DSL Ideas and Suggestions :: Woohoo!... almost : (



OK... thanks to another post (can't find it now), I found that you can add more data to the iso WITHOUT doing a remaster, but I'm having some troubles getting the final solution going...

First, an overview of how I'm thinking:
* Keep the iso of DSL sub-50MB  ; )
* If you use larger CDs, add extra data and packages/scripts to the iso post-download, ultimately to give a system whereby you can have choices of:
  - operate as a "standard" DSL live-CD
  - "standard", with restored basic user setting from CD
  - "enhanced" live-CD (busybox-replacement tar on CD)
  - firefox restored from tar on CD
  - dpkg restore from CD tar, allowing debs from CD to reinstall
  - everything needed for a full HD reinstall, there on CD - enhanced install, dpkg, debs, settings...  No need to go online!
  - (plus any songs etc you want to take with you...)

The good news:
1. The prog "WinISO" lets you add extra data to the iso, so you still have DSL in it's bootable-CD package, but with your own extra data (docs, debs, mp3s...) on the CD as well.  The "free" version seems to let you make a CD up to 100MB I think.  Anyone know of a simple GNU or freeware prog to do this?  I haven't really had the chance to have a good look yet.

2.  Got DSL to boot fine, mounted the CD it booted from and was able to get to the extra data I'd put in.

The bad news:
At the moment, I can't restore the stuff from CD whilst running live, due to the read-only ramdisk dirs.  Tried using the cbagger01's synaptic script, but am getting a "bad interpreter" error (part of it's function is to create writeable ram-dirs, correct?)
Hopefully either I can figure out what I'm doing wrong, or someone can give me some hints ; )

I reckon this has real potential - no need for different versions of DSL, just need a few more special-purpose scripts and packages to make the various options easier.
I've tried adding:
* backup.tar.gz & filelist.lst - my basic user settings
* firefox.tar.gz & firefox.lst - my own backup of the firefox dirs
* debs.tar.gz & debs.lst - debs of extra packages, eg GIMP
* dpkg-install script & package, so debs can be reinstalled
* dsl-sys.tar.gz - for "enhanced" HD install, stuff to replace busybox functions
* Synaptic script - mainly to create writeable dirs when running live (? - correct me if I'm wrong - especially if there's no internet connection), so as to restore dpkg, so I can then restore debs...  So essentially everything hinges on getting this bit to work.

And when a new version of DSL is released, you just add your favourite packages etc to the new iso, and, if you are running a HD install, you should have your updated DSL system running in just a few minutes!!  (Believe me, I'm getting fairly good at reinstalling everything when a new iso comes out ; ))

</rant>
RoGuE_StreaK,

Great minds think alike.  Just the other day I was thinking about how a user could customize DSL without doing a remaster.  This was after having an eye-opening discussion with another bright person regarding a related subject (customize w/o remaster).

Custom-written install scripts for additional software like Rox/GCombust/Synaptic/Siag Office are nice, but as currently constructed they require re-downloading the binaries every time that you reboot the liveCD.

The official DSL package downloads like dpkg-restore, enhanced hd-install and Firefox are better written and are better integrated into the OS (Fluxbox menu items, etc).

Both approaches have their advantages, but they also have one disadvantage:

In the case of the scripts, the script author determines which applications are chosen to be installed.

In the case of the DSL integrated downloads, the distro maintainers determine which applications are chosen to be insalled.


What if the typical user wants to install program 'xyz' for liveCD and nobody else wishes to create a download method for him?  He can run Synaptic every time he boots up and then choose his program from the Debian list.  But he must redownload his program again and again every time that he boots, which is not good.

My solution is the same as yours:

Save the *.debs to your CD-R, CD-RW, flashdrive or hard disk.
Boot up DSL and create the writeable file system (code inside Synaptic script).
Restore the dpkg file structure and apt utilities (DSL script called from the Synaptic script).
Perform 'dpkg -i yourdrivename/*.deb'

If you are not connected to the Internet, you can skip parts of the Synaptic script so that it only creates the writeable filesystem and calls dpkg-restore and does not downgrade apt or grab Synaptic.

You should comment out or delete everything between:

# Install synaptic, the Debian package management GUI
...
exit
done


And also comment out or delete the line after this one:

# Start synaptic for the first time


Then try again. I am not sure about the "bad interpreter" message.  Please try again without installing Synpatic itself.  Also, please provide specific information like line number of the error message.

Good Luck.
Many of the ideas expressed in the previous posts are already incorporated into the next release of DSL. The issue I see with just .deb files, is that debian knows nothing about DSL and its structure. I know that this is not a problem for our more capable users. However, the new system will allow the more capaible users to easily be able to extend DSL in a similar manner and share with even the most noobie type user. That was the design goal. The work has been completed. I only wish I could say when this will be available for everyone to try. Hopefully many of the capable users will contribute extenstions.
cbagger01, I got the synaptic script to work, I think I must have copied or saved it wrong, had a slightly larger file size than the one I got working (maybe extranious data put in by Notepad+? (windoze))

Haven't been able to restore debs yet, a problem with dpkg, think I've probably restored dpkg in the wrong manner - any clues as to what the best restoration sequence would be?

At the moment I specify backup device as /dev/cdrom, restore settings (of which only some restore because of the read-only dirs, but this gives me the synaptic script and my custom menus), run synaptic script to get writeable dirs, restore settings again (which should restore all settings this time), unpack and run dpkg-install.sh (I think I might do this bit wrong - how would you normally do this for live-cd running?)
Then when I restore my debs and try dpkg -i them, I get a dpkg error (something about not being installed correctly? don't have specific error here with me at the moment)

One of the beauties I see with this system (weel, possibly) is that people just have to share a list of packages they installed to add such-and-such, or if you are in a sharing mood, actually create a tar and install script for those packages, instead of remastering and people having to download a whole different version of DSL.

Should be interesting to see what the next release has to offer! :)
RoGuE Streak, just to throw my hat in; I think I've been doing almost exactly the same as everyone
above (although lately I'm not bothering with dpkg at all and am just picking up the files themselves
from a USB drive). On your dpkg problem - if you leave enough of the Start Synaptic script intact
it'll do it for you (I can't remember having any trouble) but by the sounds of things it might be best
to wait to see what 0.6.4 has to offer......
Next Page...
original here.