creating my own Linux distribution+please help

alex_smith · 07-02-2003, 08:36 AM

hi friends,
i am interested in creating my own linux distribution, a special distribution for the schools . I am working in school linux project under a NGO, wherein we are installing LTSP clients free for the rural schools of india.

but everytime, we need to create a server, mandrake needs to be installed and then a whole lot of packages for schools needs to be loaded from a different cd.

many packages in the mandrake again are not needed.

i have tried lfs and then blfs a lot. I didn't suit our needs either.
Can u anybody guide us, point to us of any such url that has in depth technical information.
please...

alex

Micah · 07-02-2003, 01:05 PM

I've been thinking of doing this as well - for learning purposes and later for business =)

http://gok.customer.netspace.net.au/.../buildMin.html

I don't know if the link will post... If not I'll repost another way =)

This site, unlike LFS and BYO Linux doesn't give you EVERY Command and then you hope it works... Instead it starts by giving the commands and then says to read the help and as you go on, there is only you reading the help... This actually worked for me! LFS and BYO both died at logon (I don't use passwords for testing - pointless (lol - what are you going to hack into?)...)

That is where I would start... and then somthing like Mondo Rescue to back it up and restore it to other machines maybe... A possibility.

Hope this helps. (The link again)http://gok.customer.netspace.net.au/.../buildMin.html (How To Build a Minimal Linux System from Source Code)

saurav_gohain · 07-03-2003, 07:40 AM

ok, micah let me try

saurav_gohain · 07-06-2003, 04:42 AM

micah, in my case also, the system worked. but then how do we make such a small distribution cd bootable.

what's ur view

Micah · 07-06-2003, 12:18 PM

Personally, I would look into Mondo Rescue...

I have not yet to make it work personally but everything I have seen allows you to make bootable cd's and stuff... http://www.microwerks.net/~hugo/

Also not that Mindi does the boot stuff... =)

Other than that I am unsure =( - I'd be searching the How-to collection. I know a Bootdisk how-to exists and I think it talks about CD's at the bottom.

(Note: I use slackware as my base distribution and it is noted on Mondos site that slack does have a problem or too... =)

saurav_gohain · 07-06-2003, 11:35 PM

micah,
finally i think, we have resort to boot disk sort of. I am chalking out a detail about the booting process. I feel, testing can be done from a boot floppy and having some program called 'install' that will do the rest.
I will keep u updated by tomorrow.

saurav

Micah · 07-07-2003, 07:43 AM

A boot floppy would work - especially for testing... At least it should be convertable to a Bootable CD When all is done =)

I'll be waiting =)

Micah

saurav_gohain · 07-07-2003, 08:59 AM

micah,
when i try to install LILO, i get the following message . ( folowing the mini linux distribution howto)

can't locate hda or sda device in /dev

earlier i have done makedev and all the hard disk partitions are there.
what could be the reason

Micah · 07-07-2003, 01:10 PM

did you do:
# ROOT=/mnt/linux ./QuickInst

? odd... Mine failed too... But I am using Slackware 3.0 (or some ANCIENT) version to test with... I think I am lacking something required in order to install...

For now, I have skipped that step...

I boot into Win 98, exit to DOS and run LOADLIN bzimage ........

I am using a SCSI system as well... My error is something like, Can't find bootmap at /dev/sda1 or something odd... (With the LILO that is installed at base. The new LILO gives a make error - my MAKE is OLD too...)

What distro is your base distro? (and version too)

Micah

saurav_gohain · 07-08-2003, 08:07 AM

mandrake 9.1

saurav_gohain · 07-08-2003, 08:11 AM

i think there is a problem with the makedevices . by the way do you know what is the diff between hda1 and hda1@.

what's the specific in @ that defines everything else.

When i do ROOT=/mnt/mylinux ./QuickInst it promts the boot device and when i write /dev/hda7
It promts , no device found . strange
but then when in lilo i type
make
make root=/mnt/mylinux install
it boots
but while installing glibc I found yet another C errors.
God knows ...

saurav_gohain · 07-08-2003, 08:15 AM

micah , i personally feel why linux is still not the popular os amongst the common non techy masses.
it's only beause of its's unusual names and cryptic commands.
i feel that way

Micah · 07-08-2003, 08:50 AM

hmm. Mandrake 9.x should have newer stuff...

What version of MAKEDEV do you have? I might have same problem... I'll get back this evening with my version (At work right now)...

I believe the @ is some sort of a sim link... I think...
ln -a (or is it -l)
ls -l hda*

Should show if it is a link or not...

glibc... Thats a fun one... I have like 10 packages I have to make on my source distribution before I can run it =)
Everything from make and gcc, to awk... (I am experimenting - I could have used any distro, but i grabbed an old one =) -- DHCP didn't even come with this old one - hehe)

Whats your glibc errors?

(LILO isn't way to important as I am bootimg with LOADLIN at the moment... I will remember this and figure it out... I am on a SCSI setup so that may have something to do with it)

Micah

saurav_gohain · 07-09-2003, 04:05 AM

micah, lets try the whole thing jointly . because i felt it's something that's not possible with a single individual .
can u lend some time and expertise.

please confirm , my email id is : way2saurav@rediffmail.com

Micah · 07-09-2003, 07:53 AM

Sorry for the delayed response... I ended up with company last night...

My MAKEDEV version is 2.3.1 - I found it on the Debian site (I don't know where else to find a new copy - possibly SRC CD of a new distro? (I'm not found of RPMS or SRPMS... yet... =)

Joint effort... hmm... possible... Worth a shot to say the least =)
here is my identity: micah_death@hotmail.com

I'll be e-mailing you shortly...