[HOWTO] Make your own Debian Live ISO with live-build (repos included)

Kirill Rekhov Wed, 17 Sep 2025 18:55:48 -0700

If you've ever wanted to craft a truly custom Debian-based Live ISO -
whether
for personal use, testing, or just experimentation - live-build is an
incredibly
powerful (but underrated) tool. It's the official Debian build system for
creating Live systems, and with a bit of scripting you can turn it into
anything: a minimal rescue disk, a preconfigured dev environment, or even a
gaming-focused distro.


I recently dove into live-build to create
*KoruX* (https://github.com/KoruX-GNU-Linux/KoruX) - a minimalist Debian 12
(Bookworm) Live/Installed system tailored for developers and maintainers,
with a
sprinkle of classic games (Diablo 1/2, Heroes 3, Quake 1-2-3) for fun. It's
a
hobby project, but the real takeaway is how flexible live-build is once you
grasp its structure.

Why live-build?

* Full control: Choose every package, tweak configs, and inject custom
scripts.

* Dual-mode: Boot as a Live system or install to disk
  (I used *Calamares* (https://calamares.io/) for a graphical installer).

* Documentation: The *official manual*
  (https://live-team.pages.debian.net/live-manual/) is thorough, and
projects
  like *nodiscc/debian-live-config* (
https://github.com/nodiscc/debian-live-config)
  provide great starting points.

What I Learned (and How You Can Start)

1. Start small: Begin with a basic config/ directory (package lists, hooks,
etc.).

2. Hooks are magic: Use config/hooks/ to run scripts at build time (e.g.,
   setting up users, themes, or game installers).

3. Hardening matters: I added minimal secure defaults for Firefox, OpenSSL,
PAM,
   sshd, sudoers, GRUB, and sysctl (ASLR). Even for personal projects, it's
good
   practice.

4. Theming is fun: Custom GRUB, login manager, and desktop tweaks make the
   system feel like yours (works with any DE/DM).

Why Share This?

I'm not here to promote KoruX (it's niche!). Instead, I want to highlight
how
accessible live-build is for anyone who's ever thought:

* "I wish Debian had [X] by default."
* "I need a portable dev environment."
* "I want to learn how distros are built."

If you've played with live-build, what did you create? Any tips for
newcomers?
And if you're just starting, what's your dream custom ISO?

(P.S. If you're looking for a minimal template, *nodiscc/debian-live-config*
(https://github.com/nodiscc/debian-live-config) is a fantastic starting
point.
You can also search GitHub for other live-build projects for more examples.)
--
Regards, Kirill Rekhov

Currently Debian Maintainer
GPG Fingerprint: 2640 769D FDA1 AAA0 F863  D1AE 5F2C 5905 519C E0A0

Debian Salsa: https://salsa.debian.org/krekhov
Debian Person: https://nm.debian.org/person/krekhov
Debian QA Page:
https://qa.debian.org/[email protected]

GitHub: https://github.com/krekhovx

[HOWTO] Make your own Debian Live ISO with live-build (repos included)

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