Bootloader Limitation Problem

[TerryN]

This file is in drakxtools-backend, so the way to change it in future ISOs would be to submit an updated version of that package. Would a package request for the change be legitimate?

I have noted the request  
I have a couple of other things to fix in the draktools so I'll add it to the list.

Terry.

[Old-Polack]

This file is in drakxtools-backend, so the way to change it in future ISOs would be to submit an updated version of that package. Would a package request for the change be legitimate?

I have noted the request  
I have a couple of other things to fix in the draktools so I'll add it to the list.

Terry.

Terry, you are so good. 

[Just17]

This file is in drakxtools-backend, so the way to change it in future ISOs would be to submit an updated version of that package. Would a package request for the change be legitimate?

I have noted the request  
I have a couple of other things to fix in the draktools so I'll add it to the list.

Terry.

Thank you!

[wedgetail]

In my unsquashed system, the location where I made the change

/squashfs-root/usr/lib/libDrakX/bootloader.pm

....................
sub add_entry {
    my ($bootloader, $v) = @_;

    my $to_add = $v;
    my $label = $v->{label};
    for (my $i = 0; $i < 99 {
   my $conflicting = get_label($label, $bootloader);
.........................

By the way I did not add the smiley here.

I assume this has nothing to do with why my mkiso turned the livecd.sqsfs into an executable file, well I think this is what the x in permissions means.     

[Just17]

Have you tried creating another ISO with the files?

If so was the squash file name altered again?

[wedgetail]

Yes I repeated last night with the same directory structure, ie source in one partition and destination in another both on my 2nd hard drive, partition numbers 18 and 20.

This morning I tried to make one with destination /tmp, crashed grand style, something about directory level exceeded a limit of 6.  Not a smart move as I did not know there was directory level limits here.

The last run I made to a new destination directory called /zmkiso this was successful but for filename change.
Here source was on second drive and active system is also located here.   

My problem now is I have so little base knowledge I am now running out of things to guess. 

I have this feeling that perhaps the filename change could be fixed by using a mkisofs option.

Also is there a problem with running through /media/ mounts

Timeout before next onslaught 

[Just17]

I suggest you start again from scratch to see if the problem can be repeated, and post the three commands you use.

Also to eliminate any inconsistencies I suggest you keep all the files on the one partition.

The commands I used

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unsquashfs -d /home/user/test-iso/unsquash livecd.sqfs

mksquashfs /home/user/test-iso/unsquash  livecd.sqfs

mkisofs -o /home/user/test.iso /home/user/test-iso/
which did not give any corruption of file names.

[wedgetail]

Just17
I will have to take it a bit easy, family activity is increasing and grandad does not have an escape any longer.  I will return to try and figure out what is going on.

A fix for the time being has now allowed me to write this post from Firefox on a running liveHDD where the bootloader.pm is fixed up but no time to test if it can install, this is the now the burning question.  I am scrambling through the manual for mkisofs, pheeew that is heavy going not understanding more than 5%.

From that I applied option -r and this seems to make the destination livecd.sqfs proper, ie now the .sqfs is back to 4 characters and it is totally read only.

I will use another new install of KDE32 and do it your way, as I did make a quick run keeping everything in the B-20 partition but that did not help.    

Added:
Running the liveHDD with edited bootloader.pm I installed the ISO to an empty partition-07 on my 3rd HDD, it worked bar minor fumblings like getting totally wrong password to what I normally use.  I will scrap the install later.

I used the installed KDE32-2012.12 after fully updating and adding a few smaller treats of my own, to experiment with your suggestion. I almost managed to do exactly but I had actually made the directory 

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[root@localhost gert]# mkdir /home/user/test-iso/unsquash
not sure what happened here as when I came to do the unsquash, complaining that directory existed, quickly just added /expand and the process proceeded.

[root@localhost gert]# unsquashfs -d /home/gert/test-iso/unsquash/expand /za/livecd.sqfs

I have my original ISO loop mounted on /za so I could point to the livecd.sqfs file successfully.
Shortly afterwards this succeeded.

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[root@localhost gert]# mksquashfs  /home/gert/test-iso/unsquash/expand livecd.sqfs
I followed up with a second run where the destination file was on /media/B-20, seems moving to another copy of the OS may have paid off.

Though I am niggled by why I had the trouble on the previous system, so I probably will go back and investigate a bit more.   

[Just17]

not sure what happened here as when I came to do the unsquash, complaining that directory existed, quickly just added /expand and the process proceeded.

Yes it expects to create the destination directory itself .....  which ensures it does not expand into an existing directory.

[kjpetrie]

This file is in drakxtools-backend, so the way to change it in future ISOs would be to submit an updated version of that package. Would a package request for the change be legitimate?

I have noted the request  
I have a couple of other things to fix in the draktools so I'll add it to the list.

Terry.

I'm already working on it. At the moment there are different packages for 32 and 64 bit and I just need to see whether they can be combined.

Edit: Found the "Requires: lib64xxf86misc1" - naughty Tex! (Presumably before he hit on changing the %{_lib} macro.)

Sent to Dropbox.

[wedgetail]

kjpetrie
Much appreciated, I will be most enthusiastic checking/testing this as I have suffered a lot just because I ran so many partitions.  So far I am happy with my testing. Only need to test some installs in high numbers, ie /dev/sdc17 and above.

Just17
I think I have returned to the original OS that started my search here, not quite sure as I lost my master menu.lst in a comical accident  
In the following I am following relatively close to your proposed lines.  I am using the same source ISO, KDE32-2012.12 as in the previous tests.

1..  Loop mounting my source ISO (and just checking that I have a livecd.sqfs to work with, yeah I know but I am rather cautious). I have set up a couple of helper directories /za and /zz

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[root@localhost gert]# mount -o loop  /media/B-18/130108-pclinuxos-kde-2012.12.iso /za
mount: warning: /za seems to be mounted read-only.
[root@localhost gert]# ls -l /za
total 1370030
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root       2048 Dec  7 04:38 boot/
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root       8192 Dec  7 05:08 isolinux/
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1402900480 Dec  7 05:08 livecd.sqfs
[root@localhost gert]#

2..  Unsquashing the /za/livecd.sqfs to /home/gert/test-iso/unsquash, this directory did give me the run around. Found that my system can not create a new directory two levels deep, ie I had to help along with first creating the /home/gert/test-iso before I had success with the process.

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[root@localhost gert]# mkdir /home/gert/test-iso/  
                                  
[root@localhost gert]# unsquashfs -d /home/gert/test-iso/unsquash /za/livecd.sqfs      
Parallel unsquashfs: Using 2 processors                                        
128223 inodes (129153 blocks) to write      
.................
......
..
[root@localhost gert]#

3..  Then I find the /usr/lib/libDrakX/bootloader.pm and edit line 575 counter in question 10 goes to 99

4.. Now squashing the file system again, I direct the result to /zz

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[root@localhost gert]# mksquashfs /home/gert/test-iso/unsquash  /zz/livecd.sqfs
Parallel mksquashfs: Using 2 processors
Creating 4.0 filesystem on /zz/livecd.sqfs, block size 131072.
[=================================================================/] 144487/144487 100%
Exportable Squashfs 4.0 filesystem, gzip compressed, data block size 131072                      
        compressed data, compressed metadata, compressed fragments, compressed xattrs                            
        duplicates are removed                                                                                      
..........................
..............

[root@localhost gert]#

[root@localhost gert]#  ls -l /zz
total 1773520
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1814306816 Jan 18 00:07 livecd.sqfs
[root@localhost gert]#

I see the edited livecd.sqfs has the expected permissions.  All that is needed is to copy the rest of /boot and /isolinux to the /zz and run mkisofs on this. Using root Dolphin and split panes it is easy to drag and drop from /za to /zz.  After ISO generation Then loop mount to check.

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[root@localhost gert]# mkisofs -o /media/B-18/gert_livecd_image12.iso /zz
I: -input-charset not specified, using utf-8 (detected in locale settings)
  0.56% done, estimate finish Fri Jan 18 00:50:46 2013
..............
..........
 99.68% done, estimate finish Fri Jan 18 00:51:35 2013
Total translation table size: 0
Total rockridge attributes bytes: 0
Total directory bytes: 8192
Path table size(bytes): 50
Max brk space used 1e000
892867 extents written (1743 MB)
[root@localhost gert]#


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[root@localhost gert]# mount -o loop  /media/B-18/gert_livecd_image12.iso /here
mount: warning: /here seems to be mounted read-only.
[root@localhost gert]# ls -l /here
total 1771790
dr-xr-xr-x 1 root root       2048 Dec  7 04:38 boot/
dr-xr-xr-x 1 root root       4096 Dec  7 05:08 isolinux/
-r-xr-xr-x 1 root root 1814306816 Jan 18 00:07 livecd.sqf*
[root@localhost gert]#

Must admit I did not expect this, the problem is back, this ISO will crash the liveHDD generator.

I will have to go back and see where I deviated from the test in the other OS and I will have to test mkisofs with -r option again to confirm this is a fix    , but ZZZzz...

Have not quite forgotten the ISO may not be bootable either, but later to see about that.  

[Just17]

I wonder if there is some conflict due to having the original ISO mounted during the mkiso operation ....  seems far-fetched .....  but ....

The only differences I see presently in what you did and what I did are the paths used and also I copied all the contents of the orig ISO to a directory and then unmounted the ISO.

Oh yes ......  I used the Minime ISO to make things go a bit quicker 

[wedgetail]

Just17
Good point about the mounted source ISO, easy to check just before I umount -l on the loop mount.
No that made no difference.

I ran another with option -r

Code: [Select]

[root@localhost gert]# mkisofs -o /media/B-18/gert_livecd_image16.iso -r   /zz


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[root@localhost gert]# umount -l /here
[root@localhost gert]# mount -o loop  /media/B-18/gert_livecd_image16.iso /here
mount: warning: /here seems to be mounted read-only.

[root@localhost gert]# ls -l /here
total 1771794
dr-xr-xr-x 3 root root       2048 Dec  7 04:38 boot/
dr-xr-xr-x 2 root root       8192 Dec  7 05:08 isolinux/
-r--r--r-- 1 root root 1814306816 Jan 18 00:07 livecd.sqfs
[root@localhost gert]#

Now the livecd.sqfs file extension looks right, but I no nearer an explanation.  

[wedgetail]

Just17
Problematic OS?   Another defeat coming up in the following, where I try to get even closer to identical run to you.
first make the source ISO available for reading by loop mounting to /za

Code: [Select]

[root@localhost /]# mount -o loop  /media/B-18/130108-pclinuxos-kde-2012.12.iso /za
mount: warning: /za seems to be mounted read-only.
[root@localhost /]#

Root Dolphin used to do the ISO copy from /za/ to /home/gert/test-iso

Code: [Select]

[root@localhost /]# unsquashfs -d /home/gert/test-iso/unsquash livecd.sqfs
Could not open livecd.sqfs, because No such file or directory
[root@localhost /]#

aaaaaarrrrgggghh forgot to cd to /home/gert/test-iso, (look at using absolute paths every time to avoid this)

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[root@localhost test-iso]# unsquashfs -d /home/gert/test-iso/unsquash livecd.sqfs
Parallel unsquashfs: Using 2 processors
128223 inodes (129153 blocks) to write
..................
.........
[root@localhost test-iso]#

Skipping a few code steps but checked the file system is in place for editing. Continued doing the edit, using Dolphin/KWrite and then re-squash.
Looking harder at the following statement I realised that I ought to have deleted the "old livecd.sqfs" but having read manual on mksquashfs I decided to do an overwrite, soon found out that this needs -noappend.
I have of course cut out a lot of data in most of these long runs.   

Code: [Select]

[root@localhost test-iso]# mksquashfs /home/gert/test-iso/unsquash  livecd.sqfs -noappend
Parallel mksquashfs: Using 2 processors
...................
.........
[root@localhost test-iso]#

At this point the new livecd.sqfs should be in place in /home/gert/test-iso/, I very nearly forgot to move the directory full of files /home/gert.test-iso/unsquash, but it is removed.

In the following I really made a bad choice of name for the ISO, it resembles far too close the directory it comes from, better choice next time.

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[root@localhost test-iso]# mkisofs -o /home/gert/test.iso /home/gert/test-iso/
I: -input-charset not specified, using utf-8 (detected in locale settings)
  0.56% done, estimate finish Fri Jan 18 19:43:49 2013
...................
....
[root@localhost test-iso]#

Need to look inside the iso, so another loop mount

Code: [Select]

[root@localhost test-iso]# mount -o loop /home/gert/test.iso /here
mount: warning: /here seems to be mounted read-only.
[root@localhost test-iso]#

List the content of the ISO.

Code: [Select]

[root@localhost test-iso]# ls -l /here
total 1771790
dr-xr-xr-x 1 root root       2048 Dec  7 04:38 boot/
dr-xr-xr-x 1 root root       4096 Dec  7 05:08 isolinux/
-r-xr-xr-x 1 root root 1814306816 Jan 18 18:05 livecd.sqf*  <<< ------ problem
[root@localhost test-iso]#


I really did not expect this failure again, well so I test out the option -r again, sorry about the name choice again. Needs careful reading.
 

Code: [Select]

[root@localhost test-iso]#  mkisofs -o /home/gert/test-r_option.iso -r home/gert/test-iso


Code: [Select]

[root@localhost test-iso]# mount -o loop /home/gert/test-r_option.iso /here
mount: warning: /here seems to be mounted read-only.
[root@localhost test-iso]#

[root@localhost test-iso]# ls -l /here
total 1771794
dr-xr-xr-x 3 root root       2048 Dec  7 04:38 boot/
dr-xr-xr-x 2 root root       8192 Dec  7 05:08 isolinux/
-r--r--r-- 1 root root 1814306816 Jan 18 18:05 livecd.sqfs  <<< ------ option -r to the rescue
[root@localhost test-iso]#

I think I will look at sorting out the last bit of my mangled boot menu/process instead. 

[Just17]

When you edited the bootloader.pm file, did it generate a backup of that file called bootloader.pm~ ?

If yes, did you delete it before squashing?

....  just wondering ...

Strange I did not need the -r or -R options.