> We would like to know if there is any way by which we can create an
> debian distro ISO which contains packages of our choice.

This misses the whole CDD (custom debian distribution) angle which is still being worked out but aims to solve this problem:

nope, to make you're own CD's look into debian-cd package (and possibly cdd-dev)

> 2.Using net install.
> Well we got the basic minimal ISO from woody(186 MB).
> But is this supposed to be a live CD ?? or a distribution installer CD?

net-install images are minimal install CD, they are more or less debian-installer + base, with everything else downloaded from a mirror when needed.

> Is the file structure of debian installer CD any different from any other
> live CDs?

debian-installer CD's are not liveCD's at all

> I guess we can get the additional packages we want from the
> net,after installing this minimal ISO.But the problem is,how then,do we
> convert the whole thing into an ISO that we want.

the tools being created by the folks on debian-custom will solve this at some point (if they don't already)

cobaco (aka Bart Cornelis)

> I guess we can get the additional packages we want from the net,after
> installing this minimal ISO.But the problem is,how then,do we convert>
> the whole thing into an ISO that we want.

Take a look at debian-cd [1]. That is a tool to create Debian CDs; you can include your own package selection and own packages, if you want.

Alexander Schmehl

> I guess we can get the additional packages we want from the net,after
> installing this minimal ISO.But the problem is,how then,do we convert
> the whole thing into an ISO that we want.

You got some hints from others. I would like to add another

Some lines from `apt-cache show dfsbuild`

Debian From Scratch (DFS) is a live bootable CD that is designed to
provide a fully-featured kernel and a fully-featured rescue environment.
The rescue environment contains filesystem tools, editors, C development
environment, etc.
.
dfsbuild is the program used to create the DFS CD image.  It is highly
configurable and can be used to create other custom bootable CD or DVD
images.  You can use dfsbuild to do something as simple as building a
DFS CD with a custom kernel.  Or, you can customize the CD to include a
completely different set of packages.
.
dfsbuild works by obtaining packages from your nearest Debian mirror.
It will generate an ISO image that contains a bootable Debian system
generated by installing those packages.  Also, it can place all the .debs
and files needed by cdebootstrap in the image.  Thus, the
generated image can be used to install the base Debian system on a PC as
well.

Bartosz Fenski aka fEnIo

> We would like to know if there is any way by which we can create an debian
 distro ISO which contains packages of our choice.

Just to be clear, there is another ISO image somewhere which is just a few megabytes (~10MB). It has the kernel, and the modules, and the installer, but not base (if size is a problem).

Also check out bootcd - run your system from cd without need for disks (and bootcd-* packages). I experimented with this a couple years back.

Justin Pryzby

I've been working around debian-cd, and it's probably your program.

Hardly all you must to know it's here: http://wiki.debian.net/index.cgi?DebianInstaller (at 18:50 the link is broken!, this morning it was working…)

You will be especially interested in this sections: DebianCustomCD and ModifyImage. In my case, i have follow point per point DebianCustomCD (I'm working in a debian derivate).

A quick reference:

Voila!

I know that's it's a quick and dirty (dirty, dirty) reference… if you are intereseted read the wiki and ask all you want :-)

Carlos Parra Camargo