How to make a custom ISO image: Difference between revisions

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One way to completely re-build images is to use a script like [https://github.com/alpinelinux/alpine-make-vm-image alpine-make-vm-image].
One way to completely re-build custom images is to use a script like [https://github.com/alpinelinux/alpine-make-vm-image alpine-make-vm-image].


But there is also an alternative:
* If you want to make a customized installer, you need to create <code>.default_boot_services</code> which will cause <code>mkinitfs</code> to create the defaults for the live image.
 
== Live Disk customizations with APKOVL configurations ==


The "diskless" Alpine ISO images seem to look for an .apkovl volume in system partitions, and offer to save local backups and package cache to mountpoints below /media/. (Besides supporting a boot parameter that points to a web server.)
== An alternative ==
* Boot the diskless system from ISO, and if necessary create and format a partition.
* Edit /etc/fstab and mount the partition below /media/.
* Run alpine-setup and choose to save the state to the mounted partition.
* Customize the system.
* Generate an APKOVL file with [[Alpine_local_backup|lbu]] by executing <code>lbu commit</code>


* If instead you put the APKOVL file on a webserver, you need to supply a customized url with the <code>APKOVL</code> boot parameter.
It's possible to [[Alpine_local_backup#|commit and load ISO image customizations]] to and from disk.


Notes:


* Any packages you add to /etc/apk/world of your lbu will automatically be installed in the live system.
* See [[Alpine_Linux_package_management#Local_Cache]] about managing included packages.
* If you don't have a web server you can run busybox's httpd temporarily - <code>busybox httpd -p 127.0.0.1:80</code>
* See [[Alpine_local_backup|lbu]] about how to customize it to cover files outside of <code>/etc</code>.
* If you want to make a customized installer, you need to create <code>.default_boot_services</code> which will cause <code>mkinitfs</code> to create the defaults for the live image.


== Booting an ISO image with local customizations ==
== Booting an ISO image with local customizations ==


Example: Booting and customizing an ISO image with an .apkovl in a [[Qemu#Live_mode| Qemu]] virtual machine.
* From a dedicated boot media, obviously.
 
* [[Directly_booting_an_ISO_file]]
Debian's grub-imageboot package is a way to boot .iso files directly.


[[Category:Package Manager]]
[[Category:Package Manager]]
[[Category:ISO]]
[[Category:ISO]]

Revision as of 18:43, 9 May 2020

One way to completely re-build custom images is to use a script like alpine-make-vm-image.

  • If you want to make a customized installer, you need to create .default_boot_services which will cause mkinitfs to create the defaults for the live image.

An alternative

It's possible to commit and load ISO image customizations to and from disk.


Booting an ISO image with local customizations