This is an old revision of the document!

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USB Installation

Actual XBian Beta 2

For purpose of USB installation, XBian provides function in xbian-config (both XBMC and CLI version) to create a functional copy/clone of currently booted installation to another media.

Another media could be different partition on same storage, another SD card, external USB media as HDD. After xbian-config function finishes, only modification of /boot/cmdline.txt is needed by changing “root=/dev/mmcblk0p2” to the specific USB device and partition “root=/dev/sda1”. In rare cases with more USB disks attached can happen that other disk get's name of /dev/sda1 and XBian fail to boot. So if you are using more devices, use LABEL or UUID pointers to rootfs. Short step-by-step: http://forum.xbian.org/thread-427-post-19259.html#pid19259

It is also possible to utilize this function for creating absolute backup copies. XBian cloner can directly create .IMG file. Format is exactly as needed for starting RPI up. It includes /boot partition and your system. Restore is as easy as installing XBian for the first time. Instead of clean public distribution image you flash to SD card your own .IMG file.

XBian cloner will change all parameters in /boot/config.txt and cmdline.txt (or even /etc/fstab) for you during .IMG file creation process. IMG can be created on local media, usb disk, network server - any destination accessible by you RPI.

In rare cases with more USB devices attached during boot.

Older Versions

If you want to move to usb/backup version Beta1X, follow this older guide. This process will remove XBian sub volumes from /rootfs thus edit of /etc/fstab is needed.

This guide assumes your USB disk is on /dev/sda1, all data on this disk will be removed!

sudo umount /dev/sda1
sudo mkfs.btrfs -L xbian-usb /dev/sda1
sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
sudo rsync -aAX /* /mnt/ --exclude={/dev/*,/proc/*,/sys/*,/tmp/*,/run/*,/mnt/*,/media/*,/lost+found,/home/*/.gvfs} --progress
sudo nano /mnt/etc/fstab

• comment out the line with ”/home” (with a ”#” at the start of the line)
• change “LABEL=xbian-root-btrfs” to “root=/dev/sda1”, remove “subvol=root/@,” option from ”/”.
• sudo nano /boot/cmdline.txt
• change “LABEL=xbian-root-btrfs” to “root=/dev/sda1”
• remove “subvol=root/@”
• change “mod_scsi.scan=async” to “mod_scsi.scan=sync”
• according the need, change number after rootwait=