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live_cd_overview.txt
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live_cd_overview.txt
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Every year: a new livecd/usb iso is made.
You can burn the iso using TAZ on a cd-r using xfburn (assuming you already have TAZ and are not currently still working
on windows or another linux distro). This same program may be available on other linux distros (in case you're currently working
with that instead). If using windows, ImgBurn can be used.
You can also place the iso on a usb stick (or memory card placed in a usb adapter) instead of on a cd-r by means of a program such as:
* Universal USB installer (http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/)
* Rufus (https://rufus.ie/)
* Linux Live USB creator (http://www.linuxliveusb.com/)
* UNetbootin (https://unetbootin.github.io/)
Please note that while placing the iso (which contains only boot setup 1) on a usb stick is possible, it is not recommended as
it is less safe. Reason for this is that the data on a cd-r is unchangable, whereas data on a usb stick/memory card is not.
Also note that even if you're putting the iso (which contains only boot setup 1) on a usb stick/memory card, you still need to use a second usb stick/memory card for the TAZ_optional_usb_stick boot setups and data (if you want to be able to boot the other boot setups and use the additional data (scripts, ...) on this at least).
In the x86 version, the bootsetup2to6 folder containing the 6 different bootable archives to be started at boot are on the TAZ_optional_usb_stick repo.
In the amd64 version, the bootsetup2to6 folder is on the iso.
In both cases, the bootable archives are lz4 archives.
The reason why in the amd64 version the bootsetup2to6 folder is placed on the iso is because with amd64 machines, we can expect that a dvd-reader is present, and/or that BIOS USB stick booting is available (we can't assume that with x86 machines however, so there the bootsetup2to6 folder is placed in the TAZ_optional_usb_stick repo).
Operating principles of the live cd:
A boot screen is shown, displaying the 7 different boot options, knowingly:
Boot setup 1: core programs only (cd)
Boot setup 2: core programs (cd) + cups + abiword + gnumeric (TAZ_optional_usb_stick)
Boot setup 3: core programs (cd) + impressive (TAZ_optional_usb_stick)
Boot setup 4: core programs (cd) + inkscape (TAZ_optional_usb_stick)
Boot setup 5: core programs (cd) + sane-backends + tesseract + GIMP (TAZ_optional_usb_stick)
Boot setup 6: core programs (cd) + mpv (TAZ_optional_usb_stick)
Boot setup 7: core programs (cd) + customized programs (TAZ_optional_usb_stick)
core programs are placed on the cd, and the rest is placed in archives (under the folders bootsetup2to6 and bootsetup7, present either on the USB stick/memory card or on the iso, depending on whether you're using the x86 or amd64 version):
system-config-printer + abiword + gnumeric is placed in archive2.lz4,
impressive is placed in archive3.lz4,
inkscape is placed in archive4.lz4,
GIMP is placed in archive5.lz4,
mpv is placed in archive6.lz4,
customized programs are placed in archive7.lz4
this technique is similar to http://doc.slitaz.org/en:guides:manyinone
after selecting one of these options, it will copy all data of this setup option (core programs= 1 compressed file, additional
programs = 1 additional compressed file) to RAM (tmpfs) , and then boot this setup.
The benefit of this approach is that the amount of RAM needed for the PC can remain relatively low (compared to copying
everything to RAM, without using archives), and the operating system will also be much faster
Read/write abilities:
Since cd-r's are read-only, the operating system (core programs) never changes (between boots) and can't become insecure.
Upon boot, the data is written to ram (--> it will copy the archives needed for the selected boot setup to tmpfs so it runs
from RAM), hence allowing the introduction of settings (for example to add log-in data to gajim, data for printer detection, ...
so these can effectively be used). This login data will need to be entered every time the operating system is restarted, as
settings are not storable. The browser will similarly lose all its history data with every restart, but during use, it will keep
history data. Any important data generated (i.e. text documents, spreadsheets, powerpoint presentations, ...) can be saved to a
usb stick.
The optional usb stick is also used to store not only the main boot archives but also additional packages (ie programs, video drivers for
hardware like specific graphics cards, ... -if he wants better support then the standard x vesa-, printers, scanners, modems, ...) and
settings. Special video drivers along with Vulkan are needed i.e. for games and programs as Google Earth, Blender, ...
Some users may also want to add programs for administrative things, i.e. eid-mw, ledger-software, ....
This is all possible by having the 7th boot setup (in the form of a lz4 archive) on the livecd/liveusb.
Users can make their own lz4 archive in the bootsetup7 folder by gathering the installation files via the package manager (or via github, ...)
and then compressing the files into a lz4 archive. The lz4 archive needs to be named
"archive7.lz4" so that the machine can find and execute it.
An alternative to this is -in case you have MS Windows (XP, 2000, ...) installed to a harddisk- to use MS Windows for those
tasks you can't do in TAZ (due to lack of drivers, ...).
Notes:
Regardless of the boot option chosen, the user will always log in as a user for security reasons.
The livecd/liveusb won't feature a "install to HD" option.
Not having an install to HD option will also steer its users to not using a HD, meaning it can be omitted in the user's pc.
Omitting the HD in the pc will make for a more environmentally friendly machine, and is hence a good thing.
Also, read speed of especially USB's are -although slower than HD's- still pretty high and less than 650 mb needs to be read
anyhow and saved to RAM. So, speed increases (compared to HD's) is -even at this phase-, negligable, and after the save to RAM,
everything is read from RAM, so no speed gains can be had there neither.
A script would be added in /etc/local.d/ that will be started at bootup (in all boot setups). This script would do an execute
command (./) to start a script in /bootscripts/ located on a USB stick (so on one of the USB ports) with several commands.
The advantage of this being that files on the USB stick can be altered, unlike on the livecd.