|
Roll your own Portable-Slackware! The definitive "How-To"
First-off; this took months and is alot of work; a Slackware T-Shirt in size XX would be a fair trade at least-Hook me up!
The DSL book would be cool too. It would seem the Dawn of the Self-Contained-Symbiant-Operating-System is here! Portable-Slackware-12.2 runs off a qemu-created raw vhd capable of running JUST like an installed-to-HD Linux distro; that is, all settings are saved, etc. You can add apps, themes, etc whatever and it'll be there when you reboot! Pros? It runs off USB(4GB or larger), on any partition type (FAT32/EXT3,etc) and runs on both Windows and Linux. Meaning it is fully portable and compatible with any Windows/Linux Box. No reboot needed, it runs off the "Host" system; just insert USB, invoke script and play! Don't need to partition USB, set boot flag, or install syslinux/grub. Files/apps/updates, etc are in real-time and saved back to the vhd. Allowed Memory can be adjusted thru the scripts ( -m 280 ), edit as required, default is 128 by qemu. Symbiant can access Host system, or any system, thru Internet if enabled. Symbiant can "anonymously" access the internet thru the Host system; to do evil no doubt; (example-watching porn on firefox on Portable-Slack from your friends(enemies?) Office cube. The evidence "might" be on his computer but not in his firefox history!Who did it?!) Can be used to hide secret files, the vhd is inaccessible from the outside. The vhd can be compressed/ decompressed without hurting it. The vhd can be copied- So, after you get the system working good; make a copy of the vhd and put the original somewhere safe. Now, use the copy to do experimental stuff; if anything goes wrong, delete it and go back to the original. make another copy, etc. Useful for doing "test" installs of new pkgs on the go or as an intro for inexperienced Slacker's so they can learn Slack by trial and "break". Lots more potential too- Slack, feather, dsl2hd, and a couple others are the only ones I've gotten to work and KDE is a no-no (errors,etc) XFCE4/Fluxbox run flawlessly. Any slack-based distro should work this way...Debian/Ubuntu have issues. OK-although a rather simple operation, this post will be lengthy... Ingredients; 1) Slackware DVD.iso 11/12/12.2,etc name it (SlackDVD.iso) or change the name in the install scripts. 2) Portable-Qemu, Windows .bat, and Linux .sh scripts here- ( http://multidistro.com/downloads/dsl...le-Qemu.tar.gz ) (1.2MB) 3) 4GB or larger USB Instructions; Note-this how-to assumes you have downloaded Portable-Qemu and have made a folder named "slack" either on your desktop or in your /home directory. In the slack folder is the Slack DVD.iso, the qemu folder and the (slk) install and run .bat/.sh scripts. YOU DO NOT NEED QEMU INSTALLED TO DO THIS! 1) Make a folder named "slack" in /home or on your desktop. 2) Untar the Portable-Qemu to the "slack" folder. The contents should be- slk_install.bat slk_install.sh slk_run.bat slk_run.sh qemu folder- ..../bios.bin ..../(hda) put it here too ..../fmod.dll ..../libusb0.dll ..../linux_boot.bin ..../qemu ..../qemu.exe ..../qemu-img ..../qemu-img.exe ..../sdl.dll ..../mke_vhd.bat ..../mke_vhd.sh 3) Put the slack DVD.iso in the slack/Portable-Qemu folder. 4) Alright, ready to go...make sure the install and run scripts are executable. 5) Using "mke_vhd.bat" for Windows or "mke_vhd.sh" for Linux, make a VHD of whatever size you want. Note-edit the script before using to set the desired vhd size (M/G). Double-click mke_vhd.bat in windows and in Linux either double-click or "cd" into the slack folder and "chmod +x mke_vhd.sh" to make executable and "./mke_vhd.sh" to invoke. 5a) You can also do it thru the terminal or command prompt(windows) In Linux; "cd" into slack/qemu folder and "qemu-img create harddisk ??M/G" where "??M/G" is size 32M/128M/2G, etc In Windows; thru the command-prompt, cd into the slack/qemu folder and "qemu-img.exe create harddisk ??M/G" as above. It should make either in the qemu folder you cd'd into to. 6) rename the "harddisk" to "hda". 7) Use and invoke either "slk_install.bat" or "slk_install.sh" Qemu should pop up, press enter to boot or choose a kernel. I chose "huges.smp" 8) From here on, it's a basic Slack install- Login as "root" and "cfdisk /dev/hda" cfdisk pops up; choose "new", then "primary", then "bootable", then "type"; choose "83" (linux). Choose "write" and "yes". Choose "quit" when it's done. 9) At the prompt type "setup" Choose "Target", (/dev/hda1), then "format with no bad block checking". 10) Choose "install from CD/DVD" and "auto find CD" 11) Start installing packages. 12) At prompt to install Lilo; choose "expert" lilo setup. Start Lilo header with new config,etc choose "/dev/hda", should already be there... choose/input "/dev/hda1" install lilo. 13) Choose mouse, network config, etc. 14) At setup exit; DO NOT REBOOT! Instead, at the command line; enter "halt" and wait for shutdown if qemu doesn't stop, click the X to kill it, as long as the system halted. 15) Use the "slk_run.sh/.bat" and invoke, boot and login! 16) Uncomment a slackware mirror "nano /etc/slackpkg/mirrors" To uncomment; delete the "#" in front of any mirror where it says "http/ftp" #Utah university #http so and so (wrong) #Utah university http so and so (right) To save changes in nano- cntrl-o To exit- cntrl-x 17) "slackpkg update", and then "slackpkg upgrade-all" 18) Now, setup xorg.conf for 800x600 with 3-button mouse... "nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf" edit the mouse input to read- Code:
Option "Device" "/dev/mouse"Code:
Subsection "Display"cntrl-x to exit. after upgrading; configuring-"startx" Baby! Suggestions- Install sbopkg and Use Dillo from SlackBuilds.org in place of firefox. Any mistakes/errors in this please post! 05/13/09 Screenshot is 3.5GBvhd XFCE4 Portable-Slack running from 4GB Kingston USB. |
Now I just need to find some time... :)
And empty a 4GB USB stick, or buy myself a new one. |
No doubt; this is a tribute to Slackware 'cause it really went easy but Ubuntu/Debian kept freaking out during boot/install!
Tomorrow I'll release the how to for Portable-MyDSL (which is alot different) and for Multiboot-Portable too! This wasn't possible without all you guy's help; Repo, Tex-Mex, Alien-Bob, bGeddy, and alot of others-I smoke too much *!@$ so I can't remember everyone...:) Anyway, Good Waves and Portable-Slack! And in the words of Spicolli "That's righteous dude!" |
So, anybody made one yet?
I just posted MyDSL/Portable-MyDSL howto in the DSL forum, check it out too! |
fixing this now- Please edit the "mke_vhd.sh" to start with "./qemu-img" instead of "qemu-img".
It only affects it when invoking thru term I think. |
Quote:
Anyway - nice one for the work put in. It's good to see someone "putting back" to the fold ! |
Thanks bgeddy; I did actually make a small 64MB (maybe too big?) swap partition by using a different vhd (hdb) ( -hdb qemu/hdb ).
However, I never noticed it using the swap partition..it always said 0 no matter how I stressed it-does that mean it's not using it or what? Easy to make one for yourself now. I did not try to partition the hda vhd as it usually destroys it and makes it unbootable. Any help you guys can give I'll use; I'm still a newbie dude. |
I'm curious.
Seems to me this how-to describes installing Qemu, creating a blank Qemu disk image, and then installing Slackware 12.2 from scratch. Some additional scripts render the final disk image "portable." Do I understand correctly? I have VirtualBox installed. Although I run Slackware 12.2 as my primary operating system, for testing purposes I have a Slackware 12.2 VirtualBox image on my system running KDE 3.5.10 and the image runs well. A quick search of the web reveals I could convert the VirtualBox image to raw format and then convert that raw format to a Qemu (qcow2) image. I'm familiar and comfortable with VirtualBox and already have a Slackware 12.2 image available. Creating the Qemu disk image through this VirtualBox image makes sense to me. I don't understand all that is transpiring in this portable/virtual how-to, but seems to me, after converting to qcow2 format, I should be able to run that same VirtualBox image with this portable technology. Am I correct or am I missing the big picture? |
Hmm. I tried to answer my own question.
The scripts worked fine as far as creating a new disk image from scratch and running the Slackware ISO image. I next converted my Slackware 12.2 VirtualBox image to raw format and then to qemu format. vditool COPYDD Slackware.vdi Slackware.img qemu-img convert -f raw Slackware.img -O qcow2 hda I maintained the disk image file name of 'hda'. When I ran the slk_run.sh script I received the error message: Boot from Hard Disk 0 failed FATAL: Not a Bootable Disk The original VirtualBox image booted fine. Next I guessed that perhaps the portable version of qemu being used might not support qcow2 but only qcow: qemu-img convert -f raw Slackware.img -O qcow hda Well, what do I know --- the slk_run.sh script booted the image just fine! Note to self: the image must be qcow format and not qcow2 format. I had configured my Slackware 12.2 VirtualBox image to boot into run level 3. The new Qemu version booted to the login prompt. There were some glitches connecting to my host machine NFS shares. Yet I logged in without event. Running startx failed but the reason is the original xorg.conf is configured with the VirtualBox video driver. Yet I maintain several versions of xorg.conf just for testing. I copied the vesa version and then startx was able to run. KDE booted. Arts failed and because Qemu does not provide a seamless integrated mouse, the mouse buttons were reversed. Nonetheless, my converted Virtualbox image was running. :) Speed? Slow. Of course there is no kernel accelerator running. That will be a problem with any corporate locked down machine. The slk_run.sh script does not contain any support for networking. I'm unsure whether this important but Samba and NFS work fine in my VirtualBox image but not with the converted Qemu image. Trying to copy my VirtualBox configuration I added: -net nic,model=pcnet -net user -net tap1 But that did not enable networking. As I am new to Qemu, I don't yet know what I'm missing. Questions: With Qemu is there a way to force X/KDE to run at 60 Hz, the native resolution of my LCD monitor? When running the virtual machine in VirtualBox, KDE indicates the display is running at 60 Hz. With Qemu KDE indicates 76 Hz. :scratch: Does Qemu provide a seamless mouse integration or is the user stuck using Ctrl-Alt all the time? |
| All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:36 AM. |