MEPIS Community Forum

Making a Live installable DVD backup of your system.(Mepis 11.0)
This uses live-helper from the debian repo's
What is copyed to the DVD, in one word, EVERYTHING, your passwords, browser setup email apps installed, leave a beer on the Desktop and most likly that
will be on the DVD to, it is a clone of your system, so get rid of all the cruf first, a DVD is only so big.
Things to note, Mepis is not Debian so we have to do a few things so it will work, most of which are reversable if you need to use the DVD to reinstall your
system, the first is grub, while it will work with legacy it is a bit hit and miss, so use Grub2 which is now the default for Debian, so this guide uses Grub2.
omit at your own risk.

Make sure your system is up to date, and install aptitude and live-helper with synaptic.
Download Simple Root Actions Menu, and install, set file manager as Dolphin.

http://opendesktop.org/content/show.php ... =kfmhtqozm

Using Synaptic install live-helper, and the default debian kernel for your system,(686 or amd64)
In Konsole as root


Reboot using the debian kernel

using synaptic remove the Mepis Kernel
using Root Actions menu backup (apt), /etc/apt
and backup (xdg) /etc/xdg

in konsole as root


Delete (apt)./etc/apt and rename apt.bak to apt, then back it up again
Delete (xdg). /etc/xdg, and rename xdg.bak to xdg

Reboot

Right we are good to start to build the DVD.
Kmenu > Utilities > Sweeper.Select All > Clean up
In Konsole as root

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How long it takes is dependent on the speed of your box and how much is to copy, so be patent
when it has finished the live DVD will be in the work folder in Home, burn it to a DVD.
Booting the DVD, the user name and password are the same as your original system.

Installing from the DVD, boot the DVD in live mode, the link for the installer is in Kmenu > System, it will use the debian installer,
(the only problem I have seen is getting the sources, if this happens install Grub, and go back to it and change the mirror,)

After you have installed, delete apt, and rename apt.bak to apt, now you can reinstall mepis-config, mepis-init and the Mepis-kernel
The result is a clone of your original install. except it uses Grub2 instead of legacy.

The other way to use the DVD is, to do a backup before you install any graphic drivers, also disable your sound device in the BIOS, build the DVD, then you can boot it on any system not just your own.

Here is the link for the manual, and if that doesn’t scare the life out of you nothing will.
http://live.debian.net/manual/en/html/live-manual.html
Have fun

I know this is begining to become a dated thread but I would like to know why the changes have to be made to the installed system, removing the mepis kernel and installing the default one, removing grub-gfxboot, installing the desktop-base, etc. If the point is to make a master of the installed system shouldn't we be able to do so with what is installed rather then having to change the system as it is and make the iso then go back upon re-installation and add what was there to begin with?

The answer is simple, because the is what Live-Build expects to find, it expects a Debian squeeze system not a Lenny hybrid one, and squeeze uses Grub2 not Grub-legacy.

Nice tutorial Thanks for this.

Nice tutorial Danum, how about adding the info to the Wiki?