mx-snapshot

Program for creating a live-CD from MX Linux and antiX running system

JUST TO CLARIFY, this program is meant for MX Linux and antiX it won't work on another other system without considerable modifications because other systems don't have the infrastructure needed to run this program. Don't try to install the deb it won't work and might ruin your system.

SYNOPSIS

mx-snapshot [options]

DESCRIPTION

Program used for creating functional ISO images from the running system. You can later on install/burn the ISO image on a USB flashdrive or a DVD (depending on the size of the image). Use MX Live USB Maker (GUI) or live-usb-maker (CLI tool) to burn the resulting image.

The tool has basically two different modes: - Preserving accounts -- used for full backups and reinstallations. Takes a full image, includes user accounts and documents in /home folder (By default, to save space, it excludes ~/.VirtualBox folder). - Reset accounts -- for ISOs meant to be distributed to others. It doesn't save user account info, network settings, and doesn't save any files in /home folder. The resulting ISO is as close as possible to the official release with the difference that you can customize it by updating, installing, or removing programs and changing global settings (typically files in /etc/ folder).

By default the program starts with a GUI (program window), it can run in terminal (CLI) if launched with -c or --cli option.

WARNING

This tool is not actively tested on any other systems, it might or might not work, it might or might not break things. Basically, we don't recommend it for anything other than MX or antiX compatible systems.

OPTIONS

• -h, --help
  Displays this help.

• -v, --version
  Displays version information.

• -c, --cli
  Use CLI only

• -d, --directory <path>
  Output directory

• -f, --file <name>
  Output filename. .iso is added if missing; when -f is omitted or empty, a default name is used. The name must not be blank or contain any of < > : " / | ? *; the GUI applies the same rules to the name field.

• -k, --kernel <ver, or path>
  Name a different kernel to use other than the default running kernel, use format returned by 'uname -r' Or the full path: /boot/vmlinuz-x.xx.x...

• -l, --compression-level <"option">
  Compression level options. Use quotes: "-Xcompression-level <level>", or "-Xalgorithm <algorithm>", or "-Xhc", see mksquashfs man page

• -m, --month [suffix] Create a monthly snapshot, add 'Month' name in the ISO name, skip used space calculation This option sets reset-accounts and compression to defaults, arguments changing those items will be ignored. Optionally specify a suffix to add to the month name (e.g., -m 1 for July.1).

• -n, --no-checksums
  Don't calculate checksums for resulting ISO file

• -p, --preempt
  Option to fix issue with calculating checksums on preempt_rt kernels

• -r, --reset
  Resetting accounts (for distribution to others)

• -s, --checksums
  Calculate checksums for resulting ISO file

• -o, --override-size
  Skip calculating free space to see if the resulting ISO will fit

• -w, --workdir <path>
  Specify the path for the work directory

• -x, --exclude <one item>
  Exclude main folders, valid choices: Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Music, Networks, Pictures, Steam, Videos, VirtualBox. Use the option one time for each item you want to exclude

• -z, --compression <format>
  Compression format, valid choices: lz4, lzo, gzip, xz, zstd

CANCELLING A RUN

SIGINT, SIGTERM and SIGHUP cancel a running snapshot in both the CLI and the GUI: a running mksquashfs is stopped, the bind-root environment is torn down, the log is archived, and the program exits with a failure status. A signal that arrives before the snapshot starts, including while waiting for authentication, exits without starting it. At the CLI exclusion-file prompt a signal ends the program immediately, since nothing has been set up yet.

In the GUI, Next, Back and Cancel are disabled while the first authentication request is pending, and the window cannot be closed while it is pending or while cleanup is still tearing the snapshot down; the program exits on its own when cleanup finishes. --month runs start once the window is shown.

ARCH PACKAGING AND RELEASES

./build.sh --arch builds in build/arch-package and clears that directory before configuration. Developer builds in build/ are preserved, and their cached compiler flags and test options do not affect the package.

./release.sh publishes the requested tag before updating the AUR recipe, including when a previous attempt left the tag only in the local repository. Invalid versions report their error on stderr. AUR archive directories track pkgver; a leading v remains in the GitHub tag URL but is removed from the package version and archive directory name. --no-push skips the AUR push; it still publishes the GitHub tag and commits the AUR update.

USER CONFIGURATION

When loading configuration, the application repairs ownership of the ~/.config/MX-Linux directory and its config and exclude files for the logged-in user. System exclude lists keep their existing ownership. If a custom exclude list is missing or the default user copy cannot be created, the application uses /etc/<app>-exclude.list when available, then the packaged list under /usr/local/share/excludes or /usr/share/excludes.

ARCH SNAPSHOT SAFETY

Arch cleanup state is stored only in /run/<app>/cleanup-arch.state. Legacy state in /tmp is ignored; do not move it into /run without verifying its contents. Leftover mounts from an interrupted legacy run need manual cleanup. State directories and files must be root-owned, must not be symlinks, and must not be writable by group or other users.

The plain-bind fallback preserves the host timezone symlink and does not add an installer shortcut to the host's /etc/skel. Reset snapshots still receive the shortcut in the staged demo Desktop. Personal snapshots preserve any existing minstall.desktop file or symlink on the user's Desktop.

When /boot/archiso.img is rebuilt, the new image must be built for the selected kernel. An archiso preset that builds for a different kernel is followed by a direct mkinitcpio -k <selected kernel> build. If that also fails, a stale image stops the snapshot, and a missing one falls back to the regular initramfs with a warning, as before.

SEE ALSO

mx-live-usb-maker -- writes created ISOs to USB flashdrives