added amending initramfs of liveUSB, including mount of /cow

README.md

@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ _make_custom_liveusb.sh at the start have code to set several variables:
 - work_path - full path with sufficient free space, end result (modified ISO file) is programmed to be left there after temporary files are deleted
 - change_boot_menu - set to set to "true" to edit boot menu (which adds options e.g. boot to ram, change id of live user, add rights for virt manager usage, replace splash/menu background image)
     - Note: above are variables to set to run example 1 of script usage (to only add some software with `apt-install` of debs), see examples at the end of README
+- change_initramfs - set to true to allow changes to initramfs (early boot environment), now code does changing of user name (inc. full name) and mounting /cow in /casper to be able to see changes changes made to filesystem while running and allow ealier amending of those changes
 - locales - array of locales (languages/keyboard layouts) to add, first one is for interface language
 - user_name - to replace user name in `run_at_boot_liveusb.sh`
 - path_to_software_in_chroot - full path were data to be added is mounted during install (TODO - remove folder after install)

_make_custom_liveusb.sh

@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ change_squash() {
 
 # commands that amend boot menus and options
 change_boot() {
+
     # modify boot config
     # sed usage see [2]
 
@@ -110,6 +111,10 @@ change_boot() {
         custom_init_boot_option="init=$liveiso_path_scripts_in_chroot/run_at_boot_liveusb.sh "
     else custom_init_boot_option=""; fi
 
+    # added after studying casper script in initramfs (initrd file):
+    # "showmounts" added for adding /casper with nounts to /cow that is mounted over by init/casper of initramfs (if change_initramfs set to "true")
+    # "nopersistence" is for not creating writable partition on USB stick to store logs
+
     # ======= for UEFI boot =======
 
     grub_config=$work_path/fin/boot/grub/grub.cfg
@@ -120,13 +125,13 @@ change_boot() {
     sudo mv --force ${grub_config}_tmp ${grub_config}
 
     # change first manu entry to boot to ram, add custom init script, make verbose; 0,/ needed to edit first occurence only
-    sudo sed --in-place --regexp-extended -- "0,/ quiet splash --/s|| toram ${custom_init_boot_option}--|" ${grub_config}
+    sudo sed --in-place --regexp-extended -- "0,/ quiet splash --/s|| showmounts toram ${custom_init_boot_option}--|" ${grub_config}
     sudo sed --in-place --regexp-extended -- '0,/64-bit"/s//64-bit to RAM, verbose (UEFI: all menu entries)"/' ${grub_config}
     # change second manu entry to make text mode boot, add custom init script, make verbose; 0,/ needed to edit first occurence only
-    sudo sed --in-place --regexp-extended -- "0,/ quiet splash --/s|| level 3 ${custom_init_boot_option}--|" ${grub_config}
+    sudo sed --in-place --regexp-extended -- "0,/ quiet splash --/s|| showmounts nopersistent level 3 ${custom_init_boot_option}--|" ${grub_config}
     sudo sed --in-place --regexp-extended -- '0,/64-bit"/s//64-bit, text mode, verbose"/' ${grub_config}
     # change third manu entry to add custom init script, make verbose; 0,/ needed to edit first occurence only
-    sudo sed --in-place --regexp-extended -- "0,/ quiet splash --/s|| ${custom_init_boot_option}--|" ${grub_config}
+    sudo sed --in-place --regexp-extended -- "0,/ quiet splash --/s|| showmounts nopersistent ${custom_init_boot_option}--|" ${grub_config}
     sudo sed --in-place --regexp-extended -- '0,/64-bit"/s//64-bit, verbose"/' ${grub_config}
     # change forth menu entry to add custom init script, 0,/ needed to edit first occurence only
     sudo sed --in-place --regexp-extended -- "0,/ quiet splash --/s|| quiet splash ${custom_init_boot_option}--|" ${grub_config}
@@ -163,15 +168,15 @@ change_boot() {
     # change first manu entry to boot to ram, add custom init script, make verbose; 0,/ needed to edit first occurence only
     sudo sed --in-place --regexp-extended -- '0,/label.*/s//label ram/' ${legacy_config}
     sudo sed --in-place --regexp-extended -- '0,/( *menu label.*Mint)$/s//\1 (to RAM, verbose)/' ${legacy_config}
-    sudo sed --in-place --regexp-extended -- "0,/ quiet splash --/s|| toram ${custom_init_boot_option}--|" ${legacy_config}
+    sudo sed --in-place --regexp-extended -- "0,/ quiet splash --/s|| showmounts toram ${custom_init_boot_option}--|" ${legacy_config}
     # change second manu entry to add custom init script, make verbose; 0,/ needed to edit first occurence only
     sudo sed --in-place --regexp-extended -- '0,/label.*/s//label text/' ${legacy_config}
     sudo sed --in-place --regexp-extended -- '0,/( *menu label.*Mint)$/s//\1 (text mode, verbose)/' ${legacy_config}
-    sudo sed --in-place --regexp-extended -- "0,/ quiet splash --/s|| level 3 ${custom_init_boot_option}--|" ${legacy_config}
+    sudo sed --in-place --regexp-extended -- "0,/ quiet splash --/s|| showmounts nopersistent level 3 ${custom_init_boot_option}--|" ${legacy_config}
     # change third manu entry to add custom init script, make verbose; 0,/ needed to edit first occurence only
     sudo sed --in-place --regexp-extended -- '0,/label.*/s//label verbose/' ${legacy_config}
     sudo sed --in-place --regexp-extended -- '0,/( *menu label.*Mint)$/s//\1 (verbose)/' ${legacy_config}
-    sudo sed --in-place --regexp-extended -- "0,/ quiet splash --/s|| ${custom_init_boot_option}--|" ${legacy_config}
+    sudo sed --in-place --regexp-extended -- "0,/ quiet splash --/s|| showmounts nopersistent ${custom_init_boot_option}--|" ${legacy_config}
     # change forth menu entry to add custom init script, 0,/ needed to edit first occurence only
     sudo sed --in-place --regexp-extended -- "0,/ quiet splash --/s|| quiet splash ${custom_init_boot_option}--|" ${legacy_config}
     sudo sed --in-place --regexp-extended -- '0,/( *menu label.*Mint)$/s//\1 (quiet)/' ${legacy_config}
@@ -200,6 +205,10 @@ change_initrd(){
     # amend
     sudo sed --in-place --regexp-extended -- "s|USERNAME=.*|USERNAME="\""$user_name"\""|" $work_path/initrd/main/etc/casper.conf
     sudo sed --in-place --regexp-extended -- "s|USERFULLNAME=.*|USERFULLNAME="\""User $user_name"\""|" $work_path/initrd/main/etc/casper.conf
+
+    # add mount of /cow of initramfs to /casper of resultant fs
+    sudo sed --in-place --regexp-extended -- 's|(if [[] -n "[$][{]SHOWMOUNTS[}]" []]; then)|\1\n\n        mkdir -p "${rootmnt}/${LIVE_MEDIA_PATH}/cow"\n        mount --bind /cow "${rootmnt}/${LIVE_MEDIA_PATH}/cow"\n|' $work_path/initrd/main/scripts/casper
+
 }
 
 # ??? where and what for this comment near initrd??? Clear out debconf database again to avoid confusing ubiquity later.