Live MX Persistence on Ventoy

[Electroguard]

It is quicker and more convenient to boot live MX Snapshots from Ventoy rather than needing to create an individual MX live boot USB for every snapshot.
Ventoy also offers ability for more than one persistence file per ISO, allowing to choose which persistence file to load (if any) from a live-boot menu.
This means it should be possible to boot from a latest fully configured and fully updated live minimal base snapshot, then select a persistence file which is appropriate for current needs, perhaps with WINE or VirtualBox or whatever, or simply a different configuration.
Ventoy multiple persistence files do actually work, and even includes utility scripts for non-destructively expanding or shrinking the persistence files if needed.
But before anyone else falls down this enticing rabbit-hole, there are 2 serious problems to be aware of which ruin the idea:

1. The Ventoy persistence file stripped out my MX snapshot configurations, basically reverting them back to live vanilla MX.
Even expanding the persistence file to 4Gb was not enough for it to extract and save my snapshots configuration changes.
It's possible to accept that severe limitation and configure a live vanilla system from scratch as I did, saving all changes to live persistence and expanding it as and when needed. But as well as losing the advantage of different snapshots, there is an even bigger gotcha:

2. The Ventoy persistence file is not recognised by the MX Re-Master utility, so it is not possible to create a re-mastered snapshot from anything that gets saved to the persistent file, including configuration changes and new apps and system updates.
Therefore the persistence file containing all changes to the live vanilla system will keep growing indefinitely in the ratio 50% root and 50% home.


So in summary, Ventoy persistence does actually work, but it can strip away MX snapshot configurations then become an uncontrollable monster.

[fehlix]

You may consider to utilize the native persistence feature offered by MX-Linux
through ventoys plugin technique to inject live -boot parameter including persistence parameter
nto the booted ISO.
Some details here: Re: can persistence be used with ventoy? [Solved]
HTH

[Electroguard]

Ta Fehlix, I will give the inject method a try anyway, but it was the possibility for multiple persistence files which was particularly interesting.
I'm still trying to find a way to use snapshots as stage backups which can be quickly reverted back to previous when needed (in the absence of a snapshot restore).
So multiple persistence files could have offered opportunity for one good optimised power tool (snapshot), plus a collection of detachable heads for different tasks (persistence files), to all be kept neatly together in one small mobile toolbox (usb stick), and with any component quickly changeable from a menu.

[thomasl]

it was the possibility for multiple persistence files which was particularly interesting.
I'm still trying to find a way to use snapshots as stage backups which can be quickly reverted back to previous when needed (in the absence of a snapshot restore).
So multiple persistence files could have offered opportunity for one good optimised power tool (snapshot), plus a collection of detachable heads for different tasks (persistence files), to all be kept neatly together in one small mobile toolbox (usb stick), and with any component quickly changeable from a menu.

You can create multiple persistence files (and boot entries) via MX's undocumented pdir= boot option. (I have used this under MX19, don't know whether it still works in MX21.)

Basically pdir= allows you do define a directory for the persistence files so you can have multiple persistence configurations in parallel. I use it to test-drive some new software or as a playground, among other things.

[fehlix]

You can create multiple persistence files (and boot entries) via MX's undocumented pdir= boot option. (I have used this under MX19, don't know whether it still works in MX21.)

Basically pdir= allows you do define a directory for the persistence files so you can have multiple persistence configurations in parallel. I use it to test-drive some new software or as a playground, among other things.

FWIW, antiX Boot Parameters ( most of them also used by MX) are well documented.
E.g. here a very nice compiled list of live boot paramters :
Table of antiX Boot Parameters
you'll find under "Persistence Location" pdir= together with pdev,plab and puuid.

[Electroguard]

Thanks for that useful info fehlix, it's very timely.
When I try to re-master the Ventoy live system it causes an "antiX Live Remaster Error", stating that "The persistence device with UUID was not found. Please plug in the persistence device and try again." I'm too much out of my depth to understand the error, but now that I know it's possible to specify different persistence files using pdir=, perhaps Remastering using the Ventoy persistence files might be as simple as steering Remaster to the appropriate persistence file... is a nice thought, anyway. And now I can hoover up some more info about it.

[Electroguard]

And I must thank you again thomasl - I already did, but it seems to have disappeared.
I only want to keep a solid snapshot base which can be quickly returned back to after stepping off at a tangent for whatever reason, and the fact that you have actually already done something similar is quite a relief, cos it seemed like I was fighting a losing battle.
Might there be an example somewhere to help it make more sense ?

[fehlix]

Thanks for that useful info fehlix, it's very timely.
When I try to re-master the Ventoy live system it causes an "antiX Live Remaster Error", stating that "The persistence device with UUID was not found. Please plug in the persistence device and try again." I'm too much out of my depth to understand the error, but now that I know it's possible to specify different persistence files using pdir=, perhaps Remastering using the Ventoy persistence files might be as simple as steering Remaster to the appropriate persistence file... is a nice thought, anyway. And now I can hoover up some more info about it.

You simply can't remaster an booted ISO.
Remastering means: Create a new linuxfs file. But this thing is on the non-writable ISO when booted with Ventoy, and occupies nearly 99(?)% of the iso.

[Electroguard]

Ah, that makes sense now that you've said it. So presumably even if the MX live boot does not use persistence, the usb structure still includes a writeable linuxfs for remastering. So no point wasting more time on Ventoy if it's not possible to ever remaster its persistence file. No such problems with the method thomasl has suggested though, and it's already tried and tested, so its good to be able to just focus on that.

[Electroguard]

For the benefit of anyone else stumbling along in the dark behind me, I've tripped into an antiX wiki which seems to also double up as the MX wiki.
It contains an excellent article https://antixlinux.com/the-most-extensi ... he-planet/ which gives a thorough explanation about antix/MX Live boot and Persistence and is well worth a read.