Package building on VL light live?

[Daniel]

I wasn't sure where to put this. Is it possible to do packaging on a VL light live edition? It would be very convenient because keeping the system clean could be as easy as rebooting. (unless I missed something)

[GrannyGeek]

If there is a VectorLinux Light Live CD, it's certainly not VL6 Light. You need to build packages with the current version of Light. So I'd have to say no, you can't use a VL Live CD for packaging because there is no current VL 6 Live CD.
--GrannyGeek

[Daniel]

... there is no current VL 6 Live CD.
--GrannyGeek

But you could make one from an installation using the vmklive script right?

[GrannyGeek]

But you could make one from an installation using the vmklive script right?

Sorry, I don't know anything about that. I hope someone who does know will see this and jump in.
--GrannyGeek

[stretchedthin]

G.G. is right. There is no vl6.0 live but there is a vl5.9 live.  If your idea will work you can test it by building something on the 5.9live for the 5.9 repositories.  Then you will have your answer.

I'd be curious to know the out come.  Right now I'm am reinstalling vl-light several times a week.

[uelsk8s]

You can build packages on a live system.

You can easily build your own live ISO with the vmklive script.

You will have everything you need by installing this pakage http://ftp://ftp-osl.osuosl.org/pub/vectorlinux/Uelsk8s/vl-live-tools-1.0.6-i586-4vl59.tlz

It has not been updated in a while but should work fine.


Uelsk8s

[Daniel]

Ok, I installed the package and I have a couple questions about the programs it installs. Vl-usb-install: Does it take an iso and make a bootable usb stick that runs live or just allows you to install the os from that iso? Vmklive: It makes a live cd of your installed system right? Can it make a live cd from an iso file instead? or does it have to use an installed system? Also, does it include files (home directory files for example) in the live cd?

[uelsk8s]

Vl-usb-install: Does it take an iso and make a bootable usb stick that runs live or just allows you to install the os from that iso?

it makes a bootable usb stick from an ISO, it can be live or regular VL install ISO.

Vmklive: It makes a live cd of your installed system right?

Yes

Can it make a live cd from an iso file instead? or does it have to use an installed system?

No, it must be from an installed system.

Also, does it include files (home directory files for example) in the live cd?

Yes, it includes all files in / so unmount any extra mounted filesystems.

[Daniel]

That answers my questions. Thank you! I have another question about installing VL light for packaging (or installing it for packaging so that I could then make a live cd for packaging from). How much extra packages should I install? None? Default? Some?

For anyone still watching this thread, I had a thought. If you have a virtual machine on your computer, you might be able to run the light live cd in it and just reboot the virtual machine instead of your computer. (I don't know if virtual machines can do that or not, it just sounded like a good idea to me.)

[stretchedthin]

How much extra packages should I install? None? Default? Some?

For anyone still watching this thread, I had a thought. If you have a virtual machine on your computer, you might be able to run the light live cd in it and just reboot the virtual machine instead of your computer. (I don't know if virtual machines can do that or not, it just sounded like a good idea to me.)

Yep I'm still following the tread, glad you brought it up.  I'm making my live cd as we speak.  I have been using a virtualbox all along for my builds and I will continue to with the live-cd. I can't see why I couldn't launch a live-cd in virtual-box.

I'm using the default vl-light 6.0, no extra packages.  The idea after all is not to create any false dependencies.


I guess the next trick is to create a live distro version that will launch from a usb stick.

[GrannyGeek]

That answers my questions. Thank you! I have another question about installing VL light for packaging (or installing it for packaging so that I could then make a live cd for packaging from). How much extra packages should I install? None? Default? Some?

On my packaging partition I don't install any extra packages except patches from the VL patch repo. I have to keep reminding myself that it's my *packaging* partition, not another VL installation to work and play with. I have a backup of the clean partition and I should be able to return to a clean box by restoring the backup to the formatted partition.

For anyone still watching this thread, I had a thought. If you have a virtual machine on your computer, you might be able to run the light live cd in it and just reboot the virtual machine instead of your computer. (I don't know if virtual machines can do that or not, it just sounded like a good idea to me.)

That sounds like it would work. You can set up an OS installed in a vm so that changes you make in your session are not saved when you quit the vm. You would then be back to "clean" the next time you started the OS in the vm. You can also make a copy of the vm file and could just replace the "dirty" file with the copy of the clean machine.
--GrannyGeek

[stretchedthin]

That answers my questions. Thank you! I have another question about installing VL light for packaging (or installing it for packaging so that I could then make a live cd for packaging from). How much extra packages should I install? None? Default? Some?

Daniel, I take it back.  There is some changes I would make to vl-light just before making it into a live cd.  I would set up opera so that it automatically, loads a tab for sourceforge, a tab for slackbuild.org, I would set up all wireless configurations so they don't have to be messed with everytime, I would turn off the screensaver and I would update the repositories and enable testing.

I'm saying this in hindsight.  I made the live cd and I built gramps using it. Everything worked fine. Exept for 2 things. 

1. My live editition would not mount a flash-drive.  Tried both HAL and VL-Hot set-ups.  I was able to save my build to the virtual harddrive, I have for my regular virtual machine.  So my build was not lost.
2. The second problem was for somereason launching the live-cd causes a change in lilo.  I have to put in the install cd and run the lilo configuration option inorder to boot into my regular virtual machine again.

Other than that it worked like a charm.  It was a time saver even with having to reconfigure lilo, it's still a lot faster than a fresh install, each new build.
Good idea,
Ken

[Daniel]

Yeah, I'm going to install sbbuilder at least when I make my live cd.

[Daniel]

I installed VL 6 Light but when I tried to use the vmklive script from /sbin (running it from a root terminal) It gave these errors:

cat: /root/.vmklive/.config: Not a directory
mv: accessing `/root/.vmklive/.config': Not a directory
/sbin/vmklive: line 91: /root/.vmklive/installsize: Not a directory
mv: cannot stat `/etc/fstab': No such file or directory
mv: cannot stat `/etc/mtab': No such file or directory
cp: cannot stat `/root/.vmklive/vmklive': Not a directory
cp: cannot stat `/root/.vmklive/vliveinstall': Not a directory
cp: cannot stat `/root/.vmklive/*.desktop': Not a directory
cp: cannot stat `/root/.vmklive/*.desktop': Not a directory
cp: cannot stat `/root/.vmklive/*.desktop': Not a directory
/sbin/vmklive: line 110: /root/.vmklive/hometmp.14969: Not a directory
cat: /root/.vmklive/hometmp.14969: Not a directory
cp: missing file operand
Try `cp --help' for more information.
rm: cannot remove `/root/.vmklive/hometmp.14969': Not a directory
mv: cannot stat `/root/.vmklive/fstab': Not a directory
mv: cannot stat `/root/.vmklive/mtab': Not a directory
mv: cannot stat `/root/.vmklive/xorg.conf': Not a directory

It did not make an iso or md5sum. Help?

[stretchedthin]

Hey Daniel;

I'll be making a new live disk afterwork tonight.  I'll see if I run into similar problems. 

If I recall correctly when I made the first one I just ran it from the menu as a normal user, no need to be root.
Ken