I need to make a custom distro for my school project...

KaiZ · 2012-01-16 17:38:28

Would Arch be a good choice of which distro to base my own distro on?

I want it to have software picked by myself (educational software mostly), custom name, custom logo (all around, on boot up and such), customized menus (just to have programs organized the way I want, nothing more than that). I don't think there's much more other than that that I want.
Also, I'm not sure if it's possible on Arch, but I'd like to have a background like Ubuntu does when it's booting up, and not the default CLI only boot that Arch has. I have nothing agaisnt Arch's CLI boot up, but I do have to make it aesthetically appealing so that I can have get a better grade.

From what I've seen, there's larch for making a Live CD, but I don't know how it works... Is it a mix of CLI/GUI like the default Arch installer, or just GUI like Ubuntu's? And how easy is it to use it for what I have in mind?

Finally, I know that what I'm planning is a bit agaisnt Arch's philosophies, and that's pretty much the reason Arch doesn't have a Live CD version (or at least I think so, so correct me if I'm wrong). But still, I need to do my project, and I need a good distro to base my distro on. And I think Arch fits that spot.
Besides, I've already got some experience in the past with Arch, so it should make me feel more at home.

oboedad55 · 2012-01-16 18:19:32

You can try this with Ubuntu: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remastersys

brebs · 2012-01-16 19:26:36

KaiZ wrote:

aesthetically appealing so that I can have get a better grade

What other factors are you being graded on?

I run a "custom distro" (based on Lunar Linux). Only nutjob control-freaks like myself would want to do it. It's good to learn, and be in control, but for the vast majority of people, it's just too much work to maintain.

What you want has already been done, e.g. by opensuse.

There's also the build service.

Customizing graphics can be done in any distro.

.:B:. · 2012-01-16 19:49:02

I think it's better to start with Ubuntu or another user-friendly distro than try your hand at Arch. A lot of the things you talk about reveal a lack of knowledge about the inner workings of Linux (no offense; that's just how it is). Linux distros are extremely modular, and GUIs are interchangeable. Aesthetics, therefor, are as well. You can install Ubuntu, OpenSuSE, Fedora and Arch and get them to look identical.

As for creating your custom distro, I am not sure distros would like you to strip logos and stuff (which, for consistency, at some point, might also involve copyrights - you do not want your boot logo to say 'Customix - (c) Ubuntu Canonical' or something).

If there are projects around that allow you to change the aesthetics (which seems to be mostly what you're after), then by all means use those . Hacking scripts etc. for consistency can be a tedious job, if you are not comfortable with command line tools. It will only be harder to (re)brand Arch since it comes with the minimal amount of branding required upstream.

The DE menus are ordered by XDG standards. It's fully automatic. If you want to change that, you need to hack the .desktop files.

Last edited by .:B:. (2012-01-16 19:51:01)

StaticPhilly · 2012-01-17 15:09:00

just a thought but if your willing to spend some time on the project (depending on your interest level i guess) how about lfs?

its custom, layed out how you want, only compile what you want but takes a while, on the plus you can learn a lot from it

lifeafter2am · 2012-01-17 15:19:32

KaiZ wrote:

From what I've seen, there's larch for making a Live CD, but I don't know how it works... Is it a mix of CLI/GUI like the default Arch installer, or just GUI like Ubuntu's? And how easy is it to use it for what I have in mind?
.

Larch is technically depreciated since the default Arch kernel no longer has support for AUFS2.

I also recommend taking the time and doing an LFS system. If nothing else you will learn a ton about Linux; its the main reason why I did one back in the day. Plus, if this is supposed to be a school project, the lesson is probably to actually LEARN about the operating system. You won't learn all that much using a GUI tool to hack together a "custom" install.

KaiZ · 2012-01-17 20:19:00

Well, I did think about going with LFS... But isn't it too complicated? I mean, I read somewhere that when you start adding packages, stuff goes wrong and you need to do research on the Internet... And I feel that's way too much trouble to have to find a fix when it craps out for some programs...

Anyways, what is your opinion on LFS? Hopefully someone around here has some experience with it...

lifeafter2am · 2012-01-17 20:39:45

KaiZ wrote:

Well, I did think about going with LFS... But isn't it too complicated? I mean, I read somewhere that when you start adding packages, stuff goes wrong and you need to do research on the Internet... And I feel that's way too much trouble to have to find a fix when it craps out for some programs...
Anyways, what is your opinion on LFS? Hopefully someone around here has some experience with it...

OMG ... doing research on the internet when something goes wrong ... BLASPHEMY!

Isn't the point of this to learn about Linux ... like REALLY learn about it? It's the main reason I did my LFS install back in 2002; it was a huge learning experience and I am glad I did it.

What exactly are you trying to do? As .:B:. pointed out, almost everything you mention has little to do with making your "own distribution". Most of what you are talking about is customizing the look and feel of an already built distribution ... this is not building a distribution.

ewaller · 2012-01-17 20:45:50

As one who is two nights into an LFS installation, and based on what has been written here so far... I assert this is not the way for you to go. I expect to go another few nights before I have a system that will boot. From there, it is a long, long way to having a modern desktop system.

LFS will most definitely provide an opportunity to learn the nuts and bolts. Building a disto on it? You won't see the forest through the trees.

/dev/zero · 2012-01-17 20:51:00

ewaller wrote:

As one who is two nights into an LFS installation, and based on what has been written here so far... I assert this is not the way for you to go. I expect to go another few nights before I have a system that will boot. From there, it is a long, long way to having a modern desktop system.
LFS will most definitely provide an opportunity to learn the nuts and bolts. Building a disto on it? You won't see the forest through the trees.

+1. And ewaller knows much more about Linux than OP.

When I tried LFS, it took a couple of months. I kept stuffing things up, which required going back to the start. It also doesn't come with a package manager by default, which makes it a poor choice to base a distro on.

Definitely, LFS is a great project to work through - in your own time, not for a school project.

Arch Linux

#1 2012-01-16 17:38:28

I need to make a custom distro for my school project...

#2 2012-01-16 18:19:32

Re: I need to make a custom distro for my school project...

#3 2012-01-16 19:26:36

Re: I need to make a custom distro for my school project...

#4 2012-01-16 19:49:02

Re: I need to make a custom distro for my school project...

#5 2012-01-17 15:09:00

Re: I need to make a custom distro for my school project...

#6 2012-01-17 15:19:32

Re: I need to make a custom distro for my school project...

#7 2012-01-17 20:19:00

Re: I need to make a custom distro for my school project...

#8 2012-01-17 20:39:45

Re: I need to make a custom distro for my school project...

#9 2012-01-17 20:45:50

Re: I need to make a custom distro for my school project...

#10 2012-01-17 20:51:00

Re: I need to make a custom distro for my school project...

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