[Fedora-livecd-list] Building Live CD from externally-created ext3 file system

[Jane Dogalt]

--- Todd N <todd655495 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Does anyone have any ideas on this?  Is what I am proposing possible?
> 

Totally possible.  If you read through the livecd-tools code enough, you'll
figure out what needs to be done (as a worst case if you can't inspire someone
else to do the work for you).  Basically livecd-tools does a chroot install of
fedora, then modifies it a bit, then performs the final steps you mentioned to
convert it to a livecd.  It's simply a matter of replacing that first step with
taking your existing system, and then probably discovering that because of how
your existing system differs from the chroot installed system, you have to
perform a few other tweaks.  Then generalizing the solution to make it useful
for other people.

As another point of reference, my currently dormant project at viros.org, does
the same thing, but instead of a chroot install, does a network-kickstart
install in a qemu virtualized system.  (and then the subsequent stuff in a much
lighter-weight qemu virtualized initrd-only appliance).  I mention my project,
because it should really drill in the fact that all we are doing in both cases
is taking an otherwise normal installed system, 'doing some stuff', and then
converting it into a livecd with the latter steps you mentioned.  'doing some
stuff' roughly equating to turning it into a hardware agnostic OS installation.
(and that has actually become a much smaller set of things over the years).

Good luck...  I'd love to help you further, but all my time is now going to a
paying job finally :)

-dmc


--- Todd N <todd655495 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Does anyone have any ideas on this?  Is what I am proposing possible?
> 
> Thanks,
> Todd
> 
> 
> ----- Forwarded Message ----
> From: Todd N <todd655495 at yahoo.com>
> To: fedora-livecd-list at redhat.com
> Sent: Tuesday, April 8, 2008 5:29:12 PM
> Subject: [Fedora-livecd-list] Building Live CD from externally-created ext3
> file system
> 
> 
> Hello,
>  
> I'm new to the list so pardon me if I break any etiquette rules... it's not
> intentional.  :-)
>  
> The description of the Live CD Creator application found on Fedora's website
> includes a section on the steps performed by livecd-creator (see
>
http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/FedoraLiveCD/LiveCDHowTo#head-275d791c27ecce3379d1e2cc5cfbd04f5d03af5d
> ).  My question is whether there is a way to build a live CD using a / (ext3)
> filesystem created by some other means.  Basically I'd like to be able to
> perform the last three steps listed in the document referenced above:
>  
> * Creates a squashfs file system containing only the ext3 file (compression)
> * Configures the boot loader 
> * Creates an iso9660 bootable CD 
>  
> We have already built a system and have it working exactly the way we want
> it.  Is there a way to take that filesystem, compress it, and build the CD
> without having to go through the system configuration, package selection, and
> all the custom configs at the end?  We'd like to build a CD that has maximum
> flexibility for compatible hardware.
>  
> I appreciate any help that can be offered.  Thanks.
>  
> Todd
> 
> 
>      
>
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