Creating and saving a backup ISO for a Raspberry Pi

1

Hi,

On both a Raspberry Pi 3B+ and 4 with IPFire 2.29 (aarch64) - Core-Update 183:

In IPFire when I go to System > Backups

Select Generate ISO

Click Backup icon

First I do not see any files listed, even after waiting quite a while

I get the following after I use the browser to refresh the page

Backup from 2024-03-11-10:39.ipf Size 10.90 MB

Backup from 2024-03-11-10:46.ipf Size 10.91 MB

Backup from ipfire-2.29-core183-aarch64-2024-03-11-10:39.iso Size 0.03 MB

Backup from ipfire-2.29-core183-aarch64-2024-03-11-10:46.iso Size 0.03 MB

Backup from ipfire-2.29-core183-aarch64.iso Size 394.63 MB

I imagine that I have multiple files due to refreshing the page but I have the following questions:

There is one iso file without a date in the filename and size 394.63 MB
There are 2 iso’s with a date in the filename but their size is only 0.03 MB

I cant imagine that the iso files with size 0.03 MB are a full iso.
So I dont think I should save those.

But the iso without the date in the filename and size 394.63 MB does not seem to be the latest generated iso, and so I am not sure if that is the correct iso to download.

My questions:

  • Why are there some iso’s with such a small file size?

  • Which if any iso is a valid iso to save?

The guide at www.ipfire.org - Backup says

Download the ISO-file only if the size is no longer changing, and then refresh the browser view. Use internal IPFire Menu to actualize browser view in order to preserve unexpected backup-behaviors such as multiple Backup files.

  • I do not ever see a file size changing - am I missing something?

  • Use internal IPFire Menu to actualize browser view < I am not sure what this means? What would be this internal menu?

Thanks ahead of time for any help.

2

Check /var/tmp/backupiso with ssh, your iso files will wait there.

But have in mind ONE “ISO backup” click produced 3 files in my case:

image
image750Ă—169 9.31 KB

Have no idea why two ISOs were created.
Could be the shorter name is a poor clean install ISO, why other is a true backup.

1 Like
3

Backup from 2024-03-11-17:21.ipf Size 0.51 MB

The top one is just a small file with just your settings, config files, etc.


Backup from ipfire-2.27-core183-x86_64-2024-03-11-17:21.iso Size 413.00 MB

The middle one is the CU 183 iso PLUS all of you backups. It includes config files, settings, etc. Basically everything you would need if you needed to build from scratch. It is also a “incase of emergency break glass” but with your settings, etc.
sign

Backup from ipfire-2.27-core183-x86_64.iso Size 413.00 MB

The bottom one is a pure copy of CU 183. It has none of your data included. No configs, no settings, just the CU 183 iso. It is an “incase of emergency break glass” but as a clean build with no settings, etc.

3 Likes
4

I seem to recall from looking at the code in the past that the pure copy of CU183 has to be downloaded first so that it can be opened and a copy made with the backup files included which is then made back into a .iso file.

To confirm someone would need to go and read through the backup code.

2 Likes
5

@paku

Check /var/tmp/backupiso with ssh, your iso files will wait there.

I am not asking where my files are, and I can access them via the GUI, there is no need to let me know about this.

But have in mind ONE “ISO backup” click produced 3 files in my case:

I dont need to know what you have. This does not help me at all in understanding why I have the files I have. Furthermore, people are now responding and answering about YOUR files - ie your post with pic of the files is distracting people away from my files. Please remove that pic.

Could be the shorter name is a poor clean install ISO, why other is a true backup.

I dont know what that means but if you are saying that the iso of 0.03MB are either a clean install ISO or a true backup, that would be highly unlikely since the file is 1/10000 the size of a typcial iso.

Kindly delete your post or at least the pic of the files in it.

6

@jon
Thanks for replying to my post. You have helped me out with other RPi things in the past.

@jon @bonnietwin

I just would like to point out that you are discussing the files
of @paku and these are not my files. For some reason he/she decided to post this pic and I think it is distracting other people like yourself from my post. See my post to him/her about their post.

7

I’m so sorry I interrupted your good filling …
Have a good day, man.

8

For those who are interested in, it seems, what looks perfect obvious, ARM version has no ISO backup.

Code for

backupiso

starts with:

case "${arch}" in
	aarch64|x86_64)
		;;
	*)
		echo "Arch is not supported" >&2
		exit 1
		;;
esac

if it go further new ISO file is created and original install ISO is downloaded from server.

So files shown to @ipfireuser1000 are:

  1. config backup - properly
  2. unknown damaged ISO -that should not happend at all (??)
  3. Downloaded install ISO - I’m not sure how it works for ARM, as there is other file system for SD cards.
9

I did not pay attention or I was under caffeinated!

This one is a file with just your settings, config files, etc. The second isa backup a few minutes after the first.


These two failed but I don’t know why. You may need to open bug report.


The bottom one is a pure copy of CU 183. It has none of your data included. No configs, no settings, just the CU 183 iso. It is an “incase of emergency break glass” but as a clean build with no settings, etc.

2 Likes
10

Would this be similar to the bug
https://bugzilla.ipfire.org/show_bug.cgi?id=12932

11

It’s a bug. I think no one has tested this feature on aarch64 yet (it try to built a bootable iso with isolinux.bin which is x86_64 only) but:

The ISO is useless on RPi because you cannot boot it (no uEFI firmware/bootloader).

to reinstall on RPi you need your backup *.ipf of the settings and the flash image from the download page.

5 Likes
12

@jon - Thanks for telling me more about what these files are, and that none of my data is included…

13

@trish - Thanks for providing a link to that bug - helped me to understand things better.

14

@arne_f Thanks for confirming that this is a bug and letting me know why ISO’s are useless on RPi’s and to to reinstall with my settings if ever need be.

15

The bug has nothing to do with your problem.
For devices which cannot installed from an ISO, the production process of an ISO is undefined ( must not work ).
It should work for other aarch64 systems.

1 Like
16

Your data is all in the first file in the above list:
Backup from 2024-03-11-17:21.ipf Size 0.51 MB
(the file that ends with .ipf)

2 Likes
17

@jon, I will back that up, thanks

1 Like
18

@jon @bbitsch @arne_f or anyone else :slight_smile:

Thanks for everyone’s help, I now understand what is going on…

Sorry - I am in Canada, and we say “sorry” all the time :slight_smile: , but there is one last thing I am not clear on:

If I save eg to my laptop the file:

Backup from ipfire-2.29-core183-aarch64.iso Size 394.63 MB

And if I copy that to the SD card that is used by RPi’s to boot from, when the RPi boots up, will it:

  1. Boot into the IPFire setup screens eg selecting keyboard, selecting time zone, RED and GREEN, selecting adapters, etc

  2. Or will it boot into the running IPFire configuration, that I had configured previously, including adapters, etc, that does not go through the setup screens, and instead boots into running IPFire, where I can then import my backup settings?

Thanks once again…

19

NOTE: Keep in mind I have never used an ISO image on an SD card and I don’t even know if it is possible.

I think this is part of the problem. The IPFire CU 183 Backup needs to be creating an aarch file that looks like this. Notice the .img.xz ending.

ipfire-2.29-core183-aarch64.img.xz

when downloading make sure you grab this file from the download page. It is labelled aarch64 Flash Image

Then use that file with a program like etcher to “flash” the SD card with the ipfire-2.29-core183-aarch64.img.xz image.

you do this! BUT you do go through all of the normal setup screens first. Then follow the Restore section and using your .ipf backup file. (this part is broken in the aarch/ARM devices)

Living in the US I always thought those from Canada pronounced it “soorry”
:wink:

2 Likes
20

The iso is useless on RPi because the RPi has no uEFI that can boot/install from an ISO.

You have to create a new card from the flashimage do a basic config (to reach the webgui) and restore the *.ipf via the webgui.

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