Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

[MU]

To create a custom Puppy, you can remaster it with the included utilities.

build-a-muppy uses a different approach.
I use the name "muppy", because I build my next puplett "Muppy008" with it, but you can build any puplett.
Download and extract on a harddrive with a lot of space.
http://dotpups.de/files/build-a-muppy/008a/build-a-muppy.tgz
It is 44 MB, includes gimp and firefox german/english to demonstrate how to add packages.
Those are only intended as examples, you can replace or delete them.

UPDATE: newer version including Puppy 301/Muppy 008.x see:
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?p=167819#167819

Now copy the content of the Puppy you want to modify:
cd build-a-muppy
cp -ax /initrd/pup_ro2/* sfs-sources/original/

Now add files to the other subfolders in /sfs-sources.
My examples show how to do it.

Now add the files from your Puppy-Iso in "/iso-files" (vmlinuz, initrd.gz and so on).

Now edit settings.txt

Set your preferred language, and version-numbers.
Then run:
mkdir iso
./build-muppy
./build-addon
./build-iso

Now you should have your ISO in the folder "/iso"

--------------------------
Details about the folders in /sfs-sources/:

/original
The content of pup_301.sfs (or any other pup_xxx.sfs).
You can delete files, that you do not want, like /usr/lib/seamonkey
But take care:
some programs need libraries from seamonkey, e.g. gxine.
So you might keep:
libmozjs.so
libnspr4.so
libplc4.so
libplds4.so
Be carefull when you delete files from Puppy, test your iso then carefully to check if programs still work.

/original-to-addon
Here you can move files, that shall be added to a "addon.sfs", that will be included in the iso.
I already moved seamonkey there.
So when Puppy boots from CD, this program is not available, keeping the memory-footprint low.
It just can be used, when the user saves to a personal pup_save.2fs.
Then on reboot, he can mount that addon.sfs, Puppy will pop up a utility for that.
I plan to write a tool, that also can mount directly from CD.

/packages-base
here you add packages, that will be included in the pup_301.sfs
Files here will overwrite files from /original

Muppy will contain here ezpup with modified .jwmrc and icewm/menu.

If you want to create a localized and an english version:
in settings.txt, if you use
BUILDLANG=de
then the folder
/sfs-sources/packages-base/COUNTRY---de---firefox
is used for your iso.

If you enter:
BUILDLANG=en
then the folder
/sfs-sources/packages-base/COUNTRY---en---firefox
is used for your iso.
The COUNTRY---de---firefox
is ignored then!

This technique makes localization quite easy.

/packages-addon
Same as before, just for addon.sfs

/basesfs
this is a relict from older versions.
You can add files here that would overwrite /original, but this folder will be dropped in future versions.

Mark

[raffy]

Thanks, Mark, it's a new way of building a new puplet (well, it must be old hat for you now ). Do I undestand it correctly that the resulting puplet will have Muppy and EZpup as common components? Or "muppy" is just the name of the method?

And should the running Puppy have an identical kernel (3.01)?

[MU]

Muppy in this case stands for "custom puppy".
I just used this name, cause I build Muppy008 with it.

Neither Muppy or Puppy or ezpup is included.
Only some scripts to build a custom Puppy.
Plus some example-packages to demonstrate how you add packages for an addon (Gimp), or how to add them for a localized iso and an english iso (firefox).

You can use any Puppy as a base, by copying the files from pup_xxx.sfs (which are usually found in /initrd/pup_ro2/) to /original.
You even could mount a different pup_xxx.sfs, and copy those files.
The build-scripts use nothing from your currently running system.
You even could build a custom puppy while you run Debian or Suse.

The main difference to other solutions is, that you easily can create a new version when there is a new Puppy.
Lets say, your last puplet was based on Puppy 300.
So now to use Puppy 301 as a base instead, you just replace /original and /iso-files with the files from Puppy 301, and then run the scripts again.
Voila - you have a new iso, with all customized packages you had used for your last iso.

This is different to the usual approach, where you had to install all packages from new.

Mark

[MU]

I uploaded the full build-a-muppy that I used to build Muppy008alpha (see: http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=23397 )

It includes Puppy301 with bugfixed initrd.gz, OpenOffice english and german and so on.
A 530 Megabyte download.
Thanks to Canari from puppylinux.ca for hosting it.
To re-build muppy:

cd muppy008build
./build-base-and-addon
./build-iso

The new script "build-base-and-addon" simply is a combination of the others.
It puts the "base" and "addon" files in a single pup_301.sfs.

I decided to do this, as Puppy still is not able to mount a second sfs from CD using unionfs.

Muppy007 was able to do that by using a patched init.
But when I tried now to adapt my patches to Puppy3, I got lost in the completely rewritten init-script.

Maybe that will be an option in future again, but at moment it seems to work fine, too using only a single sfs.

Download:
http://www.puppylinux.ca/muppy/
can be extracted like this:
tar -xjvf muppy008a-build-all.tar.bz2

It is 1500 MB extracted.

Mark

[willhunt]

I get these errors when I try and run it
cp: cannot stat `sfs-sources/addonsfs/*': No such file or directory
cp: cannot stat `sfs-sources/kdesfs/*': No such file or directory
and I run out of room how much does this take anyway?

[MU]

cp: cannot stat `sfs-sources/addonsfs/*': No such file or directory
cp: cannot stat `sfs-sources/kdesfs/*': No such file or directory

you can ignore, it tries to copy files from those folders, but they do not exist.
I had used them in muppy007.

The script copies all neeed files to the /sfs-temp-all, so you need almost double amount. 1 - 1.5 GB.
Then it creates the pup_301.sfs, so another 400 MB is needed.
Finally the iso, so again 400 MB (though you now could delete the /sfs-temp-all first.

So you might calculate around 1.5 - 2.5 GB to build the iso.

Mark

[edoc]

Will this also work with the new 4.xx version?

I'd like to use Barry's new minimalist version to build myself a customized Puppy.

First one to use daily, then one for a USB stick for maximum portability - more
likey to demonstrate Puppy than to use as my laptop will tend to travel with me.

[macadavy]

Much of this discussion is over my head.
I don't have a good understanding of how others have used the Puppy Unleashed CD to make their own Puppies, but it seems rather daunting to this newbie. How does your approach differ? It seems simpler, and includes a way to add-in .sfs files which I like.
I'm interested in moving Puppy toward a DIY (Do It Yourself) model for building custom Puppies. The ultimate simplified newb-boob-proof concept might look like the 'custom' install of some GNU/Linux distros (e.g. Libranet) which allowed you to simply click in a box to choose the desired packages from a CD that were to be installed. Nimblex ( http://nimblex.net/ ) uses such a point'n'click process to assemble an ISO online which you can then download to burn to CD. Can we 'puppify' what they've done? (Not necessarily online, though that would be nice, too!)

[MU]

Edoc,
yes, should work too with Puppy 4.
But check carefully the subfolders for systemfiles.

Somewhere I included a modified /etc/profile, this might have changed since Puppy 3.

But the concept is simple.
Put the content of the original pup_xxx.sfs in /original, add own packages to the other folders.
Then add the rest from the original iso in /iso-files, and edit settings.txt.

macadavy,
I think creating a Iso usually is very easy in Puppy.
Boot the CD with a personal savefile, install some dotpets, then remaster it with the provided programs in the menu.
I never did it, but from what I have read this really is easy.

My approach is a bit more complicated, but makes it easier to keep track of version updates or creating localized versions.
So it is basically intended for people who made first experiences in building own Puppys, and now want to maintain updated versions over a longer period.

The idea of doing this with a grafical tool, for example via internet, we have discussed here at minisys.org.
We think of extending the script in this direction, but it might take half a year, as currently we already have a long todo-list.

Mark

[willhunt]

it took over 2.5 gb but well worth it I added
everything I could think of some tgz & deb packages
to the /packages-addon.
I found to affect changes to icewm I had to edit the
/packages-addon/ezpup/root/.icewm
very nice all my packages had version numbers so
keeping track will be easy

Final pup_301.sfs 570MB 270mb of lib files
( I forgot how to strip them after compiling)
but mythtv should work as soon as I figure out sql
login problem

what a very handy tool thanks

[jonyo]

[willhunt]

[MU]

I uploaded the final buildsystem for Muppy 008.

You can get it from the same location as the iso:
http://dotpups.de/Minisys-Linux/

It is around 590 MB.
Mark

[MU]

this small update adds service pack1 to muppy008build.

**edit** removed, use SP2 instead further down.
extract this archive to muppy008build.

Then delete these files/folders:

sfs-sources/packages-base/ezpup/etc/xdg/templates
sfs-sources/packages-base/pburn

Mark

[MU]

Uploaded Service Pack 2.
Includes SP1, and these changes:
Updated ntfs drivers/tool to 2.0.0, the older version was reported to work erratic with Windows Vista.

Localized Cups printing system.
Localized Network-Wizard
Added german Beginners help.

http://puppyfiles.ca/dotpupsde/dotpups/Muppylinux/Muppy-Build-008servicepack2.tar.gz

Important:
Delete the folder:
muppy008build/sfs-sources/packages-base/muppyhelp
Delete the file:
muppy008build/sfs-sources/packages-base/ezpup/root/Choices/ROX-Filer/PuppyPin

Those now moved to "COUNTRY" folders.

Mark