[gentoo-dev] Gentoo Based Rescue CD

[gentoo-dev] Gentoo Based Rescue CD

[Sean P. Kane]

Has anyone made or considered making a bootable Gentoo Based Rescue CD
(based on the LiveCD and Install CD work)? I think this could be a great
idea and would actually like to give it a try, but I don't want to
duplicate work and would love the input of others if they are
interested.

I haven't thought through this all the way yet, but some of the things
that I think would make this truly powerful would include:

a kernel compiled with emergency situations in mind (i.e. write support
for NTFS, even if it isn't super stable) (maybe even a few compiled
kernels selectable at boot, if need be.

With portage you should be able to setup a nice sized ramdisk that would
allow people to even emerge tools they might need that aren't on the
disk for their rescue operation.

Gentoo offers a very modern (cutting-edge) dist which means that it has
the most useful tools for most situations.

Etc......

Any input regarding other attempts or general input would be
appreciated.

Thanks,
Sean

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sean P. Kane
spkane@genomatica.com
Lead Infrastructure Architect
Genomatica, Inc.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"When we destroy something man has created we call it vandalism......
 When we destroy something that Gaia has created we call it progress."


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Re: [gentoo-dev] Gentoo Based Rescue CD

[Daniel Armyr]

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I have used my install CD for that. It has had pretty much everything I need. Could you be a bit more specific on what you would like to see on a rescue CD that is not on the install one? 

As for the selectable kernels, I understand that most kernel variants mostly enhance performance, but I have a hard time seeing that as something essential on a rescue CD. 

Supplying a working portage on the CD might be more interesting. Unfortunately, I am pretty sure you would have to run an emerge sync before you emerge due to how portage works, and that takes quite a bit of time and RAM space.

Now tell me why I am wrong.
--Daniel Armyr

-- 
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
daniel.armyr@home.se	f00-dar@f.kth.se
Tegnergatan 40 rum 505	+46 8 8 31 52 17	
113 59 Stockholm	
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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Re: [gentoo-dev] Gentoo Based Rescue CD

[François Dupoux]

Hi,

I am very interested by your message. IMHO, The official gentoo livecd is 
already one of the most interesting rescue cd. We have parted, partimage...
But vim is missing.

One very important point: QtParted is a Qt graphical user interface for GNU 
Parted. It uses parted, and other tools, such as mkfs.jfs, ...
It aims to replace Partition Magic.

There is no ebuild for the moment, but a bug is open:
http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=18714

I am porting QtParted to autoconf/automake, in order to make it easy to use in 
gentoo, qnd it needs a better quality build system. The current unstable 
version works well with automake/autoconf, and the next stable release will 
use it. I will now contribute to the source of QtParted.

QtParted don't use KDE. Then we can compile QtParted for Qt-embedded 
(./configure --enable-embedded). This would allow to use QtParted without 
XFree86, in the console with the FrameBuffer. Then, we would have a free 
PartitionMagic clone on the gentoo bootable CD... IMHO, having an EASY 
partition tool under Linux, with a easy to use Bootable CD (no need to 
configure mouse and keyboard by hand) is very important. 

I did not tested it, because QtParted needs Qt-3.1, and the latest version of 
QtEmbedded in gentoo is Qt-3.0.5. We need to update the ebuild of Qt. But I 
made another Qt project (PartGui), which worked with QtEmbedded. Then I know 
it is possible.

If other people are interested in this project, you can join. We will progress 
faster together. What we can need:
- write ebuild for qtparted, and Qt-embedded-3.1
- join to the QtParted project (if you know C++ and CVS)
- ...

regards

On Monday 09 June 2003 22:19, Sean P. Kane wrote:
> Has anyone made or considered making a bootable Gentoo Based Rescue CD
> (based on the LiveCD and Install CD work)? I think this could be a great
> idea and would actually like to give it a try, but I don't want to
> duplicate work and would love the input of others if they are
> interested.
>
> I haven't thought through this all the way yet, but some of the things
> that I think would make this truly powerful would include:
>
> a kernel compiled with emergency situations in mind (i.e. write support
> for NTFS, even if it isn't super stable) (maybe even a few compiled
> kernels selectable at boot, if need be.
>
> With portage you should be able to setup a nice sized ramdisk that would
> allow people to even emerge tools they might need that aren't on the
> disk for their rescue operation.
>
> Gentoo offers a very modern (cutting-edge) dist which means that it has
> the most useful tools for most situations.
>
> Etc......
>
> Any input regarding other attempts or general input would be
> appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
> Sean


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Re: [gentoo-dev] Gentoo Based Rescue CD

[Sean P. Kane]

This sounds like a good idea. I'll be up front in saying that I am not a
very experienced programmer, but I have been using Linux since the
pre-1.0 days as a network administrator and infrastructure person and
can contribute a lot to the design layout and testing of the rescue CD
but would need support in any programming arenas that go beyond either
simply patching or shell scripting. Although I understand programming
theory pretty well, it has been a long time since I have written much
serious code.

If I take on this project, would you be interested in working to get
QtParted integrated into it if possible?

Sean


On Tue, 2003-06-10 at 15:31, François Dupoux wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I am very interested by your message. IMHO, The official gentoo livecd is 
> already one of the most interesting rescue cd. We have parted, partimage...
> But vim is missing.
> 
> One very important point: QtParted is a Qt graphical user interface for GNU 
> Parted. It uses parted, and other tools, such as mkfs.jfs, ...
> It aims to replace Partition Magic.
> 
> There is no ebuild for the moment, but a bug is open:
> http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=18714
> 
> I am porting QtParted to autoconf/automake, in order to make it easy to use in 
> gentoo, qnd it needs a better quality build system. The current unstable 
> version works well with automake/autoconf, and the next stable release will 
> use it. I will now contribute to the source of QtParted.
> 
> QtParted don't use KDE. Then we can compile QtParted for Qt-embedded 
> (./configure --enable-embedded). This would allow to use QtParted without 
> XFree86, in the console with the FrameBuffer. Then, we would have a free 
> PartitionMagic clone on the gentoo bootable CD... IMHO, having an EASY 
> partition tool under Linux, with a easy to use Bootable CD (no need to 
> configure mouse and keyboard by hand) is very important. 
> 
> I did not tested it, because QtParted needs Qt-3.1, and the latest version of 
> QtEmbedded in gentoo is Qt-3.0.5. We need to update the ebuild of Qt. But I 
> made another Qt project (PartGui), which worked with QtEmbedded. Then I know 
> it is possible.
> 
> If other people are interested in this project, you can join. We will progress 
> faster together. What we can need:
> - write ebuild for qtparted, and Qt-embedded-3.1
> - join to the QtParted project (if you know C++ and CVS)
> - ...
> 
> regards
> 
> On Monday 09 June 2003 22:19, Sean P. Kane wrote:
> > Has anyone made or considered making a bootable Gentoo Based Rescue CD
> > (based on the LiveCD and Install CD work)? I think this could be a great
> > idea and would actually like to give it a try, but I don't want to
> > duplicate work and would love the input of others if they are
> > interested.
> >
> > I haven't thought through this all the way yet, but some of the things
> > that I think would make this truly powerful would include:
> >
> > a kernel compiled with emergency situations in mind (i.e. write support
> > for NTFS, even if it isn't super stable) (maybe even a few compiled
> > kernels selectable at boot, if need be.
> >
> > With portage you should be able to setup a nice sized ramdisk that would
> > allow people to even emerge tools they might need that aren't on the
> > disk for their rescue operation.
> >
> > Gentoo offers a very modern (cutting-edge) dist which means that it has
> > the most useful tools for most situations.
> >
> > Etc......
> >
> > Any input regarding other attempts or general input would be
> > appreciated.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Sean
> 
> 
> --
> gentoo-dev@gentoo.org mailing list
-- 
Sean P. Kane <spkane@genomatica.com>
Genomatica, Inc.


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RE: [gentoo-dev] Gentoo Based Rescue CD

[Sean P. Kane]

The LiveCD is generally fine for Linux rescues, but not necessarily as a
general rescue disk, although Linux is quite capable in this arena. It
may simply be that making a few changes to the current LiveCD would do
the trick.

Writable NTFS (still can be mounted ro if preferred)
ZIP/UNZIP
Dos2unix/unix2dos
Mkfs.vfat or similar (formatting fat partitions)
Other certainly, but this is what frustrated me yesterday :-)

There is likely more, and I agree that possibly considering making
portage "work" in this environment would likely be the most interesting
task, if that could be achieved then all else would likely fall into
place easily. 

What is the best way to get a hold of the lead LiveCD developer (who is
that)?

Thanks,
Sean

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sean P. Kane
spkane@genomatica.com
Lead Infrastructure Architect
Genomatica, Inc.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"When we destroy something man has created we call it vandalism......
 When we destroy something that Gaia has created we call it progress."


-----Original Message-----
From: Daniel Armyr [mailto:daniel.armyr@home.se] 
Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2003 09:02
To: gentoo-dev@gentoo.org
Subject: Re: [gentoo-dev] Gentoo Based Rescue CD


I have used my install CD for that. It has had pretty much everything I
need. Could you be a bit more specific on what you would like to see on
a rescue CD that is not on the install one? 

As for the selectable kernels, I understand that most kernel variants
mostly enhance performance, but I have a hard time seeing that as
something essential on a rescue CD. 

Supplying a working portage on the CD might be more interesting.
Unfortunately, I am pretty sure you would have to run an emerge sync
before you emerge due to how portage works, and that takes quite a bit
of time and RAM space.

Now tell me why I am wrong.
--Daniel Armyr

-- 
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
daniel.armyr@home.se	f00-dar@f.kth.se
Tegnergatan 40 rum 505	+46 8 8 31 52 17	
113 59 Stockholm	
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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gentoo-dev@gentoo.org mailing list

Re: [gentoo-dev] Gentoo Based Rescue CD

[Stewart]

Sean P. Kane wrote:
> The LiveCD is generally fine for Linux rescues, but not necessarily as a
> general rescue disk, although Linux is quite capable in this arena. It
> may simply be that making a few changes to the current LiveCD would do
> the trick.
> 
> Writable NTFS (still can be mounted ro if preferred)
> ZIP/UNZIP
> Dos2unix/unix2dos
> Mkfs.vfat or similar (formatting fat partitions)
> Other certainly, but this is what frustrated me yesterday :-)

Excellent list. The one thing I'd probably add is Samba and NFS 
filesystem support. I'd dropkick a nun for a decent, drop-in, bootable 
CD with those features. Backing up clients' data across a network when 
their system is unbootable is a bear of a chore; and our co-op student 
is sick of us stealing his machine to perform network backups. ;>

If the LiveCD already supports this, I'll eat my hat. (Do I own a hat?)

Ok, I'll buy a hat, then eat it. :>

-- 
Stewart Honsberger
http://blackdeath.snerk.org/
"Capitalists, by nature, organize to protect themselves.
-- Geeks, by nature, resist organizaion."


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