Index: catalyst
===================================================================
--- catalyst	(revision 1411)
+++ catalyst	(working copy)
@@ -136,6 +136,10 @@
 		print "Snapshot cache support enabled."
 		conf_values["SNAPCACHE"]="1"
 
+	if "snapsquash" in string.split(conf_values["options"]):
+		print "Snapshot squashfs support enabled."
+		conf_values["SNAPSQUASH"]="1"
+
 	if "metadata_overlay" in conf_values["options"].split():
 		print "Use of metadata_overlay module for portage enabled."
 		conf_values["METADATA_OVERLAY"]="1"
Index: modules/generic_stage_target.py
===================================================================
--- modules/generic_stage_target.py	(revision 1411)
+++ modules/generic_stage_target.py	(working copy)
@@ -425,8 +425,12 @@
 			"/root/*","/usr/portage"]
 
 	def set_snapshot_path(self):
-		self.settings["snapshot_path"]=normpath(self.settings["storedir"]+\
-			"/snapshots/portage-"+self.settings["snapshot"]+".tar.bz2")
+		if self.settings.has_key("SNAPSQUASH"):
+			self.settings["snapshot_path"]=normpath(self.settings["storedir"]+\
+				"/snapshots/portage-"+self.settings["snapshot"]+".squashfs")
+		else:
+			self.settings["snapshot_path"]=normpath(self.settings["storedir"]+\
+				"/snapshots/portage-"+self.settings["snapshot"]+".tar.bz2")
 
 		if os.path.exists(self.settings["snapshot_path"]):
 			self.settings["snapshot_path_hash"]=\
@@ -804,6 +808,14 @@
 			if self.settings["snapshot_path_hash"]==snapshot_cache_hash:
 				print "Valid snapshot cache, skipping unpack of portage tree..."
 				unpack=False
+		elif self.settings.has_key("SNAPSQUASH"):
+			destdir=normpath(self.settings["chroot_path"]+"/usr/portage")
+			unpack_cmd="mount "+self.settings["snapshot_path"]+" "+\
+			    destdir+" -o loop -t squashfs"
+			unpack_errmsg="Error mounting snapshot"
+			cleanup_errmsg="Error removing existing snapshot directory."
+			cleanup_msg=\
+				"Cleaning up existing portage tree (This can take a long time)..."
 		else:
 			destdir=normpath(self.settings["chroot_path"]+"/usr/portage")
 			cleanup_errmsg="Error removing existing snapshot directory."
@@ -1120,9 +1132,13 @@
 			print "Resume point detected, skipping clean operation..."
 		else:
 			for x in self.settings["cleanables"]: 
+				if self.settings.has_key("SNAPSQUASH") and x == "/usr/portage":
+					print "Unmounting chroot: "+x+"... "
+					cmd("umount "+self.settings["chroot_path"]+x,"Couldn't unmount "+\
+						    x,env=self.env)
 				print "Cleaning chroot: "+x+"... "
 				cmd("rm -rf "+self.settings["destpath"]+x,"Couldn't clean "+\
-					x,env=self.env)
+					    x,env=self.env)
 
 		""" Put /etc/hosts back into place """
 		if os.path.exists(self.settings["chroot_path"]+"/etc/hosts.catalyst"):
Index: modules/snapshot_target.py
===================================================================
--- modules/snapshot_target.py	(revision 1411)
+++ modules/snapshot_target.py	(working copy)
@@ -16,8 +16,10 @@
 		self.settings=myspec
 		self.settings["target_subpath"]="portage"
 		st=self.settings["storedir"]
-		self.settings["snapshot_path"]=normpath(st+"/snapshots/portage-"+self.settings["version_stamp"]\
-			+".tar.bz2")
+		if self.settings.has_key("SNAPSQUASH"):
+			self.settings["snapshot_path"]=normpath(st+"/snapshots/portage-"+self.settings["version_stamp"]+".squashfs")
+		else:
+			self.settings["snapshot_path"]=normpath(st+"/snapshots/portage-"+self.settings["version_stamp"]+".tar.bz2")
 		self.settings["tmp_path"]=normpath(st+"/tmp/"+self.settings["target_subpath"])
 		if self.settings.has_key("portdir_overlay"):
 			print "\nWarning!!!!"
@@ -44,13 +46,19 @@
 		if not os.path.exists(mytmp):
 			os.makedirs(mytmp)
 		
-		cmd("rsync -a --delete --exclude /packages/ --exclude /distfiles/ --exclude /local/ --exclude CVS/ --exclude .svn --filter=H_**/files/digest-* "+\
-			self.settings["portdir"]+"/ "+mytmp+"/portage/","Snapshot failure",env=self.env)
+		if self.settings.has_key("SNAPSQUASH"):
+			print "Building Portage snapshot squashfs..."
+			cmd("mksquashfs "+self.settings["portdir"]+"/ "+\
+				    self.settings["snapshot_path"]+\
+				    " -wildcards -noappend -e packages/* -e distfiles/* -e local/* -e CVS/ *-e .svn",\
+				    "Snapshot creation failure",env=self.env)
+		else:
+			cmd("rsync -a --delete --exclude /packages/ --exclude /distfiles/ --exclude /local/ --exclude CVS/ --exclude .svn --filter=H_**/files/digest-* "+\
+				    self.settings["portdir"]+"/ "+mytmp+"/portage/","Snapshot failure",env=self.env)
 		
-		print "Compressing Portage snapshot tarball..."
-		cmd("tar cjf "+self.settings["snapshot_path"]+" -C "+mytmp+" portage",\
-			"Snapshot creation failure",env=self.env)
-		
+			print "Compressing Portage snapshot tarball..."
+			cmd("tar cjf "+self.settings["snapshot_path"]+" -C "+mytmp+" portage",\
+				    "Snapshot creation failure",env=self.env)
 		self.gen_contents_file(self.settings["snapshot_path"])
 		self.gen_digest_file(self.settings["snapshot_path"])
 
Index: modules/catalyst_support.py
===================================================================
--- modules/catalyst_support.py	(revision 1411)
+++ modules/catalyst_support.py	(working copy)
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@
 def generate_contents(file,contents_function="auto",verbose=False):
 	try:
 		_ = contents_function
+		if _ == 'auto' and file.endswith('.squashfs'):
+			_ = 'squashfs-l'
 		if _ == 'auto' and file.endswith('.iso'):
 			_ = 'isoinfo-l'
 		if (_ in ['tar-tv','auto']):
@@ -109,6 +111,7 @@
 	"tar-tv":[calc_contents,"tar tvf %(file)s"],
 	"tar-tvz":[calc_contents,"tar tvzf %(file)s"],
 	"tar-tvj":[calc_contents,"tar tvjf %(file)s"],
+	"squashfs-l":[calc_contents,"/usr/bin/unsquashfs -ll -d portage %(file)s | awk 'NR > 3 {print $0}'"],
 	"isoinfo-l":[calc_contents,"isoinfo -l -i %(file)s"],
 	# isoinfo-f should be a last resort only
 	"isoinfo-f":[calc_contents,"isoinfo -f -i %(file)s"],
@@ -216,6 +219,7 @@
 valid_config_file_values.append("VERBOSE")
 valid_config_file_values.append("PURGE")
 valid_config_file_values.append("SNAPCACHE")
+valid_config_file_values.append("SNAPSQUASH")
 valid_config_file_values.append("snapshot_cache")
 valid_config_file_values.append("hash_function")
 valid_config_file_values.append("digests")