[SOLVED] Customize Live CD: SquashFS optimal compression

Weapon S · 06-26-2017, 12:23 AM

I am trying to make an Ubuntu installation medium with customized live environment. I am following this recipe: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LiveCDCustomization
Then there's this line:

Quote:

For a highest possible compression at the cost of compression time, you may use the xz method and is better exclude the edit/boot directory altogether:

sudo mksquashfs edit extract-cd/casper/filesystem.squashfs -comp xz -e edit/boot

The "edit" directory contains the file system extracted from the original squashfs.
I am not worried about the xz, but the exclusion of /boot. I'm not too familiar with all this matter. So, I wonder: do I need to do something else with /boot, or does this merely store /boot uncompressed in the squashfs file?

jefro · 06-26-2017, 08:03 PM

You should make the new iso as the original was. If /boot was not inside the squash file then keep it outside.

I don't have it in front of me but I'll guess it is outside.

Also not too sure I get what they are saying. Above that has references to changing the kernel and in such the phrase edit boot. I get the feeling that part may be wrong but I'd have to try it. I've worked on other minimal distro's where I'd squash it back and forth but never changed the /boot stuff.

Weapon S · 07-05-2017, 11:41 PM

This page says it more clearly: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Li...ionFromScratch
Since the actual files used for boot are outside of the squashfs, the only purpose of the /boot directory inside the squashfs is providing files, if you choose to install that filesystem to a permanent location. (I am not sure if the Ubuntu installer actually uses files from that filesystem.)