Re: [gentoo-catalyst] is there an archive of the gentoo catalyst mailing list and other specific questions...

[Jacques Landru]

Chris Gianelloni wrote:

>On Wed, 2005-01-12 at 15:06 +0100, Jacques Landru wrote:
>
>
>>Before posting a question in a mailing list, I'd rather have a look in
>>the archive. Is there an archive of this gentoo catalyst mailing list ?
>>
>>
>
>This list is really new and as I understand it, zhen is working on
>getting an archive setup for it.
>
>
OK thank you.

>
>
>>I am trying to build a gentoo liveCD. I used gentoo catalyst reference
>>manual, spec file examples distributed with this reference manual and
>>the "howto build a liveCD" from the Gentoo wiki. Each step is a
>>challenge. If I have success, I'll try to publish complementary notes,
>>especially, for the traps I encoutered (kernel panic due to ramfs size,
>>CDROM not known, squashfs patch...). Publication of a minimal liveCD
>>subset of  the kernel config parameter would probably be a great help
>>for me.
>>
>>
>
>Well, we do have some of our configuration stuff in CVS, but nothing has
>been published or released into the portage tree simply due to lack of
>time on our part.
>
>
I can understand. Catalyst, still in development, is yet a great tool 
for me.

>
>
>>I have two questions:
>>A) The goal of that livecd is a zero installation virtual model for
>>network lab. It's based on VNUML (Virtual Network User Mode Linux
>>http://www.dit.upm.es/vnuml/) a spanish project based on usermode
>>linux.(UML).
>>As the liveCD will be used to launch UML (usermode linux) virtual
>>machines , I need a SKAS (Single Kernel Address Space) patched kernel on
>>the liveCD. The Blaisorblade's SKAS patch
>>(http://www.user-mode-linux.org/~blaisorblade/patchlist.html) is not
>>avalaible in the official gentoo kernel package database, what is the
>>best way to intergrate my specific skas kernel on the liveCD? I have not
>>found how to automatically integrate specific kernel patch on the
>>development-sources during the catalyst stage2 or the genkernel step.
>>What I plan to do is to uncompress the iso file, change the kernel in
>>the isolinux dir and compress again the iso file. Is there a more
>>elegant way? Is it possible to force catalyst to use a local kernel
>>source dir instead of one of the on-line sys-kernel source package ?
>>
>>
>
>The best way to add your kernel is to make an ebuild for it and add the
>ebuild to your portage tree before making a snapshot.  Neither catalyst,
>nor genkernel, are designed to do any patching of the kernel.
>
>
I am not very familar with eduild development. I had to learn. But 
that's one thing I appreciate
with Gentoo distribution and its good documentation.

>
>
>>B) As this liveCD will be used in a pedagogical computer lab,  I would
>>like it to boot as a generic user, instead of the root. I don't want the
>>student having superuser rights on the real host (student will have
>>superuser rights in the usermode virtual machine). What is the best way
>>to do a "user livecd" with catalyst ?
>>
>>
>
>We have not done anything like this, so there is no best way.  In fact,
>using the current tools and methods, the scripts to build a LiveCD
>completely assume that the user will be root, as our LiveCD tools are
>designed to build installation media.
>
>If you stick with catalyst 1.1.1, and don't use catalyst 1.1.2, which I
>will be releasing in the next day or so, then you will be able to build
>a user LiveCD.  The newer 1.1.2 version does even more to ensure proper
>root auto-login, using /bin/bashlogin from the baselayout package.
>Also, if you skip the reinstallation of baselayout in livecd-stage1,
>then you will not get the LiveCD scripts on your system, so the system
>will not try to auto-login as root.
>
>What you would need to do at this point would be create a fsscript for
>livecd-stage2 to modify the filesystem for your user.  This could be
>running "adduser" and "passwd" to get the user information into your CD.
>Essentially, you're going to have to do a lot of work.  Catalyst is
>capable of doing what you want with it, but the Release Engineering
>project has nothing in place or in use like you want.
>
>
>
>>And a note : I test my liveCD iso file using QEMU virtual machine
>>instead of burning it. With 2.6.x kernel QEMU need "clock=pit" param
>>when kernel is launched. In the python sources of catalyst I found a
>>"/boot/kernel/xxx/kernelopts" parameter which can append kernel
>>parameters in the isolinux.cfg file. I 'll probably add a gentoo-qemu
>>kernelboot to have a "qemu" entry in the isolinux.
>>This "/boot/kernel/xxx/kernelopts" is not refered in the catalyst
>>reference manual. I think in a future version of the reference manual,
>>it would be  a good idea to mention it.
>>
>>
>
>There's tons of stuff not listed in the reference manual.  This is
>because I generally make changes constantly to catalyst, and we are
>simply overworked when it comes to documentation.
>
>
As I said earlier, i can understand. At this stage, development has 
greater priority.

Jacques Landru




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