[Bugs] #1798 NORM: Overlay corruption

[Sugar Labs Bugs]

#1798: Overlay corruption
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    Reporter:  David Kergyl  |          Owner:  sdz                        
        Type:  defect        |         Status:  new                        
    Priority:  Normal        |      Milestone:  Unspecified by Release Team
   Component:  SoaS          |        Version:  Unspecified                
    Severity:  Critical      |       Keywords:                             
Distribution:  Fedora        |   Status_field:  New                        
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Comment(by David Kergyl):

 Replying to [comment:18 mchua]:
 > This bug has also been reported by the CFS deployment; over half the
 sticks failed midway through spring semester in this manner (it took
 several months for the overlay to fill).
 >

 Considering the magnitude and critical nature of this problem, I'm very
 surprised that the LiveUSB option (rather than the non-live option) is
 still the standard deployment method for Sugar/Soas.  Why make an SoaS
 that will most likely fail within a few months?

 At a minimum, both the wiki and the Creation Kit should include a clearly
 visible warning to LiveUSB users, stating that:  (i) LiveUSB sticks may
 run out of space after a few months (or less) and become corrupted, (ii)
 large downloads to LiveUSB sticks should be avoided, (iii) available space
 should be checked regularly, and (iv) important work should be backed up
 regularly to another USB stick or school server.  The current
 [http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Sugar_on_a_Stick/Installation/Variations#Cautions_with_using_Live_USB_devices
 Cautions with using Live USB devices] section is now buried links deep,
 not to be seen by an average user.

 I also think that both the wiki and the Creation Kit should tell users
 that non-live USB sticks can be made, and provide clear and simple
 instructions to do it.  (I previously edited the Windows installation
 instructions for Blueberry to include the option of booting into Sugar and
 using ZyX-LiveInstaller from Terminal to create a non-live stick (see
 [http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/SoaS_Blueberry_Instructions Blueberry
 instructions], option 2) as suggested above by Gary Martin, but the new
 Mirabelle instructions don't make any mention of this option.)

 If I was a parent of a child at CFS, and my child's stick died and lost
 his work, I'd be very upset.

-- 
Ticket URL: <http://bugs.sugarlabs.org/ticket/1798#comment:21>
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