The officially official Devuan Forum!

Altoid

Member

Registered: 2017-05-07

Posts: 1,592  

*.iso file / live distribution modification.

Hello:

I am needing to modify a live distribution which meets *most* of my needs wrt a small footprint and all the maintenance/emergency tools.

I know I can make all the mods/changes and then do a refracta-snaphot to produce another *.iso file.

But as the process of modifying it is a bit drawn out, sort of trial and error/rinse and repeat, I was wondering if there was a way to save the changes temporarily till the final thing was made up and only then take the snapshot.

Thanks in advance.

A.

HevyDevy

Member

Registered: 2019-09-06

Posts: 358  

Re: *.iso file / live distribution modification.

You probably want to point out the errors here for some help i would say.

Something like a dry-run might be something you are looking aka rsyncs --dry-run flag or similar.

Altoid

Member

Registered: 2017-05-07

Posts: 1,592  

Re: *.iso file / live distribution modification.

Hello:

You probably want to point out the errors ....

No ...
Not refracta errors at all.

I'm sorry, my command of the english language is rather lacking.  =-/

I am referring to my own *trial and error* process, where I need to/want to change things one way or another till I get it all working as I want.

I'd like to avoid having to make a snap-shot -> mount it -> change it -> make another snap-shot -> and so on ...

Am I making sense here?
Thanks for your input.

A.

HevyDevy

Member

Registered: 2019-09-06

Posts: 358  

Re: *.iso file / live distribution modification.

Maybe creating a live usb with persistence is what you are looking for? When you have everything in place and working to your liking do a refractasnapshot.

fsmithred

Administrator

Registered: 2016-11-25

Posts: 2,501  

Re: *.iso file / live distribution modification.

Your package selections, system configs and desktop configs will all be copied into the snapshot. You shouldn't need to change any of those once you have it the way you want. But there is a shortcut for that. (explained a little later)

If you just need to rebuild the iso to change things in the boot menu or anything else that's in the root of the iso instead of in the live filesystem there's a really short shortcut.

Make sure the config file is set to save_work="yes"

Run a snapshot.

If you need to change things in the root of the isos, edit whatever you want in /home/work/iso/
Then re-run refractasnapshot and select the option that says 4. Re-run xorriso only. (make iso, no-copy, no-squash)
This will re-run xorriso and only takes a minute or two.

If you want to change something in the system, you could edit config files in /home/work/myfs/ or even chroot that directory and add or remove packages with apt.
Then re-run refractasnapshot and select the option that says
2. Re-squash and make iso (no-copy)
This runs mksquashfs again and takes a little longer.

Altoid

Member

Registered: 2017-05-07

Posts: 1,592  

Re: *.iso file / live distribution modification.

Hello:

Maybe creating a live usb with persistence ...

Yes.
I think that may be the best and less complicated way to go around this.

But I once tried using an SD Card installaiton with persistence and hit a severe bump with respect to updating it.
Have to go back and see what it was about.

But first I have to get persistence working, something that is eluding me at the moment.

I'll start another thread for that.

Thanks for your input.

A.

Altoid

Member

Registered: 2017-05-07

Posts: 1,592  

Re: *.iso file / live distribution modification.

Hello:

... package selections, system configs and desktop configs will all be copied into the snapshot.

Yes.
I suppose that is as long as I do not reboot or enable presistence. (?)

... shouldn't need to change any of those once you have it the way you want.

Yes, that's the idea.

Generate a new live *.iso starting off from yes another (in this case Alien-OS) which has most of what I need and then modify it to incorporate what it does not.

... a shortcut for that. (explained a little later)

Thanks.
I'll have to see about how that works later.
I still have to get persistence working.  =-/

Thanks for your input.
Best,

A.

fsmithred

Administrator

Registered: 2016-11-25

Posts: 2,501  

Re: *.iso file / live distribution modification.

I find it easier to build a new system in a virtual machine, either with virtualbox or qemu. Give it around 10-12GB for a virtual disk, and that should be enough space to create a snapshot.

Altoid

Member

Registered: 2017-05-07

Posts: 1,592  

Re: *.iso file / live distribution modification.

Hello:

I find it easier to build a new system in a virtual machine ...

Had not though of that, did not occur to me that it could be done.
Thanks for the heads up.

But I am still having issues with the persistence setup.
Will start new thread.

Best,
A.

HevyDevy

Member

Registered: 2019-09-06

Posts: 358  

Re: *.iso file / live distribution modification.

Hello:

Maybe creating a live usb with persistence ...

Yes.
I think that may be the best and less complicated way to go around this.

But I once tried using an SD Card installaiton with persistence and hit a severe bump with respect to updating it.
Have to go back and see what it was about.

But first I have to get persistence working, something that is eluding me at the moment.

I'll start another thread for that.

Thanks for your input.

A.

Probably easier and less messing about doing it the virtualbox/qemu way as fsmithred suggests.