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

[ixbrian]

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

How much memory does your system have?  It looks like advdef might be running out of memory.  Try running ezremaster on a system with more memory.   If that is not an option, then use the "Add app outside initrd on boot" option to add your extensions which will make a smaller initrd so advdef will not require as much memory to run. 

Brian

[elliott]

I've got 512mb and had 300mb free at the time of the first attempt. The second attempt the files were all on a HD partition, so RAM was not an issue. I watched it closely and never came close to running out.

I've given up on ezremaster and have been doing it manually, which is taking a lot of trial and error, but is working. My extracted base initrd with the extensions extracted into the file system is under 15mb before compression with gzip and advdef. Which tells me there is something seriously broken in ezremaster because it was somehow coming up with a 300mb tinycore.gz after the gzip process.

The whole point of me remastering it is for speed of booting, I don't want to have to wait for it to extract my wireless stuff, window manager and a few other basic essentials every time it boots. So anything but extracting them into the filesystem is not an option.

Right now I have a 13mb initrd which includes the microcore with Xvesa, fluxbox, wireless_tools, wpa-supplicant, wireless modules, OSS, 915resolution and acpi. A similar set of packages caused ezremaster to leave me with a 250mb initrd.

[ixbrian]

A new version of ezremaster has been posted to the repository.   The new version has several bugs fixed and has been greatly simplified since the last version. 

Brian

[littlebat]

Good work.

I found a question:
If I select "Extract TCZ to in to initrd”, ezremaster will not update "/lib/modules/*/modules.dep", for example, alsa-modules-*.tcz

So I add "sudo depmod -a -b $temp_dir/extract `uname -r` >/dev/null 2>&1; sudo ldconfig -r $temp_dir/extract >/dev/null 2>&1" at the head of "package()" function in file "/usr/local/bin/remaster.sh" to update "modules.dep" and "ld.so.cache".

[cast-fish]

Hello

i believe this "remastering" icon in tcl 4.0.1 is a great feature of tinycore.

I am sure new users of TCL will quikly realize what this button can do for them.

It makes a custom version of Tinycore with the desires of that user. Applications
and such can be added. The result can be burned to disc giving the user a custom
CD disc of tinycore for that particular laptop. It's real handy and hasstle free to be
able to make these custom CD discs.

People are familiar with CD discs and will enjoy this feature if they have a burner
drive. I supposse they can also put the custom ISO file on pen drive also.

What i would like to see in tinycore is a way that an internet connected computer
can just download the LATEST RELEASE .iso and then double click it to get tinycore
booted and running on that machine without any other user intervention.

This idea is already possible with Debian and other distros....the user just downloads
a win32 exe file and executes it.

It' can basically be done using UNETBOOTIN tool and other approaches like loopback.cfg
together with the tinycore .iso file. But all of this needs to be wrapped up into a wizard
and made available as a win32.exe or some other wizard if the user is sitting at a linux
computer.

I feel this is something that is long over due for tinycore. With Tinycore bieng such a small distro
it lends itself perfectly to people who are just wandering around the net and want to
quikly try a small distro they stumbled upon. Currently, they can't do this.

I use a special tool in win32 for this kind of thing ........but it's a virtual machine........it's not
a proper tcl install or looping of any tcl .iso file on the hardware of the user.

V.

[ixbrian]

Good work.

I found a question:
If I select "Extract TCZ to in to initrd”, ezremaster will not update "/lib/modules/*/modules.dep", for example, alsa-modules-*.tcz

So I add "sudo depmod -a -b $temp_dir/extract `uname -r` >/dev/null 2>&1; sudo ldconfig -r $temp_dir/extract >/dev/null 2>&1" at the head of "package()" function in file "/usr/local/bin/remaster.sh" to update "modules.dep" and "ld.so.cache".

Thanks for the info.   I'll look at adding this in the next version of ezremaster. 

[littlebat]

After I “Extract TCZ to in to initrd” and get a remastered iso file, I found if I "tce-load -wi apackage" when running this remastered iso, it will download and install some packages I have extracted them into initrd already. So, I found a way to prevent this reduntant packages to be downloaded and installed as below. I think this can be an enhancement and may be an option when remastering.

1, Adding all the package flag file  into "$temp_dir/extract/usr/local/tce.installed", if a tcz package missing tce.installed script then "touch packagename"(e.g., touch leafpad) for it. It can also delete every things in this folder if all the tce.installed script in tcz packages has been handled before "touch packagename" for every tcz packages extracted into initrd. This can be prevent the package to be installed again when it has been extracted into initrd.

2, "touch packagename.tcz" in "$temp_dir/extract/tmp/tce/optional" for every package to be extracted into initrd to prevent this package to be downloaded again.

3, Copy every needed *.dep file for the package has been extracted into initrd to prevent download dep file again.

[ixbrian]

After I “Extract TCZ to in to initrd” and get a remastered iso file, I found if I "tce-load -wi apackage" when running this remastered iso, it will download and install some packages I have extracted them into initrd already. So, I found a way to prevent this reduntant packages to be downloaded and installed as below. I think this can be an enhancement and may be an option when remastering.

1, Adding all the package flag file  into "$temp_dir/extract/usr/local/tce.installed", if a tcz package missing tce.installed script then "touch packagename"(e.g., touch leafpad) for it. It can also delete every things in this folder if all the tce.installed script in tcz packages has been handled before "touch packagename" for every tcz packages extracted into initrd. This can be prevent the package to be installed again when it has been extracted into initrd.

2, "touch packagename.tcz" in "$temp_dir/extract/tmp/tce/optional" for every package to be extracted into initrd to prevent this package to be downloaded again.

3, Copy every needed *.dep file for the package has been extracted into initrd to prevent download dep file again.

I think the "Add extension inside initrd" would be the best option for what you are trying to do rather than trying to use the "Extract TCZ to initrd".   

In my mind extracting extensions to the initrd works really well for making a single purpose appliance that you won't be adding additional packages to.   Another really good case to use it is if you want extensions to be part of the "base" of your remaster so that when you boot with the "base" boot code they are still available.   For example, I always extract "kmaps.tcz" to the initrd so that it is available even when booting "base". 

But for normal day to day use where you are going to add a bunch of extensions down the road I would recommend one of the other 2 options other than "extract to initrd".   Extracting to initrd completely bypasses all of the Tiny Core package management features/benefits.   

If your suggestion was implemented it would likely cause issues when trying to use tools like AppsAudit.   It sounds like for what you are trying to do your best option would be to use "Add extensions inside initrd".

Thanks,
Brian

[coreplayer2]

In my mind extracting extensions to the initrd works really well for making a single purpose appliance that you won't be adding additional packages to.   Another really good case to use it is if you want extensions to be part of the "base" of your remaster so that when you boot with the "base" boot code they are still available.   For example, I always extract "kmaps.tcz" to the initrd so that it is available even when booting "base".

But for normal day to day use where you are going to add a bunch of extensions down the road I would recommend one of the other 2 options other than "extract to initrd".   Extracting to initrd completely bypasses all of the Tiny Core package management features/benefits.

EXACTLY!!   I had the same problem actually, then realizing the issue was I didn't RTM,  was simply attempting to build a  system/iso with updatability by using a method designed for a one off build.    There are options,  "extract to initrd" is not one of them is all. 
Isn't this the reason there is an "cde" option??  to keep extensions outside of initrd..?

Great app btw,  thanks ixbrian for your time and great effort to produce this great tool.  We appreciate it

[gavs]

This tool looks like just what I need to create a music appliance. I have just started to explore it.

I noticed that version 2.0.3 was posted Dec 6. I am using a CD (/mnt/sr0) for the ISO source with Tinycore 4.1 . Version 2.0.2 got the necessary ISO files fine but version 2.0.3 gives an error that /mnt/sr0/boot/core.gz is not found. The ISO contains the file /mnt/sr0/boot/tinycore.gz.

Has the naming convention for the core changed? Should I download a new ISO (I have not tried changing the name on the ISO CD, not sure I can change it)?

gavs

[curaga]

Please use 2.0.2 for 4.1, looks like ezremaster for 4.2 is out early

[ixbrian]

Yes, ezremaster 2.0.3 is for use with Tiny Core 4.2rc1 and later which hasn't been released yet.   Please use ezremaster 2.0.2 for the time being which is the version included in MultiCore 4.1. 

[gavs]

Thank you for this information.

I see where I can download archive versions of tinycore, but I do not see how to get archive versions of extensions. Is this possible? If possible, can I use AppsBrowser or do I need to use the command tce-load?

gavs

[Rich]

Hi gavs
AppBrowser will download from the correct repository based on which version of Tinycore you
are running.

[gavs]

Thanks Rich
Odd that this feature to pick the right repository does not work for me. When I enter version in Aterm, the system returns 'tinycore_4.1' but when I download+load ezremaster with AppsBrowser I seem to be getting version 2.0.3. The opening ezremaster GUI says for use with Tiny Core version 4.2 or later, and the script remaster.sh is looking for core.gz not tinycore.gz .

gavs