MX Linux Forum

I have MX the way I like it and would like to port it to another desktop. I have a 30g usb stick and am confused in using the "MX Live USB Maker. Specifically the Select Source option I don't know what should be there, I have tried selecting different files folder from the file system but I always get a failure error that the linuxfs file isn't found.

Any help is appreciated.

Run mx snapshot first. It will make a ISO of your running system. You can create a live usb from it using with mx live usb maker.

Great thanks so much

You can also use MX Live USB Maker to clone the running live, you need to select "Clone running live system" It's faster than using mx-snapshot to create an ISO and then write it on a USB drive, it does that in one shot (and also uses less resources because you don't need extra space for the work directory and ISO).

If you don't run live you should be able to select "clone a mounted live system" and select the folder that contains "linuxfs" file. (for example if you mount an ISO with "isomount" you can find that in "/mnt/iso/iso1/antiX/" it should tell you when you mount it)

@Adrian: I originally tried what you suggest but I could not find the "linuxfs". Maybe I didn't explain it well in my post that I was running a mounted file system.

bushyiii wrote: Mon Jun 02, 2025 10:55 am @Adrian: I originally tried what you suggest but I could not find the "linuxfs". Maybe I didn't explain it well in my post that I was running a mounted file system.

Did you check /live/boot-dev/antiX?

For running live use "clone running live system"...

DukeComposed wrote: Mon Jun 02, 2025 1:23 pm

bushyiii wrote: Mon Jun 02, 2025 10:55 am @Adrian: I originally tried what you suggest but I could not find the "linuxfs". Maybe I didn't explain it well in my post that I was running a mounted file system.

Did you check /live/boot-dev/antiX?

No, I do not see such an option. When I click the "Select Source" I get the error that it cannot find "linuxfs" Am I not supposed to click the Select Source box and just go on to next?

it should detect it's running live and offer the option, what does show on your live environment?

bushyiii wrote: Tue Jun 03, 2025 10:29 am No, I do not see such an option. When I click the "Select Source" I get the error that it cannot find "linuxfs" Am I not supposed to click the Select Source box and just go on to next?

Yes, b/c you probably run with an installed not live environment. One reason to always post QSI, to reduce confusion.
From running non-live, i.e. an installed system you can clone an extracted or mount ISO, or attached mounted LiveUSB - but not the running installed system.

@ fehlix
I think I understand, had I booted MXLinux from a USB drive, then mounted the installed MXLinux file system I could have successfully used "MX Live USB Maker" , correct?

bushyiii wrote: Wed Jun 04, 2025 9:34 am @ fehlix
I think I understand, had I booted MXLinux from a USB drive, then mounted the installed MXLinux file system I could have successfully used "MX Live USB Maker" , correct?

live-usb-maker (CLI) or "MX Live USB Maker" (GUI) do require a "live media" as a "source" in order to create "Live USB" as "target.
A "live media" can be an iso-file, an extracted iso-file, a loop-mounted iso-file, another already created LiveUSB, or a running "Live USB"
So when you want to create a "Live USB" from your installed system, you would first "produce" a "live media" ISO file
with help of "MX Snapshot". Just mounting an installed system does not provide the needed "source" for "MX Live USB Maker".
If you want to explore the "clone" feature instead of using the iso-file directly you could e.g with help
of the tool isomount (CLI) get the iso-file mounted e,g on /mnt/iso/iso1,
or just extract the iso-file into an empty directory.
This directory of the extracted ISO or loop-mounted ISO can now be selected
as "Source" in order to use the clone feature of "MX Live USB Maker".