Ubuntu 10.04 forgets some settings…

[Goh Lip]

On Sun, 9 May 2010 09:25:46 +0200
Johnny Rosenberg <gurus.knugum at gmail.com> wrote:

> I am not sure if this is a bug or if I did something wrong, but here
> is what I did and what happened:
> 
> I had Ubuntu 9.10 and I wanted 10:04 but since the Dist Upgrade thing
> never worked for me and since I had some issues with 9.10 I did a
> fresh install, however keeping my /home partition and all settings
> there.
> 
> I installed by running the latest version of UNetBootin and select
> Ubuntu 10.04 Live  there, creating an USB stick.
> Restarting my computer, selecting the USB stick to boot into Ubuntu
> 10.04 Live, then double clicking the Install icon.
> Everything went well but I had some issues with my windows, which was
> solved when I installed the proprietary display drivers (Nvidia),
> CompizFusion settings manager and Emerald etc. My old settings was
> then adapted and everything looked as usual.
> Then I selected Extra visual effects to get the cube back and some
> other stuff that I ”can't live without”.
> 
> But something is obviously wrong somewhere, because every time I start
> my computer, visual effects are set to ”None” and I have to reselect
> ”Extra”. As if that was not enough, some of the Compiz Fusion effects
> are unselected, like Rotate Cube and 3D windows. Also the number of
> desktops are set to 4×1 so I have to reselect 4×4. I have to do all
> this every time I start my computer.
> 
> I know that visual effects are not as important as cancer research or
> saving the world from starvation and sickness, but still they are
> there and if they are they should work. Besides I like them and I find
> some of the effects pretty useful making my computer live somewhat
> easier…
> 
> Any suggestions for debugging this problem? I am not a pure beginner –
> i had Ubuntu since 7.04, but I am still not much more than a regular
> user, using Ubuntu to get things done rather than fiddling with the
> system (even if I can fiddle with it a little bit too, but still
> learning).
> 
> Regards
> 
> Johnny Rosenberg

What you are doing is installing a *livecd* installation to your usb
and not a "normal" installation. As for all 'livecd', any additional or
manual applications or settings wont 'stick' and therefore when you
reboot, you will still get the original settings and without any
installed applications.


There are ways to make applications or settings stick by the use of
casper-rw and 'persistent' but not new kernels but I would not
recommend this as a use of the OS.

Instead of repeating (and I am lazy to write out everything again), I
'attach' a message from the lubuntu-list. (some statements are
irrelevant to this issue).

*quote*
I've come across many instances (mainly Ubuntu) of people installing
the OS to the usb and they are actually running the livecd OS. There
are many guides (like penlinux?) and including unetbootin that will
install the livecd at the usb drives.

There is nothing wrong with that, provided people understand it's the 
livecd that's running and there are ways to help manually installed 
appplications 'stick' like casper-rw and the adding of 'persistent' in 
the kernel line. And puppy linux creates a small partition at the hd to 
aid that.

However, there are obvious disadvantages; the more serious being newer 
kernels will not be able to be installed and several booting issues as
well.

I would highly recommend that should you want Lubuntu be installed to a 
usb stick, *and it's perfect for that*, install it like a normal 
installation, just that the partition you install to is the usb
partition.

One important thing to watch out is that at the stage where the 
installer ask where you want the grub to be installed, please specify 
the usb drive and never the mbr. Take particular care of the
designation of that usb drive (sdb, sdc or sdd) before installation and
specify that when asked where grub is to be installed. Note there may
be a warning message that installing other to mbr 'is a BAD IDEA'.
Nevertheless, proceed. (I understand that this message has been
removed, but I cannot verify this). It is a 'BADDER IDEA' to install
grub to mbr when /boot is not in the hard drive.

To use Lubuntu at the usb drive after installation, at most computers, 
the keys 'esc', F12', 'F8' will allow you to select the drive to boot 
up. Older computers may require you to go to bios to do that. Keep that 
in mind when you take your portable Lubuntu usb drive to other
computers.

And at your own desktop computer, update-grub of the desktop OS while 
the Lubuntu usb drive is mounted will enable the desktop OS grub to 
include your Lubuntu usb drive in the boot menu.

Of course running Lubuntu from a SATA hard drive is faster as usb 
transfer speed is slower. But you may be surprised, as I was, how 
Lubuntu performs. Ubuntu, Kubuntu ,even the netbook remix, crawls due
to the 'bulk' it must carry. Puppy linux, DSL linux do not have the 
'polish' of good fonts, codecs, graphics and just plain 'usability'.

I brought this up as too many people are installing livecd to the usb 
drives and I think it's good to set this right especially Lubuntu is 
just perfect for this.

Also, I will appreciate any comment, feedback or disagreement.

Regards - Goh Lip

*unquote*

Hope this helps - Goh Lip
--