persistent USB installs are not really persistent (missing kernel boot option)

Bug #1097041 reported by Rich Drewes
12
This bug affects 2 people
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
linux (Ubuntu)
Confirmed
Medium
Unassigned

Bug Description

The usb-creator-gtk package creates a persistence file on the USB drive when requested, and the copy-on-write filesystem is mounted on boot, however the boot loader does not supply the "persistent" kernel boot option therefore no data that is changed during the boot session actually persists (it is not written to the USB drive).

When I supply the "persistent" boot option to the kernel at each boot then changed data persists across boot sessions.

$ cat /proc/version_signature
Ubuntu 3.2.0-35.55-generic 3.2.34

$ dpkg -l | grep usb-creator-gtk
ii usb-creator-gtk 0.2.38 create a startup disk using a CD or disc image (for GNOME)

Rich
---
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu15.1
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: drewes 3560 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p: drewes 3560 F...m pulseaudio
CRDA: Error: command ['iw', 'reg', 'get'] failed with exit code 1: nl80211 not found.
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0xfbff8000 irq 48'
   Mixer name : 'Realtek ALC889A'
   Components : 'HDA:10ec0885,1458a102,00100101'
   Controls : 49
   Simple ctrls : 23
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=b72a8eae-0e58-4124-8c31-785b7d17e6a8
IwConfig:
 lo no wireless extensions.

 eth1 no wireless extensions.

 eth0 no wireless extensions.
MachineType: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. P55-UD4P
MarkForUpload: True
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Package: linux (not installed)
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcFB: 0 VESA VGA
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-35-generic root=UUID=3b6482eb-1e4b-4273-86ad-bd056e5dc870 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-35.55-generic 3.2.34
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.2.0-35-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.2.0-35-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.79.1
RfKill:

Tags: precise running-unity
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-35-generic x86_64
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2012-05-02 (250 days ago)
UserAsoundrc:
 # ALSA library configuration file

 # Include settings that are under the control of asoundconf(1).
 # (To disable these settings, comment out this line.)
 </home/drewes/.asoundrc.asoundconf>
UserGroups: adm admin audio cdrom dialout dip floppy fuse lpadmin plugdev sambashare video
WpaSupplicantLog:

dmi.bios.date: 08/01/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: Award Software International, Inc.
dmi.bios.version: F3
dmi.board.name: P55-UD4P
dmi.board.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
dmi.board.version: x.x
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAwardSoftwareInternational,Inc.:bvrF3:bd08/01/2009:svnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:pnP55-UD4P:pvr:rvnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:rnP55-UD4P:rvrx.x:cvnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:ct3:cvr:
dmi.product.name: P55-UD4P
dmi.sys.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.

Revision history for this message
Rich Drewes (drewes) wrote :

To clarify, editing the kernel boot option at each boot of the USB installation and adding the "persistent" option to the end of the option list, makes the changed data persist across boot sessions as it should.

Rich

Revision history for this message
Brad Figg (brad-figg) wrote : Missing required logs.

This bug is missing log files that will aid in diagnosing the problem. From a terminal window please run:

apport-collect 1097041

and then change the status of the bug to 'Confirmed'.

If, due to the nature of the issue you have encountered, you are unable to run this command, please add a comment stating that fact and change the bug status to 'Confirmed'.

This change has been made by an automated script, maintained by the Ubuntu Kernel Team.

Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
status: New → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
Rich Drewes (drewes) wrote : AcpiTables.txt

apport information

tags: added: apport-collected precise running-unity
description: updated
Revision history for this message
Rich Drewes (drewes) wrote : AlsaDevices.txt

apport information

Revision history for this message
Rich Drewes (drewes) wrote : AplayDevices.txt

apport information

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Rich Drewes (drewes) wrote : ArecordDevices.txt

apport information

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Rich Drewes (drewes) wrote : BootDmesg.txt

apport information

Revision history for this message
Rich Drewes (drewes) wrote : Card0.Amixer.values.txt

apport information

Revision history for this message
Rich Drewes (drewes) wrote : Card0.Codecs.codec.2.txt

apport information

Revision history for this message
Rich Drewes (drewes) wrote : CurrentDmesg.txt

apport information

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Rich Drewes (drewes) wrote : Lspci.txt

apport information

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Rich Drewes (drewes) wrote : Lsusb.txt

apport information

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Rich Drewes (drewes) wrote : PciMultimedia.txt

apport information

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Rich Drewes (drewes) wrote : ProcCpuinfo.txt

apport information

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Rich Drewes (drewes) wrote : ProcInterrupts.txt

apport information

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Rich Drewes (drewes) wrote : ProcModules.txt

apport information

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Rich Drewes (drewes) wrote : PulseList.txt

apport information

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Rich Drewes (drewes) wrote : UdevDb.txt

apport information

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Rich Drewes (drewes) wrote : UdevLog.txt

apport information

Revision history for this message
Rich Drewes (drewes) wrote : UserAsoundrcAsoundconf.txt

apport information

Revision history for this message
Rich Drewes (drewes) wrote : WifiSyslog.txt

apport information

Rich Drewes (drewes)
Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
status: Incomplete → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury) wrote :

Do you happen to know if this also happens on releases newer than 12.04, such as 12.10 or the latest development release 13.04?

Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
importance: Undecided → Medium
tags: added: kernel-da-key
Revision history for this message
Ian Bruce (ian-bruce) wrote :

> the boot loader does not supply the "persistent" kernel boot option
> therefore no data that is changed during the boot session actually persists
> (it is not written to the USB drive).

> When I supply the "persistent" boot option to the kernel at each boot
> then changed data persists across boot sessions.

Could you please post the bootloader (Syslinux?) configuration file, with
versions both before and after your edit to add the "persistent" flag?

The config file may be named "isolinux/txt.cfg", if you need to look for it
on the USB flashdrive.

I suspect that your bug may be related to one that I have reported,
affecting the "casper" Live CD system:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/casper/+bug/1159464

If so, then the patch that I have already supplied to fix that bug would
probably fix yours as well.

-- Ian Bruce

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