence shown above it should be automatically booting with the first menu.lst Entry------IF I AM CORRECT!!!!!
---which should automatically create a changes Folder on your Usb-Stick-------and automatically do savings to your Usb -stick -Boot Medium) during Session.
Fred ....we need your Help.
Difference and Advantages when booting with second menu.lst Entry :
Only saves on Demand (during session) or at shutdown on demand /or not to an automatically created changes Folder on your Usb-Stick.
This would give you the possibility to save only on demand during Session (if you would click on save2flash in /usr/bin ---during Session....you could make a symlink to your desktop) ---- or saving at shutdown on demand or not .
Also lets you use the Quick-remaster tool which is quite a fast and sophisticated Tool for remastering.
As far as i am aware .....with changes.dat the Quickremaster it will not work.
If you would put the 2. Menu entry on Top as the first one For example ........it would also automatically create a changes Folder when booting with this menu.lst entry (on Top).......which is much more convenient and more flexible Method than using a changes.dat file which should be created when booting with the third menu.lst Entry.
Summary: (surely works that Way when using Grub4dos.)
1: So booting with first menu.lst Entry creates changes Folder ---with automatically saving to your Usb Stick during session.
2: Booting with second menu.lst Entry ( or as the first /on Top) ....only saves on demand during session .(somehow more secure in case something went wrong ...for example when experimenting .....and you dont like the results ....automatic saving is avoided
3: Booting with the third menu.lst Entry should be avoided in most Cases....there are Exceptions which i can not exactly remember.
Hope i did not confuse you too much.......and hope FredX will interfere to clarify ,correct or fine tune my Advises.
Greetings!
Bac, I will try to better understand what you wrote; but keep in mind that I am little prepared with linux and in general with pc. In the meantime, I have something new: I found a USB pen with the copy of the first installation that allowed me to use FossaDog for two months. I tried it - in this moment I am writing to you with the operating system that I considered lost (in summary it is the FossaDog of the second image menu.lst file that I posted previously. In fact, in this pen I have already installed Okular, Master pdf and other AppImage .
So now I'm a little more peaceful.
Thx again Bac.
ciao sonia
Hi Sonia, I thought before possibly guiding you with installing Fossadog, I'd better update the ISO first (which I was about to do soon, some changes and fixes) viewtopic.php?p=10028#p10028
Same as backi, I prefer booting with the grub4dos bootloader and using save folder instead of save file (but note that save-folder only works on ext (Linux) filesystem, not on FAT32).
Tell me if you'd like doing such a USB setup, or try yourself, info here: viewtopic.php?p=2479#p2479
But it's fine of course if you are OK with the install you did using unetbootin.
Fred
Great Fred, thank you.
Tomorrow I'll buy a new USB stick and I'll try with the addresses you gave me to build a Bootloader with Grub4dos (as also suggested by Bac) also because I'm ashamed to always ask for help. I hit my forehead a bit and if I really can't use Grub4dos and get me a USB like you, I'll use your guide again. For tonight I enjoy my FossaDog found and working perfectly.
Thanks Fred. 
au revoir
sonia