# Custom ISO live (exact clone) **URL:** \ **Category:** EndeavourOS installation\ **Created:** [April 26, 2023, 10:34am UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/custom-iso-live-exact-clone/40106 "2023-04-26T10:34:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GabberJ](https://forum.endeavouros.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/838e76/32.png) [@GabberJ](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/GabberJ)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2023, 10:34am UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/custom-iso-live-exact-clone/40106/1 "2023-04-26T10:34:52Z")
Hi all, I’m new here, this is my first post! 🙂. I would like to create a custom ISO live from my current installed and configured system (exact clone), i will use it via _Ventoy_ (usb). I had done it with other distro (_MX linux_) by preinstalled tool (_Mx-Snapshot_) but on EndeavourOS I’m not able to do it. I read [Archiso (wiki)](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/archiso) but i think it’s to create a custom original iso and not for what I would like to do. I know about _Clonezilla_, but it doesn’t make a live iso. Can anyone help me? I hope there’s a solution, thank you so much. ---
**Author:** ![joekamprad](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/joekamprad/32/77608_2.png) [@joekamprad](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/joekamprad)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2023, 10:39am UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/custom-iso-live-exact-clone/40106/2 "2023-04-26T10:39:48Z")
welcome at the forum :enos: Sadly we do not have such tool to snapshot your install to an live ISO… Also the way we do build the ISO easy and based on archiso… it is mainly only to create install media… You can change packages and configs to be yours but this is not something menu driven or automated. ---
**Author:** ![GabberJ](https://forum.endeavouros.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/838e76/32.png) [@GabberJ](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/GabberJ)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2023, 11:08am UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/custom-iso-live-exact-clone/40106/3 "2023-04-26T11:08:15Z")
Thanks for your quick response, what a shame 😔 I thought there was an alternative to take a snapshot. I’ve read about [Systemback](https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/systemback) but it’s for debian distros and if i try to install by AUR, some dependencies are missing 😕 ---
**Author:** ![joekamprad](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/joekamprad/32/77608_2.png) [@joekamprad](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/joekamprad)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2023, 12:51pm UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/custom-iso-live-exact-clone/40106/4 "2023-04-26T12:51:20Z")
may related due the fact that arch is a rolling release distribution it simply makes not much sense to have a snapshot of the system… you would need to renew it at last once a month to make use of it in case … as a backup… But i do not really know whot for you want to use it. There are snapshot tools like timeshift, backkintime and such… where you can set up to create system snapshots… and there is BTRFS filesystem with some snapshot functions too. ---
**Author:** ![GabberJ](https://forum.endeavouros.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/838e76/32.png) [@GabberJ](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/GabberJ)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2023, 5:05pm UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/custom-iso-live-exact-clone/40106/5 "2023-04-26T17:05:38Z")
I spent a lot of time configuring the system and customizing some files and software, so that’s important to me. I will try some software, thank you. ---
**Author:** ![limotux](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/limotux/32/35347_2.png) [@limotux](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/limotux)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2023, 5:41pm UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/custom-iso-live-exact-clone/40106/6 "2023-04-26T17:41:42Z")
> [@GabberJ](#): > > Mx-Snapshot First if all welcome @GabberJ to the wonderful EndeavourOS and its wonderful community. My 2 cents that might be worth much more for me (at least) I really like the idea of having something like _Mx-Snapshot_ As @GabberJ mentioned he (and me) spent a lot of time setting up the system, installing, configuring… etc Maybe at some point you find yourself playing with the system or perhaps getting a new laptop. I would prefer to have an ISO which is a snapshot of my system so I don’t need to do it allover again. On the other hand as @GabberJ mentioned he is interested in having his system on a Ventoy USB, which is a good point. My laptop can be broken or lost and I still can boot to my installed system on any other machine. I liked the idea of _Mx-Snapshot_ and really wish to see ours. ---
**Author:** ![jrichard326](https://forum.endeavouros.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/ea5d25/32.png) [@jrichard326](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/jrichard326)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2023, 8:04pm UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/custom-iso-live-exact-clone/40106/7 "2023-04-26T20:04:28Z")
Maybe try penguins-eggs ---
**Author:** ![cage](https://forum.endeavouros.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/bc8723/32.png) [@cage](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/cage)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2023, 3:32am UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/custom-iso-live-exact-clone/40106/8 "2023-04-27T03:32:29Z")
If you are looking for making a clone of you system try using RescueZilla. It is a graphical front end for CloneZilla, it works great and has saved my bacon on more then one occasion. How ever as pointed out you would have to create a new clone every so often, otherwise you could end up with 400+ updates after a reinstalled clone of you system. ---
**Author:** ![joekamprad](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/joekamprad/32/77608_2.png) [@joekamprad](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/joekamprad)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2023, 7:05am UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/custom-iso-live-exact-clone/40106/9 "2023-04-27T07:05:42Z")
still do not understand what for you need a bootable ISO made out of your system… The installer ISO is bootable alredy you only need the configs (dotfiles) and package list to replicate your system, and indeed a backup procedure for personal files. Full system Images are huge in size and the task to produce causes big load on your hardware plus taking a lot of time in case. In case you do search for a system snapshot implementation take a look at the tools for that task: [Timeshift](https://discovery.endeavouros.com/applications/update-troubles-meet-timeshift/2019/11/) [BackInTime](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Back_In_Time) [Borg/Vorta](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Borg_backup) (only some examples with guis for easy handling) ---
**Author:** ![freebird54](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/freebird54/32/83106_2.png) [@freebird54](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/freebird54)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2023, 7:22am UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/custom-iso-live-exact-clone/40106/10 "2023-04-27T07:22:07Z")
> [@joekamprad](#): > > The installer ISO is bnootable alfredy you only need the configs (dotfiles) and package list to replicate your system, Hopefully you saw this in the above message - I can replicate my system much more quickly than you might expect, simply by having the above items ready to go for a new install. Using the ‘newest’ ISO to start with also saves a pile of updating time right there! The only ‘trick’ is having your config files accessible somewhere (many others use a git, but an archive on Google Drive or the like is fine too), and a current package list (which can be seen in use in multiple threads here on the EnOS site) - one short typed command to install ALL the packages you like to have/wish to have on your system. Not, however, automated as yet - I would do it myself if I had better guesses on what you have config for! Good luck… ---
**Author:** ![limotux](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/limotux/32/35347_2.png) [@limotux](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/limotux)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2023, 11:37am UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/custom-iso-live-exact-clone/40106/11 "2023-04-27T11:37:39Z")
> [@joekamprad](#): > > Timeshift Would time shift create file(s) including everything so I can make a snapshot from the system including my installed software, my configuration, settings…?etc so I can make a fresh install then restore from the external USB drive? Would it conflict with snapper? Can snapper snapshot installed system to external drive to restore from after a fresh install? I wonder why can’t we have something like the MX? It is open source anyway ---
**Author:** ![pebcak](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/pebcak/32/100472_2.png) [@pebcak](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/pebcak)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2023, 12:05pm UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/custom-iso-live-exact-clone/40106/12 "2023-04-27T12:05:05Z")
If you are going to do a fresh install anyway, I would think the following is basically what you need: - A list of your currently installed packages - Your .config folder plus .mozilla or any other “.stuff” under your home directory - /etc - Most importantly, your personal data After a fresh install, install your packages from the list and restore your configs on a per case basis. ---
**Author:** ![ricklinux](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/ricklinux/32/110798_2.png) [@ricklinux](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/ricklinux)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2023, 3:40pm UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/custom-iso-live-exact-clone/40106/13 "2023-04-27T15:40:37Z")
Forget it! EndeavourOS is not going to be MX or any other distro! It should stay close to it’s roots. Vanilla 🚀 ---
**Author:** ![limotux](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/limotux/32/35347_2.png) [@limotux](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/limotux)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2023, 4:30pm UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/custom-iso-live-exact-clone/40106/14 "2023-04-27T16:30:45Z")
> [@ricklinux](#): > > Forget it! EndeavourOS is not going to be MX For sure I do not want it to be anything other than EndeavourOS. I like it just as is! I see this MX app as **just an app that does something**. By no means it is something that “changes” anything in EndeavourOs. It is just an app, no more no less! Again I am sure I want EndeavourOS as it is. ---
**Author:** ![anon11595408](https://forum.endeavouros.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/f1d935/32.png) [@anon11595408](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/anon11595408)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2023, 4:47pm UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/custom-iso-live-exact-clone/40106/15 "2023-04-27T16:47:52Z")
> [@limotux](#): > > I see this MX app as **just an app that does something**. After customizing an MX install to my minimal needs (with LibreOffice and all unneeded languages stripped from the system), I found that creating an ISO from my customized OS with their tool wanted to use around 4-5G for an ISO. To me, that is not acceptable. As has been posted by other members of this forum, a few posts above, it is simply not practical. Other, much more practical measures have been posted by members, above. Therefore, I would ask you to read (and inhale what you read) before you post unnecessary and repetitive content, dear friend… ✌ ---
**Author:** ![eznix](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/eznix/32/2043_2.png) [@eznix](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/eznix)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2023, 7:10pm UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/custom-iso-live-exact-clone/40106/16 "2023-04-27T19:10:43Z")
> [@GabberJ](#): > > I read [Archiso (wiki)](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/archiso) but i think it’s to create a custom original iso and not for what I would like to do. I can spin up an ISO with all my preferred software and settings with Archiso in under half an hour. Once you develop a system for doing so, it’s very easy. You can do the same with the EndeavourOS build system as well. I prefer my own system, but each to their own. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![GabberJ](https://forum.endeavouros.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/838e76/32.png) [@GabberJ](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/GabberJ)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2023, 7:11pm UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/custom-iso-live-exact-clone/40106/17 "2023-04-27T19:11:56Z")
_OFFTOPIC mode ON_ Last week I went to my friend’s house, I connected my pendrive (with Ventoy) and I showed him my MX linux with software already installed and configured, ready to use (Libreoffice, Firefox, Clementine, samba working , FileZilla, Nordvpn and others). The whole system is into 5GB ISO and it’s not so much considering all that software and the days it took me to configure everything. The pendrive is 64GB and contains OS (distro linux, windows) and software (Clonezilla, Gparted, Super Grub 2 disk and many others). I would have liked to do the same thing with EndeavourOS, instead I just put only the original live version of EndeavourOS. _OFFTOPIC mode OFF_ I’ve been using EndeavorOS for a few weeks, i’m excited to use it, fast with great potential and i will continue to use it 🙂 The software listed in the previous posts (Timeshift, Backintime and others) are not useful for me, they just copy folders and do syncs, I can do all this manually, I don’t need to do frequent syncs. For my case, in this moment, i think the best solution is to use Clonezilla or better Rescuezilla (thanks @cage i discovered Rescuezilla and I’m glad I used it) but I will look for a solution to get a live set up, it will take me time to make it 😉 ---
**Author:** ![anon11595408](https://forum.endeavouros.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/f1d935/32.png) [@anon11595408](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/anon11595408)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2023, 7:15pm UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/custom-iso-live-exact-clone/40106/18 "2023-04-27T19:15:22Z")
> [@GabberJ](#): > > it will take me time to make it Take your time. ✌ ---
**Author:** ![GabberJ](https://forum.endeavouros.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/838e76/32.png) [@GabberJ](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/GabberJ)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2023, 7:17pm UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/custom-iso-live-exact-clone/40106/19 "2023-04-27T19:17:07Z")
> [@eznix](#): > > I can spin up an ISO with all my preferred software and settings with Archiso in under half an hour. Once you develop a system for doing so, it’s very easy. You can do the same with the EndeavourOS build system as well. I prefer my own system, but each to their own. 🙂 That’s interesting! Does ArchISO allow you to replace folders with those from my system? it would be perfect, I think we can get what I want. ---
**Author:** ![eznix](https://forum.endeavouros.com/user_avatar/forum.endeavouros.com/eznix/32/2043_2.png) [@eznix](https://forum.endeavouros.com/u/eznix)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2023, 7:26pm UTC](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/custom-iso-live-exact-clone/40106/20 "2023-04-27T19:26:35Z")
The wiki page on archiso describes how to make changes, but it is a very manual process. It is very possible to add whatever software you want. Adding software out of the official Arch repos is very easy. Adding software from the AUR is also possible, but more complicated. Any settings files and systemd services can be added and deleted, but it is a very manual process and requires a bit of experimentation until you get the hang of it. I have scripted most of the process in my own ezarcher project, so the I just run my custom build script and all the work is done via the script. [Next page](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/custom-iso-live-exact-clone/40106.md?page=2)