LIVE-USB-MAKER(1)

NAME
live-usb-maker -- Create an MX/antiX live-usb

SYNOPSIS
Create a live-usb starting from an iso file, or a live-cd/dvd or an existing live-usb or even a running live system. Always uses an ext4 filesystem for the live-usb but also adds a small fat32 partition so the new live-usb can boot via legacy or UEFI.

Provides options to set the default language and/or default timezone on the new live-usb.

BASIC OPERATION
You can specify everything with command line options or you can let a series of menus guide you or you can mix and match. You will only be prompted for what was not specified on the command line.

The first menu will let you choose the target usb device.

The second menu will give you a choice of the source to use for the new live-usb. If you choose to use an iso-file then the program will scan for iso-files in likely locations and give you a list to choose from.

ISO FILE SEARCH (not implemented!)
You can use wildcard characters such as * in an iso file name or directory. If you do then this will also trigger a search based on what you specified. The directory path and the filename are treated differently. If a * is used in a directory path then every matching directory will be used as a starting point to find files that match the filename you gave (with or without wildcards). This is highly experimental.

You can skip the first menu and immediately go to an iso-file search using the --from=xxxx parameter. If you put in the name of an iso file then that file will be used. If you use the special name "iso-file" then a generic iso file search will be initiated. If you use a file/path with one or more * characters then the path and the filename you gave will be used as the starting point of the search.

CLONE MODE
If the source is the current live system or a live-usb then clone-mode will be used automatically. This will only copy the files that are needed to make a live-usb. None of the auxiliary files that were created during operation of the source live-usb will be copied over.

You can, of course, specify a source live-usb from the command line by using -from=device the device is a device name like sdd1. If you don't specify the partition then we will assume you mean the first partition. Invoked in this way, all files from the source live-usb will be copied over. This may be useful for distros other than MX and antiX. If you want to enable clone mode then use --from=clone=device instead.

CLONING A FRUGAL INSTALL
The only way to make a live-usb from a Frugal install is if you use clone mode (see above). This will only work incompletely on Frugal installs created before MX-16. The "/EFI" directory will be missing so legacy boot will work on the new live-usb but UEFI booting won't. Starting in MX-16, the "/EFI" directory (along with the "version" and "cdrom.ico" files will be copied into the frugal directory during the frugal install).

UPDATE INITRD ONLY ACTION
This action will update the initrd using a template found at the default location /usr/lib/iso-template/template-initrd.gz. You can specify a different location with the --initrd=xxxx command line option. This action is typically used to upgrade to a new live initrd or to to test a bug fix.

UPDATE MODULES
The --modules=list option will add the kernel modules in the list to the current initrd.gz. This would typically be used during testing.

COMMANDS
You can have fine control over which operations get performed by putting one or more commands on the command line. For normal option there is no need to do this.

Use a trailing "+" to run a command and all commands after it.

Commands:
    sizes Only show and check sizes, nothing else
    all Do all commands below
    partition Partition the live usb
    makefs-ext Create the ext file system
    makefs-fat Create the fat file system
    makefs Both makefs-ext and makefs-fat
    copy-ext Copy files to live usb ext partition
    copy-fat Copy files to fat partition
    copy Both copy-ext and copy-fat
    uuids Write UUIDs linking file systems
    cheats Copy cheat codes to live-usb
    install Install the legacy bootloader

NOTES

COPYRIGHT
Copyright 2016 BitJam for antiX <http://antix.freeforums.org/>