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README.md Update documentation 2019-06-28 09:55:31 -03:00

README.md

How to create custom Ubuntu live from scratch

Prerequisites (GNU/Linux Debian/Ubuntu)

Install applications we need to build the environment.

sudo apt-get install \
    debootstrap \
    squashfs-tools \
    xorriso \
    grub-pc-bin \
    grub-efi-amd64-bin \
    mtools
mkdir $HOME/live-ubuntu-from-scratch

Bootstrap and Configure Ubuntu

sudo debootstrap \
    --arch=amd64 \
    --variant=minbase \
    bionic \
    $HOME/live-ubuntu-from-scratch/chroot \
    http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/
sudo mount --bind /dev $HOME/live-ubuntu-from-scratch/chroot/dev

sudo mount --bind /run $HOME/live-ubuntu-from-scratch/chroot/run

Access chroot environment

sudo chroot $HOME/live-ubuntu-from-scratch/chroot
  1. Configure mount points

    mount none -t proc /proc
    
    mount none -t sysfs /sys
    
    mount none -t devpts /dev/pts
    
    export HOME=/root
    
    export LC_ALL=C
    
  2. Set a custom hostname

    echo "ubuntu-live" > /etc/hostname
    
  3. Configure apt sources.list

    cat <<EOF > /etc/apt/sources.list
    deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ bionic main restricted universe multiverse 
    deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ bionic main restricted universe multiverse 
    
    deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ bionic-security main restricted universe multiverse 
    deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ bionic-security main restricted universe multiverse 
    
    deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ bionic-updates main restricted universe multiverse 
    deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ bionic-updates main restricted universe multiverse    
    EOF
    
  4. Update indexes packages

    apt-get update
    
  5. Install systemd

    apt-get install -y systemd-sysv
    
  6. Configure machine-id and divert

    dbus-uuidgen > /var/lib/dbus/machine-id
    
    dpkg-divert --local --rename --add /sbin/initctl
    
    ln -s /bin/true /sbin/initctl
    
    ln -fs /var/lib/dbus/machine-id /etc/machine-id
    
  7. Install packages needed for Live System

    apt-get install -y \
        ubuntu-standard \
        casper \
        lupin-casper \
        discover \
        laptop-detect \
        os-prober \
        network-manager \
        resolvconf \
        net-tools \
        wireless-tools \
        wpagui \
        locales \
        linux-generic
    
  8. Graphical installer

    apt-get install -y \
        ubiquity \
        ubiquity-casper \
        ubiquity-frontend-gtk \
        ubiquity-slideshow-ubuntu \
        ubiquity-ubuntu-artwork
    
  9. Install window manager

    apt-get install -y \
        plymouth-theme-ubuntu-logo \
        ubuntu-gnome-desktop \
        ubuntu-gnome-wallpapers
    
  10. Install usefull applications

    apt-get install -y \
        clamav-daemon \
        terminator \
        apt-transport-https \
        curl \
        vim \
        nano
    
  11. Install Visual Studio Code

    1. Download and install the key

      curl https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc | gpg --dearmor > microsoft.gpg
      
      install -o root -g root -m 644 microsoft.gpg /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/
      
      echo "deb [arch=amd64] https://packages.microsoft.com/repos/vscode stable main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vscode.list
      
      rm microsoft.gpg
      
    2. Then update the package cache and install the package using:

      apt-get update
      
      apt-get install -y code
      
  12. Install Google Chrome

    1. Download and install the key

      wget -q -O - https://dl-ssl.google.com/linux/linux_signing_key.pub | sudo apt-key add -
      
    2. Add the key to the repository

      echo "deb http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome.list
      
    3. Finally, Update repository and install Google Chrome.

      apt-get update
      
      apt-get install google-chrome-stable
      
  13. Install Java JDK 8

    apt-get install -y \
        openjdk-8-jdk \
        openjdk-8-jre
    
  14. Remove unused applications

    apt-get purge -y \
        transmission-gtk \
        transmission-common \
        gnome-mahjongg \
        gnome-mines \
        gnome-sudoku \
        aisleriot \
        hitori
    
  15. Remove unused packages

    apt-get autoremove -y
    
  16. Reconfigure packages

    1. Generate locales

      dpkg-reconfigure locales
      
    2. Reconfigure resolvconf

      dpkg-reconfigure resolvconf
      
    3. Configure network-manager

      cat <<EOF > /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf
      [main]
      rc-manager=resolvconf
      plugins=ifupdown,keyfile
      dns=dnsmasq
      
      [ifupdown]
      managed=false
      EOF
      
    4. Reconfigure network-manager

      dpkg-reconfigure network-manager
      
  17. Cleanup the chroot environment

    1. If you installed software, be sure to run

      rm /var/lib/dbus/machine-id
      
    2. Remove the diversion

      rm /sbin/initctl
      
      dpkg-divert --rename --remove /sbin/initctl
      
    3. Clean up

      apt-get clean
      
      rm -rf /tmp/* ~/.bash_history
      
      umount /proc
      
      umount /sys
      
      umount /dev/pts
      
      export HISTSIZE=0
      
      exit
      

Unbind mount points

sudo umount $HOME/live-ubuntu-from-scratch/chroot/dev

sudo umount $HOME/live-ubuntu-from-scratch/chroot/run

Create the CD image directory and populate it

  1. Access build directory

    cd $HOME/live-ubuntu-from-scratch
    
  2. Create directories

    mkdir -p image/{casper,isolinux,install}
    
  3. Copy kernel images

    sudo cp chroot/boot/vmlinuz-**-**-generic image/casper/vmlinuz
    
    sudo cp chroot/boot/initrd.img-**-**-generic image/casper/initrd
    
  4. Copy memtest binary

    sudo cp chroot/boot/memtest86+.bin image/install/memtest
    

Grub configuration

  1. Access build directory

    cd $HOME/live-ubuntu-from-scratch
    
  2. Create image/isolinux/grub.cfg

    cat <<EOF > image/isolinux/grub.cfg
    
    search --set=root --file /ubuntu
    
    insmod all_video
    
    set default="0"
    set timeout=30
    
    menuentry "Try Ubuntu without installing" {
       linux /casper/vmlinuz boot=casper quiet splash ---
       initrd /casper/initrd
    }
    
    menuentry "Install Ubuntu" {
       linux /casper/vmlinuz boot=casper only-ubiquity quiet splash ---
       initrd /casper/initrd
    }
    
    menuentry "Check disc for defects" {
       linux /casper/vmlinuz boot=casper integrity-check quiet splash ---
       initrd /casper/initrd
    }
    
    menuentry "Test memory" {
       linux /install/memtest
    }
    EOF
    

Create manifest

  1. Access build directory

    cd $HOME/live-ubuntu-from-scratch
    
  2. Generate manifest

    sudo chroot chroot dpkg-query -W --showformat='${Package} ${Version}\n' | sudo tee image/casper/filesystem.manifest
    
    sudo cp -v image/casper/filesystem.manifest image/casper/filesystem.manifest-desktop
    
    sudo sed -i '/ubiquity/d' image/casper/filesystem.manifest-desktop
    
    sudo sed -i '/casper/d' image/casper/filesystem.manifest-desktop
    
    sudo sed -i '/discover/d' image/casper/filesystem.manifest-desktop
    
    sudo sed -i '/laptop-detect/d' image/casper/filesystem.manifest-desktop
    
    sudo sed -i '/os-prober/d' image/casper/filesystem.manifest-desktop
    

Compress the chroot

  1. Access build directory

    cd $HOME/live-ubuntu-from-scratch
    
  2. Create squashfs

    sudo mksquashfs chroot image/casper/filesystem.squashfs
    
  3. Write the filesystem.size

    printf $(sudo du -sx --block-size=1 chroot | cut -f1) > image/casper/filesystem.size
    

Create diskdefines

  1. Access build directory

    cd $HOME/live-ubuntu-from-scratch
    
  2. Create file image/README.diskdefines

    cat <<EOF > image/README.diskdefines
    #define DISKNAME  Ubuntu from scratch
    #define TYPE  binary
    #define TYPEbinary  1
    #define ARCH  amd64
    #define ARCHamd64  1
    #define DISKNUM  1
    #define DISKNUM1  1
    #define TOTALNUM  0
    #define TOTALNUM0  1
    EOF
    

Recognition as an Ubuntu from scratch

  1. Access build directory

    cd $HOME/live-ubuntu-from-scratch
    
  2. Create an empty file named "ubuntu" and a hidden ".disk" folder.

    touch image/ubuntu
    
    mkdir image/.disk
    

Create ISO Image for a LiveCD (BIOS + UEFI)

  1. Access image directory

    cd $HOME/live-ubuntu-from-scratch/image
    
  2. Create a grub UEFI image

    grub-mkstandalone \
       --format=x86_64-efi \
       --output=isolinux/bootx64.efi \
       --locales="" \
       --fonts="" \
       "boot/grub/grub.cfg=isolinux/grub.cfg"   
    
  3. Create a FAT16 UEFI boot disk image containing the EFI bootloader

    (
       cd isolinux && \
       dd if=/dev/zero of=efiboot.img bs=1M count=10 && \
       sudo mkfs.vfat efiboot.img && \
       mmd -i efiboot.img efi efi/boot && \
       mcopy -i efiboot.img ./bootx64.efi ::efi/boot/
    )
    
  4. Create a grub BIOS image

    grub-mkstandalone \
       --format=i386-pc \
       --output=isolinux/core.img \
       --install-modules="linux normal iso9660 biosdisk memdisk search tar ls" \
       --modules="linux normal iso9660 biosdisk search" \
       --locales="" \
       --fonts="" \
       "boot/grub/grub.cfg=isolinux/grub.cfg"
    
  5. Combine a bootable Grub cdboot.img

    cat /usr/lib/grub/i386-pc/cdboot.img isolinux/core.img > isolinux/bios.img
    
  6. Generate sha256sum.txt

    sudo /bin/bash -c "(find . -type f -print0 | xargs -0 sha256sum | grep -v "\./sha256sum.txt" > sha256sum.txt)"
    
  7. Create iso from the image directory using the command-line

    sudo xorriso \
       -as mkisofs \
       -iso-level 3 \
       -full-iso9660-filenames \
       -volid "Ubuntu from scratch" \
       -eltorito-boot \
          boot/grub/bios.img \
          -no-emul-boot \
          -boot-load-size 4 \
          -boot-info-table \
          --eltorito-catalog boot/grub/boot.cat \
       --grub2-boot-info \
       --grub2-mbr /usr/lib/grub/i386-pc/boot_hybrid.img \
       -eltorito-alt-boot \
          -e EFI/efiboot.img \
          -no-emul-boot \
       -append_partition 2 0xef isolinux/efiboot.img \
       -output "../ubuntu-from-scratch.iso" \
       -graft-points \
          "." \
          /boot/grub/bios.img=isolinux/bios.img \
          /EFI/efiboot.img=isolinux/efiboot.img