Bootloader Limitation Problem

[wedgetail]

Just17
No, there are no backup file in the same directory, and I have turned backup generation off  in KWrite in this particular OS.

I agree about the -r Option, I had seen it mentioned and I thought I would try.  At the moment I am leaning towards something is odd in this OS.  I will see if something else odd occurs.  
Since the forthcoming ISO's may be fixed I am starting to think I will drop it, at least until some bright idea hits. 

 

[Just17]

In case there is something in the ISO that is causing this, can you try with

pclinuxos-kde-minime-2012.02.iso

Do not use the  -r  option and check to see if the squash file is correctly named.

Thanks.

[Just17]

I just did a quick run here ......
pclinuxos-kde-2012.12.iso  ~1.3GB in size

unpacked the ISO
unsquashed the livecd.sqfs file
deleted the livecd.sqfs file ~1.3GB
made no edits or changes to the contents of the unsquashed directory
resquashed the directory to livecd.sqfs using
mksquash unsquash  livecd.sqfs
it produced a livecd.sqfs file of ONLY  581.5MB 

It seems the basic squash command is not doing what I expected!

Code: [Select]

[root@XPS pclinuxos-kde-2012.12]# mksquashfs unsquash  livecd.sqfs
Parallel mksquashfs: Using 4 processors
Creating 4.0 filesystem on livecd.sqfs, block size 131072.
[=====================================================================================================================================/] 58498/58498 100%
Exportable Squashfs 4.0 filesystem, gzip compressed, data block size 131072
        compressed data, compressed metadata, compressed fragments, compressed xattrs
        duplicates are removed
Filesystem size 595493.93 Kbytes (581.54 Mbytes)
        39.57% of uncompressed filesystem size (1504868.56 Kbytes)
Inode table size 654292 bytes (638.96 Kbytes)
        27.54% of uncompressed inode table size (2375358 bytes)
Directory table size 712918 bytes (696.21 Kbytes)
        43.33% of uncompressed directory table size (1645489 bytes)
Number of duplicate files found 10340
Number of inodes 68459
Number of files 50528
Number of fragments 3210
Number of symbolic links  11948
Number of device nodes 29
Number of fifo nodes 1
Number of socket nodes 0
Number of directories 5953
Number of ids (unique uids + gids) 33
Number of uids 14
        root (0)
        rpm (499)
        user (500)
        xfs (485)
        daemon (2)
        lp (4)
        mysql (492)
        rpc (488)
        ntp (486)
        polkituser (494)
        uuidd (493)
        haldaemon (495)
        rpcuser (487)
        avahi (498)
Number of gids 28
        root (0)
        rpm (499)
        user (500)
        xfs (479)
        daemon (2)
        adm (4)
        sys (3)
        disk (6)
        shadow (25)
        ntp (480)
        mysql (488)
        messagebus (496)
        lp (7)
        slocate (486)
        man (15)
        tty (5)
        chkpwd (26)
        polkituser (490)
        utmp (24)
        uuidd (489)
        haldaemon (495)
        squid (420)
        rpc (482)
        rpcuser (481)
        usbmux (418)
        uucp (14)
        avahi (498)
        mail (12)
[root@XPS pclinuxos-kde-2012.12]#



From the above output .....

data block size 131072
Filesystem size 595493.93 Kbytes (581.54 Mbytes)
duplicates are removed

Apparently it removes what it considers as duplicates! ........  10,340 files !!!!!!!!!!!!

[Just17]

Next I tried

Code: [Select]

[root@XPS pclinuxos-kde-2012.12]# mksquashfs  unsquash  livecd1.sqfs -no-duplicates
which gave this output

Code: [Select]

Exportable Squashfs 4.0 filesystem, gzip compressed, data block size 131072
        compressed data, compressed metadata, compressed fragments, compressed xattrs
        duplicates are not removed
Filesystem size 639176.88 Kbytes (624.20 Mbytes)
        42.47% of uncompressed filesystem size (1504873.94 Kbytes)
Inode table size 672850 bytes (657.08 Kbytes)
        28.33% of uncompressed inode table size (2375358 bytes)
Directory table size 712915 bytes (696.21 Kbytes)
        43.33% of uncompressed directory table size (1645489 bytes)
No duplicate files removed

and a livecd1.sqfs file size of  624.2MB

It appears there are a number of options used when squashing the directory, which gives the larger sized squash file.

If someone who builds ISOs for PCLOS could post with the commands used that would be helpful at this time.


I do wonder what is the situation with those 10,340 duplicate files .......  seems they might be necessary duplicates such as the same file in
/etc/locale/
and
/usr/share/locale/

[wedgetail]

Just17
I am happy to switch to KDE-mini but I need to do some spring cleaning on my system now   Put this way I seem to have trouble getting my grub configuration back o line.

In a way I am not surprised since my file grew from 1.G to 1.8G I have conveniently forgotten this until later.     I had wondered how many options the experts use.

Added:
What version of mksquashfs are you using?

[gert@KDE32 ~]$ mksquashfs -version
mksquashfs version 4.2 (2011/02/28)
copyright (C) 2011 Phillip Lougher <phillip@lougher.demon.co.uk>

Here is the full run of one of my mksquashfs

Code: [Select]

[root@localhost gert]# mksquashfs  /home/gert/test-iso/unsquash/expand livecd.sqfs
Parallel mksquashfs: Using 2 processors
Creating 4.0 filesystem on 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
Filesystem size 1771784.83 Kbytes (1730.26 Mbytes)
        39.41% of uncompressed filesystem size (4495220.73 Kbytes)
Inode table size 1421047 bytes (1387.74 Kbytes)
        30.06% of uncompressed inode table size (4727816 bytes)
Directory table size 1414529 bytes (1381.38 Kbytes)
        40.81% of uncompressed directory table size (3465942 bytes)
Number of duplicate files found 12869
Number of inodes 140199
Number of files 119349
Number of fragments 8481
Number of symbolic links  8208
Number of device nodes 29
Number of fifo nodes 0
Number of socket nodes 0
Number of directories 12613
Number of ids (unique uids + gids) 33
Number of uids 14
        root (0)
        rpm (499)
        xfs (485)
        daemon (2)
        gert (500)
        mysql (492)
        rpc (488)
        lp (4)
        ntp (486)
        polkituser (494)
        uuidd (493)
        haldaemon (495)
        rpcuser (487)
        avahi (498)
Number of gids 28
        root (0)
        rpm (499)
        sys (3)
        xfs (479)
        daemon (2)
        disk (6)
        shadow (25)
        gert (500)
        mysql (488)
        ntp (480)
        messagebus (496)
        lp (7)
        adm (4)
        slocate (486)
        man (15)
        tty (5)
        chkpwd (26)
        polkituser (490)
        utmp (24)
        uuidd (489)
        haldaemon (495)
        rpc (482)
        rpcuser (481)
        sasl (417)
        uucp (14)
        avahi (498)
        lpadmin (477)
        mail (12)
[root@localhost gert]#

[Just17]

I am using the same version mksquashfs as you are.

OK, I now get the correct size of the livecd.sqfs from the unsquash directory.

The command I used is

 mksquashfs unsquash  livecd.sqfs -noI -noD -noF -noX -no-duplicates

This then produces an uncompressed filesystem as I understand it.

[wedgetail]

I am shortly going ZZzzz... confused as I seem to read this: A simple unsquashfs/mksquashfs gives you smaller file size and I get bigger we are using the same KDE32 ISO, mine 2012.12 ? We both have the same livecd.sqfs size   

[Just17]

I did the last tests using the standard KDE 2012.12 ISO .....  as you had done in previous tests.

I will duplicate using the minime in a few minutes.

It seems the livecd.sqfs  is name   livecd.sqf  ......  complying with the three digit extension for naming .....  so another option is apparently needed to allow such naming! Also the file names are all in UPPER case .....  I remember that too from waaay back in the Windows days 

[Just17]

 

It appears the 2012.12 livecd.sqfs is compressed as it unsquashes to 1.7GB.
I obviously had been using a different minime ISO .....  sorry for the confusion 

Getting real confusing .......  time to step back and have another look at this .......

[wedgetail]

I simply can't think straight on this at the moment. I tried earlier in the day with pen and paper but it did not help.
Yes standing back and let it percolate a bit and perhaps just forget for a few months  

I will clean out a dozen installs to take my mind off this and then install a new OS.   Fully update and just add my few tools.  Then repeat the exercise and if  this goes ok I will assume I just happened to tackle the exercise in the wrong system. If that goes bad then I will use livecd fully update  and then try and do it from the livecd. This should be the best reference system I can think of repeatable by all?

Bit of a concern that you may have trouble too.  Really now ZZzzz...

[Just17]

Having thought about it I decided to do it from the start and ignore any differences in sizes that might crop up, leaving them (if they appeared) to be explained later, and maybe the commands tweaked to get similar results.

So, the following is (I think) what I did ......  no, I did not take notes  .....  that is too much to expect! 


1  Extract, using Ark, pclinuxos-kde-minime-2012.12.iso to /<path>/pclinuxos-kde-minime-2012.12 and open the directory in Dolphin, with a terminal showing attached.

2.  cd to /<path>/pclinuxos-kde-minime-2012.12 (if necessary); su to root

3.  [root@XPS boot]# unsquashfs -d unsquash livecd.sqfs

4.  Added a marker file to unsquash/home/guest/Desktop as proof the loopimage was edited
    Delete original livecd.sqfs

5.  [root@XPS user]# mksquashfs  unsquash  livecd.sqfs -no-duplicates -noI  (those options might not be needed)
    Delete the 'unsquash' directory  (rm -rf unsquash)

6.  Because I know nothing of other boot arrangements I used Grub as the boot manager when creating the ISO.
    To do this I added into the existing 'boot' directory the following

grub directory containing menu.lst; stage2_eltorito (copied from my installed system)
gfxmenu

So the boot directory then contains gfxmenu file & grub directory and the grub directory contains menu.lst and stage2_eltorito

The contents of the menu.lst are edited to this

Code: [Select]

timeout 10
color black/light-gray yellow/blue
gfxmenu (cd)/boot/gfxmenu
default 0

title LiveCD
    kernel (cd)/isolinux/vmlinuz livecd=livecd root=/dev/rd/3 acpi=on vga=788 keyb=uk vmalloc=256M nokmsboot splash=verbose
    initrd (cd)/isolinux/initrd.gz

7.  [root@XPS user]# mkisofs -R -b boot/grub/stage2_eltorito -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table -o /<path>/test-iso.iso /<path/pclinuxos-kde-minime-2012.12/

The ISO booted (in VBox) and the file I added is visible on the guest Desktop.

***

The options I used in the commands are likely not the correct ones, but they suffice for the moment to give a bootable ISO whose loop image has been edited.

end_of   I hope 


EDIT:-

Changing the mkiso command above to use Isolinux gives the following

 mkisofs -R -b isolinux/isolinux.bin -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table -o /<path>/test-iso.iso /<path/pclinuxos-kde-minime-2012.12/

A little bit easier than including the Grub files. 

****

I will try a write up of this in Tips & Tricks and await corrections there to the procedure outlined 

[kjpetrie]

Maybe I'm being thick, but why not have a look in mylivecd to see what that does? Isn't the only difference that the directory that squashes is /?

Or why not just make the change to an installed system and remaster?

Although, perhaps it wouldn't be as much fun.

[Just17]

Maybe I'm being thick, but why not have a look in mylivecd to see what that does? Isn't the only difference that the directory that squashes is /?

Or why not just make the change to an installed system and remaster?

Although, perhaps it wouldn't be as much fun.

mylivecd is designed to remaster a running OS, not do what has been described here - although similar.

If I have missed some option I would be grateful if someone would point it out so I can correct this.

To remaster one requires the space to install and the space & resources to remaster.

This is somewhat 'over the top' for a simple edit of a file or two, or to include some file or other that one might wish to have included, while leaving the rest of the OS untouched.

I would certainly recommend a remaster if the defaults are to be changed for the DE or such.

I wrote it up here (in a bit of a rush)

http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php/topic,112479.msg960225.html#msg960225

Further comments and corrections appreciated in that thread 

[wedgetail]

Just17
Your edit nice, I was just thinking about this boot business decided to leave this just yet, saved me wrecking my brain more.Yielded to temptation and have just finished another unsuccessful process. Using full pathnames and keeping things nice an tidy. Again the mkisofs fails with the .sqf* problem, recover by using option -r  (I had not got around to add the boot bit).

kjpetire
This look at mylivecd had not escaped me, it was more for my educational exercise I thought keep it nice and simple.  I got more than I bargained for.  

[kjpetrie]

Look at the --root and --kernel options of mylivecd. It doesn't just do the running system with the running kernel, though those are its defaults. It can do any directory tree with any installed kernel. --root defaults to / if a path isn't entered. You might need to install the same kernel as the livecd if you haven't already got it.

Alternatively:

From mylivecd:

Code: [Select]

$loopcmp = "/usr/bin/mksquashfs";

...

$o_root =~ s|/$||;
$o_root .= "/";

...

my $withgzip;
if (defined($opts{gzip})) {
 $withgzip = ""
 }
elsif (defined($opts{xz})) {
 $withgzip = "-comp xz"
 }
else {
 $withgzip = "-comp xz -Xbcj x86 -b 1048576"
 }

...

if ($o_looptype =~ m/sqfs/) {
    ...
    my $iso = "$loopcmp $o_root $workdir/livecd/livecd.$o_looptype $withgzip -info -ef $workdir/excludes.list";
So the command used by mylivecd is:

Code: [Select]

/usr/bin/mksquashfs / <path-to-workdir>/livecd/livecd.sqfs -comp xz -Xbcj x86 -b 1048576 -info -ef <path-to-workdir>/excludes.list for default compression.

Replacing / with unsquash/, <path-to-workdir>/livecd/livecd.sqfs with the location you want the squash built and leaving out the -ef option should produce the result you want.