MX Linux Forum

I just made my second snapshot since first installing MX 19.2. This time, I noticed that the program created two small text files along with the iso. One is an MD5 hash (correct term?) and the other is an SHA512 hash. Do I need these in order to use the iso? Also, when precisely does one need to use a system snapshot iso? I thought that I need to have this system snapshot if I got a virus or had a crash or if my SSD died and had to reinstall MX either on my SSD or a replacement SSD. If I didn't have another computer to come here and download MX, then I would need this snapshot. Right? Also, I would have all my settings, like for LuckyBackup, and all my programs (including my Thunderbird, with its address book and all my emails). Or am I mistaken? All explanations and advice will be gratefully received! Thanks.

Click on the Help button in MX Snapshot to find the answer to your question about setings and files. Regarding the md5 and sha512 files I always right-click on them and check the integrity of my snapshot iso file against them, just like I do if I download an iso. It's a good habit to get into. More information about these files and what they're for can be found in the MX Manual.

I read the Help file in MX Snapshot. Don't quite understand the following: (1) "If you intend to use it as a backup on the same machine then comment out the appropriate xorg.conf line in the exclusion file." Which line specifically to comment out? and what does it mean to "comment out"? (2) Should I have deleted the "lock file" of my Firefox, or is this precaution not really necessary? Also, where is this "lock file"?

Seeker wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 3:04 pm I read the Help file in MX Snapshot. Don't quite understand the following: (1) "If you intend to use it as a backup on the same machine then comment out the appropriate xorg.conf line in the exclusion file." Which line specifically to comment out? and what does it mean to "comment out"? (2) Should I have deleted the "lock file" of my Firefox, or is this precaution not really necessary? Also, where is this "lock file"?

its talking about xorg.conf and/or the intel, amd, and nouveau specific files.
by default we exclude these files to allow the live system to choose the appropriate driver. its only safe to leave them if you will be using the live medium on the exact same machine. they are also not present by default on most MX installs these days, but Mx17/18 installs with nvidia still have a xorg.conf file, and the others are togglable in mx-tweak.

thank you dolphin oracle. still trying to understand precisely what you and JayM wrote. Your explanation seems to say that MX Snapshot default excludes the xorg.conf, etc. files, so that the live system will choose the appropriate driver. Wouldn't that mean that this default is also good for using the live medium (the usb stick to which I burned the Snapshot iso with Live USB Maker) on the exact same machine. In other words, it would be safe NOT to exclude those files in this case, but it's also OK to use the default, which excludes these files?
Once the foregoing is totally cleared up for me, then I still ask (1) does the live medium contain all the programs on my system? and (2) when does one actually need to have the live medium with the system snapshot, what is it for? And then, how does one use it, including use of the two hash files that were created along with the sys iso?

I'm not a developer, I'm just an end user and explain it from an end user's point of view:
I leave it up to the Life System to choose the drivers, so I don't exclude anything.
This has the following advantages:
a. I can run the Life System on any computer and use it as my "brought along" system instead of my laptop e.g.
b. I can transfer my personal installation to my laptop at any time (except pictures/videos/music, my USB stick is not that big). But apart from that I have everything with me, programs, settings, documents, appimages and flatpaks and all additional directories. My ISO is therefore also 22GB (xz compression).
I always do this before I travel where I have the laptop with me.
c. If I should change anything on the hardware, e.g. change the graphics card, it doesn't matter.
d. I have very fast usb3 sticks with 64gb, a complete system restoration takes about 5 minutes. Only the restoration of the picture/video/music directories (~> 300GB) takes around 10 minutes.

So for my area of application I don't see the need to exclude xorg.conf. It's not like that the ISO would be noticeably smaller. Actually I don't see any advantage in this, unless you want to restrict the snapshot to this hardware, maybe a possible security aspect.

I always delete the md5 and sha512 after booting with the USB stick, I always test it after writing. The checksums do not protect the USB stick from having errors somewhere.

Yes the defaults are fine.

Yes the snapshot iso will have any apps you've installed.

The snapshot is for whatever you want it for. They are handy for customized installs because they will still have all your apps.

Ok guys, looks good. So I have all my apps, all my settings (incl Lucky Bkup). So, (1) do I not only have my Thunderbird but also my inbox, sent and archive there? and (2) why does the Snapshot give both the iso and the md5 and sha512 files? Why these two hashes? What and why do I need to verify (and how) given that I now have a snapshot of my own system, not something I downloaded that might be bogus?

Seeker wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 2:56 pm Ok guys, looks good. So I have all my apps, all my settings (incl Lucky Bkup). So, (1) do I not only have my Thunderbird but also my inbox, sent and archive there? and (2) why does the Snapshot give both the iso and the md5 and sha512 files? Why these two hashes? What and why do I need to verify (and how) given that I now have a snapshot of my own system, not something I downloaded that might be bogus?

if you included your home folder in the snapshot, then everything in your home folder is in the snapshot.


those are generated in case you want to distribute it. you can disable the generation of the hashes in /etc/mx-snapshot.conf with the make_md5sum=no option. depsite its name, it will diable sha and md5 hash generation.

OK, got it, dolphin oracle. Well, if the hashes are not necessary, I can just let them be.

dolphin_oracle wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 2:59 pm if you included your home folder in the snapshot, then everything in your home folder is in the snapshot.

Except Virtualbox virtual machines (if you have any), but default we exclude those because they are usually huge.

Seeker wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 2:56 pm and (2) why does the Snapshot give both the iso and the md5 and sha512 files? Why these two hashes? What and why do I need to verify (and how) given that I now have a snapshot of my own system, not something I downloaded that might be bogus?

Both md5sum and sha512 files are just for re-checking / verifying the ISO is not corrupt - later when you want to use it again.
E.g. you save the ISO somewhere on a USB or another drive, and later you try to use the ISO again,
but it can happen that the storage device is itself not working properly. E,g invalid sectors on the drive or USB.
So you can always verify using md5sum or sha512sum, that the ISO is still intact this way:
Open terminal within the folder you saved the ISO and the md5sum/sha512sum-files and run: an/or Those file are just one-liner text-files holding the checksum and the ISO-filename
The "./" in front of the ISO-file is the current directory "."
Both tools report "OK" success or failure, and this would proof the ISO is ok,
and probably the storage medium also.