Re: Backing up system customization: Is Debian packaging better than Remastersys?
Am Sonntag, 27. Januar 2013 schrieb Linux-Fan:
> Dear Debian users,
>
> I have configured my system to my specific needs by installing packages,
> changing their configuration, adding a useful HTML-Documentation
> collection and installing some programs from source. The resulting
> system is used on four different machines with two different
> architectures: amd64 and i386. I have been using "Remastersys"
> (http://www.remastersys.com/) to build a live-DVD from my system that
> can be installed on other computers and is really nice for
> administration purposes: Carry a fully-featured working-environment on
> a single-layered DVD.
[…]
>
> Recently, when I read about Debian packaging and preseeding on this
> list, I got another idea: I could package all my customization into
> some Debian packages and some virtual packages which would then install
> all software I use as dependencies. This would also make the updating
> of my i386 machines much easier: If I only changed configuration or
> such they could just update via aptitude update && aptitude full-upgrade
> or similar and if I updated some of my self-compiled software, I could
> (a) use the source-package or (b) download an i386 version that was
> cross-compiled on my amd64 machine. I would be able to have the most
> recent configuration and package selection on all three systems while
> only maintaining a common and customized repository. In order to back
> up my system I would only need to backup the repository. Live-DVDs
> could still be created with remastersys but I would no longer depend on
> them and I could safely do re-installations even changing
> Debian-releases with minor problems only. I could further divide my
> custom packages to be able to create a CD version of my system with
> limited features or such. Adding some of the customization to my
> friends' systems would also be much easier.
>
> Is it a good idea to use the Debian package system for these needs? Or
> is there something I have overlooked? Are there other systems/programs
> that probably already automate much of what I am aiming for? (Because I
> believe creating packages of all my customization will be quite some
> work and I should therefore think and ask first.)
I also suggest browsing / scanning Debian Reference[1] and other Debian
books for hints. Especially the package management section.
For gem such as:
- dpkg --get-selections / --set-selections
- ways to store answers to debconf, there are some, you can basically make a
backup of all debconf settings and restore them AFAIK.
debian-handbook.info has also some more stuff like Simple-CDD and preseeding.
[1] http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debian-reference/index.en.html
Ciao,
--
Martin 'Helios' Steigerwald - http://www.Lichtvoll.de
GPG: 03B0 0D6C 0040 0710 4AFA B82F 991B EAAC A599 84C7
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