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  • Re: How to create a custom Debian ISO

    From Thomas Schmitt@21:1/5 to Aditya Garg on Sat May 11 17:10:02 2024
    Hi,

    Aditya Garg wrote to debian-devel:
    I wanted to create a custom ISO of Debian, with the following customisations:
    1. I want to add a custom kernel that supports my Hardware.
    2. I want to add my own Apt repo which hosts various software packages to
    support my hardware.
    I am not able to get any good documentation for the same. Please help.

    Marvin Renich wrote:
    The package live-build from the Debian Live project might help you do
    what you want.

    Indeed the live-build package seems to be in use outside Debian's own
    ISO production. Mailing list is
    debian-live@lists.debian.org
    There exists a manual
    https://live-team.pages.debian.net/live-manual/html/live-manual/index.en.html

    Installation ISOs are made by package debian-cd, of which i am not aware
    that it would have have users outside the official ISO production.i
    Mailing list is
    debian-cd@lists.debian.org
    Your impression about lack of documentation is not wrong as far as this
    project is concerned. :))


    Nevertheless the production step of packing up the ISO from a prepared
    file tree is documented together with methods to use a Debian installation
    ISO as base for the preparation:
    https://wiki.debian.org/RepackBootableISO

    Packages may probably be added at the appropriate place in the directory
    tree under /pool. (Managing a Debian repo is not my turf. Sorry for
    being vague here.)

    Changing the content of a Debian ISO might need some follow-up work in administrative files of the ISO.
    When merging Debian ISOs, my script
    https://dev.lovelyhq.com/libburnia/libisoburn/raw/branch/master/test/merge_debian_isos
    manipulates:
    /README.txt
    /dists/*/Release
    and merges the files listed in /dists/*/Release.
    You would have to explore whether these files are affected by your
    changes.


    Have a nice day :)

    Thomas

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  • From tomas@tuxteam.de@21:1/5 to Thomas Schmitt on Thu May 16 17:40:01 2024
    On Thu, May 16, 2024 at 05:20:40PM +0200, Thomas Schmitt wrote:
    Hi,

    Aditya Garg wrote:
    I would prefer making the ISO as similar to the official Debian ISO and just
    replace the Debian kernel with the customised kernel.

    In that case, i'd go along

    [...]

    Not the OP, but thanks, Thomas. Your posts are always
    a trove. And pleasant, on top!

    Cheers
    --
    t

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  • From Thomas Schmitt@21:1/5 to Aditya Garg on Thu May 16 17:30:02 2024
    Hi,

    Aditya Garg wrote:
    I would prefer making the ISO as similar to the official Debian ISO and just replace the Debian kernel with the customised kernel.

    In that case, i'd go along
    https://wiki.debian.org/RepackBootableISO
    Either by using the xorrisofs options in /.disk/mkisofs of the ISO :

    https://wiki.debian.org/RepackBootableISO#Learn_about_the_actually_used_ISO_production_command

    or by relying on the capability of xorriso to determine the commands
    which will reproduce the boot equipmemt of the loaded ISO :

    https://wiki.debian.org/RepackBootableISO#In_xorriso_load_ISO_tree_and_write_modified_new_ISO

    If you need help with finding the appropriate xorriso commands, ask me
    in private or in public at bug-xorriso@gnu.org .


    What remains is to find out whether this works out of the box or whether
    the kernel has to be announced in some files of the ISO or even cryptographically signed in some way.

    ------

    Just in case your adventure goes beyond replacing the kernel and possibly
    the boot loader menu files, i warn of a bug in xorriso-1.5.6 and older:
    Don't overwrite the El Torito boot image files in a xorriso run that uses
    -boot_image "any" "replay"
    The boot image files in Debian amd64 ISOs are /isolinux/isolinux.bin
    and /boot/grub/efi.img .
    If you need to replace them, then we have to talk.


    Have a nice day :)

    Thomas

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  • From Thomas Schmitt@21:1/5 to tomas@tuxteam.de on Thu May 16 18:20:01 2024
    Hi,

    tomas@tuxteam.de wrote:
    Not the OP, but thanks, Thomas.

    Well, ISO 9660 is known to be my hobby. So i can hardly resist trying
    to acquire new users for xorriso.


    Have a nice day :)

    Thomas

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  • From Thomas Schmitt@21:1/5 to Aditya Garg on Thu May 16 19:00:01 2024
    Hi,

    Aditya Garg wrote:
    This one is gonna be interesting.
    Wish me luck.

    Fingers are crossed ...

    (But everything in the procedure is supposed to be deterministic. So there
    is few room for luck, good or bad. We rather have to navigate the chaos.)


    Have a nice day :)

    Thomas

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