Renaming the /KNOPPIX file and making it work

**taloner** · 01-13-2005, 11:30 PM

Hi,
I am working on a remaster with specific requirements. The assignments requires me to make a customized distro with the spcific softwares. I can do that. I would like to know how do I name my /cdrom/KNOPPIX file (the big 700 mb) file to something else. I looked into miniroot.gz and if I change all softlinks to point toward something like

Code:

/boot -> /CUSTOM/boot

and so on for everylink and change the references to the /KNOPPIX in linuxrc file wud it be done or do I need to do something else as well. Also when the distro is booting, I want a custom logo to be displayed, I remember in an old remaster (with version 3.2 or something) it was given, can someone tell me how to do that.

After the distro have booted silently (bootsplash) I need to run a script which will install it to hd, with default config provided in a script. That is not the problem but this process shud be done in framebuffer (for asthetics) which i have never done before.

Any help on all these topics will be appriciated. Specially the /KNOPPIX to /CUSTOM part.

Thanks a lot

**locutus** · 01-14-2005, 08:00 PM

Can I ask why you want/need to change the default location of your new compressed filesystem( /KNOPPIX/KNOPPIX )? When you burn the new CD with your customizations, you can still use the same file naming and location. Unless there is some need/advangage to using some other. Which might be do-able via cheatcodes like "bootfrom=/dev/cdrom/KNOPPIX/CUSTOM" maybe????

Now, regarding your need to run a custom script during boot. There's a nice trick already built into Knoppix and that is the use of the knoppix.sh script that's kicked off when you use the "myconfig=....." cheatcode. Just build your script, call it knoppix.sh and then put it in the root of your custom CDROM and then boot the CD with the cheatcode "myconfig=/dev/cdrom". IIRC, there might even be an automatic search for knoppix.sh at the root of the CDROM but this is something in the corner of my head which is 1-2 years old. Easy enough to try just since it doesn't really require a full remastering and to use the cheatcode you need to put it on the cd anyways.

BTW, there is another cheatcode called "tohd=" and I think there's another one which might simplify your auto-install requirement. So, alot of what you are looking for might be possible by using cheatcodes during the boot process. Once you get those hammered out, all you need to do is change /boot/isolinux/isolinux.cfg to default with those cheatcodes and the task is done.

**taloner** · 01-14-2005, 10:26 PM

Can I ask why you want/need to change the default location of your new compressed filesystem( /KNOPPIX/KNOPPIX )?

Same old story. Clients wants it, though it is going to be a "Knoppix based linux system" at every point, he wants me to name it something else all together.

Now I agree with you about the cheat codes, but that will be possible if I am running it. Clients requirements are to make it a installer, which is user friendly and where there is no need for user to put in commands, may be answer just a few question about the regular configuration. Basically a "preety install". About the isntaller, I think i have figured that one out. It will be installable very easily, but still I will need to change /KNOPPIX/KNOPPIX to /CUSTOM/CUSTOM .

Also there is this bootup image, logo.16 or something. Is there a way to change it. ?

Thanks a lot

**locutus** · 01-15-2005, 12:37 AM

I see, the client wants to hide the fact that it's based on Knoppix. Too bad and sad but then again, if people don't know it's GNU/Linux, they'll accept it more readily. After all, Linux is too hard to use and made by a bunch of commies.

You might still be able to set the default boot to use the cheatcodes and knoppix.sh since it's no visible or could be hidden and the knoppix.sh could launch your pretty installer. As a matter of fact, I'd look at the work done on the knoppix-install script since that is a GUI based installer. You'll have to make sure the "spash" cheatcode was default too so it hid the boot text and then get the system up with an fb X Server..... ah, that's where you'd have it kick off your installer instead of KDE... So forget about using knoppix.sh unless you maybe want it to look at the floppy for some custom setup stuff before the install happends.

I'm not sure about logo.16 but it probably is the boot logo or maybe it's the Tux which shows up first( upper left of screen ) for each CPU installed.
The f2 and f3 files contain the help for the F2 and F3 cheatcode listings. A google search for logo.16 or these forums would probably help with that.
I'd try to look at the "splash" cheatcode and operation since it hides all that frightening text stuff on bootup.

I just looked around here and there's a thread on the logo.16 stuff here:

http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7

It's great to hear others have "clients" paying for customizations. And I hope you'll share what you learn with others with regard to the issues we're discussing.

cheers.

**taloner** · 01-15-2005, 01:51 PM

The Client might want to hide the fact that the project is based on knoppix, but it will not be the case. It's just that he wants his products name rather than KNOPPIX and what I have in mind is a boot splash announcing "based on knoppix".

I take that freedom with my work. I think splash cheat code will be the way to go if I can make it default. All I want is the installer to run in framebuffer.

logo.16 is the boot logo. I figured it out last night, but thanks for the post you mentioned. It is a 600*400 16 color image encoded in a special format.

#pngtopnm <logo.png> logo.pnm
#ppmtolss16 <logo.pnm> logo.16

I will look into the syslinux.cfg for accomodating the cheats for splash. Documenting all the steps, so i can contribute what i have learned so far.

**locutus** · 01-15-2005, 07:59 PM

you shouldn't have a problem adding "splash" to the default boot sequence since I've done this many times. I've used custom isolinux.cfg changes so friends can run Knoppix on their systems without having to enter cheatcodes yet it'll boot correctly for their custom setup. For instance, I'd specify fromhd=/dev/hda1 myconfig=/dev/hda1 home=/dev/hda2 and splash as added cheatcodes in isolinux.cfg. This brings up a point which might work out for you and your clients setup.

If your setup allows you to run your clients custom code from a RO compressed filesystem( ie from a CDROM ) then an easy install is to create the /boot partition, on the harddrive, with the stuff from /boot/isolinux, copy /KNOPPIX/* from the CD to the HD( like tohd= does ), create any HD directory structures needed for application data storage, and then run lilo or grub to set /boot as the boot system. Putting in the correct isolinux.cfg file for the HD boot so subsequent HD booting would then bring the system up ready for your customer. It'll help protect the runtime filesystem from corruption and make upgrading a matter of just updating one file on the HD( /KNOPPIX/KNOPPIX or /CUSTOM/CLIENT-NAME in your case ) and only updating the /boot files if you change more than your clients custom code in the compressed image file.

I've done pretty much all of this already, with the exception of creating the boot area on the HD. So far, I've just used a slight customization of the knoppix-terminalserver process so that remote servers get the boot loader from one remote server and from then on, they run autonomously without the boot server since they are using a local HD filesystem image instead of the remote systems /cdrom image. I've also used customized knoppix.sh files to chain load a custom runtime script for tweaking things like the /etc/hosts, /etc/apache/http.conf, /etc/samba/smb*, etc files. It sure beats doing a full HD install and is alot quicker too.

Hopefully this info was helpful and I'm looking forward to hearing how your system comes together.

**raj1478** · 01-17-2005, 09:28 AM

Hello, I'm new to this forum, but like to add up to the discussion. I'm too working on a similar project. I've customized "KNOPPIX 3.3" to "YaLICaT" where the word "knoppix" has been removed (with due credit in source code) at least from boot screen, background, user name and almost everything that is visible on first go. So, I'll narrate my experience below: -

1. The name CUSTOM/CUSTOM can be changed as follows. Just rename the KNOPPIX directory under your master and delete the KNOPPIX file. Then while giving name of target during compression of filesystem using "create_compressed_fs" just give it as "master/CUSTOM/CUSTOM" and you are done.

2. Make sure to edit miniroot.gz file in boot.img to point to your new custome image. The filesystem structure here has symlinks based on /KNOPPIX. Deleting and rebuilding these link w.r.r. /CUSTOM will do the trick.

3. Also change the syslinux.cfg file for change of boot image if you want to change the text "knoppix" being typed at boot prompt to something else.

I hope my experience will be helpful.

**taloner** · 01-23-2005, 02:26 PM

Hi all,
Back with the report and some more doubts.

1. Editing boot.img file to refer to /CUSTOM instead of /KNOPPIX works.
2. unzip and loop mount miniroot
2.1 remove all softlinks and remake links back to /CUSTOM eg. remove the link bin ->/KNOPPIX/bin and make another one bin ->/CUSTOM/bin . Repeat the same for the links in all files in miniroot.
2.2 Unmount miniroot and gzip it. (gzip -9 miniroot)
2.3 change all instances of /KNOPPIX in all files under boot.img

3 umount boot.img

4. copy it back to master dir.
5. cd master
6. mv KNOPPIX/ CUSTOM/
7. While running create_compressed_fs .. use CUSTOM rather than KNOPPIX

*that was roughly what I did and as posted by raj1478*

now what I need to do is enable boot splash. By the way, I little correction. My work is based on knoppix as in I am using the knoppix idea but the distro is being prepared by debootstraping. Is there an option for adding a custom bootsplashed kernel. ?? or any place where such binary might be available.??

Regards

**raj1478** · 01-24-2005, 09:15 AM

Originally Posted by taloner

now what I need to do is enable boot splash. By the way, I little correction. My work is based on knoppix as in I am using the knoppix idea but the distro is being prepared by debootstraping. Is there an option for adding a custom bootsplashed kernel. ?? or any place where such binary might be available.??

Regards

I couldn't understand what do you mean by bootsplashed kernel. But if you are using KNOPPIX 3.3 or higher there is a cheatcode "splash" that can be passed to the kernel while booting to display the splash screen. (It uses the "splash_top.png" file used by ksplash stored in /usr/share/apps/ksplash/pics/).

But if you are trying to add a kernel with progress patch (as is being done with Mandrake or other popular distros) then you need to recompile the kernel or with proper patch, which is being discussed on many other posts.