Revision 14 as of 2015-12-02 09:22:32

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mkusb version 10

This version of the mkusb tool, version 10, is still only a bash script. The menus and dialogue windows are purely graphical using zenity. ../artwork/mkusb24.png

There is also a text console for output from the engine behind the zenity curtain.

Select 'live only' or 'persistent live'

You can use mkusb version 10 to make 'persistent live' drives as well as 'live only' drives.

Wipe menu

There is a new wipe menu, where you can select several options, either only wiping or wiping plus creating a partition table and some partition(s) and file system(s)

  • s "Standard: create MSDOS partition table with FAT32 partition"

  • b "Big drive: create GUID partition table with NTFS partition"

  • g "General: use 'gparted' to make partition table and partition(s)"

  • a "Advanced: create GUID partition table (skeleton for installing an OS)"

  • f "wipe the First megabyte (mibibyte)"

  • w "wipe the Whole device - consider other options except for special cases"

Improvements and new features

  • mkusb 10.0.1
    • added mk_grub-n-iso-s (partition 2 iso9660) that can make persistent live drives

    • several fixes for the merge of mkusb 9 and mk_grub-n-iso-s
    • mkusb wants wmctrl, which is used to center zenity --forms
    • generalized tests for parameters calls from main
    • parameter p for persistence
    • system files moved to '/usr/share/mkusb': grub.cfg maybe-problems.txt mkusb.cfg selected usb-pack_efi.tar.gz
  • mkusb 10.0.2
    • several minor tweaks and bugfixes to improve the output to the user
    • help text modified to include the parameter p for persistence
    • A screllbar is added to the mkusb console window
    • checking for sudo -H and password via a zenity window: new mkusb.desktop file and help files for the desktop file

    • mkusb starts in the user's home directory
    • function probe_source: identifies the source iso file and checks if mkusb can make a good persistent live system
    • menu option help -- help improved: lsblk -o NAME,MODEL,FSTYPE,LABEL,MOUNTPOINT,SIZE,NAME
  • mkusb 10.0.3
    • mkusb-st2: smooth login in live sessions
  • mkusb 10.0.4
    • fixes to make it work to create persistent live systems in wily
      • target --> targ1 to avoid confusion in live systems

      • sync after creating partitions (in 'grub_n_iso')
      • clean the target's partitions because old content may survive
        • wipe first megabyte of boot and casper-rw partitions
    • fixes to make it work to create persistent live systems in ToriOS
      • mkusb needs grub-pc to install 'persistent live' which is checked and the user is prompted to install it
  • mkusb 10.0.5
    • grub_n_iso: sync,sleep,lsblk,blkid,df commands added to make the FAT partition mount and check it in a live session of 15.04 (necessary to make persistent live drives)
    • blkid --> blkid /dev/[f]d?? and lsblk --> lsblk /dev/[f]d? to avoid delay because of searching for floppy

  • mkusb 10.0.6
    • text in the main menu modified: 'Persistent selected' --> 'Persistent live selected'

  • mkusb 10.1
    • new functions to make mkusb independent of the console
      • asker, warner: replace read -p with zenity
      • do_n_show: replaces pv with zenity --progress
      • clear_grn: unmount and remove temp files/dirs of grub_n_iso
      • dnward_win: position for general progress window (0,10,100)
      • various tweaks
      • redirecting console output to the log file ~/mkusb.log
    • mkusb-start: added viewing of ~/mkusb.log at the end of mkusb-start
  • mkusb 10.1.1
    • several tweaks for parsing ~/mkusb.log (user interface)
  • mkusb 10.2
    • #Wipe_menu: some convenient alternatives added to to wiping

    • command line token 'wipe' short-cut to the wipe menu
    • 'man mkusb' updated
  • mkusb 10.3
    • creating GPT with NTFS windata partition for persistent system
    • mkusb wants gdisk (needs it only to make persistent live drives)
  • mkusb 10.3.1
    • polishing zenity window texts
  • mkusb 10.3.2
    • fixed bug for 100% persistence: zero size placeholder as partition #1. Normally (when less than 100% is allocated for persistence) partition #1 is labeled 'usbdata'. When created, the size is at least 60 MB (and there will be an NTFS file system).
  • mkusb 10.3.3
    • fixed bug when too small space ( < 200 MB ) for persistence

    • fixed bug with pid confusion (pid at percentage ---> pidf)

  • mkusb 10.3.4
    • grub_n_iso: added scripts for backup and restore, that come with the persistent live system
  • mkusb 10.3.5
    • grub-pc is only installed in BIOS mode, because it interferes with grub-efi packages in UEFI mode. This is a temporary fix, because persistent live drives made in UEFI mode can only boot in UEFI mode.
  • mkusb 10.4
    • modified method to make persistent live drives using
      • either data from the source iso file (the new method)
        • function menuentry_1
        • function select_boot_system
      • or data from usb-pack_efi.tar.gz (the old method) to boot
  • mkusb 10.4.1
    • minor edit: scrorig --> srclocal in 'mount -o loop "$srclocal" "$looper"'

Slideshow

Screendumps illustrate how to use mkusb 10.1.1 in Ubuntu 14.04.2 mkusb-in-ubuntu_slideshow.pdf


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