Create Debian 9 (Stretch) minimal ISO similar to DebianDog

[belham2]

Hi all,

I couldn't resist doing a fvwm-crystal with the buildscript, mainly because I've never used it before. Took ~19 mins to complete. FVWM-crystal is quite interesting, fast but with a bit of a learning curve, lol. Above all it is (imho) the most beautiful of all lightweight desktop environments I have seen. It is gorgeous, and the user ability of desktop theme & icon customization built into it puts most everything else to shame. Here's some pics (what I used in the buildscript is in the first pic's title---just takeout all the lx-related stuff when the buildscript pops up---my ISO build came in at 293mb; also know that fvwm-crystal will pull in pcmanfm, despite me wanting only spacefm, so be aware of that). Hope you enjoy the pics and happy building! [Edit: the last pic is what I assigned to the mtpaint icon, and when I click on it, that is what I see. You can add & prioritize anything you want, in your icon submenu, simply by bringing the .desktop file over to jvwm root's folder and assigning a number of importance to it]

Hi Belham, looks very nice!
I wonder, did you need to do something extra to make it start, e.g. use slim or... ?
As it is now, the default session in /root/.xsession is openbox:

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exec openbox-session

I'm thinking of modifying that to several choices maybe (if ... then ... etc...), depending on what's installed.
Then could be that a login manager (e.g. slim) is not needed
It requires some study though, if anyone knows more about that, please help!

P.S.
There is symlink /usr/bin/x-session-manager that includes the commands for starting default window-manager, so maybe in .xsession uncomment what's there already and execute $SESSION_MANAGER:

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export SESSION_MANAGER=/usr/bin/x-session-manager
exec $SESSION_MANAGER

(don't know if that works in all cases, maybe most)


Fred

Hi Fred,

I had tried once build with "openbox" left in with "jvwm-crystal" while doing the build, and then I tried leaving out openbox and just using jvwm-crystal. Neither would boot into a desktop, so I immediately assumed I had to do the slim trick you taught me. I've gotten into the habit (maybe wrongly) of now doing slim with every build I try. I'll definitely try today the change in .xsession where I uncomment what's there already and then execute $SESSION_MANAGER:

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export SESSION_MANAGER=/usr/bin/x-session-manager exec $SESSION_MANAGER

P.S. Since budgie builds seem to fail in Stretch (others around the web in Stretch 9 are also reporting budgie issues, so it is not the buildscript), I am today going to try to do a "deepin" de build----in fact as I typing this the build is soon to be going through the motions, lol. I'll keep telling ya, Fred, but this buildscript of yours is the "cats-meow"....puuuurrrrrrrr

[rcrsn51]

Here is PeasyPDF ported from Puppy into Stretch-Live. Read here for instructions.

Update: PeasyPDF v4.2 has improved tools in the JPEG section for combining a set of image files into a single PDF.
Be aware that img2pdf has Python as a dependency. Get the correct package: img2pdf-old.

Update: You may occasionally need to convert a block of text into a graphic image. Most paint programs have text capability but can be awkward to use. Here is an alternate procedure.

1. Use a word processor/text editor to create the text.
2. Save it as a PDF. Hint: use Print > Print to file.
3. Run the new PeasyPDF v4.5 "PDF2Pic" tool to convert the PDF page into a graphic.
4. Use Viewnior's Toolkit > Image > Crop function to select and save the block of text.

----------------------

[fredx181]

Here is PeasyPDF ported from Puppy into Stretch-Live. Be aware that it has ghostscript as a dependency, which is large.

Remove the fake .gz extension.

Again thanks Bill !

It's (p)easy to search for all apps provided by rcrsn51

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apt-get update
apt-cache search peasy
peasywifi - Reliable network manager
peasyglue - graphic-utility
peasymount - Mounts ISO/SFS files
peasyport - Network port scanner
peasypdf - Manipulate PDF documents
peasyscale - peasyscale from rcrsn51 for Puppy linux
peasyfwmon - Peasy Firewall Monitor
peasyxorburn - Simple burning tool

@ Belham,

I'll definitely try today the change in .xsession where I uncomment what's there already and then execute $SESSION_MANAGER:

I changed to that as the default just now (.xsession is one of the files copied from github)
It may not work always, but it's certainly an improvement (see below, supports Mate build)
Also added /root/Readme-xsession with info inside about whether or not use startx (and if nothing works, try installing a login manager, e.g. slim) and about Startup applications.

I just did a mate build (installed no login manager) and it booted right to the desktop with the new change to exec $SESSION_MANAGER
ISO size became 262 MB (xz compression used)
Used this:
# Base Applications Install

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mate-core menu leafpad gparted parted pv synaptic volumeicon-alsa alsa-utils viewnior firefox-esr=24.8.0esr-1~deb8u2 pm-utils xdotool wmctrl desktop-file-utils mime-support cryptsetup-bin squashfs-tools conky fakeroot xserver-xorg-input-evdev pfind

Fred

[rcrsn51]

Here is a version of ISObooter designed for Stretch-Live. It requires the following flash drive setup:

Partition #1 formatted as FAT32 for your ISOs
Partition #2 formatted as ext4 for your "changes" folders (unjournaled will be faster)

1. Install grub4dosconfig from the repos. (If you are working from Puppy, you already have it.)
2. Unpack the attached archive file. (It is NOT a fake .gz!)
3. Copy isobooter-stretch onto the flash drive.
4. Click it as usual. For each ISO, it will automatically create the "changes" folder on the second partition.

If your ISO uses a "casper" folder instead of "live", make two changes to its menu.lst entry:

a. change "/live/vmlinuz1" to "/casper/vmlinuz"
b. change "/live/initrd1.xz" to "/casper/initrd1.xz"

Some of these ISOs could be Puppies - you would just need to change their menu.lst entries into Puppy form.

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kernel /vmlinuz pmedia=usbflash psavemark=2 pfix=fsck
initrd /initrd.gz

Update: Version 2 now uses LABEL and UUID identifiers, which makes your flash drive more portable.

---------------

[rcrsn51]

Hi Fred: Is your Mate example above made with the new PeasyWiFi (with the appfile code)?

Can you confirm that the Config, More and Check buttons now work properly?

Bill

[dancytron]

How are the repositories chosen? I don't see them in the script and they don't seem to inherit them from the distro you are running it from (which I have changed in the /ect/apt/sources.list file to debian.us.*).

The reason I ask, is the the debian.de.* servers (which I assume are in Germany) are sometimes (but not always for some reason) very slow for me here in the middle of the U.S.

Would it be possible to let us specify them in the script? If not, could you use the deb.debian.org which is supposed to pick the best mirror for you?

Thanks,

Dan

The sources.list is copied from (extracted tar.gz from github) folder dog-boot-stretch.
It's done like that to add also contrib and nonfree
Is now: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian/ stretch main contrib non-free (I just changed to being that)
The 'dog' repository is added at a later point in the script according to if architecture is 64 or 32 bit e.g:

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elif [ "$ARCH" = "amd64" ]; then
sed -i '1 s|^|deb https://fredx181.github.io/StretchDog/amd64/Packages/ ./\n|' /etc/apt/sources.list
...

BTW, I forgot everytime to reply on what you wrote earlier about save2flash
I tested that few times by installing around 400MB of packages, checking the size of /mnt/live/memory/changes (is 400 mb then)
Ran save2flash, waited a while, then the size of /mnt/live/memory/changes was almost nothing.
And second time running save2flash reports copying only few kb's
So unless there's misunderstanding, I can't reproduce the behaviour you described.

Fred

Thanks for changing the repository. I am sure that will help.

You understand the save2flash problem correctly. Every build I've done still doesn't work correctly. All my builds are 64 bit. Have you tried it on a 64 bit build? Maybe related to the double mount point issue? Anything else I can do to try to run it down?

[fredx181]

Hi Fred: Is your Mate example above made with the new PeasyWiFi (with the appfile code)?

Can you confirm that the Config, More and Check buttons now work properly?

Bill

Yes, newest peasywifi script and all fine, leafpad firefox pcmanfm open with the buttons you mentioned.
First time clicking the tray icon there's Xdialog message about editing /etc/pwf/appfile for helper applications.

Fred

[jd7654]

I just did a mate build (installed no login manager) and it booted right to the desktop with the new change to exec $SESSION_MANAGER
ISO size became 262 MB (xz compression used)
Used this:
# Base Applications Install

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mate-core menu leafpad gparted parted pv synaptic volumeicon-alsa alsa-utils viewnior firefox-esr=24.8.0esr-1~deb8u2 pm-utils xdotool wmctrl desktop-file-utils mime-support cryptsetup-bin squashfs-tools conky fakeroot xserver-xorg-input-evdev pfind

Excellent! Mate DebLive-Stretch works perfectly.(I always have to add synaptics and firmware-nonfeee for touchpad and wifi to work) Thanks for the recipe.

To that end, I don't think it hurts to provide working recipies for various desktops. So much of coding is learning from existing examples. So you could provide those base desktop recipies in the script, or as separate readme file or link. Or optionally in the gui as a dropdown list for Openbox, Lxde, Mate, Xfce, etc. that populates the input box. If you do that, you actually surpass the Porteus ISO builder, because the option is there but details are not obscured.

And are you going to update page 1 with the link to the gui script? Or waiting till more updates are done such as ARCH, apps section, etc?

Lastly, I upvote the request for keeping and using local cache for downloads, instead of downloading each time script is run. Since this is not a rolling release, not a lot is changing, and checking latest version may not be needed. Saves on time and bandwidth usage.

[fredx181]

You understand the save2flash problem correctly. Every build I've done still doesn't work correctly. All my builds are 64 bit. Have you tried it on a 64 bit build? Maybe related to the double mount point issue? Anything else I can do to try to run it down?

Yes, tested on 64 bit also, but I will do again few times.
So the folder /mnt/live/memory/changes has the same size after doing save2flash for you ?
No idea how to run it down else.
I think btw, what you call the double mountpoint bug is only with quick-remaster (as you said earlier, when pausing the script and going in the remaster directory) not the bug as it was some time ago, I guess (without running quick-remaster)

EDIT: I test with save to folder, from what I know you wrote in the past, you use also.
(but I expect save to file (save on exit) and save2flash shouldn't make any difference with save to folder)

Fred

[dancytron]

You understand the save2flash problem correctly. Every build I've done still doesn't work correctly. All my builds are 64 bit. Have you tried it on a 64 bit build? Maybe related to the double mount point issue? Anything else I can do to try to run it down?

Yes, tested on 64 bit also, but I will do again few times.
So the folder /mnt/live/memory/changes has the same size after doing save2flash for you ?
No idea how to run it down else.
I think btw, what you call the double mountpoint bug is only with quick-remaster (as you said earlier, when pausing the script and going in the remaster directory) not the bug as it was some time ago, I guess (without running quick-remaster)

Fred

Just checked it. Yes, the folder /mnt/live/memory/changes is the same size after doing save2flash.

edit: When I run save2flash from lxterminal, I get this

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root@live:~# save2flash
Not saved yet session data:
20M
Your save file/folder has free space:
18068 MB
Merging /mnt/live/memory/changes onto /mnt/live/memory/images/changes-exit...
cat: /tmp/skip_files: No such file or directory
root@live:~# 

I don't know it makes any difference, but these are the two menu.1st entries I've been using.

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title stretch/isodata   (sda2) noauto from=/stretch/isodata/ changes=EXIT:/stretch/isodata/
root (hd0,1)
kernel (hd0,1)/stretch/isodata/live/vmlinuz1 noauto from=/stretch/isodata/ changes=EXIT:/stretch/isodata/
initrd (hd0,1)/stretch/isodata/live/initrd1.xz

title TrinityDog   (sda2) noauto from=/TrinityDog/ changes=EXIT:/TrinityDog/
root (hd0,1)
kernel (hd0,1)/TrinityDog/live/vmlinuz1 noauto from=/TrinityDog/ changes=EXIT:/TrinityDog/
initrd (hd0,1)/TrinityDog/live/initrd1.xz

[fredx181]

I just did a mate build (installed no login manager) and it booted right to the desktop with the new change to exec $SESSION_MANAGER
ISO size became 262 MB (xz compression used)
Used this:
# Base Applications Install

Code: Select all

mate-core menu leafpad gparted parted pv synaptic volumeicon-alsa alsa-utils viewnior firefox-esr=24.8.0esr-1~deb8u2 pm-utils xdotool wmctrl desktop-file-utils mime-support cryptsetup-bin squashfs-tools conky fakeroot xserver-xorg-input-evdev pfind

Excellent! Mate DebLive-Stretch works perfectly.(I always have to add synaptics and firmware-nonfeee for touchpad and wifi to work) Thanks for the recipe.

To that end, I don't think it hurts to provide working recipies for various desktops. So much of coding is learning from existing examples. So you could provide those base desktop recipies in the script, or as separate readme file or link. Or optionally in the gui as a dropdown list for Openbox, Lxde, Mate, Xfce, etc. that populates the input box. If you do that, you actually surpass the Porteus ISO builder, because the option is there but details are not obscured.

And are you going to update page 1 with the link to the gui script? Or waiting till more updates are done such as ARCH, apps section, etc?

Lastly, I upvote the request for keeping and using local cache for downloads, instead of downloading each time script is run. Since this is not a rolling release, not a lot is changing, and checking latest version may not be needed. Saves on time and bandwidth usage.

I started working already on GUI with extra field specially for Desktop (see pic, example mate-core, moved the other apps to base apps), maybe later in time think about change to a dropdown menu.

I'll wait with updating first post until I made the new changes, almost all suggestions and requests I will probably add at the same time, but will take a while till I'm ready, it's a lot...
I'm hesitating if continuing only for updating the GUI script, or release both (also CLI, means much more work to update), any opinions ?

Lastly, I upvote the request for keeping and using local cache for downloads, instead of downloading each time script is run. Since this is not a rolling release, not a lot is changing, and checking latest version may not be needed. Saves on time and bandwidth usage.

That I don't understand, local cache, what you mean to keep exactly?

Fred

[dancytron]

I think just the gui script is fine.

You can still edit the applications inside the script itself with the gui script (which I think I prefer). As long as that is the case, I can't think of any other reason for the non-gui script.

[fredx181]

Hi Dan,

Yes, I think also the GUI most people will prefer and is easier to preload things (with e.g. checkboxes)

This from your output tells me that the save2flash version you use is different from the one that should be in the build, can that be ?

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cat: /tmp/skip_files: No such file or directory 

I guess this explains why your tests are different from mine.

Together with rufwoof some time ago I modified save2flash and snapmergepuppy and the combination doesn't need a script in ~/Startup (which made it overcomplicated by checking file /tmp/skip_files) and snapmergepuppy has improved by using rsync rather than cp

Fred

[zagreb999]

hi fred,
as pebee wrote
at least 2 kernels
as choice

kernel 4.9 has many bugs-
does not work
on all computers

[dancytron]

Hi Dan,

Yes, I think also the GUI most people will prefer and is easier to preload things (with e.g. checkboxes)

This from your output tells me that the save2flash version you use is different from the one that should be in the build, can that be ?

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cat: /tmp/skip_files: No such file or directory 

I guess this explains why your tests are different from mine.

Together with rufwoof some time ago I modified save2flash and snapmergepuppy and the combination doesn't need a script in ~/Startup (which made it overcomplicated by checking file /tmp/skip_files) and snapmergepuppy has improved by using rsync rather than cp

Fred

I've attached the one in my latest build.

Before I added .zip, it was last modified 02/25/16 12:52.

edit: FWIW, this is what I used to build it.

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# Set the standard remove firefox-esr=24.8.0esr-1~deb8u2  flashplayerchoice  add mpv upgrade-kernel debdoginstallscripts
BASE="live-boot wget net-tools ifupdown wireless-tools sysvinit-core xserver-xorg-core xserver-xorg psmisc fuse x11-utils x11-xserver-utils dbus-x11 busybox sudo mawk xinit xterm pciutils usbutils file rsync dosfstools"
APPS="openbox obconf menu leafpad pcmanfm lxpanel gparted parted pv synaptic volumeicon-alsa alsa-utils viewnior pm-utils xdotool wmctrl desktop-file-utils mime-support cryptsetup-bin squashfs-tools conky lxrandr lxinput lxappearance fakeroot xserver-xorg-input-evdev pfind"
DOG_APPS="yad gtkdialog obshutdown pup-volume-monitor peasywifi edit-sfs-pcmanfm filemnt-pcmanfm remaster-scripts quick-remaster apt2sfs sfsload fixdepinstall greybird-theme-dd-stretch makedebpackage"
FIRMWARE="firmware-linux-free"
EXTRA_DOG_APPS="mpv upgrade-kernel debdoginstallscripts"

[jd7654]

Lastly, I upvote the request for keeping and using local cache for downloads, instead of downloading each time script is run. Since this is not a rolling release, not a lot is changing, and checking latest version may not be needed. Saves on time and bandwidth usage.

That I don't understand, local cache, what you mean to keep exactly?

Not a high priority. But lets say I made a build, but oops, forgot firmware or change browser and want to run again. Have to delete and download everything all over again instead of just downloading changes.

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 Working directory 'stretch' already exists 
 To be able to continue, it needs to be removed first
 All files inside will be deleted 
Are you sure to delete directory stretch ? (Enter=yes) (Y/n)?

Not sure if this is really your script's responsibility or would require debootstrap changes.

[zagreb999]

kernel 4.9 bugs

https://lists.debian.org/debian-kernel/ ... 00393.html

https://lists.debian.org/debian-kernel/ ... 00392.html

https://lists.debian.org/debian-kernel/ ... 00344.html

https://lists.debian.org/debian-kernel/ ... 00349.html

[dancytron]

Another minor bug for you.

When run the upgrade kernel script I get an error that /var/lib/synaptic/preferences is missing. See screenshots. There is also an error that apt-utils is missing. After installing apt-utils and copying /var/lib/synaptic/preferences from another install it runs correctly and reports that I have the latest kernel. It even works correctly if I make /var/lib/synaptic/preferences completely blank.

So, maybe the fix would appear to be to add apt-utils to the core apps and add a blank /var/lib/synaptic/preferences to the files automatically copied over. It is hard to know with no new kernel to upgrade if the missing file error is really just a warning and it would work or not. Maybe we need to wait and see.

[fredx181]

@dancytron

As I thought already your save2flash (as you attached) is different (older) than supposed to be in the build.
Very mysterious !
The files from extracted dog-boot-stretch.tar.gz from github should copy to the build filesystem
https://github.com/DebianDog/MakeLive/r ... tch.tar.gz
(save2flash and snapmergepuppy in usr/bin)
Is older save2flash in your changes folder maybe ? (or some conflicting situation, no idea )

@jd7654

Working directory 'stretch' already exists
To be able to continue, it needs to be removed first
All files inside will be deleted
Are you sure to delete directory stretch ? (Enter=yes) (Y/n)?

Yes, everything done by the script is in folder stretch, not removing it and start with a different setup will mess up things badly, I'm afraid.

Another minor bug for you.

When run the upgrade kernel script I get an error that /var/lib/synaptic/preferences is missing. See screenshots. There is also an error that apt-utils is missing. After installing apt-utils and copying /var/lib/synaptic/preferences from another install it runs correctly and reports that I have the latest kernel. It even works correctly if I make /var/lib/synaptic/preferences completely blank.

So, maybe the fix would appear to be to add apt-utils to the core apps and add a blank /var/lib/synaptic/preferences to the files automatically copied over. It is hard to know with no new kernel to upgrade if the missing file error is really just a warning and it would work or not. Maybe we need to wait and see.

Thanks, yes, apps like upgrade-kernel I didn't think of yet, lots to be done to make all 'dog' apps work properly.

Fred

[dancytron]

@dancytron

As I thought already your save2flash (as you attached) is different (older) than supposed to be in the build.
Very mysterious !
The files from extracted dog-boot-stretch.tar.gz from github should copy to the build filesystem
https://github.com/DebianDog/MakeLive/r ... tch.tar.gz
(save2flash and snapmergepuppy in usr/bin)
Is older save2flash in your changes folder maybe ? (or some conflicting situation, no idea )

Nothing in changes that I could see. It seems that the stretch64 openbox which I am using also has the old one.

Downloading the gh-pages file and copying over new files fixed it.

I will try another build later to see if I can run it down. It is mysterious.

edit: to add to the mystery (and confirm I didn't just accidentally paste the wrong file in before I remastered it), I looked inside the ISO file originally created by the mklive script. It is the old one in there too, but /mnt/live/mnt/sda2/stretch/dog-boot-stretch/usr/bin has the correct up to date one.

Don't worry about it until I do another build and see if it happens again.