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Diffstat (limited to 'README')
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@@ -1,117 +1,156 @@ -Archiso For Dummies Like Me and You -------------------------------------- - - -- What the hell is Archiso? - -Archiso is a small set of bash scripts that is capable of building fully -functional Arch Linux based live CDs. It is a very generic tool, so it -could potentially be used to generate anything from rescue systems, -to install disks, to special interest live CD systems, and who knows what -else. Simply put, if it involves Arch on a shiny coaster, it can do it. - - -- Alright, so how does one install it? - -First off, Archiso has some dependencies: - - mkinitcpio - - cdrkit - - squashfs-tools - - aufs2 (only needed in target media) - - aufs2-util (only needed in target media) - - devtools for mkarchroot - - syslinux - - nbd - - mkinitcpio-nfs-utils - -Archiso itself can be installed with the handy dandy included Makefile, -and the incantation 'make install'. - - -- Great, so how do you use this thing? - -The heart and soul of Archiso is mkarchiso. All of its options are -documented in its usage output, so we won't go into detail here. -Instead, let's go over the general process. - -The first thing you should probably do is create a directory to work -in, and cd to it. This'll help keep things organized. Next, you'll want -to create a mkinitcpio config file that suits your needs. Typically this -means modifying whatever hooks you want. A typical set of hooks for -archiso looks something like this: - -HOOKS="base udev archiso archiso_pxe_nbd pata scsi sata usb fw pcmcia filesystems usbinput" - -It's probably worth mentioning that hardware autodetection and things -of that nature do not belong here. Only what's necessary to get the system -on its feet, and out of the initcpio really belong here, fancier stuff -can be done on the booted system anyway. - -You'll also want to create a list of packages you want installed on your -live CD system. A file full of package names, one-per-line, is the format -for this. Typically you'll want BASE and a kernel as a bare minimum, but -you're free to install whatever else you want. This is *great* for -special interest live CDs, just specify packages you want and gogogo. - -The last item of importance is what are called addons. Basically this -means any other crap you might want to include on your live CD, including -binary package repos, special configurations, random files, we don't -know, be creative. mkarchiso expects them all to be put in a single -directory, with an fstab-like config file. Currently two types of addons -are supported, squashfs images that get layered onto the root union, and -plain directories which can be bind mounted anywhere under the root. - -If you want to add a squashfs union layer: -- Set up whatever you want to include in a separate directory someplace, - as if that directory was / . Then run mksquahfs on it, and copy the - created image to your addons directory. -- Add an entry to your addons config file (which must be named 'config', - by the way). Typical squashfs entries look like this: - live_overlay.sqfs / squashfs - Where the first component is the path to the image relative to your - addons directory, the second is the mountpoint (irrelevant for - squashfs, they will all get layered at /) and of course the third - component is the type. -- Be aware that the order of entries on the config matters! Entries will - be layered on top of one another, later entries are mounted _UNDER_ - earlier entries (an unfortunate counterintuitive result of the way we - have to mount the unions). - -If you want to add plain directories to bind mount: -- Set up your directory somewhere, and copy it to your addon directory. -- Add an entry to your addons config file, example entry: - core /packages bind - where the first component is the path to the directory relative to - your addons directory, the second component is where you'd like it - bind-mounted relative to the live CD's root filesystem, and the last - component is the type. - - -- How can build installation mediums like provided by Arch Linux? - -- Just follow these next steps as root. -- Note that mkarchroot is optional, but with it, will ensure to have - a clean enviroment for building isos. -- This clean chroot, will take about 400MB (+130MB with all needed tools). -- After make, max space usage is about 2GB. -- In last step instead of just execute make, can be more selective: - Execute "make net-iso" or make "core-iso". - Do not execute make net-iso after make core-iso, otherwise net-iso - will be really a core-iso. - - -pacman -S devtools --needed -mkarchroot /tmp/somedir base -mkarchroot -r bash /tmp/somedir -# vi/nano /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist and uncomment your prefered mirror. -pacman -S git squashfs-tools syslinux devtools cdrkit make nbd mkinitcpio-nfs-utils -cd /tmp -git clone git://projects.archlinux.org/archiso.git -cd archiso/archiso -make install -cd ../configs/syslinux-iso/ -make - -Done! - -vim: textwidth=72 +INDEX +----- + +* Image types generated by mkarchiso. +* File format for aitab. +* Why the /isolinux and /arch/boot/syslinux directories? +* Building the most basic Arch Linux live media. (configs/baseline) +* Building official Arch Linux live media. (configs/releng) + + + +*** Image types generated by mkarchiso. + +* image-name.sfs SquashFS image with all files directly on it. +* image-name.fs.sfs SquashFS with only one file inside (image-name.fs), + which is an image of some type of filesystem + (ext4, ext3, ext2, xfs), all files reside on it. +* image-name.fs Like image-name.fs.sfs but without SquashFS. + (For testing purposes only. The option copytoram + for archiso hook does not have any effect on these images) + + + +*** File format for aitab. + +The aitab file holds information about the filesystems images that must be +created by mkarchiso and mounted at initramfs stage from the archiso hook. +It consists of some fields which define the behaviour of images. + +# <img> <mnt> <arch> <sfs_comp> <fs_type> <fs_size> + +<img> Image name without extension (.fs .fs.sfs .sfs). +<mnt> Mount point. +<arch> Architecture { i686 | x86_64 | any }. +<sfs_comp> SquashFS compression type { gzip | lzo | xz }. + A special value of "none" denotes no usage of SquashFS. +<fs_type> Set the filesystem type of the image { ext4 | ext3 | ext2 | xfs }. + A special value of "none" denotes no usage of a filesystem. + In that case all files are pushed directly to SquashFS filesystem. +<fs_size> An absolute value of file system image size in MiB. + (example: 100, 1000, 4096, etc) + A relative value of file system free space [in percent]. + {1%..99%} (example 50%, 10%, 7%). + This is an estimation, and calculated in a simple way. + Space used + 10% (estimated for metadata overhead) + desired % + +Note: Some combinations are invalid, example: sfs_comp=none and fs_type=none + + + +*** Why the /isolinux and /arch/boot/syslinux directories? + +The /isolinux directory holds files needed for the ISOLINUX boot loader +module of SYSLINUX. ISOLINUX can not find config files on +/arch/boot/syslinux, like other boot loaders modules (EXTLINUX, SYSLINUX, etc). +When make your custom boot-pendrive, you need to copy /arch directory to it. +/isolinux/isolinux.cfg just holds /arch/boot/syslinux/syslinux.cfg + + + +*** Building the most basic Arch Linux live media. (configs/baseline) + +* First install devtools if needed, mkarchroot needs it. + [host] # pacman -S devtools + +* Create a chroot to work on it. + (prefix with linux32 if you want to build a 32 bits enviroment under 64 bits) + [host] # mkarchroot /tmp/chroot base + +* Enter it. (prefix with linux32 if needed). + [host] # mkarchroot -r bash /tmp/chroot + +* Create a loopback device. + (mkarchiso does not create it, use other number if not available) + [chroot] # mknod /dev/loop0 b 7 0 + +* Setup a mirror. + [chroot] # echo 'Server = MIRROR/archlinux/$repo/os/$arch' >> /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist + +* Install aditional packages needed for mkarchiso. + (git is only needed to get a copy of archiso.git) + [chroot] # pacman -S git squashfs-tools syslinux devtools cdrkit make + +* Install archiso. + [chroot] # cd /tmp + [chroot] # git clone git://projects.archlinux.org/archiso.git + [chroot] # cd archiso/archiso + [chroot] # make install-program + +* Build a basic iso. + [chroot] # cd /tmp/archiso/configs/baseline + [chroot] # ./build.sh + +* Exit from chroot. + [chroot] # exit + +Note: If you want to customize, just see the configs/releng directory which is +used to build official images with much more things. + + + +*** Building official Arch Linux live media. (configs/releng) + +Note: These steps should be done with 64 bits support. + +* Prepare a 32 bit chroot enviroment. + +linux32 mkarchroot /tmp/chroot32 base +linux32 mkarchroot -r bash /tmp/chroot32 +echo 'Server = MIRROR/archlinux/$repo/os/$arch' >> /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist +pacman -S squashfs-tools syslinux devtools cdrkit make mkinitcpio-nfs-utils nbd --noconfirm --needed +exit + +* Prepare a 64 bits chroot enviroment. + +mkarchroot /tmp/chroot64 base +mkarchroot -r bash /tmp/chroot64 +echo 'Server = MIRROR/archlinux/$repo/os/$arch' >> /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist +pacman -S squashfs-tools syslinux devtools cdrkit make mkinitcpio-nfs-utils nbd --noconfirm --needed +exit + +* Create a shared directory which archiso can access from both chroot enviroments. + +mkdir /tmp/shared +cd /tmp/shared +git clone git://github.com/djgera/archiso.git -b dm-snapshot +cd +mount --bind /tmp/shared /tmp/chroot32/tmp +mount --bind /tmp/shared /tmp/chroot64/tmp + +* Enter 32 bits chroot enviroment, install mkarchiso, + then build core and netinstall single images. + +linux32 mkarchroot -r bash /tmp/chroot32 +mknod /dev/loop1032 b 7 1032 +cd /tmp/archiso/archiso +make install-program +cd ../configs/releng/ +./build.sh all_iso_single + +* Enter 64 bits chroot enviroment, install mkarchiso, + then build core and netinstall single images. + +mkarchroot -r bash /tmp/chroot64 +mknod /dev/loop1064 b 7 1064 +cd /tmp/archiso/archiso +make install-program +cd ../configs/releng/ +./build.sh all_iso_single + +* Finally build core and netinstall dual images + from any of the chroot enviroments. (The final result is the same). + +mkarchroot -r bash /tmp/chroot64 +cd /tmp/archiso/configs/releng/ +./build.sh all_iso_dual |