Jaldhar H. Vyas wrote: > On Sun, 16 Jul 2006, Matej Kosik wrote: > >> Dear mentors, >> >> I have created a Debian package with which it is possible to >> conveniently install and run Minix running on QEMU. It might be useful >> for those, who want to look at it closer and play with it. >> > > This is interesting to me and I would consider sponsoring it. That would be great! Thank you. > However > from Debians point of view, there is one important factor to consider. > It must be possible to build the package from source. But it looks to > me that you just copy the disk image into the package.> Is this > correct? Is there anyway you can work creating the disk image into the > build process? > The `/usr/share/minix/minix.img.gz' is an image of a harddisk (in one of the QEMU formats). It has sense to distribute harddisk image because it is precooked, directly bootable (with QEMU), this debian package provides quick (automated) installation. Concerning the source code, there are two related facts: 1. the source code of the kernel, of various other parts of the operating system as well as of every single command in a fresh installation are part of that harddisk image. They can be found (if you boot Minix) in directory `/usr/src'. There would be no point of distributing Minix without source code since it is partially targeted to education. Hitherto, I haven't found any problem with modifying anything building it and installing it. If there would be such problem, that would be an error in a distribution. You can check if some source code is missing but I do not believe so. 2. There is a bootable CD http://www.minix3.org/download/ the procedure (not in a computer language) by which one can produce equivalent harddisk image is part of this Debian package. You can look at /usr/share/doc/minix/NOTES The procedure which properly populates the partition with Minix3 distribution is part of the installation program which is ran if you boot the bootable Minix3 live CD and execute `setup'. I suspect that from Linux one cannot mount the Minix3 partitions. Such a filesystem support could be implemented, though. But Minix3 does not need it install itself. I do not know how exactly is produced the Minix3 CD. If you boot Minix, in directory /usr/src/tools there is a script release.sh which, I guess, is somehow related. Very few people need to build the bootable CD from scratch. If it were important, I could try to do that. Regards -- Matej Kosik
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