Re: live cd/usb projects?
On Thu, Dec 03, 2009 at 04:25:41AM +0000, T o n g wrote:
> Thanks a lot Tzafrir & Rob for your explains.
> Hope that my slow respond can still get the thread going.
>
> On Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:32:25 -0500, Rob Owens wrote:
> > If you're concerned about adding packages w/o using "-p mylist", you can
> > add "--interactive enabled" into the lh_config command. That'll give
> > you a shell before the image is created (after you run lh_build). There
> > you can add repositories, install software, etc. When you exit the
> > shell, the build will continue.
>
> Any one know if I can break down this Ms-Windows-like, all-magic-happen-
> within-a-single-click approach into finer steps? Say, get into the
> interactive shell mode as many times as I want; or stops after
> debootstrap? This way, I can make a backup with the smallest system and
> trying playing with my various package lists. If I screwed, I can just
> restore from backup and start over in no time, without going through the
> lengthy procedure of another debootstrap session.
>
I don't really know the answer to that, but here are some suggestions:
1) Install apt-cacher-ng (or another caching proxy) on your LAN, and
use it for your builds. This way you won't have to re-download packages
on your second build.
The easiest way I've found to get lh_build to use my proxy is to run
this in the same shell that I will run lh_build in:
export http_proxy="http://myproxy:3142";;
(port 3142 is apt-cacher-ng's default port)
2) Build a basic system image, and then use the persistence feature to
customize your installation, just as you would a regular
hard-disk-installed system.
> Maybe I've got used to the tools that I am using, but I found that grml-
> debootstrap and grml-chroot give me the maximum freedom regarding playing
> with the underlying live system in micro steps. E.g., I can install
> packages step by step, which is a must if you use file-rc; I can do my
> own customization to the live system before wrapping it up in
> the .squashfs and/or .iso file. This will save me tremendous time in
> learning/exploring period, comparing to go over the whole process for a
> simple/minor fix/enhance.
>
> >> - is there any other way to install the content, say copy into a ext3
> >> partition?
> > I think you should be able to mount binary.img as a loopback interface.
> > You might need to specify "-t squashfs" in your mount command
>
> Ok, thanks. Just for the record, mounting with "-t squashfs" is actually
> the 2nd step after loop mounting binary.img, to expose the underlying
> compressed root file system in the .squashfs file.
>
> >> - how can I create an .iso file instea?
> > Use "-b iso" instead of "-b usb-hdd" in the lh_config command. I'm not
> > sure if/how persistence would work if you create a live CD. I've never
> > tried it.
>
> Yes, it works exactly the same. Your step #11 creates a filesystem for
> the peristence partition, which is all the magic it need for the
> persistence, regardless whether the OS is booted from USB or ISO.
>
> But personally, I strongly recommend to create a peristence file instead
> of peristence partition, on each computer that you want to boot the USB.
> This reason is for maximum compatibility. For detailed explanation,
> please check out the reason at
>
There's also a persistent snapshot feature, which I'm just experimenting
with now. It keeps all persistence changes in RAM, until shutdown or
reboot, when it does all its writes at once.
There is a bug in live-initramfs right now, though, requiring a very
minor edit to the live-snapshot script.
See: http://lists.debian.org/debian-live/2009/11/msg00224.html
The word "eval" needs to be added in 2 spots.
-Rob
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