Revised version of Remastering HowTo

[utu]

For each virtual machine you want to run in VirtualBox you can do many decisions. For example 'System > Processor > 2 CPUs and many other things.

Specifically can't find this cpu choice now.

All my current problems are VirtualBox problems it seems.
Werner has taken care of all the re-mastering details.

Initially, I told VirtualBox the guest would be linux/Debian, that's all.

only one cpu recognized.
guest x11 resolution not right, even tho' CD had it ok.
...note: virtualbox-guest-x11 isn't installed and won't.
can't read auxiliary fat32-formatted data USB from guest apps.
don't know how to export final iso to host, and
...don't know how to get current iso into iso9660 format.
not sure whether current guest image is what will appear
...as the /remaster/iso.
Can't locate earlier snapshots, only the last one.

I am surprised how much IS working.

[kl522]

All my current problems are VirtualBox problems it seems.

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.

[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).

[Werner P. Schulz]

Specifically can't find this cpu choice now.

... look at this screenshot

guest x11 resolution not right,

You have to install GuestAdditions. Please read in VirtualBox manual> 4.2.1. Guest Additions for Windows

don't know how to export final iso to host,

First of all you have to copy the new ISO to the directory of isoimages from VirtualBox. Don't know how this looks like beneath Windows7 and how you can do it. Perhaps you need an USB-stick to make the copy from VirtualBox to the directory in Windows. With Linux it is all very easy to do

After this you can mount the new ISO in VirtualBox to start from it.


Greetings Werner * http://www.wp-schulz.de/knoppix/summary.html
Own Rescue-CD with Knoppix (Knoppix V6.4.4 remaster)

[Werner P. Schulz]

don't know how to get current iso into iso9660 format

... this is only a warning, the ISO will work.

Can't figure out the 'shared folder' secret.

Please read in the manual "4.3 Shared Folders"

The idea of my way of remastering is
1. create an enviroment to work by the Debian like Installation of Knoppix (it is not a Installation of Debian!)

2. avoid problems by working in a not exactly defined enviroment (Gentoo, BSD, Windows an so on)

3. use scripts, which will do all the job for you and are well tested beneath the new Knoppix version

4. a separate enviroment dosn't disturb your productive OS

Of ourse, the other ways are using Remaster HowTo or simply use flash disk Installation with persistent memory.

My description is for experienced users; users who never worked with VirtualBox have problems. VirtualBox isn't a tool you can learn within a few minutes.

[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.