[ SOLVED ] Booting Live from ext4

[AS]

There are 2 sections in mylivecd script, that look like the one below, in red the lines added to support ext4:
(note that as an experiment, I've modified both section without worry much of details, i.e. the progress percentage now show 101.7 % ...)

        # Copy specific kernel drivers for linuxrc
        do_cmd("cp -r $o_root/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/drivers/ata      $dir/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/drivers", ++$pos);
        do_cmd("cp -r $o_root/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/drivers/block    $dir/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/drivers", ++$pos);
        do_cmd("cp -r $o_root/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/drivers/ide      $dir/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/drivers", ++$pos);
        do_cmd("cp -r $o_root/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/drivers/message  $dir/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/drivers", ++$pos);
        do_cmd("cp -r $o_root/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/drivers/parport  $dir/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/drivers", ++$pos);
        do_cmd("cp -r $o_root/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/drivers/pcmcia   $dir/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/drivers", ++$pos);
        do_cmd("cp -r $o_root/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/drivers/scsi     $dir/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/drivers", ++$pos);
        do_cmd("cp -r $o_root/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/drivers/usb      $dir/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/drivers", ++$pos);
        do_cmd("cp -r $o_root/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/drivers/uwb      $dir/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/drivers", ++$pos);
        do_cmd("cp -r $o_root/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/drivers/cdrom    $dir/lib/modules/$o_kernel/kernel/drivers", ++$pos);
        if (-e "$o_root/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/drivers/ieee1394") {
         do_cmd("cp -r $o_root/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/drivers/ieee1394 $dir/lib/modules/$o_kernel/kernel/drivers",        ++$pos);
        }

        do_cmd("cp -r $o_root/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/fs/ext4           $dir/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/fs",      ++$pos);
        do_cmd("cp -r $o_root/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/fs/jbd2           $dir/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/fs",      ++$pos);

        do_cmd("cp -r $o_root/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/fs/fat           $dir/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/fs",      ++$pos);
        do_cmd("cp -r $o_root/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/fs/isofs         $dir/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/fs",      ++$pos);
        do_cmd("cp -r $o_root/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/fs/nls           $dir/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/fs",      ++$pos);
        do_cmd("cp -r $o_root/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/fs/squashfs      $dir/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/fs",      ++$pos);
        do_cmd("cp -r $o_root/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/fs/unionfs       $dir/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/fs",      ++$pos);
        if ( -e "$o_root/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/fs/aufs" ) {
         do_cmd("cp -r $o_root/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/fs/aufs         $dir/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/fs",      ++$pos);
        }

        do_cmd("cp -r $o_root/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/lib              $dir/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel", ++$pos);

[Was_Just19]

Does  mylivecd take the list of modules from the LinuxRC file?   I thought it should ....... 

Thanks for posting the detail 

[AS]

when a live image is placed on an ext4 filesystem

Does the device type matter?
Do you see the same results if the device is removable or fixed?

I made a couple of test using (a modified version of) PCLinuxOS-LiveUSB-Creator, and successfully booted from a USB-ext4 partition,
so the answer is No, the device type USB/HDD) doesn't matter, both can use ext4 fs.

AS

[Was_Just19]

Confirmed that the below edits to mylivecd has allowed me to use an ext4 filesystem on a partition and run the generated ISO as a live install from there.
I have tested this on a USB flash drive using PCLinuxOS-liveUSB and also on a fixed disk partition, using a script in development to create a Poorman's Install on fixed disk.

I would like to see this - or some similar scheme - added to the mylivecd script for the next release ......  and if possible to have the new ISOs built using it, so they could be run from ext4 partitions.

Congrats    as .........  and a big thank you for this.  

**

to be added near line 767:

Code: [Select]

       do_cmd("cp -r $o_root/lib/modules/$o_kernel/kernel/fs/jbd2           $dir/lib/modules/$o_kernel/kernel/fs",     ++$pos);
        do_cmd("cp -r $o_root/lib/modules/$o_kernel/kernel/fs/ext4           $dir/lib/modules/$o_kernel/kernel/fs",     ++$pos);

to be added near line 987

Code: [Select]

       do_cmd("cp -r $o_root/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/fs/ext4           $dir/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/fs",     ++$pos);
        do_cmd("cp -r $o_root/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/fs/jbd2           $dir/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/fs",     ++$pos);

[AS]

Confirmed that the below edits to mylivecd has allowed me to use an ext4 filesystem on a partition and run the generated ISO as a live install from there.
I have tested this on a USB flash drive using PCLinuxOS-liveUSB and also on a fixed disk partition, using a script in development to create a Poorman's Install on fixed disk.

I would like to see this - or some similar scheme - added to the mylivecd script for the next release ......  and if possible to have the new ISOs built using it, so they could be run from ext4 partitions.

Congrats    as .........  and a big thank you for this.  

**

to be added near line 767:

Code: [Select]

       do_cmd("cp -r $o_root/lib/modules/$o_kernel/kernel/fs/jbd2           $dir/lib/modules/$o_kernel/kernel/fs",     ++$pos);
        do_cmd("cp -r $o_root/lib/modules/$o_kernel/kernel/fs/ext4           $dir/lib/modules/$o_kernel/kernel/fs",     ++$pos);

to be added near line 987

Code: [Select]

       do_cmd("cp -r $o_root/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/fs/ext4           $dir/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/fs",     ++$pos);
        do_cmd("cp -r $o_root/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/fs/jbd2           $dir/lib/modules/$o_mbkopt/kernel/fs",     ++$pos);

Glad it worked! 

There is to say that ext3 (and jbd) support still is not present at time of rootfs mount, and actually "ext3 mounting" rely on compatibility with ext2,
not sure if could be useful to add ext3/jbd modules...

AS