Revised version of Remastering HowTo

[Capricorny]

I wonder this feedback is typical or not. If we think this is typical, then perhaps doing the remastering in VirtualBox is not so good an idea. Instead of completing the task of remastering, one ends himself up in learning how to use virtualbox.

Some time ago I proposed a remastering using a typical poor-man install. Of course, as usual, I am not a very patient guy, I never carry the idea all the way through but I ***THOUGHT*** Forester later came out with a script which make it even more friendly. He published the script somewhere. Though I haven't use it but I think remastering using this method is a better approach. I don't like the 'chroot' method because I think in a typical 'chroot', the final system behaviour is only tested during the few hours of 'chroot' - which is often inadequate to represent the final thing the user want to see and there maybe some "side-effects" which were not noticed during the few hours of usage. Whereas using 'poor-man' install, what you see is what you get. There is no urgency to remaster if you think it is not yet proven stable. You can remaster after 3 months of usage if you like.

I tend to support this.
I have used Forester's script as a starting point, the method works very well for me, but I want to debug my script version a bit before I post it. As for chroot, it may of course be used, but I think it is a great advantage to avoid it, as I do now. The simplified method concentrates on the cloop/squashfs and persistent images, and leaves everything else alone. Except, of course, for changes made to scripts in the poor man's install being copied over to the new version.

Remember, it is only for CD/DVD use we need to create the final ISO image nowadays. So why bother if that is not the goal? I am running my remastered version from all sorts of media, and, when I have reached kind of final version, I may create a DVD. But I'm far from there now,

But this doesn't mean I think remastering through VMs needs to be a bad idea. In particular, when using tools like Virtualbox daily, it can be efficient. For my own part, however, I wouldn't even consider trying VMware Workstation, the tool I use, for this. And there is no need, really, to involve anything else than basic Knoppix here. Just drop the Knoppix package, with persistent image, onto an NTFS partition, run Knoppix from there, and if desirable, create another image on that partition for working with the temporary files in the remastering. Standard, simple, speedy and safe (relatively).

[utu]

First of all you have to copy the new ISO to the directory of isoimages from VirtualBox.

You will be amused to know that I just used my LiveCD, not an iso,
and told VirtualBox where my guest OS source was to be found.
A few snapshots later I had something like my LiveUSB up and
running, albeit with a few hardware emulation errors.
I didn't know that was the wrong way to go about things.

I'll stop troubling you with all my growing pains.
Thanks for getting me going on both VirtualBox & re-mastering.

[Werner P. Schulz]

... in case of trouble you can contact me per email (look at summary.html)

[klaus2008]

When I did answer the question, it only took 'one' for an answer,
for a reason having to do with some missing interface programming.

Hi, utu!

Does the problem still exist?

In an internet forum I read that one needs to enable virtualization technology (VT) in the BIOS on some machines with VT capable processors.

[utu]

@ Klaus

Yes, the dual cpu problem still exists with the current state of my VirtualBox.

The dual cpu problem is not THE show stopper for me, but not having USB access is
just too inconvenient. It looks like a lot of folks with my sort of set-up have
a problem. That is, Win7, 64-bit and dual cpus. Werner uses a Debian host, but
the only big supply of Gb's I have is on Win7. Here's a ref on this:

http://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/5343

My VirtualBox seemed to be handling things like synaptic very well, and began to look
like a good avenue for me toward re-mastering. But somewhere in trying to get USB working, my VB has gotten damaged, I think, and even re-installs are not solving this problem.

I do have to wonder: if the hardware emulation in VirtualBox is poor, can we be
comfortable with the products it helps us produce, say by remastering? Might
it not inflict some distortion or artifacts into the process?

@ Werner

Thanks again for your help.
I am embarrassed at having co-opted your re-mastering thread for this VB diversion.
It may be a useful demo that one needs his VB house to be in good order BEFORE tackling
re-mastering with it.

[klaus2008]

@ utu

Did you read the section "USB settings" of Chapter 3 in the Virtual Box manual (available online at http://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch03.html ). The manual says that you first have to create a filter for the USB device after installing the extension pack. "On a Windows host, you will need to unplug and reconnect a USB device to use it after creating a filter for it."

I think that the developers should invent a simpler procedure to use USB device.

[Capricorny]

It looks like a lot of folks with my sort of set-up have
a problem. That is, Win7, 64-bit and dual cpus. Werner uses a Debian host, but
the only big supply of Gb's I have is on Win7.

...And I still don't understand why you won't try with a poor man's install on all that NTFS real estate. Plus a volume for remastering workspace. I'm running off NTFS writing this, and I just created an extra volume yesterday, to shrink my persistent storage.

[Werner P. Schulz]

if the hardware emulation in VirtualBox is poor, can we be
comfortable with the products it helps us produce, say by remastering? Might it not inflict some distortion or artifacts into the process?

... I think "Windows 7 + VirtualBox" isn't a good choice. Perhaps you will consider doing a Multiboot installation on your Laptop: for example Windows 7 and Debian? (Don't forget backup!)

"Debian + VirtualBox" runs for me without any problems. But why not work and do your experiences with Debian first?

Greetings Werner

[utu]

@ Klaus

I'll try that again, but I think something's broken here.
Do you know of a successful instance of VB with my hardware setup?
If so, that would motivate me to persevere.
The ticket 5343 docket is pretty discouraging; I interpret it to
indicate lots of folks with my hardware setup are not getting the
results they'd expect with a Win7 host arrangement.

@ Capricorny

You force me to reveal yet another layer of my ignorance.
I think I've done poor man's installs to linux-formatted partitions,
but I thought the rule was NEVER to write linux stuff to ntfs.
Virtual box didn't seem like a violation of that rule.
Kindly point me to some reading material.
Re-formatting was my initial interest; VirtualBox is interesting,
but I can come back to that.

@ Werner

One thing I do know; I don't want to further partition the hard drive
on this laptop. As it stands, I don't have to worry about grub or lilo,
I can select my OS-du-jour just by using the built-in media select
to use HDD/DVD or USB. If I can do a 'poor-man's install' to the ntfs
without clobbering the Win7, that'll probably serve. That's where all
my Gbs are right now.

Again, thanks to all.

[Werner P. Schulz]

From the manual:

In the Settings dialog, you can first configure whether USB is available in the guest at all, and in addition also optionally enable the USB 2.0 (EHCI) controller for the guest. If so, you can determine in detail which devices are available. For this, you must create so-called "filters" by specifying certain properties of the USB device.

... you can define a filter for USB, but you need not. I never defined any filter for my USB sticks - simply plug in and they will be recognized.