Remastersys for Ubuntu

a backup to livecd/dvd utility for Klikit-Linux, Ubuntu and derivatives

by Tony Brijeski aka Fragadelic

How do you use it?

   At the command line, you simply run "sudo remastersys backup" to make a full system backup,  or "sudo su" to become root and then run "remastersys dist" to make a distributable copy to share with friends.  
   There is a configuration file - /etc/remastersys.conf where you can set things like the name of the livecd/dvd, the live session username, other files to exclude from the cd/dvd, etc.

   If you are a gui person, simply click on the "Remastersys Backup" icon in the System Menu and you can select which option you want to run.

Some notes about using the dist option

   You should start with a clean install of Klikit, Ubuntu or variant and use a single user to make all changes.  You should not install any proprietary video drivers like the nvidia or ati drivers as they will not be used on the livecd and users will have to reinstall them after installation.  Clean up history and cache and copy over the contents to /etc/skel but be sure to change the ownership of everything in /etc/skel to root.  While the livecd/dvd is being created, you should not open any other apps or windows. 

Some notes about the backup option

   You can log into the livecd/dvd with any valid user that was on the system on the hard drive but it is recommended to log into the first one created during the initial installation as that is the user that can sudo.  When you come to install this back to a hard drive, the user setup portion of ubiquity (the install program) is just a placeholder other than the system name.  The username and password set here will not be used but must be created in order to continue with the installation.  Part of the reason for this is that your users are already created so you don't need to create them again,  but more importantly because user setup is an integral part of the install program and cannot be removed or bypassed easily.  If you were using proprietary video drivers like the nvidia or ati ones, you will need to reinstall them.  The Ubuntu livecd scripts prevent these from running properly but reinstalling them after installation will make them work again.

Some notes about the remastersys-grub-restore

   Remastersys-grub-restore is a text or gui based grub restore utility created by me.  It will work in live mode and from an install.  This only appears in version 2.0.12-1 and up.

There will be an icon in the System Menu for this.

remastersys-grub-restore

remastersys-grub-restore gui

Where to go to ask questions, report bugs, request features or make recommendations?

The main support area is on the Remastersys Forum

What license is remastersys covered by?

Where can I get remastersys?