I just had the unhappy, but I suppose inevitable, experience of having to go back to a live-usb boot disk to repair my install. What made it more interesting was that when I tried to access this forum, I got an ‘unsupported browser’ message and limited functionality on the forum. This was from the older version of firefox that was on that live-usb stick.
For now, I’m back up, thanks to the help I could get from this forum, and I’ve also created a new boot-stick with a current download of Manjaro. So, this should not happen again. This note is just to put it into future discussions that making this forum as backward compatible as possible with versions people might have on boot-sticks is not a bad idea. Can’t go back forever, I know, but just something to keep in mind during future changes and upgrades.
For the curious, the old boot-stick was labeled with marker as 18.0.2. So yes, it was old. I suppose that is a compliment on how stable Manjaro is — that it had been awhile since I’d needed a boot-stick.
Interesting dilemma, I must say. I, too, have an old ISO on a USB stick laying around for panic incidents, it never struck me as necessary to update it. Hmmm, perhaps one should? Then again, I also have a Tuxedo laptop, so I’m not totally stranded with no computer but this one.
I thought about, that I sometimes use w3m text browser to find things on the web, when I want quick results and I don’t have the need for flashy stuff bogging down the system. How about having that installed in the ISO? Then it wouldn’t really matter if it was a little old. Yes, it supports cookies. No, it doesn’t do JavaScript, so if that’s an issue, perhaps there is something similar around but which does support it? Then again, JavaScript might be the culprit that makes Fx too old, that and security things, I suppose.
Now, how the heck do you get w3m installed in the ISO…? Unpacking it to your hard drive, add the files needed (not sure where they’d go, or how many files there are) repack the ISO and burn it onto the stick again? Or, in the words of Raymond Hettinger: “there must be a better way.” Well, is there? 8)
I tried to surf in the Forum using w3m and nothing complained, didn’t try logging in though, since I used Fx to write this. I only got one complaint: “Powered by Discourse, best viewed with JavaScript enabled” 8)
It should be possible to update while running live. Of course the changes aren’t permanent on the iso but it should help fix errors like you experienced.
