live Arch CD construction kit (larch)

Sigi · 2006-08-17 05:55:26

crap, I screwed things up badly...

I'm getting a kernel panic now if I try to boot the iso created in larch 0.9.8 and 1.0.0.

log:
<snip>
end of live scripts
switch_root: Bad init '/sbin/init'
Kernel panic - not syncing: Attempted to kill init!

Any ideas?

Thanks anyway for your great scripts, gradgrind. I'm quite sure its my fault.

gradgrind · 2006-08-18 10:06:26

larch has a sort of website again, though still looking for something more permanent.

http://four.fsphost.com/gradgrind/

Version 1.0.1 now available (a few minor fixes)

Sigi:
Sorry, no idea. I haven't had any problems (yet), I built a couple of CDs yesterday and they worked fine. Is the CD structure ok? Did any other 'unusual' messages whizz by during booting? The start up of init is a difficult point for debugging. Maybe try starting from scratch? Try a build from unmodified larch source?

Sigi · 2006-08-18 10:50:41

Sorry that I can't give you more information about this issue, I'm a bit busy these days...

That's exactly how I'll proceed next week. I'll start by building a "clean" larch-cd and add my stuff piece by piece. I'll write a short report about this issue later if I found my mistake...

Cheers Sigi

_alexmyself · 2006-08-18 15:49:29

there's a package manager that run with pacman and add possibilities, one is the possibility to handle the aur's packages like others "standard" packages (install, update..)
it's yaourt,
it doesn't hurt anything, so you can use pacman or yaourt when you want

maybe it could be interresting for larch

thanks for larch gradgrind, why don't host on aur ?
maybe the packages will not be as beautiful as you hope it, but it really have it's place there, to my advice..there's not so many arch-live-maker

gradgrind · 2006-08-18 16:16:23

yaourt sounds interesting, but I think I prefer to do my package building manually. It could maybe do with a bit more publicity? Of course, anyone who wanted to use it in a larch context would be free to do so - larch is just a build framework, which I hope is highly adaptable.

As to larch and AUR, I think I answered this once already, but basically the reasons are: 1) larch in its present form should run on any linux system, not just Arch, and 2) I'm not sure what the advantage of having it there would be, I find the present tar-ball very convenient. Of course, if someone can give me good reasons, I might reconsider.

Sigi · 2006-08-20 17:12:54

I had time to create a "clean" larch-LiveCD now. It didn't work here. This time the error message reports "bad console" instead of the old init error.

I built a clean larch LiveCD with only a few packages uncommented in the addedpacks file (the heavy x-apps). I just tried to boot the created image in qemu without burning it on a cd, I hope this doesn't matter. See this screenshot for the error-message.

Dusty · 2006-08-20 17:21:47

gradgrind wrote:

1) larch in its present form should run on any linux system, not just Arch

Most of the packages in AUR run on any linux system, not just Arch. ;-) They just have PKGBUILDs there that make it easy to install on Arch. The tarball you find so convenient would just go in the source array.

2) I'm not sure what the advantage of having it there would be, I find the present tar-ball very convenient.

Do you ever download other packages from AUR? Its just the easier way to distribute PKGBUILDs. I don't know what your tarball looks like, but if it won't install easily to /usr (with scripts in /usr/bin, data files in /usr/share, etc), you could make a PKGBUILD that installs it to /opt. I suspect more people will notice the project if they can use their arch tools to install it.

Besides, don't you want to feel the satisfaction of watching your project get voted to the top of the AUR? :-)

Dusty

Sigi · 2006-08-20 20:11:49

I fully agree with Dusty, you'd have my vote for sure.

But I would prefer the /opt-way, because otherwise its kind of hard to keep the overview...

Sigi · 2006-08-21 21:45:27

Sigi wrote:

I had time to create a "clean" larch-LiveCD now. It didn't work here. This time the error message reports "bad console" instead of the old init error.

I found the error I made. I deleted the following important lines out of config_larch:

# choose method for acquiring list of base packages
getbasepacks=basepacks_cvs
#getbasepacks=basepacks_ftp
#getbasepacks=basepacks_abs

Stupid me :oops:

It's working as intended now. Thanks for the help via mail, gradgrind!

But I've got already a new problem to solve:
In LiveCD mode, I've got the this problem, which is marked as solved. This error is also described here.

I post this here because this error only appears in my LiveCD, my system doesn't behave that way. Any ideas?

Cheers Sigi

gradgrind · 2006-08-22 14:51:45

New Release: Version 1.1.0

This has install to USB-stick capability.

Running larch from USB-stick is nice and snappy! Get it while it's hot ...

Sigi · 2006-08-22 14:55:03

gradgrind wrote:

New Release: Version 1.1.0
This has install to USB-stick capability.
Running larch from USB-stick is nice and snappy! Get it while it's hot ...

You're my personal Hero-of-the-Day (tm) 8)
Can't wait to try it out...

Sigi · 2006-08-23 05:57:34

Gradgrind, somehow the input of the device number didn't work for me. In what kind of format should one declare the device?

However, I "hardcoded" the correct device into the script and now it works - too bad I've got only a 256MB-Stick available atm. My image needs a lot more stripping down...

gradgrind · 2006-08-23 06:16:08

Gradgrind, somehow the input of the device number didn't work for me. In what kind of format should one declare the device?

I get something like this:

**********************************************************

usbboot will prepare a bootable USB stick with your
previously prepared larch data from /home/tmp/live_data

Please insert your USB stick and be aware that any data
and formatting on it will be deleted.

**********************************************************

Do you want to continue?
[y/N]: y

Enter the number of the device you wish to use (0 to quit):
1: Disk /dev/sda: 513 MB, 513802240 bytes
2: Disk /dev/sdb: 131 MB, 131072000 bytes
Device: 1

"/dev/sda" will now be prepared. Continue? [y/N]:

Do you have something wildly different?

Sigi · 2006-08-23 06:36:33

Yes I do. (I'm currently at work and not at my Arch Box, please excuse that I don't remember every detail)

I'm working on a IBM/Lenovo T43 which has a IDE HD connected via a SATA interface. My HD partitions are therefore named sda1, sda2, ... and a plugged in usb-stick appears as sdb1. If I run "fdisk -l", the output doesn't have a "Disk" prefix. (I don't have a clue why this is the case and what the normal behaviour is - with or without "Disk")

It's maybe because my HD is connected via SATA...

gradgrind · 2006-08-23 07:31:53

Baffling!

Post me the output of your 'fdisk -l' and I'll try to cater for that too (with plugged in USB stick)!

Is there anyone else with wildly different output? I mean the format, not the content! I need to parse this to detect possible USB-sticks.

[root@lap mt]# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/hda: 40.0 GB, 40060403712 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4870 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 1 122 979933+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda2 123 1338 9767520 83 Linux
/dev/hda3 1339 1460 979965 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/hda4 1461 4870 27390825 5 Extended
/dev/hda5 1461 3284 14651248+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda6 3285 4870 12739513+ 83 Linux

Disk /dev/sda: 513 MB, 513802240 bytes
16 heads, 62 sectors/track, 1011 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 992 * 512 = 507904 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 1011 501455+ 6 FAT16

Sigi · 2006-08-23 07:52:09

I just hope I wrote the truth before. ;-)

Anyway, I didn't have this nice overview

1: Disk /dev/sda: 513 MB, 513802240 bytes 
2: Disk /dev/sdb: 131 MB, 131072000 bytes

while running the script.

I'll post the output of "fdisk -l" asap, but I fear this won't be within the next 24 hours.

Sigi · 2006-08-24 04:52:12

I can't give you the output of fdisk with a USB-Disk plugged into my laptop, but I think I found the error:

Platte /dev/sda: 60.0 GByte, 60011642880 Byte
240 Köpfe, 63 Sektoren/Spuren, 7752 Zylinder
Einheiten = Zylinder von 15120 × 512 = 7741440 Bytes

   Gerät  boot.     Anfang        Ende     Blöcke   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1         832     6289888+   b  W95 FAT32
/dev/sda2             833         985     1156680   82  Linux Swap / Solaris
/dev/sda3             986        7751    51150960    f  W95 Erw. (LBA)
/dev/sda5             986        3551    19398928+   b  W95 FAT32
/dev/sda6            3552        5840    17304808+   b  W95 FAT32
/dev/sda7            5841        6991     8701528+  83  Linux
/dev/sda8            6992        7751     5745568+  83  Linux

It's because of the german layout I'm using in the terminal/console. Platte anyone? ;-)

gradgrind · 2006-08-24 06:01:05

Ah, great. Thanks, Sigi, I didn't think of that - silly of me.

Sigi · 2006-08-24 06:09:50

I didn't even think of that as I tried to solve this issue myself..

gradgrind · 2006-08-24 12:29:12

Updated to version 1.2.0, should fix reported problems.

Sigi · 2006-08-24 17:17:37

First things first:

Distrowatch wrote:

underground Underground Desktop, a project which develops a desktop-oriented, Arch-based distribution with the latest KDE, has released a first alpha build of the upcoming version 023: "An alpha quality release of Underground Desktop is out. This release has been built using 'larch' live scripts and standard Arch packages, and provides a fairly minimal desktop CD that can be used as a live CD and to install the system to hard disk. This release features KDE 3.5.4 and a bunch of useful applications. More to come." Here is the brief release announcement. Underground Desktop 023 alpha is available for download via BitTorrent (434MB).

Cool, larch is on Distrowatch! Did you know about that, gradgrind?

larch 1.2.0 works great regarding my previous problem with the usbboot script. Too bad I have to (once more) reduce the size of my image to fit on my 256MB-USB-stick... ;-)

Thanks a lot for 1.2.0, gradgrind

gradgrind · 2006-08-24 18:07:34

Ah, fame at last! Well, it's nice to know that some people are finding my work useful. I think thanks are due especially to the Arch devs for making such a clear and (relatively) simple framework to build upon.

lilsirecho · 2006-08-24 19:13:08

Ran larch 1.2.0 , generated 1011MB .iso which booted in c2r.

Did not encounter any kernel module problem.

Thanks for the new features...........

Sigi · 2006-08-24 20:18:29

Generated an extremly small LiveUSB (about 230MB in total). Gradgrinds script ran flawlessly, but the USB Live-system is much slower than the LiveCD.

Thanks a lot gradgrind, I'll keep larch in my sig for a while.. ;-)

gradgrind · 2006-08-25 07:29:52

USB slower? That's interesting. I noticed that the initial loading of kernel and initramfs were slower, but after that things really flew by. On my 3GHz P4, CD boot-promp to KDE takes ~90secs, from (512MB) USB-stick ~60secs. Application startup was also much faster from USB. Maybe it's a question of latency vs. transfer rate, maybe the type of USB device also makes a difference.

Arch Linux

#101 2006-08-17 05:55:26

Re: live Arch CD construction kit (larch)

#102 2006-08-18 10:06:26

Re: live Arch CD construction kit (larch)

#103 2006-08-18 10:50:41

Re: live Arch CD construction kit (larch)

#104 2006-08-18 15:49:29

Re: live Arch CD construction kit (larch)

#105 2006-08-18 16:16:23

Re: live Arch CD construction kit (larch)

#106 2006-08-20 17:12:54

Re: live Arch CD construction kit (larch)

#107 2006-08-20 17:21:47

Re: live Arch CD construction kit (larch)

#108 2006-08-20 20:11:49

Re: live Arch CD construction kit (larch)

#109 2006-08-21 21:45:27

Re: live Arch CD construction kit (larch)

#110 2006-08-22 14:51:45

Re: live Arch CD construction kit (larch)

#111 2006-08-22 14:55:03

Re: live Arch CD construction kit (larch)

#112 2006-08-23 05:57:34

Re: live Arch CD construction kit (larch)

#113 2006-08-23 06:16:08

Re: live Arch CD construction kit (larch)

#114 2006-08-23 06:36:33

Re: live Arch CD construction kit (larch)

#115 2006-08-23 07:31:53

Re: live Arch CD construction kit (larch)

#116 2006-08-23 07:52:09

Re: live Arch CD construction kit (larch)

#117 2006-08-24 04:52:12

Re: live Arch CD construction kit (larch)

#118 2006-08-24 06:01:05

Re: live Arch CD construction kit (larch)

#119 2006-08-24 06:09:50

Re: live Arch CD construction kit (larch)

#120 2006-08-24 12:29:12

Re: live Arch CD construction kit (larch)

#121 2006-08-24 17:17:37

Re: live Arch CD construction kit (larch)

#122 2006-08-24 18:07:34

Re: live Arch CD construction kit (larch)

#123 2006-08-24 19:13:08

Re: live Arch CD construction kit (larch)

#124 2006-08-24 20:18:29

Re: live Arch CD construction kit (larch)

#125 2006-08-25 07:29:52

Re: live Arch CD construction kit (larch)

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