Build scripts for small debian live images (similar to woof)

[efgee]

SLIM is the smallest but unfortunately it does not work well for IceWM, OpenBox, JWM.
I would suggest to test xdm and nodm (both the same size) and a little bit bigger but working without problems lightdm.

Toni

Thank you for the info.
Will try to work with lightdm as I'm not after smallest size.
I'm more after "it just works"

[efgee]

Every time I want to disable "root" and enable "user" on startup

efgee, for building a CAT with being user after autologin you have to add the following line to the nodm-hooks.chroot in modules/CAT/hooks

Code: Select all

sed -i 's/^NODM_USER.*/NODM_USER=user/g' /etc/default/nodm

That's what I did and the result was X11 with an X as a cursor.
No window manager was loaded.

If you want to change this in running CAT (with persistence enabled) please edit file

/etc/default/nodm

change NODM_USER=root to NODM_USER=user

cheers
emil

At this point in time I am creating/recreating the iso with persistence disabled.
Want to see how "healthy" my settings are.

[konaexpress]

Keep it up boys, looking forward to testing/using this.

I can't do what you guys do but I can test and make graphics so let me know.

Icons, wallpapers or logos......give me an idea.

Best hopes,

John

[emil]

Hi konaexpress,
you can alread test, I am using CAT-041 on my working laptop. There are some usability quirks, but it is definitly usable.
If you want to contribute Wallpapers, logos or icons feel free to do so. There were already ideas about naming different builds, CAT themes offers a lot of possibilities, just think of Tiger, Lion or Jaguar.
I also liked sickguts names for varios desktop items (like "meow" for start menu or "kitty litter" for trash. So there is room for creativity!
kind regards
emil

[efgee]

As a follow up:
I know it's not the Puppy way, but being a normal user with sudo capabilities fits my needs.
(instead of being root all the time)
Tried to get a normal user working with this script but to no avail.

Started using the original sagedebianlive script and to my surprise beeing a normal user (not root) works just fine.
Instead of wasting more time in trying to figure out what changed (and why the cat script does not work in this regard) I will use the original sagedebianlive script while moving forward.

Many thanks to all involved that intruduced me to the cat script, debian live and the work the sagedebianlive guys did.

Will post my progress (if it's OK with you guys).

Keep up the good work!

[saintless]

Hi, Efgee.

Tried to get a normal user working with this script but to no avail.

This is strange because the Cat-0.2 script (the first one) auto-login as user and the new build iso have working user account. Here is download link if you like to try.
http://boxen.math.washington.edu/home/e ... der.tar.gz
And the resulted iso which has default user auto-login.
http://boxen.math.washington.edu/home/e ... AT-0.2.iso

Will post my progress (if it's OK with you guys).

Please, post the results you have. I'm too busy with Light-Wheezy changes at the moment but I read this thread regular and will continue testing the Cat build-scripts.

Toni

[emil]

in File nodm.hooks

for autostart with root user (CAT 0.41):

Code: Select all

sed -i 's/^NODM_ENABLED.*/NODM_ENABLED=true/g' /etc/default/nodm

while for autostart with "user" user (CAT 0.2 and sagedebianlive):

Code: Select all

sed -i 's/^NODM_ENABLED.*/NODM_ENABLED=true/g' /etc/default/nodm
sed -i 's/^NODM_USER.*/NODM_USER=user/g' /etc/default/nodm

that is all that changed,
cheers
emil

[efgee]

Hi, Efgee.

Tried to get a normal user working with this script but to no avail.

This is strange because the Cat-0.2 script (the first one) auto-login as user and the new build iso have working user account. Here is download link if you like to try.
http://boxen.math.washington.edu/home/e ... der.tar.gz
And the resulted iso which has default user auto-login.
http://boxen.math.washington.edu/home/e ... AT-0.2.iso

Only tried the lasted version not the first one.

Will post my progress (if it's OK with you guys).

Please, post the results you have. I'm too busy with Light-Wheezy changes at the moment but I read this thread regular and will continue testing the Cat build-scripts.

Well, I said:

Will post my progress (if it's OK with you guys).

because with removing the autologin to root the project I'm working on lost all similarity with Puppy or the CAT script as the sagedebianlive script is not in sync with the CAT script (actually it's the other way around, the CAT script is not in sync with his parent...).
This being said, don't want to annoy anyone in this friendly forum with postings that don't relate to a pure Puppy project.

[efgee]

...
while for autostart with "user" user (CAT 0.2 and sagedebianlive):

Code: Select all

sed -i 's/^NODM_ENABLED.*/NODM_ENABLED=true/g' /etc/default/nodm
sed -i 's/^NODM_USER.*/NODM_USER=user/g' /etc/default/nodm

that is all that changed, ...

This is exactly what I changed.
However, every time the new iso is booted I end up with a X11 screen and an X as a cursor.
No openbox, nothing.

A new iso that is built with the sagedebianlive script (from trunk) boots as user with openbox.
So I will keep experimenting with this one.

Take care

[slackfan]

wunderfull!

did someone yet try to shrink the 130-mb-base a bit more (why a full developed browser and some tiny browser like links2, links or retawq can arrange enough for a minimal web service, easy download and not more) and give to the minimal system a menu management system as Puppy did always have since it is stable (archpup as tiny it was did manage extensions)?

alternative option would be to say, if a full developed browser, go the secure way, only vim as editor and xxxterm/xombrero as browser, and erase the other: using apt-get the user can easy add his lovely editor or maximal browser!

next idea would be to use the SID branch because it is probably more simple to manage an actual rolling base, the most modern, than a derivated last stable version beeing sentenced to be replaced soon by a new stable...

and we found in the SID depository all app's. also app's being searching the way to become a stable Debian release of that application (SID offers the widest pool of apps actually accessible in Linux!)

[emil]

did someone yet try to shrink the 130-mb-base a bit more (why a full developed browser and some tiny browser like links2, links or retawq can arrange enough for a minimal web service

Dear slackfan,
creating such a minimal system is possible and not difficult. Everyone would prefere a slightly different configuration, choosing a successful one is an art. But feel free to edit the script to build your favorite.
regards
emil

[oui]

hi

is that

http://distrowatch.com/?newsid=08381

a competitor for Puppy Linux (a very interesting thing to see that other American authorities than NSA are worried over spying on the web !)

under 300 MB that can be compared with Puppy of course and 440 MB including Office it is the real weight of Puppy with that equipement

a script building a small debian live image in Puppy styling and organisation with an high security choice of applications (security browser Xombrero and, of course Vi and gvim instead of all other editors as Xombrero uses the short cuts of Vi? and perhaps latex and a vi compatible latex editor as Office: Emil did spend us a relatively short time ago a great collection of good *.SFS for Latex and Lyx! (* 1) would certainly be very interesting!

did some one build new configurations with the script since the last message from Emil?

greetings

(*1 I did test now for the new PC of my wife (I use myself only an Android flyer in the next time) as her old mouse was not USB connected Ubuntu 13.10 with ratpoison instead of XDM/GDM/KDM! It is really good: you log in in console mode and enter the graphic mode using ratpoison ^t + ^. and the Debian menu of Ubuntu appears (as far you have installed the package "menu", of course): The last item of the Debian menu is "other window managers": simply hit on the UP key + enter. you can try TWM if you add it in the Debian menu (is always installed with Xorg but not connected properly in the menu). Background picture: use Xli (small and flexible). You also can install JWM or somewhat other! Ratpoison + Debian menu package, that is great for minimalist systems! and as small Debian live images can include aptitude (or synaptic, as Emil did do in his fat version), you get a very expendable minimal system needing no mouse obligatory...

[Bindee]

Emil seems to have vanished.

[emil]

Hi,
just lurking

[Bindee]

Kewl , I'll send you a PM

[anikin]

Updated this post http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... 585#760585

[backi]

Quite interesting ......Thanks for sharing !

[musher0]

Hello all.

With this script, can you substitute any WM for icewm?

TIA.

[mikeslr]

Hi musher0,

+ 1 regarding your question.

Comparing the 6th Step in the archive with the 8th Step of the more recent recipe, I would think -- with my fingers crossed-- that anything following:

apt-get update && \
apt-get install --no-install-recommends --yes --force-yes \

is optional. So, the question becomes is there somewhere you can look before you get started to see what options are available.

mikesLr

[rufwoof]

Yes musher0 ... providing its in the Debian repositories. You could for instance opt for xfce, gnome, lxde ... etc. Anything you like.

I like a nice lightweight of xorg, jwm, pcmanfm combination as pcmanfm is both a filemanager and desktop manager (desktop icons) whilst jwm provides the panel/tray and windows frames/title bars etc. And you can encode all of the configuration inside a single .jwmrc file (including the startup commands). I prefer that to having it all spread over the place (in include files or invoking other scripts such as startup) as I find searching through a single file for a particular section easier than looking for particular files/folders.

The apt-get update just syncs your local database of available packages to the current list

The apt-get install --no-install-recommends --yes --force-yes just limits what packages are installed to basically just what you want rather than what Debian consider you might also additionally want on top of that. When you ask for something via apt-get install xxx then it also provides all of the dependencies, but without turning off 'recommends' you can end up with a lot more than what you wanted.

There are apt-get commands to pull down a list of every available package, with parameters where you can also get short descriptions for each package. Handy for searching for particular packages.

For a gui you obviously need xorg, after that ... whichever wm you want (or not), which filemanager, which browser ....etc.

There's even a option to boot a remote sfs. So the local installation could be very light that basically just boots to command line and net connection ... that then can load a main sfs from a remote location/server. Handy for commonality of core system, and just keep your particular configuration/data changes locally (in the local save space). Obviously a fast and reliable internet connection is desirable for that, but as download speeds approach/exceed LAN speeds (100 Base-T) that becomes increasingly more viable (I believe/suspect many home LAN's have one device that still runs at 100 ... which slows the entire segment down to 100 even if all other devices within that segment are 1000).