July 2010 - Grml - lists.mur.at

grml-live questions
by T o n g 12 Aug '10

12 Aug '10

Hi, How is grml-live officially used to create daily snapshot CDs (for amd64 grml-small & grml-medium)? I did a test run, but got some error at the end. How can I fix it and get an ISO created? Thanks PS. Detailed logs: mount -o remount,suid,dev,rw /dev/shm grml-live -o /dev/shm -c GRMLBASE,GRML_SMALL,amd64 -s sid grml-live [0.9.41~git]: check your configuration (or use -F to force execution): FAI classes: GRMLBASE,GRML_SMALL,amd64 main directory: /dev/shm Chroot target: /dev/shm/grml_chroot Build target: /dev/shm/grml_cd ISO target: /dev/shm/grml_isos Grml name: grml Release name: grml-live rocks Build date: 2010-07-14 Grml version: 0.0.1 Debian suite: sid Architecture: amd64 Boot method: isolinux Template files: /usr/share/grml-live/templates Logging to file: /var/log/grml-live.log Is this ok for you? [y/N] y . . . Calling task_finish Ramdisk on /dev/shm/grml_chroot/var/lib/dpkg umounted Wed Jul 14 01:10:22 EDT 2010 The dirinstall took 571 seconds. /dev/shm/grml_chroot/var/lib/dpkg is not a mounted ramdisk. Calling task_savelog End of /usr/sbin/fai * Rebuilding initramfs [ ok ] * Error: there was a critical error during execution of stage 'fai dirinstall' * Note: check out /var/log/fai/grml/last/ for details. [exit 2] [ !! ] $ tail -12 /var/log/fai/grml/last/fai.log Executing shell: GRMLBASE/97-apt-listchanges GRMLBASE/97-apt-listchanges OK. Executing shell: GRMLBASE/98-clean-chroot GRMLBASE/98-clean-chroot FAILED with exit code 9. Executing shell: GRMLBASE/99-finish-grml-build GRMLBASE/99-finish-grml-build OK. Calling task_finish Ramdisk on /dev/shm/grml_chroot/var/lib/dpkg umounted Wed Jul 14 01:10:22 EDT 2010 The dirinstall took 571 seconds. /dev/shm/grml_chroot/var/lib/dpkg is not a mounted ramdisk. Calling task_savelog $ tail /var/log/fai/grml/last/shell.log (Reading database ... 17063 files and directories currently installed.) Removing libsigc++-2.0-0c2a ... Purging configuration files for libsigc++-2.0-0c2a ... Removing libxapian15 ... Purging configuration files for libxapian15 ... * /boot/config- not available. $KERNEL not set to correct value? [ !! ] GRMLBASE/98-clean-chroot FAILED with exit code 9. ===== shell: GRMLBASE/99-finish-grml-build ===== GRMLBASE/99-finish-grml-build OK. Thanks -- Tong (remove underscore(s) to reply) http://xpt.sourceforge.net/techdocs/ http://xpt.sourceforge.net/tools/

3 27

Using grml to build a stacked Debian Live system
by T o n g 31 Jul '10

31 Jul '10

Hi, These are what grml users had been asking/longing for: On Sun, 08 Mar 2009 15:32:01 +0100, Lars-Erik Helander wrote: > Regarding the persistence solution, I think I would rather like to have > a solution where the installed packages are not forced to be loaded into > main memory - as I understand that the live-snapshot would do, or ...? > Do grml have some toolchain that will allow me to either add stuff to an > existing squashfs or have the system "union mount" additional squashfs > files? * Michael Schierl <schierlm-public <at> gmx.de> [20061105 19:15]: > . . . I want to carry around as few disks > as possible. So I thought if it is possible to splitting the squashfs > image into two images that are merged by unionfs, where the smaller > one contains a basic system that includes all stuff from grml-small > (which may be larger than 50MB, but as small as possible) and have a > cheatcode to load only the small part into ram (and not use the large > part at all). I do not know if this is feasible . . . but the answer isn't available up until now -- now, you can build a stacked Debian Live system with the help of aufs + grml tools. But why "stacked" you may ask first. If grml is build on top of grml-medium, which is build on top of grml-small, then putting all 3 flavor on the same USB would not cost you more than one CD space, whereas currently it almost need two. Another great advantage is that, I never need to remaster my live system any more just for my own customization -- putting my extra stuff in is just as simple as putting in several modules. My live-usb always contains the latest tools/docs of my own, without going through the live system remastering process. I had about 7 layered modules that I build for slax and I just put them on top of grml. It works perfectly. Further, with stacked live system, you can, for the first time, load grml-small into ram (or grml-medium depending on your ram size), and leave the rest on USB/CD. Most importantly, it'll be much faster. Suppose your stacked live system is layered like the following: 1. All console tools 2. Xorg + lightweight window manager + essential X tools like gparted 3. Heavy weight desktop system (Gnome/Kde) 4. Occasionally used applications (KOffice/Latex) If you limit your self to only certain tasks (say console-only hacks), then you only need a limited number of modules to be loaded; all other modules are not loaded on start up. hence it will start faster, use less ram, and cause applications to run faster. Moreover your CD drive will only seek in a small area (instead of all across the whole CD). You don't even need to load it to ram if the loaded modules can be completed cached by the kernel. This significantly improves the speed. On the other hand, you can enjoy the full fledged desktop applications if you want to, from the very same CD. OK, enough "selling". Let's see how it can be achieved using aufs + grml tools. I'll use the scenario that grml-full is build on top of grml-medium, which is build on top of grml-small as the example. 1. Use aufs to create the stacked framework. The first command creates necessary directories, and the 2nd creates a stacked aufs file system, of which /grml/grml-layers/grml-work is the RW working branch. In this aufs file system, if a file is not available in grml-full, aufs looks in grml-medium, else in grml-small. mkdir -p /grml/grml-live/grml_chroot/ /grml/grml-layers/{grml-full,grml-medium,grml-small,grml-work} mount -t aufs -o br=/grml/grml-layers/grml-work=rw:/grml/grml-layers/grml-full:/grml/grml-layers/grml-medium:/grml/grml-layers/grml-small none /grml/grml-live/grml_chroot/ 2. Use grml-live to build the first layer. CLASSES='GRMLBASE,GRML_SMALL,RELEASE,AMD64' ARCH=amd64 grml-live -a $ARCH -c $CLASSES . . . 3. Now the first layer, grml-small, is available under /grml/grml-live/grml_chroot/, which is the mount point of the aufs file system. We need to move the content from RW layer to the lower /grml/grml-layers/grml-small layer. Note that the final umount and mount is recommended after the move, because the inode number may be changed. aubrsync move /grml/grml-live/grml_chroot /grml/grml-layers/grml-work /grml/grml-layers/grml-small umount /grml/grml-live/grml_chroot/ !mount 4. Install the next layer. This time grml-debootstrap is used instead, to install all grml-medium packages on top of the current chroot system. grml-debootstrap --verbose --arch amd64 --target /grml/grml-live/grml_chroot/ . . . 5. Now grml-medium is available under /grml/grml-live/grml_chroot/. Again, we need to move and reflect all modifications from upper to lower layer. This time is to grml-medium: aubrsync move /grml/grml-live/grml_chroot /grml/grml-layers/grml-work /grml/grml-layers/grml-medium umount /grml/grml-live/grml_chroot/ !mount 6. Repeat step 4 and 5 to finish grml-full. 7. Create squashfs filesystem ln -s grml.squashfs /grml/grml-live/grml_cd/live/grml_small.squashfs mksquashfs-lzma /grml/grml-layers/grml-medium /grml/grml-live/grml_cd/live/grml_medium.squashfs -b 256k -lzma mksquashfs-lzma /grml/grml-layers/grml-full /grml/grml-live/grml_cd/live/grml_full.squashfs -b 256k -lzma 8. Create stacked squashfs filesystem. I'm using grml-full as an example. Under /grml_cd/live/, create a file, say grml-full.module, in which contains: grml_small.squashfs grml_medium.squashfs grml_full.squashfs 8. Make it bootable. I'm using grub as an example. In the kernel line, use the following. Note the grml-full is the file you just named without the .module extension. kernel ... live-media-path=/live module=grml-full 9. Put them on USB and test it. That's it. Note, the above is for illustration purpose only. Substitute with your own CLASS or path please. PS. mika, if you want, please send me the wiki access info to my bts email address, I can put the above into wiki. Thanks

3 4

The class grml-live concept
by T o n g 29 Jul '10

29 Jul '10

Hi, >From man page: "For example if you want to use your own class named "FOOBAR" just set CLASSES="GRMLBASE,GRML_SMALL,I386" inside /etc/grml/grml-live.local or invoke grml-live using the classes option: "grml-live -c GRMLBASE,GRML_SMALL,I386,FOOBAR …"." - 1st, I think ",FOOBAR" is missing from the first "CLASSES=" - 2nd, my question, if I want to use my own class named "FOOBAR", ie, CLASSES="GRMLBASE,FOOBAR,I386" would /etc/grml/fai/config/class/FOOBAR.var file allow me to config things like UTC=yes, TIMEZONE=xxx? Thanks -- Tong (remove underscore(s) to reply) http://xpt.sourceforge.net/techdocs/ http://xpt.sourceforge.net/tools/

2 2

grml_2010.04 and NVIDIA card support
by T o n g 29 Jul '10

29 Jul '10

Hi, How well are NVIDIA cards supported in grml_2010.04? I saw that NVIDIA binary kernel modules are compiled up to nvidia-kernel-2.6.31-grml64, not to 2.6.33 that grml_2010.04 uses. thanks -- Tong (remove underscore(s) to reply) http://xpt.sourceforge.net/techdocs/ http://xpt.sourceforge.net/tools/

2 1

pick invalid ones from package list
by T o n g 26 Jul '10

26 Jul '10

Hi, I'm wondering what's the best way to pick invalid package names from a package list. I am keeping a package list of my installed packages, but over the time, package can be retired, obsoleted, or simple increase in version in its name. I just want to pick out all those invalid ones. Thanks -- Tong (remove underscore(s) to reply) http://xpt.sourceforge.net/techdocs/ http://xpt.sourceforge.net/tools/

1 1

About grml bootid
by T o n g 23 Jul '10

23 Jul '10

Hi, Can somebody explain the newly introduced bootid option? I know, bootid is used "for verifying the ISO through bootid=.... bootoption" and the logic behind bootoptions and possible combinations: * bootid.txt + wrong bootid=... => fails to boot * bootid.txt + right bootid=... => boots * bootid.txt + ignore_bootid => boots * bootid.txt + no bootid=... + no ignore_bootid => fails to boot * no bootid.txt + no bootid=... + no ignore_bootid => boots * no bootid.txt + bootid=... => fails to boot * no bootid.txt + ignore_bootid=... => boots I mean to ask, - what exactly does the bootid stand for? - how does the file /conf/bootid.txt generated? - how would bootid work with integrating multiple-grml on the same USB? Is there somewhere to read more about it? Thanks -- Tong (remove underscore(s) to reply) http://xpt.sourceforge.net/techdocs/ http://xpt.sourceforge.net/tools/

3 7

dmesg is empty
by T o n g 19 Jul '10

19 Jul '10

Hi, IIRC, the /var/log/dmesg file is empty when booting into grml. Can anyone confirm this? How can I fix it so that my device info is retained? Thanks -- Tong (remove underscore(s) to reply) http://xpt.sourceforge.net/techdocs/ http://xpt.sourceforge.net/tools/

2 4

grml_2010.04 and aufs-tools
by T o n g 18 Jul '10

18 Jul '10

Hi, May I know why grml_2010.04 dropped the aufs-tools package? It's not big but provides stackable file-systems. Thanks -- Tong (remove underscore(s) to reply) http://xpt.sourceforge.net/techdocs/ http://xpt.sourceforge.net/tools/

2 1

grml-live, how to hold back packages
by T o n g 18 Jul '10

18 Jul '10

Hi, How can I use a specific version of package (instead of the latest one) when building with grml-live? Side question, current grml uses aufs-tools version 0+20090302, whereas the current aufs-tools version is 20100601-1. Is there anywhere I can find this aufs-tools version 0+20090302 that is used to build grml? Thanks -- Tong (remove underscore(s) to reply) http://xpt.sourceforge.net/techdocs/ http://xpt.sourceforge.net/tools/

1 2

Help with a new complex installation
by Ernesto Domato 15 Jul '10

15 Jul '10

Hi list, I was trying to install a stable release of Debian on a new server but I've found that the default kernel that comes with the official installer doesn't recognize the SATA controller that the motherboard has because it seems that is a board newer than the kernel. Then, I've booted the computer with a grml64 and it recognize well the controller and the two SATA disks attached to it. The two SATA disks are of the same type and size. I would like to use Raid1 for redundancy and LVM2 to manipulate the space and add of additional disks easily. I would also like to use XFS to test it since for what I read it's better than reiserfs and ext3 for journaling and performance. So, could you help me with this?. Reading about grub2, it can recognize RAID1, LVM and XFS partitions, but I don't know if it can do it if I use them all together for the "boot" directory. So, on the partition part, should I use a small (128Mb) RAID1+ext3 partition for the "boot" directory containing the initrd file and then the rest with RAID1+LVM+XFS?. How can I use grml to perform all this and have a stable Debian working on this server with this configuration?. Thanks for all. Ernesto

1 0