Re: Some of the parameters used in my genisoimage command don't produce a bootable ISO image

["Thomas Schmitt" <scdbackup@gmx.net>]

Hi,

Mario Marietto wrote:
> Can you suggest some other nice places where I can post the
> question again ?

No. This list here and debian-live are the best places to ask.
At least i know of no better ones.


If i were in your situation i would try to find out how the software
in the initrd is supposed to deal with preseed.cfg.
We already know how to get the uncompressed cpio archive "initrd".
Curiously i put it into some playground directory and do:

  mkdir unpacked_initrd
  cd unpacked_initrd
  cpio -id <../initrd
  fgrep -r preseed.cfg . | less

which yields various file paths. (I tried with the /d-i/initrd.gz of
debian-live-11.1.0-amd64-xfce.iso)

lib/debian-installer-startup.d/S30initrd-preseed looks interesting.
It calls preseed_location() in lib/preseed/preseed.sh with the URL
file:///preseed.cfg .
So i'd begin to study what it does and insert messages which tell at
run time what's going on. Then i'd pack it up again by (i guess):

  find | cpio -H newc -o | gzip > new_initrd.gz

and put it into the new ISO.

In preseed.sh i see at the start:
  logfile=/var/lib/preseed/log
I'd try to find out how to assess that file after the modified ISO has
booted. (Is the initrd ramdisk filesystem the same as the Live filesystem ?
Does the log get copied from one to the other ?)

But of course this is an open ended adventure with lots of wrong ways
to follow and lots of things to learn.

Also consider the mind set of those who possibly could help you:
Would it be fun for them, or at least interesting and bringing progress ?
A first step in their direction would be to show patience and appreciation
for the work which they do while you are waiting for them to show up.


Have a nice day :)

Thomas