Customizable installer in ISO Live CD missing

Systemback is not support the other system installers (Ubiquity, ...), and I do not know the LMDE installer. But unfortunately this feature is not implemented yet in the Systemback internal installer. Currently if you select a btrfs partition for one mount point, then Systemback creates a subvolume ('/home' -> '@home') and using it.
But I will going to see what I can do.

But now I found a bug. If select an existing btrfs partition and not formatting, the subvolume is not created, or the existing subvolume is not used. I fixed this problem in version 1.2.1.

Thanks for this update.

Is there any chance to "disable" Systemback installer?
I mean, I can install LMDE live installer when booting from ISO later and the utilize this application for the installation.
However, the application is not starting. Maybe there's a conflict with Systemback?

THX

I don't know (but possible), this solution is not supported. I focus to Systemback and I don't follow other tools.

Ok. Now I try to implement this feature. If everything is good, the next stable version (1.2.1) will contains it.

I successfully implemented this btrfs multiple mount points feature. If you want, please test it with daily build (bzr210+, ppa:nemh/systemback-daily). Just set multiple mount points to one btrfs partition.
The stable version is coming in a few days.

Man, you are amazing...

I didn't try the restore though.
But I'm wondering how you managed to get the customized /etc/fstab to the newly installed system from the ISO?

The live installers I know of LMDE or SolydXK are quite pragmatice:
If the user wants a customized configuration with regards to partitions / multi mount points, the installation stops at the step "Assign mount point to partition" and everything must be maintained manually. This means the live installer will put all files in a predefined directory /target, all all mount points for /boot, /home, /tmp, /var/spool, etc. must exist already before the installation starts by copying the files over to /target.
Then, there's another manual step right before installation of Grub starts: configuration of fstab.
This file must exist in /target/etc/fstab already before the installation of Grub continues.

I'm not sure if you have considered this, but I think this would facilitate the customizing part of the installation process.

Cheers.

I don't know the other solutions, but the Systemback is very simple with some caveats.
- Select an unmounted partition, select a mount point and select btrfs filesystem.
- If the partition is already contain a btrfs filesystem, you are deciding whether you want to (re)format.
- Set these changes and select other mount points. Now, you see multiple mount points at the one partition. This partition is multiply listed.
- Systemback try to create subvolumes ('/' -> '@', "/home" -> "@home", ...) and try to mounts. If exist a target directory and this is not a subvolume, Systemback renaming it and create the subvolume. After mounts, the copy process is starting.
- When creating the fstab file, Systemback read UUID and set mount points with 'subvol=...' mount option.

I don't want your manual solution...

If you want, please test the bzr212+ daily builds (use Vivid packages on Debian 8/Jessie/testing) before I release the stable version on tomorrow evening. If you find any problems, please report it.
I tested the multiple mount points with many mount points, and everything is looks good to me. But I will run some more tests.

Hm... I have installed latest version
systemback (1.2.1.099+bzr212~ubuntu14.04.1)
but cannot create the expected HDD partitions. There are several issues:
1. Creation primary partition of size 150MB and mount /boot impossible
2. Creation extended and logical partition unavailable
3. Create subvolumes impossible; there's no option/selection "Other mount points"

1. Yeah, there is a minimum size limit (256 MiB), because of btrfs, except FAT32 (EFI partition).

2. This is available if necessary, but fully automatic.
- Systemback detect the BIOS type (BIOS/UEFI) and when the disk is empty, creating MBR or GPT partition table.
- Systemback detect the partition table and if necessary creating an extended partition and the logical.
- Systemback detect the extended partition and creating logical.

You just set the sizes, Systemback will prepare the partitions.

3. Just select an another mount point and click on green arrow button. Now, there is multiple mount points, that's it.
See this screenshot:
http://logout.hu/dl/upc/2015-02/180556_mmp.png

Hello!

In the meantime I have installed latest stable version 1.2.100
apt-cache policy systemback
systemback:
  Installiert: 1.2.1.100~ubuntu14.04.1
  Installationskandidat: 1.2.1.100~ubuntu14.04.1
however when I start "System Install" I don't get any disk or partion displayed (refer to screenshot here http://s.twix.ws/t0KH)

I'm testing the ISO in a KVM virtual machine with a single virtual disk
sudo fdisk -l
Disk /dev/vda: 10 GiB, 10737418240 bytes, 20971520 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0xf73a1738

Disk /dev/loop0: 2,2 GiB, 2360975360 bytes, 4611280 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

I have no idea why the disk is not displayed accordingly.

THX

Hm, Systemback does not detect the virtio block devices, but this is a normal thing, because I was not enabled.
If it works the same way as a normal disk, I will enable the detection and allow to use.

Ok, I enabled the virtio disks detection in bzr215. I will upload the stable packages (1.2.1.110) soon.

Hi!
I still don't catch up with the usability of the installer.
Means I only manage to run the restore function when I provide a non-formatted partition.
The installer identifies this new partition and allows me to install to this partition.
But I don't manage to use existing partitions, e.g. for Swap and root, and mount this in the installer accordingly.

Resumee:
The tool basically works very good, but the usability of the installer is not clear.
I still would favour an option for customizing comparable to other installers, e.g. Debian, Linux Mint, etc., allowing the user to define the partition layout.

THX

The activated SWAP partitions are usable, just select the 'SWAP' mount point. Or use any other partitions, just click 'Unmount' button if mounted. After unmount, the partition is ready for use, just like the unformatted partitions. The SWAP is also unmountable, and after deactivating the partition is ready for use.
There is only one limitation. The partitions in fstab file cannot be unmounted. Because the filesystems under the currently running system cannot be unmounted. Or use 'umount' command in terminal before start Systemback (or click refresh button). But if you unmount the root partition, the system will halt.
If you want to restore the system (use root partition), just click "System restore" button and perform a restoration.

I used "unmount" command to ensure no partition is mounted.
My disk layout is rather simple now:
/dev/sda1 100M
/dev/sda5 20G
/dev/sda6 4G

But I can only define /dev/sda5 to be used as root partition.
Partition /dev/sda1 cannot be mounted as boot, neither /dev/sda6 as swap.

/dev/sda1 -> Only for /boot/efi, because the global size limit (256 MiB because the btrfs...). But this system is not EFI, because you using MSDOS partition table. So the /boot/efi is also impossible (because unnecessary)...
/dev/sda5 -> This is the first logical partition, you can use for everything.
/dev/sda6 -> If this swap is activated, you can set the 'SWAP' "mount point". If you deactivated with 'Unmount' button (or using 'swapoff' command), you can use for everything. But this size maybe is small for root filesystem...