Quick Ubuntu based Porteus (x64) - UPortabilizer ;)

[tome]

I. Files needed:
1. filesystem.squashfs from any Ubuntu x64 based iso image (inside casper folder).
2. initrd1-xd64.xz from https://www.dropbox.com/sh/gdzuwmrramlv ... e-all?dl=0 (extracted from iso from https://debiandog.github.io/doglinux/zz ... aldog.html).
3. vmlinuz and corresponding 000-kernel.xzm from Porteus (based on Slackware).
---

II. Files structure. Rename some files - files tree should look like this:

/mnt/***/UP/casper
                       ├── 000-filesystem.squashfs
                       ├── 000-kernel.xzm.squashfs *(k>f)
                       ├── 001-myown-patches.squashfs
                       ├── vmlinuz
                       ├── initrd1-xd64.xz
                       └── xenial-x86_64.sgn *(create file manually)

(UP~UbuntuPorteus)
---

III. Proposed patches via xzm module, extramod=, changes= or rootcopy= cheatcodes:
1. Set root password within Porteus for Ubuntu (/etc/shadow from filesystem.squashfs -rw-r-----; root:gdm).
2. Add new user within Ubuntu - guest files are kept only temporary.
---

IV. Boot entry for syslinux
LABEL up
MENU LABEL UbuntuPorteus
KERNEL /UP/casper/vmlinuz from=UP
APPEND initrd=/UP/casper/initrd1-xd64.xz

It boots very quickly - like Porteus. Tested only for lubuntu-16.04.3-desktop-amd64.iso
Bugs/Todo: /mnt/live/memory path in initrd scripts should be replaced with /run/initramfs/memory for clean unmounts at shutdown.

EDIT: Corrected path for boot entry (IV section).

[brokenman]

Good job Tome. I had this in the back of my mind to do when I got some time. I will take it for a spin.

It can be done with any linux.

[tome]

Can this be done w/ Alpine Linux

No this quick way. Alpine isos instead of one image file have many .apk packages to install.

[burdi01]

For as far as I see there is no live extended CD on that download page ...

[tome]

I meant Alpine Linux Live "Extended" CD iso

Neither this, see:


For random .apk file:

Code: Select all

gzip compressed data, max compression, from Unix

[brokenman]

As i've already explained, it is possible with ANY linux. There is nothing different about alpine linux. All linux like operating systems use the same source, just packaged in different ways. Example, ssl is required by slackware, ubuntu and alpine. They all get it from the same place, they just package it differently for their own flavour of linux like operating system. You just need to make modules from the package list of the system you are trying to modularize.

Alpine lacks... modularity.
Which is Porteus's greatest strength.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'modularity'. In my opinion, all linux like systems have modularity. They are all made from modules (packages) which can be added or removed at will. The strength of Porteus is not modularity but rather portability on a fast union system.

[francois]

This might replace my debian installation.

Thanks tome.

[francois]

Hello tome. By any means could you provide an iso for this ubuntu installation. This would be for the most lazy of us all.
Or maybe neko would do that.

Is it systemd type?

It could also be called ubun2porteus.

[francois]

Anyone have a functional installation of this uportabiliser?

[Rava]

Anyone have a functional installation of this uportabiliser?

I would also want to try that out

By any means could you provide an iso for this ubuntu installation. This would be for the most lazy of us all.

especially following your… laid back approach.

[francois]

@rava:

I think that you could work it out better than me with the first thread. Fanthom for sure, but also ncmprhnsbl and tome are able to do so. Brokenman also for sure. But if they do not come to help with the job, at least we could try.

Let us analyse the first thread post and put it to date with:

I. Files needed:
1. extract filesystem.squashfs from an ubuntu iso:Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS
https://ubuntu.com/download/desktop/tha ... ture=amd64
The filesystem.squashfs of ubuntu is very huge 2.1 Gig.
2. initrd1-xd64.xz from a descendant of debian dog, it seems that sparkybonsai is one. And we have ck sparky-kernel-5.11.15-amd64.zip
https://osdn.net/projects/sparkybonsai/releases/p17829
3. 3. vmlinuz and corresponding 000-kernel.xzm and porteus.cfg from Porteus

II. file structure of our new ISO, see first post file structure:
initrd1.xz will replace initrd1-xd64.xz, because this is what we get from sparkybonsai
ubuntu-porteus-fusion.sgncfg will replace porteus.sgncfg with the same content (this is my original touch, if I may). But as it is obsolete on most recent porteus versions, there is much chances that it is not needed.

001-myown-patches.squashfs
- I will leave it for future consideration, the .iso file shoud boot without it (hoping so).

*(k>f): or f<k means that 000-filesystem.squashfs will be looked at first (f as in filesystem...) and 000-kernel.xzm.squashfs after (k as in kernel...). A principle known by porteus users.

III and IV Should be the same as in first post.

[Rava]

francois, good early morning to you.

I. Files needed:
1. extract filesystem.squashfs from an ubuntu iso:Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS
https://ubuntu.com/download/desktop/tha ... ture=amd64
2. initrd1-xd64.xz from a descendant of debian dog, it seems that sparkybonsai is one. And we have ck sparky-kernel-5.11.15-amd64.zip
https://osdn.net/projects/sparkybonsai/releases/p17829
3. 3. vmlinuz and corresponding 000-kernel.xzm from Porteus

II. In first post:
*(k>f): means that 000-filesystem.squashfs will be looked at first (f as in filesystem...) and 000-kernel.xzm.squashfs after (k as in kernel...)

III and IV Should be the same as in first post.

Good basci info to get started with.

But… what do you think of a more modular approach? With a script included that creates the finale ISO?

Why that?
because if I would build such ISO, I would use my older kernel and corresponding 000-kernel.xzm and nvidia driver that almost no one is interested in because you need the older NVidia hardware to have the need for the kernel and driver combo..

But when we do a modular approach, we could:

tell the script where and what the ubunt2porteus.skeleton.iso is
which vmlinuz, 000-kernel.xzm and eventual other modules to be included are

and then the script would create the finale ubunt2porteus.YYYY-MM-DD.iso

All needed essential files are to be found in the ubunt2porteus.skeleton.iso


And when we have such a script, it should be easy to tweak it (more or less) to adjust it to other kinds of Linux to finally create all sorts of *****2porteus ISOs.

Just my 2 cents on it.

[Rava]

This called a coquille in french.

Do you refer to your typo (I removed that reference from my post, should have PM'd you instead of writing an answer post) or my described modular approach as in my now completely changed article #12 of this thread?

[francois]

You seem to know where you are going, you could do it your way. Personnally I am just trying to adapt the recipe of tome, and make it work.

Adding modifications to the first post according to the basic and more recent files that I have pointed to.

Here it is passed midnight. The ubuntu iso is half downloaded. I will go to bed and have a try tomorrow night maybe.

PM are not needed really, striking the offensing text is enough.

[Rava]

The ubuntu iso is half downloaded. I will go to bed and have a try tomorrow night maybe.

Can you please upload a tar.xz or whatever archive format you choose with the extracted files from the (1.) ISO and the (2.) initrd1-xd64.xz for others to experiment on if you have them downloaded and extracted?

Off topic

Here it is passed midnight.

I thought you were in continental France, that should be more close to my own time. Currently here is 06:42 (we still use the silly daylight savings time in Germoney even when it was a milkmaid's calculation from the very start that should never have been implemented to begin with.

I just now learned that the German name for milkmaid's calculation - Milchmädchenrechnung - comes from a French language fable by Jean de La Fontaine - The milkmaid and her pail ( La Laitière et le Pot au lait ) - according to the German wikipedia entry Milchmädchenrechnung

The world can be at times such a small place, culture and language-wise.