hi all!

i'm about to install LFS an was thinking about using Damn Small Linux or the Gentoo Linux live (minimal install) CD as the host system for installation. anyone did this before? i know of people using Knoppix, is it ok with DSL or Gentoo too? i ask this 'cause of the time needed to get LFS running.. i'd like to take advance of other's experiences, if someone tells me it doesn't work with this way.. thanks in advance!

LFS... In my opinion at first was a blast. In fact its the reason I prefer Gentoo as a main OS. In my opinion I'd go with the SystemRescueCD. It provides the basic necessities to build, and has Minefield installed to reference the web for needed help, or to post questions about compilation errors. Bootstrapping initially for me at first was the most difficult. Always getting compilation errors. So after my second attempt I decided I needed a good live disk with a browser.

Since then I have another computer with a kvm. I guess its really about personal preference. Though you'll notice, that alot of long time Gentoo users usually suggest SystemRescuecd (it has support for 64bit & 32bit kernels) for Gentoo builds. And I think that would also be true with an LFS build.

Again it really comes down to preferences. At first I tried the Gentoo Live cd and just couldnt get it to work with my comp. Haven't tried Knoppix, but it seems like a decent choice. Maybe even Sabayon lite LiveDVD. That is now my preference for a lvie disk. It has everything I need & it has a persistence mode. So I can save settings when I reboot.

I have used a Gentoo live cd to do an LFS build before. Works pretty well. I believe I used the 2008.0 cd, and it was on LFS 6.3 (I think). If you use the nice little script at the beginning of LFS, it should tell you if you have all the necessary tools.

thanks for the hints.. i'm gonna burn a SystemRescuecd anyway i think, i gave a look at it and seems pretty interesting. Yes true, i forgot the script. well, you'll probably know what i've done at last anyway.. 'cause i'm pretty sure i'll ask more than a few s.o.s. questions!

well.. SystemRescueCD did not work for me, this is what i got trying to compile the fist package, binutils:
so, a requirement is not met, didn't check the lfs script, i was pretty sure it had all what needed.
or, it is my fault, perhaps i missed something..

Are you using the ALFS script? Or are you using the LFS guide step by step..?

I am wondering if its referring to texinfo. Which should be installed with SystemRescueCd. Try

Though you might need to emerge --sync first

I'm using the LFS 6.4 standard book (step by step). I thought SystemRescueCd would be fine, but this is the output of LFS's requirements script:
it's obviously bad. i must conclude it is not a valid method for building LFS, perhaps it is for building Gentoo.. haven't tried yet.
I don't quite understand what you mean with "Which should be installed with SystemRescueCd". Do you mean you thought it was in the cd, or that i should emerge it? Since it is a live cd, i wouldn't see the point in doing this. Or, should I build a customized version of the cd?

It meant that it was included with the cd. Those tools can be easily emerged.

Bison, yacc, texinfo ...

I built a 6.3 LFS with SRCD... It shouldn't be a big deal... You just need to emerge --sync then emerge the tools you need to continue.

ok, thanks. anyway, since i'll have to divide the whole process through days, i'd have to re-emerge all the packages needed, and preparing some steps everytime i reboot. i'll try to go with an installed host, to have some of the steps done. anyway, thanks for the tips, i didn't think emerging something from a live-cd was possible at all and i didn't know SRCD wich is really great. btw, i'm corious about this.. where does it install the files when i emerge something, directly in the Ram?

I can see how a LiveCd can be a pain when your spreading out the build process over several days.

I use SRCD for alot of repairs and fixes. And Gentoo builds. Though in your case emerging a package is no different then when using Gentoo. The entire disk is not loaded into ram unless specified at boot. I use these parameters when starting SRCD

Then when it finishes loading I use

to configure xorg & startx. After in which I emerge --sync.

I do have 4 gigs of ram, so i have never really worried about running out of space. You can always --sync then emerge your tools. Then remove the portage ebuilds for increased storage. You just need those three tools to continue. Then you can discard the portage database by deleting /usr/portage/, this removes all distfiles and ebuilds after emerge.

Now with the LFS build, I would create small partitions on the drive and mount it. Then download all sources for the project, and add another partition for the LFS build. So you have a backup of all downloaded sources in case of a problem. [partiton1=LFS] [partition2=LFS sources] and mount them.

LFS is simple just takes time and patience. I had to leave my PC on for several days when I built it at first... Just didn't want to loose my progress.

Depending on RAM you could go with Sabayon, a Gentoo binary based distro. They make a live MCE lite edition, I've use this, aand it has a persistence mode. From there you can save all your settings and progress. Just a suggestion. You still need too update equo, & update the database and install missing build tools (takes more ram)

You should be fine emerging and syncing in SRCD. And if your concerned about space then just delete the portage files in the dir I stated above, to increase space availability in virtual memory.

well thank you all for the tips, i solved the problem by building a live-cd optimized for the purpose myself. got a base of gentoo and all the tools needed, plus some scripts for automating routines (like chroot, profiles etc).