os 8.2 on SD for boot?

[Mikus Grinbergs]

> Right now, any customizations such as printer support or additional
> applications get wiped whenever there is an os update.

I've been wrestling with concepts like this ever since I got my 
G1G1.  The XO-1 limitation is the available storage.  Sooner or 
later,  both the executables and the data will exceed what the base 
XO-1 keeps on hand.  Plus, I now have multiple XOs and need to keep 
their customizations all up to date.

My solution so far has been a "permanent" SD card.  I 'offload' all 
huge directories that "bundles" place in /home/olpc to my SD card, 
and replace them with symbolic links.  Likewise with ported Linux 
applications that are not sugarized.  [I've made up setup scripts 
that insert those links into the base system (plus install some 
kernel packages from repositories on the SD card) -- that allows me 
to copy a *single* SD card image to each of several XOs - add one 
environmental variable that defines the local SD card's hardware ID, 
run the setup scripts - and it all works.]

The result:  *all* my additional support is on the "permanent" SD 
card - by now, totaling multiple GBs.  [When I add/replace the SD 
card, I need to enter its ID into a "canned" location based on 
/home/olpc.]  Whenever there is an os update, I just re-run my setup 
scripts which "link in" (into the new os) the additional support I 
have.  [Takes minutes instead of hours to get the new os customized 
the way I want it.]

When I add more facilities, I do so to the SD card on my "master" 
XO.  [Of course, I have to update my setup scripts as well - they 
too are on the SD card.]  Then I simply copy the SD card contents 
from the "master" XO to my other XOs (I have a wired connection, so 
the time taken is not huge), and re-run the setup scripts on each 
other XO for whatever has changed.

mikus