Mksquashfs Add-on how-to

'''IMPORTANT NOTE: Take care, improper changes of your SYSTEM file can make your OpenELEC system unusable. Use a spare usb stick with OpenELEC installed for experimenting or, if you use your actual OpenELEC system, back-up all your sensitive data: config files, databases, plugins etc.'''

After Add-on is installed the altering of your original SYSTEM file consists in a six step process:

1. Mount the System file; 2. Copy the content from memory to the media where OpenELEC is installed; 3. Make your changes; 4. Squash the new SYSTEM file; 5. Copy the new file to the update directory, generate the new md5 files; 6. Update;

You will work from a terminal window provided by an ssh connection[1].

You can use for step 1 and 2 the copy_SYSTEM command and for step 4 and 5 squash_SYSTEM command[2].

So first issue the command

copy_SYSTEM

you will see something like this

root ~ # copy_SYSTEM Verifying free space Making directories Mounting SYSTEM SYSTEM mounted Copy files, please wait .... 9%

wait until files are copied.

Now you can make your changes, the files will be under  directory. When you have made what you wanted run this command

pack_SYSTEM

you will see something like this

root ~ # pack_SYSTEM Squashing new SYSTEM, copying to update directory Parallel mksquashfs: Using 1 processor Creating 4.0 filesystem on /storage/.update/SYSTEM, block size 131072. [===|                                                 ]  284/6996   4%

Wait until everything is done, reboot, your system will be upgraded and then will boot again (like with a normal manual upgrade.

The copy_SYSTEM and pack_SYSTEM executable scripts are in beta phase so please report in the forum if something is going wrong or if you have suggestions to improve this scripts.

[1]I have written months ago a how-to for the first release of mksquashfs Add-on that uses a spare usb stick and everything is done manually from a terminal window.

[2]This commands are available only if you have installed the mksquashfs Add-on and rebooted after.