create a debian live image

[MeanDean]

This how-to will cover how I create a debian live image.

as a user, open a terminal

change to root since some of the commands require root privys
su

add the live-helper repo to our software sources
echo 'deb http://live.debian.net/debian/ ./' >> /etc/apt/sources.list

update the software database
aptitude update

install live-helper
aptitude install live-helper

create a directory to hold the live-helper files
mkdir live

change to the directory
cd live

specify options for the image, see below for more info
lh_config -d lenny -p xfce --packages "audacious geany xfe"

build the image
lh_build

look in the live folder, binary.iso is the live image


more lh_config information

-d specifies the distro flavor such as etch, lenny, sid
-p specifies a package list from /usr/share/live-helper/lists
--packages specifies individual packages you want to include

# example - sid with kde-core
lh_config -d sid -p kde-core
# example - lenny with gnome-core
lh_config -d lenny -p gnome-core
# example - sid with lxde and some extra packages
lh_config -d sid -p lxde --packages "audacious geany xfe"
# example - lenny with xfce and some extra packages
lh_config -d lenny -p xfce --packages "audacious geany xfe"

[MeanDean]

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[MeanDean]

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[Bro.Tiag]

Well I can confirm that at least the binary.iso was built in the time it tock you to make this post. Now as to whether it's bootable, I'll let ya know once my cd-rw is finished writing & I've tested it.

Cheers

[Bro.Tiag]

Well I can confirm that at least the binary.iso was built in the time it tock you to make this post. Now as to whether it's bootable, I'll let ya know once my cd-rw is finished writing & I've tested it.

Cheers

You've got to be kidding! I'm back & can confirm that it does make a LiveCD that quickly. I'd like to say I'm posting from said LiveCD, but I figured the 19 sec reboot to sid would be faster then my sorting out links to post a reply.

Well done Dean, Well Done!

Cheers

[MeanDean]

Now that you have the basic idea, some great examples are listed here
http://wiki.debian.org/DebianLive/Examples

I test the images using qemu
qemu -cdrom binary.iso

The guy to thank is Daniel Baumann for his awesome work! live-helper is amazing IMO, as simple or as complex as you want to make it.

The debian live mailing list is a superb mailing list to subscribe to!

[Bro.Tiag]

Now that you have the basic idea, some great examples are listed here
http://wiki.debian.org/DebianLive/Examples

I test the images using qemu
qemu -cdrom binary.iso

The guy to thank is Daniel Baumann for his awesome work! live-helper is amazing IMO, as simple or as complex as you want to make it.

The debian live mailing list is a superb mailing list to subscribe to!

Go on dean, you did the second hardest part, reading. Thanks.

I'm working through a package list I want to include. That seems to be the long part right now. Should have a nice new LiveCD tonight, least I run out of beer.

Cheers

[Bro.Tiag]

Hum, things seemed to work OK. But somehow I wound up with a gnome desktop & not e17. Me thinks you tricked me. I'll sort it out tomorrow.

Cheers
ps - this time I am posting from said LiveCD.

[MeanDean]

But somehow I wound up with a gnome desktop & not e17.

too much beer?

[Noven]

How would I make a Lenny livecd with openbox and that uses gdm? I know I can add packages with --packages, but how do I have those packages automatically configured, IE: pypanel is installed, but configured to start when openbox starts, or tilda is installed, but has a certain configuration and starts upon login.

[Bro.Tiag]

But somehow I wound up with a gnome desktop & not e17.

too much beer?

Is there such a thing?

Actually, I used the package list from yur sid-e17 LiveCD, but must have missed removing something gnome related.

Cheers

[ingo]

Yeah, live-helper is nice but I am not sure to what extend I can customise my live CD with it. I am not saying that it isn't possible, but I can't see the wood for all the trees at the mo...

You see, I've got a splashy theme (I know...), a kdm theme, a ksplash theme, a totally different looking kde desktop not using any of the menus out there but my own and I only know how to do that by mounting the squashfs from a normal live CD (building as I type), chrooting into it and doing it all from there.

Having said that - I am not sure how to pack the squashfs into the new iso again, but that cannot be too difficult

Anyway, thank you MeanDean for getting this rolling!

Hm, just read that lh_config starts a proper config file. One should be able to do a fair amount of tweaking there... Got to look into it.

[MeanDean]

part2 is done...I think...

feel free to ask any questions (even i f I do crack a joke about your sweaty little hand)

need any or all the sections explained then just let me know but don't forget that man is your friend too and is always there to help you

[MeanDean]

You see, I've got a splashy theme (I know...), a kdm theme, a ksplash theme, a totally different looking kde desktop not using any of the menus out there but my own and I only know how to do that by mounting the squashfs from a normal live CD (building as I type), chrooting into it and doing it all from there.

Having said that - I am not sure how to pack the squashfs into the new iso again, but that cannot be too difficult

part2 is where I would probably start integrating my custom stuff and then I would finish it up in part3 if I needed to do more

extract the filesystem contained within the squash to folderX, move the stuff in, chroot in, configure and tweak, exit chroot, then simply squash folderX again with mksquashfs folderX/ path/to/filesystem.squashfs

hope this helps....always welcome...

[ingo]

Funny you should say that

I made myself a basic lenny kde cd last night (weyhey!), so far so good. I checked the man pages and found them to be either non-existent or just as helpful - but that is just me, my brain is not sufficiently geeky to make sense of ANY man pages (I can just about make sense of the flags...).

Anyway, I have a working system to play with. Aim is to mount the squashfs, chroot into it, mount proc and sys, get on the net and do what a man has got to do - no sweat.

If you could now supply me with the proper mkisofs command to tie my work up and pack it into a nice iso I'd be more than grateful!!! I'd like to extract it from live-helper but that is a closed book as far as I am concerned...

Right, time to crack your jokes