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Author Topic: exploring iso - to creat new one  (Read 3562 times)

Offline Lakshmipathi

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exploring iso - to creat new one
« on: September 11, 2009, 03:06:23 AM »
Here goes my story so far.
Few months back,I have tried creating a custom distro using LFS.I have created a Distro with 600MB-800MB size. But I wanted it to reduce it below,100MB.

I read a embeded linux book and reduced it to 5MB (now has busybox and kernel and nothing else in it)
I can boot in this distro from my HDD (It's in /dev/sda2).

Now I would to create an ISO image from this (sda2) . I tried google ,checked out dsl and slax iso.
finally i landed on tinycore and microcore linux - exploring how to creat a bootable iso image from command line(using mkisofs command).


I'll  be delighted if some one could help me regard how to convert an existing system into ISO image,with tips or urls.

Thanks in advance.







I hope people could help me out.

Offline thane

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Re: exploring iso - to creat new one
« Reply #1 on: September 11, 2009, 05:27:41 AM »
Look in the Wiki at the section called "Remastering" (under Guides). At the end of that is instructions on creating an ISO image. However, the instructions are specific for Tiny Core/Microcore Linux so I don't know how helpful they'll be for what you're doing.

Since you're here you might want to further investigate Tiny Core and Microcore as well.

Sorry I can't be more helpful -- I've run Tiny Core for a while but I'm still a Linux newbie...

Offline curaga

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Re: exploring iso - to creat new one
« Reply #2 on: September 11, 2009, 02:48:23 PM »
Turning a HD distro to a live cd is a complex topic.

However, if your custom distro boots to RAM (consists of only the kernel and an initrd), you should be able to just create an iso using the isolinux files from a TC iso, and the mkisofs line from the wiki.
The only barriers that can stop you are the ones you create yourself.

Offline Lakshmipathi

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Re: exploring iso - to creat new one
« Reply #3 on: September 23, 2009, 07:30:15 AM »
Thanks Thane and Curaga For your suggestions and replies :) and
Sorry for the delay.(Since I haven't received  mails on reply on this thread.)

Yes "Remastering" (under Guides). helped me to de/compress the root file system ...I tried to following things:extracted microcore and put my kernel image and created iso -- it worked -- so no issue with my kernel.Then again, extracted microcore(new one) ,put my rootfs and created iso and so on ..for few days.. and then finally I found the real thing that produces the error ,  renaming the linuxrc  as init worked (stupid me - i should have got it much earlier) :) ...then finally last week I released that image as "minili" minimal linux (freshmeat/projects/minili)  - experimental educational linux :)

I really like Tinycore and Microcore ..like microcore bit more ..comes with a plain command line:)

Thanks, once again.