ezremaster: Wizard that walks you step by step to remaster ISO of tinycore

[ixbrian]

A new version is attached is the first post in this thread with the following changes:

      -Program was renamed from tc_remaster to ezremaster.
      -Supports optionally setting the copy2fs.flg when remastering with extensions that are outside the initrd.  There is a checkbox to enable/disable this. 
      -Supports the new 3.1 bootcodes multivt and safebackup

[Miller]

Hi Brian

Firstly, tremendous work with ezremaster!

I've used ezremaster to add extra extensions ("Extract TCZ to initrd" / "Add TCZ startup scripts to bootlocal.sh" options) to the original Tiny Core iso. I didn't include any bootcodes or scripts in the remaster, just extensions.

I then treat this remaster as an updated iso and install TC to a SATA / Compact Flash combo. (diy SSD!)

Am I still able to add further extensions to the installed TC by nominating a tce directory and proceeding as per a normal installation?

Best, Miller.

[ixbrian]

I then treat this remaster as an updated iso and install TC to a SATA / Compact Flash combo. (diy SSD!)

Am I still able to add further extensions to the installed TC by nominating a tce directory and proceeding as per a normal installation?

Best, Miller.

Yes, this should work just like a normal installation.

Brian

[tclfan]

I apologize I am bringing back to life an old thread rather than opening a new one... My question just fits here best...

Brian,

First, congrats on a great job in creating a nice re-master prog.
Quick question: As I understand this is not a Live re-master, meaning re-mastering of the live TC environment, such as in Zenwalk and Salix? In other words, any customizations of settings and preferences will not be preserved?
E.g. will not carry any browser preferences or cookies...

[ixbrian]

Quick question: As I understand this is not a Live re-master, meaning re-mastering of the live TC environment, such as in Zenwalk and Salix? In other words, any customizations of settings and preferences will not be preserved?
E.g. will not carry any browser preferences or cookies...

If you use Tiny Core's backup/restore functionality, the ezremaster wizard provides the ability to include your backup in your remaster (by either including the single backup tar file, or by extracting your backup file directly into the remastered initrd).    If you do this, then all of your settings that are in your backup (such as browser preferences/cookies, etc.) will be included in the remaster.   

Also, on the last page of the wizard, it provides you the ability to copy over or modify any other files that you would like included in the remaster. 

Brian

[tclfan]

Brian,

Thanks much for your explanation. I did attempt some testing last night, but for the lack of time I did not have a chance to organize notes of all steps around it. However one issue was constantly preventing me from testing. I did put together a sample destop, such as Xorg, windows manager, using each time different (Openbox, Hackedbox, fluxbox, LXDE, JWM). configured Firefox and installed ezmaster extension. Ezmaster extension was available on the WM menu (Usually) but clicking on it did nothing. No effect and actually the entire desktop was freezing on me so I had to do a hard poweroff. Did you run into this issue? This could be not even an ezmaster issue, but some compatibility with WMs...
I apologize if this was covered in some other thread I overlooked...

[ixbrian]

Brian,

Thanks much for your explanation. I did attempt some testing last night, but for the lack of time I did not have a chance to organize notes of all steps around it. However one issue was constantly preventing me from testing. I did put together a sample destop, such as Xorg, windows manager, using each time different (Openbox, Hackedbox, fluxbox, LXDE, JWM). configured Firefox and installed ezmaster extension. Ezmaster extension was available on the WM menu (Usually) but clicking on it did nothing. No effect and actually the entire desktop was freezing on me so I had to do a hard poweroff. Did you run into this issue? This could be not even an ezmaster issue, but some compatibility with WMs...
I apologize if this was covered in some other thread I overlooked...

Try installing the ezremaster extension "onboot" instead of ondemand.   Open a terminal and type "ezremaster". 

Brian

[tclfan]

Brian,

Thanks. I will test as soon as I can.

[tclfan]

Hi Brian,

I hope you keep ezremaster updated, working with TCL 3.3...
Just to let you know, this work is greatly appreciated. I consider remastering tool one of the most important, official or not...

[TerryJC]

Brian,

As you may have realised from some of my naive questions elsewhere regarding ezremaster, I'm new to this kind of thing, although I've been a Linux user for around 10 years.  I program for a living, but in the test industry, so learning this stuff has been an interesting voyage for me.

Having said all that and to put my comments into context, I'd like to say thanks for your work on ezremaster.  I found it invaluable when I built my first working live disc.

So as an amateur in this area, can I make some suggestions for enhancement?  Based on the things that gave me difficulties, I think ezremaster could be improved in a couple of key areas:

• In the extensions selection dialogue.  It would be nice to see a more newbie friendly approach here.  What I really wanted to do was to build a disk that included many of the extensions installed in my running system.  I had installed a number of Apps that were available on boot and a number that were available on demand.  What would have been useful would have been a big button that said 'Clone this system' or similar, so that I could easily arrive at a disc that did exactly what my dev station does.  After creating this useful starting point, could then have removed all those apps I didn't need very easily.
• In the final dialogue where the blue links are clicked to add further files.  At present, files have to be copied from the running system to the ../extract directory using a series of shell commands.  This is not a problem and I managed it OK, (with a few embarrassing mistakes),  but I suspect that this process would be a bit off-putting to real newbies.  I know that TC isn't intended for real newbies, but ezremaster automates so much of the remastering compexity, it seems a shame to leave this bit out.  Maybe clicking on the links could launch a file manager instead of a shell?

Anyway, there are my suggestions for what they are worth.  Whatever you do, I will continue to use ezremaster and thank you again for your work.

[jls]

 

[andreas122]

I Try to use ezremaster from appbrowser on tinycore 3.4.1 live cd on virtual box.
i try to remaster microcore.iso but when i finish the configuration of remaster and when i am going to create the files the program close automaticaly, and i cant create iso file. why is doing this?  

(olso when i try to reopen ezremaster , the ezremaster dont start and olso  the windows manager close!).

[ixbrian]

I Try to use ezremaster from appbrowser on tinycore 3.4.1 live cd on virtual box.
i try to remaster microcore.iso but when i finish the configuration of remaster and when i am going to create the files the program close automaticaly, and i cant create iso file. why is doing this?  

(olso when i try to reopen ezremaster , the ezremaster dont start and olso  the windows manager close!).

I can't reproduce this problem.  Can you please provide more information on what steps can be followed from a base Tinycore system to reproduce this issue? 

Brian

[ixbrian]

Regarding kmap=xxx/xx.   This will be fixed in the next version of ezremaster.  In the mean time, you can easily work around it by setting the keyboard layout in ezremaster to be something like this which will escape the slash:

xxx\/xx

Here is another example:

dvorak\/dvorak

(That is a backslash followed by a forward slash)

Brian

[elliott]

I tried my first remaster today for my EeePC 2G Surf, I wanted to add some basic things like wireless, fluxbox and 915resolution into the tinycore.gz file so they don't have to be loaded as extensions.

First attempt didn't go well, I started in /tmp/ and that just ate all 512mb of my RAM for some reason and crashed the netbook, I really couldn't work out why. Doesn't make any sense that an 8mb base initrd plus about 30mb of extracted extensions needs that much space.

For the second attempt I tried using a 1.5gb partition as my workspace, everything seemed to be going well, but the gzip process was taking a very, very long time. So I checked on the files, tinycore.gz was over 100mb and climbing, which can't be right. I let it keep going and the final size is nearly 300mb. It never created the ISO though, I got an error that makes no sense at all. I've attached my log and cfg file, maybe someone here has a clue what is going on.

Right now I am using a pretty plain Tinycore 3.5.1 system, no real modifications. I added the wireless, 915resolution, iron and ezremaster extensions.

ezremaster.log
http://pastebin.com/raw.php?i=z23D9zRp

ezremaster.cfg
http://pastebin.com/raw.php?i=XyV145G2