Features/LivePersistence

= Live Persistence =

Summary
LiveCDs are stateless. When you put the image on a USB stick, though, it can be nice to be able to have your changes persist between boots. This adds that support to the live images.

Owner

 * Name: JeremyKatz

Current status

 * Targeted release:  Fedora 9
 * Last updated: 2008-04-08
 * Percentage of completion: 100%

The current status is that the code is present, but we need a lot more real-world testing to ensure that things are okay.

Detailed Description
We want to support users taking the live image and putting it onto a USB stick where their changes can persist over reboots. This is done by having the snapshot used for the live image kept on the USB stick rather than in RAM

Benefit to Fedora
Better live experience

Scope
Changes are in livecd-tools/mkinitrd to have things set up and run correctly. We may also wish to give some indication via the desktop to users when their changes _aren't_ persistent.

Test Plan
Make USB sticks, boot them. Test shutting down correctly and incorrectly and ensure that the filesystems don't get corrupted.

User Experience
User runs livecd-iso-to-disk with an argument to set up the persistent snapshot device. This could also be integrated with the tool that LukeMacken has been working on for a more "user-friendly" version. Also, we could distribute USB sticks pre-formatted with this support.

Installation doesn't install any of the changes which were made to the system.

Dependencies
None

Contingency Plan
We pull the option from livecd-iso-to-disk and don't advertise it as available

Documentation
Some more is needed, but first pass was sent to fedora-livecd-list. Write up will occur under the LiveCD space on the wiki soon.

Release Notes
Updated Beta release notes with the information. The same needs to be transferred to the main beats.

Comments

 * Will this feature be testable in the beta release? - SandroMathys


 * Is there some small howto for this new way to set up an USB stick? I figure updating the current USBHowTo  would be enough. - SandroMathys


 * Will it be possible to boot a liveCD and create a liveUSB out of it somehow? - SandroMathys