Re-install with Live USB key

[MazeMouse]

Hi,

I would like to know how I can re-install a MX-iso over a previously made live USB with persistent. But keeping the used storage vfat partition. (Before I do something wrong). I would like to use the Live-Usb-maker gui.
Can someone point me in the right direction for the correct steps?
Thanks

[fehlix]

Hi,

I would like to know how I can re-install a MX-iso over a previously made live USB with persistent. But keeping the used storage vfat partition. (Before I do something wrong). I would like to use the Live-Usb-maker gui.
Can someone point me in the right direction for the correct steps?
Thanks

Better create a new one from scratch.
"storage vfat" - sound like a Rufus made one, which has the limitation of vfat's 4GB file size limit.
"MX Live USB Maker" - full feature mode - will create ext4 filesystem on the partition "Live-usb-storage" is located on.

[figueroa]

If your personal files in your persistent storage are of any value to you, BACK THEM UP. Then on any new or overwritten USB drive, you can restore them at your convenience. The small vfat partition on your MX-Live-USB is only used for UEFI booting and should contain no persistence files.

[BitJam]

I would like to know how I can re-install a MX-iso over a previously made live USB with persistent. But keeping the used storage vfat partition. (Before I do something wrong). I would like to use the Live-Usb-maker gui.

I don't think the gui version of live-usb-maker (LUM) has this feature (someone please correct me if I'm wrong) but it can be done with the cli version of LUM by selecting "Other options" and then "Update the OS on an existing live-usb (experimental)". You need to be sure to enable a storage partition so the program knows which partition holds the live OS.

Here is a way to do it all on the command line (which is probably the best way):

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sudo live-usb-maker --from $iso_file --target $usb_device --data-first --pretend copy-main

where $iso_file is the full path to the iso file with the new OS and $usb_device is the device name of the live-usb such as "/dev/sdd" or simply "sdd" (which does the same thing). The --pretend option will keep it from actually writing to the device so you can first see if it all looks correct. The "copy-main" command tells the program to copy files from the iso file to the main (OS/live) partition but don't do anything else. You could also add the "check-usb-md5" command to make sure the files copied over did not get corrupted.

You can also do it manually. Mount the iso file that you want to use for the OS update. I use the cli program iso-mount for this but there are probably gui ways to do it. Then mount the OS/live partition of the live-usb. Finally, copy the contents of the mounted iso file to the OS/live partition of the live-usb. This is basically what the copy-main command above does above.

Note that when you update the live OS, the existing root persistence file will not work. It would be best to just delete it. On the mounted live partition it lives at:

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/antiX/rootfs

Note that both MX and antiX use a top level "antiX" directory for the live system. This was not my idea but it turned out to be a really good move because it made a number of things much simpler.

[MazeMouse]

Thanks everyone. I backed up my things safely.

@BitJam I have found the update function in the advanced settings with MX Live usb maker and I can conform this worked for me. The boot menu remained the same but doesn't hinder me. Thank you.