How not to save session to pup_save.3fs at shutdown?

[sci_fi]

Good morning:

I am running puppy201 livecd (not installed). Is is possible to disable automatic updating of the pup_save.3fs file (both periodically and at logoff)?

I experiment a lot with configurations and sometimes screw things up to the point that I simply want to re-boot without saving changes. Of course, I can (and do) back up the pup_save file. I can delete and restore manually between reboots. This is a bit cumbersome, however.

The ability to turn off auto-updating combined with something like the explicit "configsave" capability in SLAX would be helpful.

Thanks for any advice.

sci_fi

[Dougal]

I don't think it's possible but Barry did "think out loud" in some post about the possibilty of having a "rollback" option, like in the multisession-cd/dvd, and I think it should be quite easy to implement (just a matter of creating another pup_rw-like file and using it during each session -- and have it's contents copied to the permanent one during the next bootup).

[marksouth2000]

I assume that you are running Puppy 2.01. If you type

Code: Select all

puppy pfix=ram

at the boot prompt, then any saved sessions will be ignored, and at shutdown you can always select "no save".

[rarsa]

Is is possible to disable automatic updating of the pup_save.3fs file (both periodically and at logoff)?

It is not possible to disable something that does not exist.

I think that the confusion may come from how it works for USB or for Multisession where /root is mounted to RAM so it does not write to the media up until shutdown.

When you boot from LiveCD with a pup_save file in HDD, Puppy does not "automatically update" the pup_save.3fs. The user (you) saves things to that file. It is just a file system as if it was a HDD.

I experiment a lot with configurations and sometimes screw things up to the point that I simply want to re-boot without saving changes.

If you want to experiment, always experiment when booting to RAM as explained in Marksouth's post.

The ability to turn off auto-updating

I hope I clarified that there is no "auto-updating" to turn off.

combined with something like the explicit "configsave" capability in SLAX would be helpful.

Agree.

In puppy the equivalent is to copy pup_save. I haven't found it cumbersome, really. Another alternative for pre 2.0 version is to "tar" or "copy -xa" the whole contents of /root.

[sci_fi]

Guys,

Thank you very much for the comments. My apologies for the confusion relating to "auto-update".

What I meant to say is this:

1. When I boot puppy 2.01 normally, it finds and uses my pup_save file (stored on hdd; not multi-session cd). I want this to happen.

2. I do whatever I wish during the session.

3. When I log off, puppy automatically records any changes I have made in the pup_save file (this is what I meant by "auto updating"). I never explicitly save anything to pup_save. It just happens.

The "no save" shutdown option is only available when one boots with the pfix=ram option (as far as I know).

Is there anyway to prevent 3. above ("no save" cheatcode at boot up, for example. Or explicit prompt from puppy "Do you want to save this session to pup_save?")?


I ran across a comment somewhere that indicated that if one had multiple pup_save##.3fs files in the same location, puppy would prompt for which to use during boot. I have not tried this yet, but will do so this evening. If this works as indicated, it would provide a reasonable alternative.


Regarding cumbersome. This is my problem. At present the partition that I use to hold the pup_save file is used for several things and is not large enough to hold multiple 512mb pup_save files. This means that rather than simply renaming files, I have to copy them in and out. As they are 512mb each, this takes time. I can certainly, re-partition or use a larger partition to improve this situation.



Thank you again for the advice. Much appreciated.

sci_fi

[rarsa]

3. When I log off, puppy automatically records any changes I have made in the pup_save file (this is what I meant by "auto updating"). I never explicitly save anything to pup_save. It just happens.
...
Is there anyway to prevent 3. above

I will repeat. You cannot prevent something that's not happening.

You save your changes "Explicitly" to pup_save, everytime you change something. This is not something that happens just when you log-off.

If you open a configuration file, edit and save it, you are explicitly saving it to pup_save. If you install an application, you are explicitly saving it to pup_save.

"no save" cheatcode at boot up, for example.

There is not option right now. It is possible to modify the bootup scripts and remaster the CD to get this functionality. You can piggyback on the code used for booting from USB or Multisession, where it actually saves when you shutdown.

For both the USB and Multisession puppy creates the "working space" in RAM, leaving you with less RAM for executing programs. So the trade-off is "less RAM vs. more USB Key usable life" or "less ram vs. ability to use Multisession"

The HDD does not have the "usable life" problem, so the trade-off does not make sense.

I hope this makes sense

[sci_fi]

rarsa,

Thanks for the explanation and patience. I finally got it.

Onwards.

sci_fi

[BarryK]

Yes, one extra note about booting from usb. The 'working files' are saved to the usb pup_save.3fs file periodically by a daemon, as well as at shutdown.
You can kill that daemon ...what's it called now? ... also, you can shutdown without saving by:
# busybox poweroff
that will bypass the rc.shutdown script.

In the case of live-cd and pup_save.3fs file on a fast hd partition, the pupsave file is mounted directly on the unionfs top layer, meaning that 'saving' occurs immediately.

[Dougal]

Hey, sci_fi, I got an idea that might be able to help you a little:

If you see you've messed up something, open a terminal and use "find" to search for all the new files created in /initrd/pup_rw/ since you began that "session", then you can possibly pipe the result to "rm" and be rid of them.

It's important to make sure you look for hidden (.) files, as they are used by unionfs to mark which of puppy's original files are "deleted" (they can't be deleted since they're on the cd, but the dot-files let unionfs know not to show them in /usr).

If you use this method you can also backup all your config files at bootup (they're pretty small, so it shouldn't take up much room).
(Simply add something to /etc/rc.d/rc.local to do it automatically on bootup)