> The idea is that we have an *installable* package that contains all the > files needed to build the CDD metapackages, a CDD debian-installer or even > install the CDD without building extra packages (using tasksel, debtags or a > cdd-install tool). > > The idea is that we can provide a cdd-tools package (or a set of packages) > that can be used by the final user to install or build the CDD using the > files provided by a standard debian package. > > This allows a user to do minor changes and have a really *custom* > installation (for example with different artwork, think about an University > or School building their own debian-edu with their branding). > > The difference from the debian source format is that the package is > instalable from the list of binary-all packages and the user does not need > to know how to build debian packages for simple things (i.e. I'ld try to > develop something to be able to build a CDD LiveCD doing something like: > > $ cdd-build-livecd debian-med this is maybe sort of what my *crude* "simple-cdd" scripts are like. esentially, you can edit a package list and a debconf pre-seeding file, and simple-cdd generates a debian-installer CD that will automatically install those packages with the preseeded debconf values. it would also not be difficult to write an additional script to do further post-configuration not able to be accomplished with debconf pre-seeding. it supports a very simple profile mechanism, by editing a package list and debconf pre-seeding files for the profile, and giving a list of available profiles during the initial boot's base-config. it is very simple and crude, and doesn't generate packages for the profiles, and wouldn't be viable for long-term upgrades and maintenance (any more than a standard non-customized debian system, anyways). svn co svn://svn.debian.org/svn/debian-np/people/vagrant/simple-cdd maybe there are some ideas worth grabbing there. in reading through the docs for creating cdd-dev metapackages and debian-edu CDs, i've found it too complicated to meet my needs or other groups i work with (freegeek), or the "personas" (target users) that we had developed for debian-np (also in the debian-np svn repository, trunk/docs/personas). to meet the needs of users like that, i feel we need something simpler than pseudo-control tag files and all the other stuff i've been unable to comprehend :) or we need really good step-by-step, up-to-date documentation. but maybe that is not the target audience that the cdd tools are trying to reach- maybe a more technical and flexible approach is warranted for most cases, and a requisite for a CDD would be having someone tech-savvy enough to implement it. ideally, a very simple, more limited approach could be supported in addition to the more flexible and complicated techniques. i say this as someone from a semi-technical, non-programmer background. if the tools are simple enough, fools like me will make all sorts of ugly messes with them :) live well, vagrant
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