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Walter Dnes <waltdnes <at> waltdnes.org> writes: |
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> You may be interested in buildroot http://buildroot.net/ and |
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> http://buildroot.net/about.html It's nominally aimed at cross-compiling |
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> for embedded systems, but it looks like it handles just about |
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> everything. I'm not a developer, so I don't know if this is what you're |
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> looking for, but it sounds interesting. |
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Buildroot is great for embedded system and cross compiling. It more |
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for after you get a basic system up, imho. What I need is a basic, |
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minimal image that I can dd over to a hard drive, and build out whatever |
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"gentoo" I need. In fact I may need several images: |
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(1) basic image to build up a amd64 workstation or server |
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(2) a basic image to build up a 586 (or greater) system from |
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(3) a basic image to build up x86 embedded systems from |
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(4) a basic image to build up 32 bit arm systems from |
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(5) a basic image to build up 64 bit arm images |
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The idea would be to dd these images to a blank HD and install the basic |
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gentoo system, then customize from there. |
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This would avoid hours and hours of custom (handbook) derived installation |
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hours for new system that are only slightly different and are all gentoo |
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systems, as the base system would have the file system inside the image, |
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the make.conf with minimal necessary files, profile etc etc. Just the |
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minimal necessary to get the kernel+system up. The basic system would |
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change (be updated with new kernel) from time to time, but only every |
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few months. emerge --sync would bring the systems current. |
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Them, according to what I want to build, there would be a "guide sheet" |
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that details the flags necessary and the key packages (software-ebuild) |
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config file edits etc to realize the final test box(gentoo) system. |
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I'm thinking out loud here on the list for folks to "chime in" and |
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refine the idea. Starting with (1) and (2) only above would get me started. |
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I'm quite certain this is going to be a work in progress. |
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maybe a custom cd/dvd via catalyst for each of the (5) categories ? |
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I do want as much as possible (practical and reasonable to support) |
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from the handbook into the boot image. I think most of what is therein |
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before entering "chroot" is a reasonable first draft idea? |
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And yes this would mean all the decisions like file system type, partitions, |
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fstab, mtab etc would be made ahead of time, generically |
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for one size works reasonable well with all setups. It has been pointed |
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out to me that "lilo" works best for the booting as there are no issues |
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wtih embedded builds or the various "C" libraries one can use: |
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glibc, uClibc, BSDs, bionic, musl. |
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I'll probable start with stable and one I have (1) and (2) working |
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move to a hardened version (at least the kernel and tool chain).... |
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It may not end up as clean as I like, but surely there is a way to |
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streamline various categories of systems, as a referenced starting point? |
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?????? |
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James |
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