Backup/restore your PurE2 settings

There are 6 replies in this Thread which was already clicked 2,085 times. The last Post () by gorski.

    This plugin/tool, together with some other plugins/tools, makes flashing a breeze, easy, fast, reliable - because one can simply restore all that hard work of setting up the whole image, all the settings, each tool/plugin settings - the lot! In 5 minutes! So, if PurE2 develops some sort of a problem, simply quickly flash the latest PurE2 online and then restore the previously saved settings. All of them - at least the ones you want to preserve!


    Preparation:


    So, I am presuming you have installed a current PurE2 image and you have mounted a device/partition, either internally or externally, where you can save your settings.


    How to mount devices/partitions? See here: How to structure/setup PurE2: mounting devices/partitions in PurE2's Device Manager and what to send where!


    So, now this is done correctly we can start with the process of making a backup of your PurE2 settings...


    Save your PurE2 settings/make a 'backup settings file'


    0) PurE2 > MENU > Setup > Software management > Advanced options!


    1) Select backup location >

    a) choose your external USB device (USB stick/HDD/SSD/mSD/whatever you have mounted) or

    b ) internal SATA SSD/HDD


    2) Select backup files > in PurE2 structure one mostly backs up some folders/files from etc section, as well as usr section of our image. I will give my example:


    a) etc > tick/select the following options using the yellow button (please note that "OK" button will only get you inside a folder, some of which have been selected by default)

    Now, select the following folders:

    - dropbear

    - enigma2

    - openvpn (I use OpenVPN plugin to encrypt my internet traffic, see the relevant thread I wrote on this forum about the OpenVPN protection needed for our hobby)

    - samba

    - tuxbox


    WARNING! Exit by going back to the top of the tree (using <, >, ^ and v buttons around the OK button) and press OK on <Parent Directory> folder and NOT BY USING THE EXIT BUTTON!!! If you do use the EXIT button nothing will be saved and you will have to start from scratch again...


    Please note: usr folder is already nicely "sorted out for you", so no need to mess with that but if you insist on some things, go to...


    usr > lib > enigma2 > python > plugins > extensions > choose which plugins you want saved, for easy restoration...


    b ) Then, go back to etc folder and select the following files, some of which are also selected by default:

    - auto.network

    - fstab

    - hostname

    - kud.cfg (if you have one)

    - resolv.conf

    - timezone and timezone.xml

    - wpa_supplicant.conf


    When done choosing/selecting, press the green button to SAVE your settings for this part of backup!


    3) Press EXIT button on your RCU and select > Backup system settings > Wait... When DONE > Exit...


    RESTORING THE PREVIOUSLY SAVED PURE2 SETTINGS FROM THE BACKUP SETTINGS FILE


    1) Flash a PurE2 image of your choice without removing the device which contains the backup file.


    2) During the Wizard/first run and setup of PurE2, normally one would be offered to restore the settings. Usually it will be done in 2 stages - settings first, then Plugins/addons later. Just say "Yes"!


    Be patient, restoring all the plugins takes time and some of them have the warning message at the end - they will appear at the end, one at a time ("Please, use VPN with *it*" message).


    After it is done, one must start one's CamD (OSCam Emu Cache in my case): MENU > pManager > Cam Manager > Run CAM Manager > green button to start it...


    You might also need to go into Estuary config and press the green button to get the background wallpaper running again (I use no. 4 - just press the green button and OK to restart).


    3) If it doesn't work, one should properly mount the device which has the saved PurE2 settings backup file and then attempt to do this. See the link above to do this properly. Then...


    PurE2 > MENU > pManager > Software manager > Restore previously saved settings > PurE2 will check if it can find them... normally, this should work...


    Thanx to the author of ths great plugin!!!!


    Also, thanx to @Betacentauri for the online/offline flashing plugin and all the other authors for all the other bits at work here...


    Enjoy! :cool1:

    "Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-incurred immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one's own understanding without the guidance of another. This immaturity is self-incurred if its cause is not lack of understanding, but lack of resolution and courage to use it without the guidance of another. The motto of enlightenment is therefore: Sapere aude! Have courage to use your own understanding!"


    http://www.columbia.edu/acis/ets/CCREAD/etscc/kant.html

    Like 6

  • master G

    Added the Label Article

    Forgive me if this seems like a really dumb question, but how do you restore a "full image backup"? I have created a full back up of the Pure2 image but cannot see anywhere where you can restor a full image. Settings yes, but not a full image, i.e. clone.


    I am sure this must be possible as is the case with other Enigma builds but guess I am not looking in the right place. Can anyone provide a guide on how to restore a FULL back up image? I have searched but getting absolutely nowhere. Thanks

    I have never done it, I don't need it, however... I presume it's:


    Menu > Setup > SW management > Backup Image and the opposite would either be


    -SW restore


    or


    -normal flashing with the image saved....


    Look at the structure of the image and compare with the original image for flashing....

    "Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-incurred immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one's own understanding without the guidance of another. This immaturity is self-incurred if its cause is not lack of understanding, but lack of resolution and courage to use it without the guidance of another. The motto of enlightenment is therefore: Sapere aude! Have courage to use your own understanding!"


    http://www.columbia.edu/acis/ets/CCREAD/etscc/kant.html

    I have finally figured this out and am sharing in case anyone else wants to essentially clone their image as a back up, or to clone to another box of the same type/model. The model I have is the Zgemma H9S, running Pure2 V 6.5. The work around may be applicable to other boxes out there.


    Whilst Pure2 will allow for a FULL BACKUP (clone), It looks certain that Pure2 does not have the option to RESTORE A FULL BACK UP. You can restore previous saved settings, but there is NO option to restore a full back up. So this is how I managed to get this done.


    1. Complete a Full BACKUP to USB. pManager - Software Manager - Full Backup of a whole image on USB/HDD
    2. Once the back up has been completed, you need to remove the USB and stick it in a computer. You cannot just stick the USB in the back of the Zgemma H9S box and power on whilst holding the reset button. It won't work. Why? Because they decided to have the back up image saved as a ZIP file!!!
    3. You will need to open the folder "Images" and extract the zip file from USB to a hard drive. The file will be called something like pure2 - 6.5 zgemmah9s - backup XXXXXXXXXX (date)
    4. Once unzipped to hard drive, you should have a folder called "H9" and two files, bootargs.bin and fastboot.bin
    5. Before copying the H9 folder & two files back to a USB, you must open the H9 folder and change "noforce" to "force"
    6. Delete any previous files/folders on your FAT32 formatted USB and then copy the above to USB.
    7. You will now have a USB with the same structure as one you would download from Pure2, except it is a clone of your system
    8. Power off the box, Plug USB in back. Holding the reset button down continuously, press power button on. Continue holding reset button until red LED at front of Zgemma H9S box starts flashing. Release the reset button at this point and allow the software to install.
    9. You should now have a clone of your entire system.

    This may seem a bit convoluted, but you now have a cloned image. You could just back up your settings (if you are sure you know how to back ALL of them up), then just install a fresh Pure2 installation and restore the backed up settings, but I believe it is easier to do the above and have something you can stick in the back of the box and off you go.

    You can try this - with the zipped file, also - if you have the normal access to the image/menus...


    Flashing, backup and restore settings on Zgemma H9 series


    ZGEMMA H9 MODELS

    (H9X/H9.2X ONLY!!!!!!)


    Flashing PurE2 image on the fly


    One doesn't need to download an image to one's PC first, decompress it, send it to a USB stick, get it out, plug it into H9....


    Instead, rather conveniently, all is done from your comfy seat, using a Remote Control Unit (RCU).


    MENU BUTTON on your RCU > pManager > Software Manager > Flash on the fly


    YELLOW BUTTON to choose a partition on which to install a new PurE2 image

    GREEN BUTTON - flash a PurE2 image online (directly from the net, not from mSD/USB stick or HDD/SSD)

    BLUE BUTTON if you wish to switch to another version of PurE2 image (at the moment the stable one is v. 6.3)


    Now, one can usually see more versions of an image - choose the one you want to "flash on the fly"...

    GREEN BUTTON to "flash" the image...


    Please note: one could also "Flash on the fly" with an image one downloaded previously to one's PC and then sent it via FileZilla Client, for instance, to mSD/USB stick/HDD/SSD. In that case, one chooses "LOCAL" option, not "ONLINE", having sent an image to the STB previously...


    So, instead of "online", choose "local" and voila...

    "Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-incurred immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one's own understanding without the guidance of another. This immaturity is self-incurred if its cause is not lack of understanding, but lack of resolution and courage to use it without the guidance of another. The motto of enlightenment is therefore: Sapere aude! Have courage to use your own understanding!"


    http://www.columbia.edu/acis/ets/CCREAD/etscc/kant.html

    Like 1

    Thanks gorski. My H9S box shows the following in Flash on the Fly:


    YELLOW BUTTON There are no options for yellow and pressing the yellow button does nothing.

    GREEN BUTTON - Does as described

    BLUE BUTTON There are no options for blue and pressing the blue button does nothing.


    Only the green button works on my box and allows me to download/install a fresh Pure2 image if needed. Regarding flashing on the fly an image that was FTP'd to the box (e.g. to mSD/USB stick/HDD/SSD) where do you find the Local or Online options? I can't see any of that. It would certainly make things easier being able to do that. Thanks.

    Had you actually put a zipped image on a USB stick and put it in the box - you would have seen it.


    Move the cursor to it - and press green.... Voila!


    Things sometimes change but the principles stay the same.... ;)

    "Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-incurred immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one's own understanding without the guidance of another. This immaturity is self-incurred if its cause is not lack of understanding, but lack of resolution and courage to use it without the guidance of another. The motto of enlightenment is therefore: Sapere aude! Have courage to use your own understanding!"


    http://www.columbia.edu/acis/ets/CCREAD/etscc/kant.html

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