I am working on a gui frontend to my scripts to install tools.

Sorry about all the screen shots!!!!!!!

Goals

• Use gparted to partition card (WORKING)
  
  
• Use Scripted menu to clone from Flash or SD to SD (WORKING)
  
  
• Bootmenu install (WORKING)

---Will scan all available partitions and write out bootmenu
---Include adjustable Timeout settings (WORKING)
---Download latest initfs_flasher and install (WORKING)
---Include option to select default boot partition (WORKING)

• Repair Menu - scripted to remove a package via dpkg from a SD boot partition while running in flash (WORKING)

• Install / Remove the fsck on flash boot for ext2 partitions with wav notification (WORKING)
  
• Select from available SWAP partitions (IN PROGRESS)

[*] Backup / Restore to/from any partition (tgz format) (IN PROGRESS)[/LIST]
In general, the way it works, is a menu will appear to ask you what disk contains the partition to clone to, then it will prompt with a list of partitions available on that disk. Once chosen it will then ask what you want to clone from (flash or other) If you choose other, it then will ask you what disk contains the partition to clone from, then it will prompt with a list of partitions available on that disk. All partitioning is done via gparted prior to running them menu scripted clone script.


I am looking for some input to what else should be added and any input that you like.

Any other menu processes that would be helpful?


The only problem I see so far, is the package is about 22MB which takes up about 12MB on flash.

Basically I am taking install-tools and gparted-hack and merging them together with some more debian packages and gui cloning process, and try to add in some management tools. I think it may be mgmt-tools.deb when it gets complete. Then I would stop supporting install-tools all versions and force everyone to use this. If I can script downloading Fanoush's initfs_flasher then I will not even need to update my deb each time the OS is updated. That is a definite goal, currently I have to update teo debs and a tarball each time Fanoush updates.

Anyway, comments??? Looking for some constructive input














Repair Menu - scripted to remove a package via dpkg from a SD boot partition while running in flash (WORKING)

Oh wonderful! This absolutely rocks. The tablets need a GUI toolset, and this is looking good.

Watching your progress!

Looking great. Keep up the good work

I wonder, maybe some kind of tool to back up / restore the contents of SD partitions? Perhaps using rsync or something?

The tools will mount and clone (tar) any partition to any partition. (except flash is src only) I see no reason to change it. sda and sdb are supported so these could easily be used as backups. I can and will also add a tarball backup of any partition to any partition.

I am having fun

That makes a great deal of sense.

I've been doing that manually, and this weekend, I accidentally did "tar xjvf" instead of "tar cjvf" and overwrote my partition with an old backup

is qole the only one with input???? Add it now, or whine later


FYI, I have 9 bootable partitions on 2 cards + flash (10 bootable instances of the OS)

Its working real good

I fear I'm not sure what this means. Does it mean that we can use the new GUI to create backups of already cloned SD's? If so, YAY!!! If not, can you add this functionality? I assume one would boot into flash and use install-tools gui from there. It could then create a backup of your bootable sd, or allow you to flash previous backup of sd to card. There was a discussion going on here about how to do this using a linux box. And some of us already bought acronis true image to do this on windows. But you would provide so much benefit (as if we need more from you, I know!) if you created a gui that could do this with a few taps on the tablet's own screen.

Of course, I might be way out in left field. Maybe this is not even possible to do on-tablet.

In any case, eagerly awaiting the new gui!

Its not only possible its already working. You can clone any partition (from flash or any SD card) to any partition on any SD pard. You can make tarball backup from any partition (from flash or any SD card) to local /media/mmc1 or /media/mmc2 or any ext2 or 3 partition. I added the tarball backup at Qole's request, but it was a no brainer. What else and I not realizing should be added?


I need to do some cleanup up and testing more options and package it up. Its gonna be a week probably, unless I just keep finding more things I can do with it.

Amazing! Truth be told, I'm still quite hazy on terms like "tarball" and working with partitions. But, if history is any indication, you'll make it easy for us linux wannabes to learn how to back up cloned SDs and then "reflash" SDs using said backups.

I'm already benefiting so greatly from your past work. I really can't say thank you enough, especially in light of this new functionality. Bravo!!