I tried to get LiveCD working, but ran into too many problems, so I tried bootcd. Bootcd is very simple. You simply create the server you want on an actual computer and run bootcdwrite. It will create an iso file and place it in /var/spool/bootcd. This iso can be used to burn a cd or used directly to run a virtual machine (I used VMware)
There are several configuration bits that can be set, such as directories that you do not really want as part of the iso. Once the cd has been created it will boot to the same machine as it was created from. There is also a package named bootcd-mkinitrd that will create a new initrd for you that uses discover to find all the hardware at boot. Using this (I have not used this yet, but plan to) the cd will have the ability to boot from almost any other machine. Good luck Tony -----Original Message----- From: Stephen Yorke [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, September 06, 2006 10:28 AM To: Debian User Subject: Debian LIVE CD Hello all... I am new to this group (just signed up today) but I am have two problems: 1. Creating a LIVE CD with Debian Testing 2. PXE/TFTP Boot server within a M$ DHCP Environment I come from a M$ background (hey, had to get my start somewhere and it is paying the bills) but frequent the *NIX environments but I am by no means as comfortable with Debian as I am M$. Unlike a lot of M$ and/or *NIX folks I do swing both ways and know there is a time and place for each NOS. Although each can act on their own without any problems as well. So...with that said here is my dilemma. I was tasked with creating a Live CD for a company. The requirements are here: 1. LIVECD (totally new for me but I love to learn) 2. No interaction with the Hard Disk (memory driven like Knoppix/Morphix) Possibly diskless systems. 3. Auto-Login 4. Only TSClient or Rdesktop (which will auto launch on boot) 5. Custom Desktop images and layout 6. Ability to boot from a PXE enabled TFTP server So what do I do...I HATE RED HAT LINUX and will not EVER use it again. Not since the licensing/pay-per came into play. If I was to do only console work I would do FreeBSD but I need GUI and lightweight with access to a good repository. Also, down the road there may be more architectures involved...in walks, no, CRASHES, DEBIAN...I chose Debian for several reasons but the main reasons are: many supported architectures, 10,000+ packages, ease of package management and IT IS NOT 'PAY HAT'. Ok...let's start with the Debian build first. :: Debian LIVECD :: I have everything configured and it looks great...I have a base Debian install, X, Fluxbox (custom menus, background, styles, etc), gdm, tsclient, ETC... First, I tried iBuild but when I try to build the system I keep getting errors that files already exist...it is the 'proc' dir where the files already exist and I can not delete this folder (How do I remove this folder?). Ok...give up on iBuild. Second, I have been playing with the Morphix Tools...it builds an image but when I look at the ISO that I build it is empty. The size is about 130MB but when you try to boot from it nothing happens and when I try to extract it OR try to look in it using WinRAR nothing is there. Does anyone know of a 'PROPER' guide that they can point me to for building LIVECD's? I do not even mind building it fully manually. I love learing new things and I think this would be a VERY valuble lesson to learn. I would even write up a step by step doc on how to do it if I had the info on how to do it properly. Like I said, I am new to the LIVE scene but am liking it ALOT and have been to quite a few sites including the Debian LIVE site. Now the PXE/TFTP Boot stuff... :: PXE/TFTP Boot :: I currently have a M$ DHCP server. Options 66 & 67 are set. I have a Debian basic build with SYSLINUX and TFTP-HPA installed Configured the TFTPBOOT stuff. I can NetBOOT and get to the Boot: prompt but I can not type anything at the prompt nor does it seem to pick up the initrd.gz nor the linux files which are in the main TFTPBOOT folder, the only thing I can get to happen is create a 'default' file in the pxelinux.cfg folder and one level up a default.txt file which is the menu to show up. It also seems like the TIMEOUT option in the default file is not working. It just waits about 5 minutes all the time and then reboots the box. I have the default option as LOCALBOOT but sometimes it doesn't even do that...it just fails. I have downloaded the netboot.tar.gz (I think) from the Debian website and everything that is there is pretty much everything I have on my system. Also, I can not get the F* keys to work within my default file. Two questions I guess...Is there a problem with syslinux running on Debian? Should I be using PXELinux instead of syslinux? Any help on these topics would be great. Suggestions are fine...I can Google just a well as the next person. I would like to have this completed by this weekend but I think that time is coming too fast to get it done. The big thing is the LIVECD...if I can at least get this working I can install a PXE server on my M$ DHCP Server and get this working easy enough, I just wanted to be able to document both a Debian only install as well as an integrated solution. Once I get all of this done I will have no problem posting a link to my work so others can comment and/or try it out. Sorry for the long winded message and Thanks in advance to all, Stephen Yorke -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]