Newsgroups: gmane.linux.debian.user Date: 2007-08-18
*Tags*: Debian CD, DFS (Debian From Scratch), Debian Live, DSL (Damn Small Linux), Elive, Finnix, Kanotix, Knoppix, Phlak, Puppy Linux
The following are what I collected before I find GRML. If you have gone through all the messages archived here, you would have concluded that no solution here is perfect.
I've also collect some comprehensive info on DFS (Debian From Scratch), Debian Live, DSL (Damn Small Linux), Elive, Finnix, Kanotix, Knoppix, Phlak, Puppy Linux, and many Red Hat Fedora Core Live CD (creating) systems. Check out this collection you will know how comprehensive they are. But since I've found GRML, there is no point to include them here any more, because, IMHO, no one comes even close to GRML.
I would not suggest that you follow any of the solutions here, because that will means lots of reading, lots of trial and errors, and most important, lots of headaches. In the end, you might have a working version, but are you sure your Debian (Live) CD can beat the heavily tested, wildly adopted, commercially supported Ubuntu or Knoppix?
IMHO, no body should try to re-invent the wheels again on their own. Stand on the giant's shoulder instead! Try GRML!
Go directly to http://grml.org/, or read more about grml advantages.
T
documented on: 2006.10.06
Newsgroups: gmane.linux.debian.user Date: 2007-08-18
On Wed, 15 Aug 2007 22:56:36 -0400, Mark Grieveson wrote:
>> I installed knoppix on my USB stick and it runs fine but it's too big >> ~ 600 Mb. There are too many packages. >> Is there a Debian dist, not as big as knoppix, that I can put on my >> USB sti= ck ? > > Damn Small Linux (DSL) is Debian based, and much smaller.
Yep, second to that. DSL has saved my day when I need a Linux Live system. However, it also has it drawbacks. Check the details at http://xpt.sourceforge.net/techdocs/nix/live/dsl/
Also on the site you can find my recommended Linux Live system — the true Live-CD pioneer with unparalleled leading technology and vision. You might not agree with what I've picked, but you can also check,
Various Debian (Live) CD Systems http://xpt.sourceforge.net/techdocs/nix/live/debian-cd/
Believe me, searching for the perfect Linux Live system has been my "life long" journey. Before Knoppix even exist, I custom built RedHat, shrinking its installation disks from 3 to 1, and only contains my picked packages list,
RedHat Distro Customization http://xpt.sourceforge.net/techdocs/nix/distro/redhat/
Its installation does not require human intervention. So whenever I need a Linux system, I was able to have a system ready within 10~15 minutes, which contains *the very tools that I want*. This is the most important thing to me. Some other Debian Live Systems, eg, grml/sidux, can be installed on HD within 6~8 minutes or so, but how long will it take to further tune the installed System to your taste?
I took a few notes yesterday everning about how I would see the build of an image with a rewrite of debian-cd … it's in the text file attached.
Raphael Hertzog
Process of building a set of ISO
Setup a build directory
This temp tree will be self-hosting. It will contain everything related to that CD set and its build for one arch :
the configuration selected (having it only in environment variables is not good, it causes confusion and is a risk of having an old config conflict with the new one currently used if all variables are not reset)
the list of packages to include (still generated from profile like it is now)
temporary tree(s) where we drop everything that needs to be put on the image
resulting ISO images or jigdo files
temporary tree for apt
cache file for things downloaded from the net ?
scripts used to generate
Configure the parameters of the build
Select a "media type" This will induce a default media size and will have consequences on other scripts concerning how much data can be included on the image.
Select a "package profile" (i.e. an actual task)
Select a "debian-installer profile"
Select a "build profile" This could copy all the required scripts in the build directory. (maybe the "media type" info could be integrated into the "build profile", in any case build profiles would vary with releases …)
Customize any other standard configuration item (cf CONF.sh)
Add additionnal sources of package (used to be "local packages")
Setup an APT sub-directory to be able to download packages and to make calculations with the information contained in "apt-cache dumpavailable"
Loop until packages are available (
Add "fixed" content to the CD #1 (documentation, tools, boot files, …).
Create the list of packages that goes for CD #1 (with an accurate calculation since we already have all the content of the image except md5sum.txt and the Packages files, and size of both of them can be easily estimated).
Generate Packages.gz file for CD #1 (ideally without having to add the packages into the temp tree).
)
And then :
7a. Either add packages and generate .iso
7b. Or directly generate jigdo files.
http://groups.google.com/group/linux.debian.devel.cd/browse_thread/thread/b637b14923cf09d1
Newsgroups: linux.debian.devel.cd Date: Wed, 30 Jun 2004
I've made a small debian-edu branch in debian-cd CVS that holds just the changes needed to build debian-ed CDs. It's a small diff and I have plans to make it smaller by, eg, adding an option to debian-cd to limit the kernels on the CD to only the ones used by d-i, and another to drop the 2.6 kernel from the CD entirely, and another to set the default debconf priority for d-i. Ideally there would be no diff at all, and debian-edu could be built with an appropriate CONF.sh and an installed debian-cd package, but maybe that won't be doable so for now I'll maintain this minor branch.
I've also added a build/ directory to debian-edu CVS that contains the rest of the stuff needed to build debian-edu CDs. I'd like to set up the "builder" user on developer.skolelinux.no to build this, rather than having it build as my user, if someone with access can help me do so.
Joey Hess