I need some kind of program to manipulate iso's: Read the files, change them if needed, add/remove programs, etc.

Is there anything in the standard Slack install that I can do this with? For example, mount the iso on a hdd, and manipulate it from there? Or do I need something more specialized?

iso's are normally read-only.
If you want to fiddle, you pull the files off with dd, make your alterations, then mkisofs to get a new iso.

You can mount iso's through the loopback interface with the mount command if you just want to look at it.

What are you trying to do?

I have a ready made iso I want to change a few configuration files, add in a few other files....basically, customize it for my needs.

The dd sounds interesting...Can you post a link for me to study?

man dd - I think I stuffed up.
I use this to pull isos off a CD.

What you seem to be talking about is "remastering" a CD.
Here's an example for rematering ubuntu live
http://wiki.linux.net.nz/UbuntuRemastering

Thank you for the link. But.....

Ubantu instructions/Debian ways are not for me. I use Slack exclusively for a reason. I'm not a snob, but I don't have/don't want/will never use anything but Slackware. It fits me.

I appreciate the attempt, but does anybody have a Slackware oriented ideas?

You misunderstand: the ubuntu remastering was an example. I guessed that, as a slack hacker, you'd have the skills to extrapolate from this. Apparently I was mistaken. I apologise.

basic remastering is always the same: ... for a general iso, you mount it, move the content to a working directory, modify whatever you want in the working directory (unmount the iso - you don't need it any more), then create a new iso from the modified files.

Unless you know how to mount an iso read/write?

... here are slackware examples:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=391198
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=350385
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=276611

... these concern remastering the slackware distro iso's. If you have a different iso, there will not be any information explicitly for you. You will have to extrapolate from these examples the kind of thing you want. Please let me know if you find this too difficult.

I gave you the ubuntu one as a kickoff because it contains a lot of the ideas you need to get started, and it is easy to read. Combined with your slackware experience, this should have been sufficient. I misjudged the situation - please excuse me.

I don't think this is exactly what you were looking for, but what about using QEMU to test the iso before burning it? You'd still have to do the changes to your working directory and then remake the iso, but at least you would cut down on coasters.

There is an excellent QEMU howto at http://www.slackware.com/~alien/doku...slackware:qemu

I think what CW's asking for is a pretty standard need. I haven't checked through the links in the thread yet but for example, OpenBSD doesn't supply distribution ISOs online. The only ISOs they have on their sites are bootable images that contain just the kernel, some drivers, installation scripts, shell, etc. When you install OpenBSD from the ftp sites you download and burn the ISO boot image and then start ftping all the packages. You can also download the packages, but there isn't a convenient way to add all this stuff to the bootable image and make a nice ISO. This is a good of an example of what I think he's asking for (and I would be interested in also).

P.S. Don't flame CW as he is one of the nice and helpful guys (actually, all the Slackers are).

Just about dead on Randux. What I'm EXACTLY doing is making iso's of slackware-current. But what I want to do is have the option of booting my custom 2.6.17-rc3 kernel from the get go. (Kinda like doing test26.s), along with the associated source and modules. The only way I've been able to do it is to add some kludgy lines in the script to copy the customized files over, then it proceeds to make the iso.

What I'd like to do is manipulate the files after they've been "iso'd", so if I need to tweak a file here or there, I can do it without going through the whole process.

I know Windows has a few programs out there that allow you to do exactly that, and I was wondering if there are any Linux ones that do the same.

The whole deal is purely a intellectual issue for me at this point (How many people have the exact same hardware I do?), but it's gotten to the point of obsession....Seems so easy, but.....

AFAIK, you can't do that. I wonder if the Windows programs are actually making a new iso using a temporary directory.

As far as the remastering links posted above, the best Slackware link referred to is dead, but the document is available at http://www.linuxquestions.org/linux/...ome_Slack_CUSS
It doesn't address the question you asked, but it's useful nonetheless.

Actually I don't think you can modify ISOs directly. At one time the driver allowed me to do that, and I wound up with a lot of scrambled coasters.

Provided you dig about in there and find the file where Patrick shows exactly what command he used to make the ISO with a particular kernel file as bootable with isolinux, it's not terribly complex to generate a new, bootable ISO with a different kernel. (I had to do this for one of those damnable Compaq machines with nothing but the SMART/2P array in it once and I was very glad to have found that little file.)

OK...All valid points....

Just a thought then:

How do I mount the iso so I can fiddle with it, then make a new iso out of that? (A kludgy workaround, but should work)

I copied this from google (mount iso)

Once you've downloaded an ISO Image you can mount it as a loopback device. This will give you access to the files in the ISO without you having to burn it to a CDROM first. In order to do this you must have loopback compiled into your Linux Kernel. (Most newer distributions will have this enabled by default). For example if you wanted to mount filename.iso to /mnt/iso you would run the following command:

hope this help's you out.

Cool. I'll give it a shot. Been too bloody busy to even try Google. I feel like such a Bill Gates....

The loopback won't work for what CW is asking for...he wants to be able to update the ISO. Even if you mount a loopback with the write switch, it gets mounted r/o.