What's New in Linux Live Kit Compared to the Old Linux Live Scripts

Linux Live Kit replaces the old Linux Live scripts (last released in 2011) with a more stable and flexible toolkit. The main changes: it uses aufs or overlayfs instead of unionfs, adds squashfs XZ compression with BCJ filters, simplifies the CD tree so you can name your distro anything, and introduces DynFileFS for persistent changes on VFAT or NTFS. If you only need to know whether upgrading is worth it, the short answer is yes — the stability and persistence improvements address the two biggest weaknesses of the 2011 scripts.

Stability: unionfs replaced by aufs or overlayfs

The old scripts relied on unionfs, which was known to be less stable. Linux Live Kit uses aufs or overlayfs instead, which the project describes as bringing "great stability and features."

What this means in practice: a live system stacks a read-only filesystem (the compressed squashfs image) with a writable layer. If that stacking layer is fragile, you get crashes or corrupted writes during a session. Switching to aufs/overlayfs reduces that class of failure.

Condition to check: your kernel must support squashfs and either aufs or overlayfs. Most distributions ship these modules already, so this is usually automatic.

Compression: squashfs with XZ and BCJ filters

Linux Live Kit's squashfs supports XZ compression, including BCJ filters. The project claims this gives an "incredible compression" ratio alongside "amazing decompression speed."

Why BCJ matters: branch-conversion (BCJ) filters pre-process executable code so the compressor handles it more efficiently. The result is a smaller ISO without a proportional penalty at boot time.

Practical effect: you can fit more into the same image size, or shrink an existing image, compared to the older compression path.

Simplified CD tree and custom distro naming

The CD tree is simplified, and you can call your distro whatever you like — for example slax or knoppix. The old layout constrained naming; now the branding is yours.

This matters if you are distributing a customized live system and want the boot menu and directory structure to reflect your own name rather than a fixed one.

Persistent changes: DynFileFS on VFAT and NTFS

The old scripts had no dynamic-size persistent storage. Linux Live Kit adds DynFileFS, a dynamic-size filesystem that supports writing persistent changes even to VFAT or NTFS.

This is the change with the most day-to-day impact:

• Dynamic size — the persistence file grows as needed instead of being fixed upfront.
• VFAT/NTFS support — you can keep changes on the same USB stick you already formatted for Windows compatibility, without reformatting to a Linux filesystem.

If your goal is a USB stick that boots Linux, saves your settings, and still works as a normal Windows-readable drive, this is the feature that makes it possible.

Other additions

• USB booting in addition to CD/DVD discs.
• Loading LiveKit data from a different directory or even from an ISO file.
• An install script to make your device boot in both Linux and Windows.

Quick comparison

When the upgrade matters most

• You hit instability with the old scripts — the aufs/overlayfs switch is the direct fix.
• You need persistence on a Windows-compatible USB stick — DynFileFS on VFAT/NTFS is the reason to move.
• You want a smaller image — XZ with BCJ filters is the relevant change.
• You are rebranding a live distro — the simplified tree and custom naming remove the old constraint.

If you are already running the 2011 scripts on a stable system with no persistence needs, the upgrade is optional. For anything involving USB persistence or long sessions, the new toolkit is the better base.