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linuxfonts.narod.ru -> AptoSID 2013-01 Ἑσπερίδες (Linux LiveCD) remastering how-to

AptoSID is dead. Their forum is dead. It hasn't seen new releases for two years already, "Install it and use it as a Debian distro", no thanks, I need a LiveCD distro with fresh software.

AptoSID is a desktop-oriented Linux LiveCD operating system based on the "unstable" branch of Debian, which uses the codename Sid. The distribution consists of a Live CD (bootable CD-ROM) for IA-32 or x86-64 architecture and can be installed to a hard drive through a graphical installer.

First of all, download an ISO image you would like to modify/remaster.

Then we have to unpack ISO image:

# mkdir -p /mnt/loop
# mount -o loop,ro your-aptosid-release.iso /mnt/loop

Now we should unpack the file containing the image of live aptosid image:

# unsquashfs -d /tmp/CHROOT /mnt/loop/aptosid/aptosid.686

In order to change something withing our aptosid filesystem, you have to add a few crucial filesystems:

# mount -o bind /dev /tmp/CHROOT/dev
# mount -o bind /proc /tmp/CHROOT/proc
# mount -o bind /sys /tmp/CHROOT/sys

Now you chroot to your new root and do whatever you want there:

# chroot /tmp/CHROOT

A few commands to consider are:

# apt-get update
# apt-get install package_name
# apt-get remove package_name

You may consider installing resolv.conf file to /lib/init/rw/resolvconf/resolv.conf in order to use network in your chrooted environment.

After you are done, leave your chroot'ed environment (hit Ctrl+D or type exit or close terminal accessing chroot'ed environment). You may want to erase the traces of your work: /lib/init/rw/resolvconf/resolv.conf file, logs in /var/log directory, apt-get cache in /var/cache/apt.

Now, we have to umount all auxiliary filesystems:

# umount /tmp/CHROOT/dev /tmp/CHROOT/proc /tmp/CHROOT/sys

Make sure this command unmounts everything!

Now it's time to rebuild our custom Sidux ISO image.

# cp -a /mnt/loop /tmp/4APTOSIDISO
# rm /tmp/4APTOSIDISO/aptosid/aptosid.686

# cd /tmp/CHROOT
# mksquashfs * /tmp/4APTOSIDISO/aptosid/aptosid.686 -keep-as-directory

And the final bit will be building our new ISO image (mind the trailing dot at the end of the second command):

# cd /tmp/4APTOSIDISO
# genisoimage -l -J -pad -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table -b boot/isolinux/isolinux.bin -c boot/isolinux/isolinux.cat -o /tmp/newaptosid.iso .

Now you can test this ISO in your favourite Virtual Machine (QEmu, VirtualBox, VMWare WorkStation or Parellels WorkStation).

© 2009-2012 Artem S. Tashkinov. This material cannot be reproduced on any other website, you are only allowed to link to this webpage.

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