Ubuntu live cd with Linux Live scripts

tested with Ubuntu 6.06 LTS (The Dapper Drake) and Linux Live 5.5.0 scripts.
I was looking for a possibility to create my own live cd with the newest ubuntu version. after trying out some tools e.g. Ubuntu Customization Kit I finally found the linux-live scripts. with these scripts it is possible to create a live cd from a running linux system. I prefer this approach where you are able to configure a running system and don’t need to add code to several scripts as in uck. but it took quite some time to get the linux-live scripts working. for ubuntu are some changes necessary. this how-to should work at least up to dapper drake” Ubuntu 6.06 LTS (The Dapper Drake). for Ubuntu 6.10 LTS (The Edgy Eft) it won’t work, I guess. they radically changed the boot process there. But now let’s have a look at this small how-to:

  1. Download the scripts and extract them to some place of your choice.
  2. Download the kernel source of your running distro, we need a new kernel. if you don’t know how, follow these instructions: http://wiki.ubuntuusers.de/Kernel?highlight=%28kompilieren%29%7C%28kernel%29 (atm german only but I’m looking for a good english one)
  3. Compile & install the kernel with a configuration according to the settings in the requirements file located in linux-live-5.0.0/DOC/requirements.txt of the linux-live scripts. I would recommend to choose a configuration from an existing live cd like grml. Link to kernel 2.6.15 config: http://www.grml.org/kernel/ (in my case with this configuration it worked right away)
  4. Reboot into the new kernel
  5. Make sure you have chroot installed
  6. Now you need to do some changes in configuration files. in the file linux-live-5.0.0/initrd/liblinuxlive change the lines “UNION=union” and “MEMORY=memory” to “UNION=/union” and “MEMORY=/memory”.
  7. modify linux-live-5.0.0/config according to the instructions from the linux-live-5.5.0/DOC/requirements.txt. set “COMPRESS=0″ (ubuntu doesn’t seem to support compressed kernel modules) and “INITRDIMG=initrd.img-`(uname -r)`”. maybe you need to increase the size of the ram disk size. you need to set the size in here and also linux-live-5.0.0/cd-root/isolinux.cfg.

this should be it. now cross your fingers and start the scripts.

3 Responses to “Ubuntu live cd with Linux Live scripts”

  1. Geoff Rayner Says:

    Hi,

    Have you tried this with any later versions of live-scripts and ubuntu? I’m trying (and struggling!) to get it working with live scripts and xubuntu 7.04. Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks

    Geoff

  2. Louis Says:

    I am struggling with linux-live scripts 6.2.4 and my install of Ubuntu 7.04 (kernel 2.6.23 home made)
    I have big problems to pass the linux-live initrd boot step.
    All the build process is fine until I boot the live-cd : the initrd made from the LL scripts is not booting at all.
    Currently I try to make a mix between the initrd.img built by Ubuntu make-kpkg procedure, and the linux-live scripts found inside its initrd.gz. It is a headhache. But, I don’t want to give up because I feel that this LL scripts can give me great advantages, but it is not so easy as it is explained on the home site.
    I would like to get support specially for applying Linux-Live scripts to Ubuntu 7.04
    If anyone wants to help me, please leave an answer.

    Louis

  3. Louis Says:

    It seems that my .config was lacking an option: CONFIG_IDEPNP
    Now initrd of LL scripts is loaded.
    I continue debugging…
    Cheers
    Louis

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