tarball linux from with tar ( proot & chroot )

compressing_linux_distro.md

inside a chroot

using tar with arguments -cvpzf where

• c for compress
• v user verbose ( it basically prints out all files to console thar are being compressed )
• z use gzip as compression format
• f file were all compression should go

we need to say tar not to compress any device specific directories like /dev, /sys,/proc & /run we can use --exclude for that

and also need to exlude file name where all gets compressed ( if you miss this tar may go forever loop and swallow all your storage )

then so command looks like this

sudo tar -cvpzf /target.tar.gz \
		 --exclude={/dev,/proc,/sys,/tmp,/run,/target.tar.gz} \
		 --exclude-caches-all \
		 --one-file-system \
		 -C /*

PROTIP using --exclude-caches-all decreases size also use --one-file-system for less errors

---

inside android proot

proot is same as chroot except it is in android we need to take care of more excludes or take gig's for device files

for average proot-distro user

• after logging to your distro ( like after doing proot-distro login ubuntu )

sudo tar -cvpzf /target.tar.gz \
		 --exclude={/dev,/proc,/sys,/tmp,/run,/target.tar.gz} \
		 --exclude={/data,/apex,/vendor,/system,/sdcard} \
		 --exclude-caches-all \
		 --one-file-system \
		 -C /*

here why i excluded /data and others in line 3:

• /data contains all user/app data which android wont led normal user to read or write
• /apex ( android pony express ) which is used for low level system module installer also not allowed to normal user
• /vendor contains device specific libraries it is allowed to read but compressing is it no use cause you can't write it back
• /system system directory is same as /vendor in permissions
• /sdcard is your internal storage ( you know why it is not recommended )

it is recommend to use this command after logging in cause permissions may differ before that cause error after restoring your distro