It looks like squash fs does not have the same 2 gig limit

[nvgringo]

I just downloded pclinuxOS supergamer. There is a single file livecd.sqfs instead of the 2 KNOPPIX files. This has some potential!

[Harry Kuhman]

The limit is imposed by ISO 9660 CD format, which Knoppix uses for greatest compatability. It's not really a problem in Knoppix to use multiple files, why do you think this is an issue?

[nvgringo]

Well, If you are remastering a cd it would not matter because the cd is less than 2 gig. But I like using a dvd. Same size disk much more room. The problem I have run into remastering the dvd is determining what files have to remain in the KNOPPIX file and what can be moved into the KNOPPIX2 file. I have asked here a couple of times but never got an answer. Then once you figure out how to divide up the /usr directory how do you go about creating a cloop file with part of a directory? At any rate I do not think that the limit is with the iso 9660. Is there another format that will produce a bootable disk? I think that it must be with cloop. I am looking at this live dvd distro with a single 3.88 gig file and an isolinux (boot) directory. If I could use squash fs and remaster Knoppix the same way, there would be no need to split directories and files in directories to keep the file size under 2 gig.

[Harry Kuhman]

I do not think that the limit is with the iso 9660.
You are free to think whatever you want.


Is there another format that will produce a bootable disk?
Sure, UDF can be bootable. Which is not to say that you couldn't create another bootable format. But why would it matter if you don't think ISO 9660 has a limit?

[nvgringo]

Ok Harry,
I thought that all Linux bootable disks were iso9660. I've been wrong before. And I could be wrong again. My experience with remastering has been exclusively with the Knoppix documentation. But I found the following post in another forum:

“…actually a normal kernel that is default will not go beyond the 2gb total iso size....this gamer has a special 2.6.13 kernel with squash 3 and busybox and the squash-tools updated...Vaughan patched this kernel for me and I included the source and stripped source for people to update....“

“Just for your information, the 2.6.15-devx kernels all have squashfs 3drivers, and the sqaush-tools not really important, since the >2G file is created by the kernel driver, but the LFS(LargeFileSupport) enabled busybox from the exp repo is crucial.�

It would seem that some new kernels have overcome the 2 gig limit. When they say “iso� is that a reference to the iso9660? This distro functions and has a file that is 3.88 gig file.

[tr]

“Just for your information, the 2.6.15-devx kernels all have squashfs 3drivers, and the sqaush-tools not really important, since the >2G file is created by the kernel driver, but the LFS(LargeFileSupport) enabled busybox from the exp repo is crucial.�

It would seem that some new kernels have overcome the 2 gig limit. When they say “iso� is that a reference to the iso9660? This distro functions and has a file that is 3.88 gig file.

I'm very instrested of this stuff, too. I have compiled squashfs as a module in my kernels, see e.g. http://tapsa.terae.net/linux/knoppix/suomiknoppix/linux-2.6.16-beyond1/config-2.6.16-beyond1

I know that Kano uses busybox in his Kanotix and squashfs. But if you use cloop image, squashs in the kernel don't profit anything. You must use squashfs instead as far as I can see. So the 2 gig limit exists using cloop image in spite of kernel's squashfs module, or have I missed something?

-tapsa-

[nvgringo]

What if we create a .sqfs image instead of a cloop image. Then, like that supergamer distro, we could get a file larger than 2 gigs in an .iso. Maybe another remastering how to!

[firnsy]

I converted from cloop to squashfs a while ago ... whilst my remaster does not yet warrant a DVD it is a trivial task to migrate it to a DVD sized iso if needs be. The conversion from cloop to squashfs is not an advanced endeavour (building busybox and customising the kernel being the most advanced part).

If you guys would like some assistance I could lend you guys a hand, and perhaps write another howto to compliment the "Customising the Kernel" and "Converting initRD to ininRAMFS" howto's I've written.

[tr]

If you guys would like some assistance I could lend you guys a hand, and perhaps write another howto to compliment the "Customising the Kernel" and "Converting initRD to ininRAMFS" howto's I've written.

Thank you firmsy!

Your HOWTOs has helped me much (and I'm sure many others, too) and I appreciate your work very much. I really hope you had some extra time to make a HOWTO of moving from cloop to squashfs.


-tapsa-

[nvgringo]

That would be great but for me you will need to dumb it down.
step1: boot computer with Knoppix live cd...
Thanks, any help will be appreciated :)

[firnsy]

Ok then, if I can put down the chocolate eggs for a while :D, I'll try and come up with a first draft this weekend.