RoninOS based off Buster/Sid

linus72 · 05-31-2019, 09:59 PM

Let's start with the obvious question when introducing a new or based off other Linux distro- What's new? How is it different than x,y,z distro?

Here's the parameters I wanted for a modern "boot off almost anything live distro that is also installable to hard drive".

That in LIVE Frugal mode it can boot off most file systems (fat32/ntfs/ext2/ext3/ext4) with persistency and toram mode plus other cheatcodes available without disturbing your native Windows or Linux installs.

That it can be installed to hard drive as a real linux install.

That it can be remastered into anything you wish by adding or subtracting programs/scripts.

That it can be used as a backup/testing platform for your installed distro (it's based off Debian Buster/Sid) and/or as a frozen restore point that boots live also.

That it is also a isohybrid iso which boots the fastest off usb as installed by dd command, or frugal install to hard drive.

That it can use Grub2, syslinux, and extlinux and possibly Lilo/Elilo boot loaders

I have also tried to add support for UEFI booting- I do not have a UEFI machine so need feedback if it works? Please google making a UEFI bootable Debian USB for info or burn to DVD.

Note that ethernet should auto connect at boot even if WICD doesn't say so, use Ceni in menu/internet to check connections!

Please read the readme-roninos.txt and files in Docs folder!
Passwords are root=root and live=live

Check it out here and please comment here as I need to know how it works for you or problems?
https://sourceforge.net/projects/roninos/

ugjka · 06-01-2019, 03:00 PM

How long did it take to put this together?

linus72 · 06-01-2019, 03:22 PM

hello ugjka for roughly the last couple months its been a learning curve lol as there isnt much info from Tomas at Slax these days so alot of things I had to test for a while. I'm not a programmer so it took awhile.

Note I didnt invent anything here just mashed together existing things like linux live kit, xanmod stuff, and some scripts ive edited so it will install to hard drive etc.

I dont have a hard drive or usb installer, thus the readme's I wrote for doing either manually

linus72 · 06-01-2019, 06:55 PM

Actually ugjka the MultiDistroIV version was the toughest as Debian Live, Clonezilla, and Simplicity Linux all use a folder named "live" as they're all Debian based so it took alot of scheming to get them together on a DVD, you can check it out here under files/Multidistro
https://sourceforge.net/projects/lin...-slack-debian/

Quote:

MultiDistroIV 050219 includes a tribute to cool Debian based distro's including:

Clonezilla Live 2.6.1-25-amd64
https://clonezilla.org/

My Buster remaster with LXDE desktop and kernel 5.0.10-xanmod6
https://sourceforge.net/projects/lin...-slack-debian/

Debian Live Stretch 9.9.0 Cinnamon x86_64 with nonfree firmware
https://cdimage.debian.org/images/un...64/iso-hybrid/

Simplicity Linux Mini
https://sourceforge.net/projects/simplicitylinux/

Slax Linux 9.9.0
https://www.slax.org/

NetBootCD 9.0 net-installer
https://www.lakora.us/netbootcd/

Plop Bootmanager
https://www.plop.at/en/bootmanager/index.html

It's a 3.8GB Live DVD/USB

colorpurple21859 · 06-01-2019, 09:51 PM

efi works if the the files are extracted to a formatted fat32 usb partition. Using DD to put the iso on a usb doesn't work in efi mode. What program did you use mkiso or genisoimage to make the iso? Did you create a efiboot.img?

linus72 · 06-02-2019, 05:36 AM

hey colorpurple21859 thanks for checking it out
I stole the EFI stuff from a Debian live netinstall iso lol and edited some stuff
I used genisoimage and then made it isohybrid
would mkisofs or xorriso be better?

linus72 · 06-04-2019, 02:42 PM

Hey colorpurple21859 and others
Today I got the grub install working to both fat32 and ext2/3/4 usb doing the following from a hard drive install

Code:

grub-install --force --removeable --boot-directory=/mount_point_of_usb/boot /dev/sdx

As you know, mount point of usb is where your usb is mounted and /dev/sdx would be your usb device, /dev/sdb /dev/sdc etc

And so then I wanted to see if I could boot the GRML daily build off iso off usb and it worked! lol

So, here's the grml iso's
https://grml.org/download/

and Debian has a program for grml boot check it out, in this instance grml-rescueboot, just install thru synaptic/apt but you gotta manually make the folder /boot/grml on usb and put iso in there
https://packages.debian.org/search?s...&keywords=grml

so on usb I have a grml testing iso in /boot/grml so you gotta make that folder grml and put the iso in there
Here's my grub config, note UUID of my usb in the grml iso boot entry "ca555541-783c-4401-b811-86c32652bc81" marked in blue, replace with your uuid number using blkid

Code:

insmod part_gpt
insmod part_msdos
if [ -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then
  load_env
fi
if [ "${next_entry}" ] ; then
   set default="${next_entry}"
   set next_entry="RoninOS Default Debian Kernel"
   save_env next_entry
   set boot_once=true
else
   set default="0"
fi

if [ x"${feature_menuentry_id}" = xy ]; then
  menuentry_id_option="--id"
else
  menuentry_id_option=""
fi

export menuentry_id_option

if [ "${prev_saved_entry}" ]; then
  set saved_entry="${prev_saved_entry}"
  save_env saved_entry
  set prev_saved_entry=
  save_env prev_saved_entry
  set boot_once=true
fi

function savedefault {
  if [ -z "${boot_once}" ]; then
    saved_entry="${chosen}"
    save_env saved_entry
  fi
}

function load_video {
  if [ x$feature_all_video_module = xy ]; then
    insmod all_video
  else
    insmod efi_gop
    insmod efi_uga
    insmod ieee1275_fb
    insmod vbe
    insmod vga
    insmod video_bochs
    insmod video_cirrus
  fi
}

set menu_color_normal=yellow/black
set menu_color_highlight=light-cyan/blue

    font="/boot/grub/fonts/unicode.pf2"
fi

if loadfont $font ; then
  set gfxmode=640x480x16
  load_video
  insmod gfxterm
  set locale_dir=$prefix/locale
  set lang=en_US
  insmod gettext
fi
terminal_input console
terminal_output gfxterm
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2

insmod png
background_image -m stretch /boot/grub/bootlogo.png
if [ x$feature_timeout_style = xy ] ; then
  set timeout_style=menu
  set timeout=5
# Fallback normal timeout code in case the timeout_style feature is
# unavailable.
else
  set timeout=10
fi

menuentry "Plop Bootmanager" {
	set gfxpayload=keep
	linux16 /boot/plpbt
}
menuentry "NetBootCD" {
	set gfxpayload=keep
	linux /boot/vmlinuz
	initrd /boot/nbinit4.gz
}
menuentry "RoninOS Default Debian Kernel" {
	set gfxpayload=keep
	linux /RoninOS/vmlinuz vga=788 initrd=/RoninOS/initrfs.img load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 rw printk.time=0
	initrd /RoninOS/initrfs.img
}
menuentry "RoninOS Persistent Debian Kernel" {
	set gfxpayload=keep
	linux /RoninOS/vmlinuz vga=788 initrd=/RoninOS/initrfs.img load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 rw printk.time=0 slax.flags=perch
	initrd /RoninOS/initrfs.img
}
menuentry "RoninOS Toram Debian Kernel" {
	set gfxpayload=keep
	linux /RoninOS/vmlinuz vga=788 initrd=/RoninOS/initrfs.img load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 rw printk.time=0 slax.flags=toram
	initrd /RoninOS/initrfs.img
}
menuentry "RoninOS Debugging Debian Kernel" {
	set gfxpayload=keep
	linux /RoninOS/vmlinuz vga=788 initrd=/RoninOS/initrfs.img load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 rw printk.time=0 debug
	initrd /RoninOS/initrfs.img
}
menuentry "RoninOS Default Xanmod Kernel" {
	set gfxpayload=keep
	linux /RoninOS/vmlinuzx vga=788 initrd=/RoninOS/initrfsx.img load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 rw printk.time=0
	initrd /RoninOS/initrfsx.img
}
menuentry "RoninOS Persistent Xanmod Kernel" {
	set gfxpayload=keep
	linux /RoninOS/vmlinuzx vga=788 initrd=/RoninOS/initrfsx.img load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 rw printk.time=0 slax.flags=perch
	initrd /RoninOS/initrfsx.img
}
menuentry "RoninOS Toram Xanmod Kernel" {
	set gfxpayload=keep
	linux /RoninOS/vmlinuzx vga=788 initrd=/RoninOS/initrfsx.img load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 rw printk.time=0 slax.flags=toram
	initrd /RoninOS/initrfsx.img
}
menuentry "RoninOS Debugging Xanmod Kernel" {
	set gfxpayload=keep
	linux /RoninOS/vmlinuzx vga=788 initrd=/RoninOS/initrfsx.img load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 rw printk.time=0 debug
	initrd /RoninOS/initrfsx.img
}
menuentry "Grml Rescue System (grml64-full_testing_latest.iso)" {
        insmod part_msdos
        insmod ext2
        set root='hd0,msdos1'
        if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
          search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,msdos1 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos1 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos1  ca555541-783c-4401-b811-86c32652bc81
        else
          search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root ca555541-783c-4401-b811-86c32652bc81
        fi
        iso_path="/boot/grml/grml64-full_testing_latest.iso"
        export iso_path
        kernelopts="   "
        export kernelopts
        loopback loop "/boot/grml/grml64-full_testing_latest.iso"
        set root=(loop)
        configfile /boot/grub/loopback.cfg
}

My next step is to make RoninOS as a bootable iso
here's difference of RoninOS isohybrid iso and grml iso

Code:

bash-4.3# file grml64-full_testing_latest.iso
grml64-full_testing_latest.iso: DOS/MBR boot sector; partition 2 : ID=0xef, start-CHS (0x3ff,254,63), end-CHS (0x3ff,254,63), startsector 580, 8192 sectors

Code:

bash-4.3# file RoninOS-053019-x86_64.iso
RoninOS-053019-x86_64.iso: DOS/MBR boot sector; partition 1 : ID=0x17, active, start-CHS (0x0,0,1), end-CHS (0x35d,63,32), startsector 0, 1765376 sectors

I'll be researching this

colorpurple21859 · 06-04-2019, 03:11 PM

Quote:

I used genisoimage and then made it isohybrid
would mkisofs or xorriso be better?

I think they all work about the same, but I don't know for sure. I've been doing most of my checking on my slackware system which has mkisofs installed. When I was doing checks on my Ubuntu system I notice mkisofs called up genisoimage.

linus72 · 06-05-2019, 06:28 AM

OK Ive updated the Docs/ at the site because I had to edit install-to-harddrive.txt, install-to-usb.txt etc plus added a grub_example.cfg

I plan on putting the Docs folder on iso as well, doesn't make much sense keeping it on user desktop cause you cant read it till you boot lol

Any other ideas for improving it?
thx

linus72 · 07-19-2019, 09:21 AM

RoninOS is now based on Bullseye/Sid, kernel 4.19.0-5-amd64, is now UEFI bootable thanks to colorpurple21859, and can also boot from iso via Grub2.

example hard drive/usb grub.cfg menu entry to boot from iso

Download iso and put it somewhere, in this example it's in my Debian Bullseye /boot folder on sda1
then added this entry to my hard drive or usb grub.cfg

Code:

menuentry "RoninOS Loop" {
        insmod part_msdos
        insmod ext2
        set root='hd0,msdos1'
        if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
          search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,msdos1 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos1 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos1  8c93d1f6-eeff-4bba-a743-838f86fd114a
        else
          search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 8c93d1f6-eeff-4bba-a743-838f86fd114a
        fi
        iso_path="/boot/RoninOS-071919-x86_64.iso"
        export iso_path
        kernelopts="   "
        export kernelopts
        loopback loop "/boot/RoninOS-071919-x86_64.iso"
        set root=(loop)
        configfile /boot/grub/loopback.cfg
}

then it booted grub.cfg for iso
choose e for edit default RoninOS boot then edit command line and say "from=/boot/RoninOS-071919-x86_64.iso" without quotes
download here
https://sourceforge.net/projects/roninos/files/