Chat about Snapshot

[Jakob77]

From the testing that I have done, a snapshot written to a live usb is really good and delivered everything.

In-fact, I have created new machine loads all in a VM, then once ready created a snapshot, written to a live usb, booted the new machine with that live usb and then installed. In every single case, I had a "duplicate" computer up and going.

This is now my preferred method of creating a new machine.

AND, both my big every day computer, my laptop, and 3 other testing machines have been built this way and work without issue. Different hardware, different ram sizes, different CPU, sized disks, etc. Really good!!

I can spend a long time thinking about what computer to start with and how to move on.
Is it best to start rich or lean and build the first on a computer with a big or small screen or both and so on.
It might not be smart to build in more users in the iso file because it will be more configuration to adjust after install.
To do it and be really efficient the best would be if all the computers were identical.

[CharlesV]

About the hardware examination and installation I assume Snapshot is just as good an thorough as the original installation iso
Is that not right.?

That question that you asked was what I was referring too. And yes, it could be smarter to get as generic as possible on hardware, however, the install, configs and certain setup is what is best to carry over. AND it seems to adapt, install and work well, even adjusting for hardware.

As a backup of your rig, or to move to a new rig... I think this method rocks!

If you wanted a rescue disk, then really a standard live USB is good. (That was where I started with AntiX , as a rescue usb.)

[Jakob77]

About the hardware examination and installation I assume Snapshot is just as good an thorough as the original installation iso
Is that not right.?

That question that you asked was what I was referring too. And yes, it could be smarter to get as generic as possible on hardware, however, the install, configs and certain setup is what is best to carry over. AND it seems to adapt, install and work well, even adjusting for hardware.

As a backup of your rig, or to move to a new rig... I think this method rocks!

I want to be different so I think it rolls!

It seems to me Snapshot with 'sudo minstall-launcher' is running and using the whole hardware examination, but I guess only the developers has a chance to know it for sure.

[Jakob77]

If you wanted a rescue disk, then really a standard live USB is good. (That was where I started with AntiX , as a rescue usb.)

Thank you.
I have never used AntiX but others, and I never liked it much. I miss too many things, but with Snapshot exactly that has changed.
Do you know how to save config changes permanently to a live install USB-key or Snapshot, and if it will do changes to it's installation procedure when used for that later on.?

[CharlesV]

I believe the places you have to watch for that is in two spots:

1) Snapshot, second page, "Type of Snapshot"

2) and then when you install.

If I am using for my own personal installs, I just leave them default. If you dont want your account brought over you have to uncheck that in the Type of Snapshot.

[Jakob77]

CharlesV

Today I decided to show the external screen who was in charge, so I used my original USB that I used for installing MX Wildflower 21.3
But that seemed worse... maybe because it was some weeks old.
Then I made a fresh Snapshot and did it again.
And that seemed better.
I write "seemed" because I was also trained along the way.

However, I am slowly starting to believe that if you update your computer and afterwards make a Snapshot install USB then it will be as updated as the newest install iso you can download.

What do you say, do you buy it.?

[CharlesV]

I say ....
THAT is precisely what I was trying to tell you! :-)

Using snapshot, you can setup your computer exactly how you want it, drivers, settings, kernel versions, etc etc.. and THEN use that as a backup... OR ... as a fresh installation ( but keeping ALL your settings!)

[Jakob77]

I don't even know if I buy it myself, yet.
The updating force I sense can be other things or bugs being removed and holes patched.
Last night I installed MX Wildflower on one more identical Dell and the configuration was transferred perfectly to all users.

But if you have a computer on edge and it is missing drivers that are too complicated to install both manually and with automatic update but they are added to the install iso, it could perhaps be an idea to look more into it.
If it is the case you can likely just make a fresh Snapshot and do a restore with it. Then the hardware will be examined all over again and the newest drivers will be installed along with your data.
I don't really believe it is, and I don't know enough about it to imagine how far it can be taken.




I have had my doubts but what I know for sure now is that Snapshot IRL begins to bring my computer platform up on a much higher level.
Before snapshot I was always going for a minimalist configuration.
An important reason for that was to save time because I had to do it on five computers.
Now I can spend much more time making a better configuration, and when I am done I can copy it to other computers very fast and easy. Especially if they are identical.

I have decided to start middle weight with the basic setup I use the most on my private computer.
It will be geared up with five users and a design I like.
If a computer is going out of the house there will only be very little private data to remove before it is ready.
Also the time it takes to remove a user is nothing compared to the time it takes to set one up, so there is no need to be thrifty with them in the basic configuration.

I agree ... it rocks.!... and rolls.!

[j2mcgreg]

CharlesV

Today I decided to show the external screen who was in charge, so I used my original USB that I used for installing MX Wildflower 21.3
But that seemed worse... maybe because it was some weeks old.
Then I made a fresh Snapshot and did it again.
And that seemed better.
I write "seemed" because I was also trained along the way.

However, I am slowly starting to believe that if you update your computer and afterwards make a Snapshot install USB then it will be as updated as the newest install iso you can download.

What do you say, do you buy it.?

I'll give you an example of how this works. My new HP 15 laptop was not working properly at all. Wifi was non-existent and the Ethernet connection was sporadic. I discovered in my research that the Liquorix 6.2.xxx kernel available through MXPi would likely solve most of the problems. Without internet access, I couldn't install it directly on to the HP 15. Instead, I installed the Liquorix kernel on to my desktop, made a snapshot of the desktop. and wrote the snapshot to a USB drive which I used to do a fresh install on the HP 15. It worked a treat.

[Jakob77]

Yes, that was smart.