Morphix

**Alextreme** · 01-09-2003, 02:20 PM

I thought i would take the liberty to make a new topic about Morphix.
On my (very, very slow at the moment, sorry KnopBase downloaders, it's all i have) site i've put up a new Morphix section with the compilation of ideas found in multiple topics here and some brainstorming with others.

I hope i got it all right, i tend to be quite chaotic when it comes to ideas so having it all put down on paper/net should give it all some substance

Oh well, it's still very morphy at the moment, try to find any problems or inconsistancies if you want to lend a hand. planning really helps

**AvidLinuxUser** · 01-09-2003, 03:14 PM

Very well thought out.

Copied from site:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morphix, easy-to-make, easy-to-adapt, easy-to-use

Purpose:
To build a modular system for creating custom-built distributions.

Why and What?

Kernel+Bootup+Configuration should be made separate from the
user-land applications (console, X, apps etc).

Splitting Base from Main gives a greatly increased flexibility.
Base is a standard distro, and should work for nearly every configuration.
It handles booting the kernel, finding all hardware (sound, network, USB etc),
saving the configuration and loading of a MainModule.

The MainModule is the filesystem
that the user interacts with, and a user should be able to choose between
a wide range of them depending on the purpose of the distribution.
The MainModule depends on what the user wants his computer to do

Similar, a MiniModule gives
the user the possibility to tweak his distribution for (par example) the
local network, or the possibility to add a special firewall or app to
the MainModule when it doesnt suffice.
The MiniModule gives increased flexibility, without having to make a new MainModule

**dvessey** · 01-10-2003, 03:32 AM

Before I start messing around with this on my own, how can you mount multiple cloop compressed filesystems?

Will the base still do the X configuration as well?

**stonent** · 01-10-2003, 05:18 AM

I know that you can have multiple loop devices it just names them loop0 loop1 etc. So probably cloop would be the same.

**Alextreme** · 01-10-2003, 11:33 AM

Originally Posted by stonent

I know that you can have multiple loop devices it just names them loop0 loop1 etc. So probably cloop would be the same.

Now it is impossible for cloop to load more than one compressed device, afaik, but no one said it would be easy

Also, Base would handle X configuration (even if the MainModule doesnt need it). The whole idea is separating booting+configuration from applications, so i guess Base should also handle configuration that it doesnt need itself.

I hope to have a workable Base finished in the weekend, and have contacted my isp for mirroring space. A friend has also offered to design some nice pics for Morphix (and is turning out prototypes), and i've just registered Morphix.org. Things are starting to work out, people are becoming interested. Quite amazed at the speed things are going...

Darkehorse · 01-10-2003, 05:05 PM

Alextreme,

I appreciate the time you are taking to spearhead Morphix. I tried downloading the base KnopNL ISO but gave up after about 5 hours =). I definitely agree that a faster mirror is necessary. Please keep us posted on your progress.

-Darke

**Alextreme** · 01-10-2003, 05:18 PM

Originally Posted by Darkehorse

Alextreme,

I appreciate the time you are taking to spearhead Morphix. I tried downloading the base KnopNL ISO but gave up after about 5 hours =). I definitely agree that a faster mirror is necessary. Please keep us posted on your progress.

-Darke

trust me, i dont blame you

**Alextreme** · 01-14-2003, 02:17 AM

Hey all, just wanted to post how things are going. Still no webspace (working on it, stay with me), but the concept seems to work quite well! An update from my site/blog:

(14/01/03)

Things are actually turning out to become quite nice!

I've modified MorphixBase to the latest KNOPPIX (2.4.20-xfs, knx-install etc), and thanks to a lot of paper i've been able to stear my efforts.

MorphixBase now boots any MorphixMain module located on the same CD (well, i have a test module, it's not all that much), i just have to think out something smart for the config's.

Great news is too that Morphix will probably be able to boot ANY distribution (that remotely follows LHS), provided you add a /morphix dir with a few small scripts (truely customizable to your wildest dreams) and compress the filesystem with an adapted compress_loop (by yours truely, needed only to change 6 lines or so). Now i've also speculated live BSD's, but for now the ability to create a livecd-version from your fav distro with only a few scripts seems a nice addition

Still have a few problems:

- need space to put them on! Have contacted XS4all, i hope they have a little sense of adventure and grant me some space, this is only getting better (for now).
- as named, the config's.
- multisession cd's. Are these compatible with el torito? had problems, but could be due to lack of caffeine
- havn't loaded anything interesting yet on the module, only booting works...
- i'm aching to code something useful! This whole remastering stuff is getting a bit to admin-like! NEED TO CODE! (or sleep, that would do too

- wanting to try to unmount Base. probably save some precious RAM
- don't even think of rebooting all to clean (but then again, it's only a cdrom and RAM, what could possibly go wrong?!

**AvidLinuxUser** · 01-14-2003, 03:33 AM

I'll be pulling the mirror to 0.02 and put the new one up, once I download the new version.

Thank for your hard work.

AvidLinuxUser

**dvessey** · 01-14-2003, 10:12 PM

so how did you end up mounting the main module? just as /usr or chroot'ing, or some other way?

I'll download it and mess around as soon as I have access to a high speed connection