grml-live - build framework based on FAI for generating a grml and Debian based Linux Live system (CD/ISO)
grml-live [-a <architecture>] [-c <classe[s]>] [-C <configfile>] [-g <grml_name>] [-i <iso_name> ] [-o <output_directory>] [-r <release_name>] [-s <suite>] [-t <template_directory>] [-v <version_number>] [-bBFnNquVz]
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Caution
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Please check out the Current state of grml-live with squashfs-tools and kernel section for details about current state of involved tools before starting with grml-live or if you encounter any problems. |
grml-live provides the build system for creating a grml and Debian based Linux Live-CD. The build system is based on FAI (Fully Automatic Installation). grml-live uses the "fai dirinstall" feature to generate a chroot system based on the class concept of FAI (see later sections for further details) and provides the framework to be able to generate a full-featured ISO. It does not use all the FAI features by default though and you don’t have to know FAI to be able to use it.
The use of FAI gives you the flexibility to choose the packages you would like to include on your very own Linux Live-CD without having to deal with all the details of a build process.
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Caution
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grml-live does not use /etc/fai for configuration but instead provides and uses ${GRML_FAI_CONFIG} which is pointing to /etc/grml/fai by default (unless overriden using the '-D' option). This ensures that it does not clash with default FAI configuration and packages, so you can use grml-live and FAI completely independent at the same time! |
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Note
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Please notice that you should have a fast network connection as all the Debian packages will be downloaded and installed via network. If you want to use a local mirror (strongly recommended if you plan to use grml-live more than once) checkout mkdebmirror (see /usr/share/doc/grml-live/examples/mkdebmirror), debmirror(1), reprepro(1) (see /usr/share/doc/grml-live/examples/reprepro/ for a sample configuration), apt-cacher(1) and approx(8). To avoid downloading the base system again and again check out FAI’s NFSROOT (see FAQ of this document for details). |
- -a ARCHITECTURE
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Use the specified architecture instead of the currently running one. This allows building a 32bit system on a 64bit host (though you can’t build a 64bit system on a 32bit system/kernel of course). Please notice that real crosscompiling (like building a ppc system on x86) isn’t possible due to the nature and the need of working in a chroot. Currently supported values: i386 and amd64.
- -b
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Build the ISO without updating the chroot via FAI. This option is useful for example when working on stable releases: if you have a working base system/chroot and do not want to execute any further updates (via "-u" option) but intend to only build the ISO.
- -B
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Build the ISO without touching the chroot at all. This option is useful if you modified anything that FAI or grml-live might adjust via grml’s FAI scripts. It’s like the -b option but even more advanced. Use only if you really know that you do not want to update the chroot.
- -c CLASSES
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Specify the CLASSES to be used for building the ISO via FAI. By default only the classes GRMLBASE, GRML_MEDIUM and I386 are assumed, resulting in a small base system (being about ~180MB total ISO size). If using a non-I386 system (like AMD64) you should specify the appropriate architecture as well. Additionally you can specify a class providing a grml-kernel (see the CLASSES section in this document for details about available classes). So instead of GRML_MEDIUM you can also use GRML_SMALL and GRML_FULL.
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Important
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All class names should be written in uppercase letters. Do not use a dash, use an underscore. So do not use "amd64" but "AMD64", do not use "FOO BAR" but "FOO_BAR". |
- -C CONFIGURATION_FILE
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The specified file is used as configuration file for grml-live. By default /etc/grml/grml-live.conf is used as default configuration. If a file named /etc/grml/grml-live.local exists it is used as well (sourced after reading /etc/grml/grml-live.conf meant as main file for local configuration). As a last option the specified configuration file is sourced so it is possible to override settings of /etc/grml/grml-live.conf as well as of /etc/grml/grml-live.local. Please notice that all configuration files have to be adjusted during execution of grml-live, so please make sure you use /etc/grml/grml-live.conf as a base for your own configuration file (usually /etc/grml/grml-live.local). Please also notice that the configuration file specified via this option is not (yet) supported inside the scripts/hooks/classes at
${GRML_FAI_CONFIG}/config. Instead use /etc/grml/grml-live.local for configuration stuff used inside $ {GRML_FAI_CONFIG}/config. - -d DATE
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Use specified date as build date information on the ISO instead of the default. The default is the date when grml-live is being executed (retrieved via executing date +%Y-%m-%d). The information is stored inside the file /GRML/grml-version on the ISO, /etc/grml_version in the squashfs file and in all the bootsplash related files. This option is useful if you want to provide an ISO with release information for a specific date but have to build it in advance. Usage example: -d 2009-10-30
- -D CONFIGURATION_DIRECTORY
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The specified directory is used as configuration directory for grml-live and its FAI. By default /etc/grml/fai is used as default configuration directory. If you want to have different configuration scripts, package definitions, etc. with without messing with the global configuration under /etc/grml/fai provided by grml-live this option provides you the option to use your own configuration directory. This directory is what’s being referred to as ${GRML_FAI_CONFIG} throughout this documentation.
- -F
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Force execution and do not prompt for acknowledgment of configuration.
- -g GRML_NAME
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Set the grml flavour name. Common usage examples: grml, grml-small, grml64. Please do NOT use blanks and any special characters like /, ; inside GRML_NAME, otherwise you might notice problems while booting.
- -h
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Display short usage information and exit.
- -i ISO_NAME
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Specify name of ISO which will be available inside $OUTPUT_DIRECTORY/grml_isos by default.
- -I CHROOT_INSTALL
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Specify name of source directory which provides files that should become part of the chroot/ISO. Not enabled by default. Note: the files are installed under / in the chroot so you have to create the rootfs structure on your own.
- -n
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Skip creation of the ISO file. This option is useful if you want to build/update the chroot and/or recreate the squashfs file without building an ISO file.
- -N
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Bootstrap the chroot without building bootloader, squashfs, or finalizing the ISO. Use this option if installation of some packages fails, you want to run custom commands or similar. The main use of this option is to save time by skipping stages which aren’t necessary for bootstrapping the chroot and which would get executed more than once when iterating through the initial bootstrapping. Alternatively, use this option as a test run of grml-live. Once you are satisfied with the state of your grml_chroot, use grml-live -u to build the remaining stages and finalize the ISO.
- -o OUTPUT_DIRECTORY
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Main output directory of the build process of FAI. Some directories are created inside this target directory, being: grml_cd (where the files for creating the ISO are located, including the compressed squashfs file), grml_chroot (the chroot system) and grml_isos (where the resulting ISO is stored).
- -q
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Build the ISO without (re-)creating the squashfs compressed file using mksquashfs. This option is useful if you just want to update parts outside the chroot in the ISO. Consider combining this option with the build-only option -b.
- -r RELEASENAME
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Specify name of the release.
- -s SUITE
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Specify the Debian suite you want to use for your live-system. Defaults to "squeeze" (being current Debian/stable). Supported values are: etch, lenny, squeeze, sid. Debian "squeeze" requires a recent base.tgz (${GRML_FAI_CONFIG}/config/basefiles/$CLASSNAME.tar.gz) or a recent version of debootstrap.
- -t TEMPLATE_DIRECTORY
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Specify place of the templates used for building the ISO. By default (and if not manually specified) this is /usr/share/grml-live/templates/.
- -u
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Update existing chroot instead of rebuilding it from scratch. This option is based on the softupdate feature of FAI.
- -v VERSION_NUMBER
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Specify version number of the release.
- -V
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Increase verbosity in the build process.
- -z
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Use ZLIB instead of LZMA/XZ compression in mksquashfs part of the build process.
To get a small, Debian-stable and grml-based Live-CD using /grml/grml-live as build and output directory just run:
# grml-live
To get a small Debian-unstable and grml-small based Live-CD using /home/mika/grml-live as build and output directory just use:
# grml-live -s sid -c GRMLBASE,GRML_SMALL,I386 -o /home/mika/grml-live
To get a medium sized, Debian-unstable and grml-based Live-CD for i386 architecture using /grml/grml-live as build and output directory just run:
# grml-live -s sid -a i386 -c GRMLBASE,GRML_MEDIUM,I386
To get a small, Debian-unstable and grml-based Live-CD using /tmp as build and output directory and use grml_0.0-3.iso as ISO name (placed inside /tmp/grml_isos) just invoke:
# grml-live -o /tmp -c GRMLBASE,GRML_SMALL,I386 -s sid -i grml_0.0-3.iso
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Note
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If you have about 700MB of free space inside /dev/shm (being a tmpfs, usually you should have >=1GB of RAM) just run "mount -o remount,suid,dev,rw /dev/shm" and use /dev/shm as build and output directory - resulting in very fast build process. But please be aware of the fact that rebooting your system will result in an empty /dev/shm, so please use another directory for $CHROOT_OUTPUT, $BUILD_OUTPUT and $ISO_OUTPUT if you plan to create more persistent output. :) |
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create a grml-/Debian-based Linux Live-CD with one single command
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class based concept, providing a maximum of flexibility
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supports integration of own hooks, scripts and configuration
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supports use and integration of own Software and/or Kernels via simple use of Debian repositories
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native support of FAI features
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multi-arch support (work in progress)
grml-live uses FAI and its class based concept for adjusting configuration and setup according to your needs. This gives you flexibility and strength without losing the simplicity in the build process.
The main and base class provided by grml-live is named GRMLBASE. It’s strongly recommended to always use the class GRMLBASE when building an ISO using grml-live, as well as the architecture dependent class which provides the kernel (being I386 for x86_32 and AMD64 for x86_64) and a GRML_* class (like GRML_SMALL, GRML_MEDIUM or GRML_FULL). The following files and directories are relevant for class GRMLBASE by default:
${GRML_FAI_CONFIG}/config/scripts/GRMLBASE/
${GRML_FAI_CONFIG}/config/debconf/GRMLBASE
${GRML_FAI_CONFIG}/config/class/GRMLBASE.var
${GRML_FAI_CONFIG}/config/hooks/instsoft.GRMLBASE
${GRML_FAI_CONFIG}/config/package_config/GRMLBASE
Take a look at the next section for information about the concept of those files/directories.
If you want to use your own configuration, extend an existing configuration and/or add additional packages to your ISO just invent a new class (or extend an existing one). For example if you want to use your own class named "FOOBAR" just set CLASSES="GRMLBASE,GRML_SMALL,I386,FOOBAR" inside /etc/grml/grml-live.local or invoke grml-live using the classes option: "grml-live -c GRMLBASE,GRML_SMALL,I386,FOOBAR …".
More details regarding the class concept can be found in the documentation of FAI itself (being available at /usr/share/doc/fai-doc/).
The package selection part of the classes can be found in
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DEBORPHAN: get rid of all packages listed in output of Deborphan
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GRMLBASE: the main class responsible for getting a minimal subset of what’s defining a grml system. Important parts of the buildprocess are specified in this class as well, so unless you have a really good reason you should always use this class.
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GRML_FULL: full featured grml, also known as the "normal", full grml.
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GRML_MEDIUM: medium sized grml version, known as grml-medium
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GRML_POWERPC: grml for PowerPC architecture, not supported yet (still work in progress)
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GRML_SMALL: minimum sized grml version, known as grml-small
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LATEX: LaTeX(-related) packages like auctex, texlive,… (which used to be shipped by grml before the LaTeX removal)
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LATEX_CLEANUP: get rid of several very large LaTeX directories (like some /usr/share/doc/texlive-*, /usr/share/doc/texmf,…)
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LOCALES: use full featured locales setup (see /etc/locale.gen.grml). This avoids to get rid of /usr/share/locale - which happens by default otherwise - as well.
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NO_ONLINE: do not run scripts during the chroot build process which require a network connection
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RELEASE: run some specific scripts and commands to provide the workflow for an official grml release
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REMOVE_DOCS: get rid of documentation directories (like /usr/share/doc, /usr/share/man/, /usr/share/info,…)
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XORG: providing important packages for use with a base grml-featured X.org setup
Notice that grml-live ships FAI configuration files that do not use the same namespace as the FAI packages itself. This ensures that grml-live does not clash with your usual FAI configuration, so instead of /etc/fai/fai.conf (package fai-client) grml uses ${GRML_FAI_CONFIG}/fai.conf instead. For more details see below. To get an idea how another configuration or example files could look like check out /usr/share/doc/fai-doc/examples/simple/ (provided by Debian package fai-doc). Furthermore /usr/share/doc/fai-doc/fai-guide.html/ch-config.html provides documentation regarding configuration possibilities.
/usr/sbin/grml-live
Script for the main build process. Requires root permissions for execution.
/etc/grml/grml-live.conf
Main configuration file for grml-live which should be considered as a reference configuration file only. Please use /etc/grml/grml-live.local for local configuration instead.
/etc/grml/grml-live.local
All the local configuration should go to this file. This file overrides any defaults of grml-live. Configurations via /etc/grml/grml-live.local are preferred over the ones from /etc/grml/grml-live.conf. If you want to override settings from /etc/grml/grml-live.local as well you have to specify them on the grml-live commandline.
${GRML_FAI_CONFIG}/fai.conf
Main configuration file for FAI which specifies where all the configuration files and scripts for FAI/grml-live can be found. By default the configuration variables are FAI_CONFIG_SRC=file:///etc/grml/fai/config and GRML_FAI_CONFIG=/etc/grml/fai/config - both pointing to a directory shipped by grml-live out-of-the-box so you shouldn’t have to configure anything in this file.
${GRML_FAI_CONFIG}/make-fai-nfsroot.conf
This file is used by make-fai-nfsroot(8) only. Usually you don’t have to change anything inside this file. If you want to modify NFSROOT though you can adjust it there.
${GRML_FAI_CONFIG}/NFSROOT
This file specifies the package list for creating the NFSROOT.
${GRML_FAI_CONFIG}/apt/sources.list
This file specifies which mirrors should be considered for retrieving the Debian
packages when creating the main chroot (including all the software you would
like to see included). Important: this file should not be adjusted manually!
Instead use the GRML_LIVE_SOURCES variable inside /etc/grml/grml-live.conf or
/etc/grml/grml-live.local which modifies
${GRML_FAI_CONFIG}/config/
The main directory for configuration of FAI/grml-live. More details below.
${GRML_FAI_CONFIG}/config/class/
This directory contains files which specify main configuration variables for the FAI classes.
${GRML_FAI_CONFIG}/config/debconf/
This directory provides the files for preseeding/configuration of debconf through files.
${GRML_FAI_CONFIG}/config/hooks/
This directory provides files for customising the build process through hooks. Hooks are user defined programs or scripts, which are called during the installation process.
${GRML_FAI_CONFIG}/config/package_config/
Directory with lists of software packages to be installed or removed. The different classes describe what should find its way to your ISO. When running "grml-live -c GRMLBASE,GRML_SMALL,I386 …" only the configuration of GRMLBASE, GRML_SMALL and and I386 will be taken. If you use grml-live -c GRMLBASE,GRML_SMALL,I386,FOOBAR … then the files of GRMLBASE, GRML_SMALL, I386 plus the files from FOOBAR will be taken. So just create a new class to adjust the package selection according to your needs. Please notice that the directory GRMLBASE contains a package list defining a minimum but still reasonable package configuration.
${GRML_FAI_CONFIG}/config/scripts/
Scripts for customising the ISO within the build process.
${GRML_FAI_CONFIG}/live-initramfs/
This directory provides the files used for building the initramfs/initrd via live-initramfs(8).
grml-live itself logs to /var/log/grml-live.log. Unless you set PRESERVE_LOGFILE in your grml-live configuration the file is cleared on each new invocation of grml-live.
The FAI part of grml-live logs to /var/log/fai/$HOSTNAME/ - so the default being /var/log/fai/grml/.
If you are using the grml-live buildd you will find the logs of the grml-live run at /var/log/grml-buildd.stdout and /var/log/grml-buildd.stderr.
If you want to store build information in a database just install the grml-live-db Debian package. Further details available in the grml-live-db manpage.
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any Debian based system should be sufficient (if it doesn’t work it’s a bug, please send us a bug report then) [a usual grml2hd harddisk installation (using grml or grml-medium) ships all you need]. Check out How do I deploy grml-live on a plain Debian installation for details how to set up grml-live on a plain, original Debian system.
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enough free disk space; at least 800MB are required for a minimal grml-live run (\~400MB for the chroot [$CHROOT_OUTPUT], \~150MB for the build target [$BUILD_OUTPUT] and \~150MB for the resulting ISO [$ISO_OUTPUT] plus some temporary files), if you plan to use GRML_FULL you should have at least 4GB of total free disk space
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fast network access for retrieving the Debian packages used for creating the chroot (check out "local mirror" and "NFSROOT" to workaround this problem as far as possible)
For further information see next section.