[2024-feb-29] Sad news: Eric Layton aka Nocturnal Slacker aka vtel57 passed away on Feb 26th, shortly after hospitalization. He was one of our Wiki's most prominent admins. He will be missed.

Welcome to the Slackware Documentation Project

Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

Link to this comparison view

Both sides previous revisionPrevious revision
Next revision
Previous revision
slackware:liveslak [2016/07/31 20:44 (UTC)] – [Using the Customization Feature of the Live OS] document LIVEUID alienbobslackware:liveslak [2023/06/25 19:32 (UTC)] (current) – [Boot parameters explained] Cosmetics. alienbob
Line 6: Line 6:
  
  
-Welcome to the Slackware Live Edition!  This is a version of Slackware-current (soon to become 14.2), that can be run from a DVD or a USB stick.  It is an ISO image meant to be a showcase of what Slackware is about.  You get the default install, no custom packages or kernel, but with all the power.  The ISO is created from scratch using a Slackware package mirror, by the "liveslak" scripts.+Welcome to the Slackware Live Edition!  This is a version of Slackware 14.2 (and newer), that can be run from a DVD or a USB stick.  It is an ISO image meant to be a showcase of what Slackware is about.  You get the default install, no custom packages or kernel, but with all the power of Slackware.  The ISO is created from scratch using a Slackware package mirror, by the "liveslak" scripts.
  
-Slackware Live Edition does not have to be installed to a computer hard drive.  You can carry the USB stick version with you in your pocket.  You'll have a pre-configured Slackware OS up & running in a minute wherever you can get your hands on a computer with a USB port.+Slackware Live Edition does not have to be installed to a computer hard drive (//however you do have that choice if you want to: using the ''setup2hd'' script//).  You can carry the USB stick version with you in your pocket.  You'll have a pre-configured Slackware OS up & running in a minute wherever you can get your hands on a computer with a USB port.
  
 The USB version is "persistent" - meaning that the OS stores your updates on the USB stick.  The CD/DVD versions (and the USB stick if you configure it accordingly) operate without persistence, which means that all the changes you make to the OS are lost when you reboot. The USB version is "persistent" - meaning that the OS stores your updates on the USB stick.  The CD/DVD versions (and the USB stick if you configure it accordingly) operate without persistence, which means that all the changes you make to the OS are lost when you reboot.
Line 32: Line 32:
  
 The "liveslak" scripts can generate a variety of Slackware flavors: The "liveslak" scripts can generate a variety of Slackware flavors:
-  - a complete 64bit Slackware-current Live Edition (in a 2.GB ISO);+  - a complete 64bit Slackware-current Live Edition (in a 4.GB ISO);
   - a slimmed-down XFCE ISO (700 MB) with XDM as the graphical login manager.  It fits on a CDROM medium or a 1 GB USB stick;   - a slimmed-down XFCE ISO (700 MB) with XDM as the graphical login manager.  It fits on a CDROM medium or a 1 GB USB stick;
-  -  a ISO image (3.GB) of Slackware64-current containing Plasma 5 instead of KDE 4with an addition of several other packages from the alienBOB repositories: vlc, libreoffice, calibreqbittorrent, ffmpeg, chromium, openjdk, veracrypt+  -  a ISO image (4.GB) of Slackware64-current containing 'ktown' Plasma 5 instead of Slackware'KDE
-  - a Mate variant (1.GB) where KDE 4 has been replaced by Mate (a Gnome 2 fork);+  - A Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) based on a custom Slackware package set plus a basic Plasma5containing a rich software collection for musiciansproducers and live performance artists
 +  - a Mate variant (3.GB) where KDE 4 has been replaced by Mate (a Gnome 2 fork);
   - a Cinnamon flavour (a fork of the Gnome 3 Shell replacing Slackware's KDE 4).   - a Cinnamon flavour (a fork of the Gnome 3 Shell replacing Slackware's KDE 4).
 +  - a [[https://github.com/Dlackware/dlackware|Dlackware]] variant, which is Gnome3 + PAM + systemd on top of Slackware and stripped of KDE4.
 +  - a [[http://www.studioware.org|StudioWare]] edition containing all the project's audio, video and photo editing software packages.
   - a //Custom// variant which you can give your own name, its own package list and custom post-install configuration.   - a //Custom// variant which you can give your own name, its own package list and custom post-install configuration.
  
Line 44: Line 47:
  
 Common download locations are: Common download locations are:
-  * Primary site: http://bear.alienbase.nl/mirrors/slackware-live/ (%%rsync://bear.alienbase.nl/mirrors/slackware-live/%%) +  * Primary site: https://download.liveslak.org/ (%%rsync://liveslak.org/liveslak/%%) 
-  * Darren'http://slackware.uk/people/alien-slacklive/ (%%rsync://slackware.uk/people/alien-slacklive/%%)+  * Darren'https://slackware.uk/liveslak/ (%%rsync://slackware.uk/liveslak%%)
   * Willy's http://repo.ukdw.ac.id/slackware-live/   * Willy's http://repo.ukdw.ac.id/slackware-live/
-  * Ryan's https://seattleslack.ryanpcmcquen.org/mirrors/slackware-live/ 
-  * Shasta's http://ftp.slackware.pl/pub/slackware-live/ (%%rsync://ftp.slackware.pl/slackware-live/%%) 
  
  
Line 73: Line 74:
  
 Syslinux shows a graphical boot menu with a nice Slackware-themed background and several options: Syslinux shows a graphical boot menu with a nice Slackware-themed background and several options:
-  * Start (SLACKWARE | PLASMA5 | XFCE | MATE) Live (depending on which of the ISOs you boot)+  * Start (SLACKWARE | KTOWN | XFCE | MATE | DAW) Live (depending on which of the ISOs you boot)
   * Non-US Keyboard selection   * Non-US Keyboard selection
   * Non-US Language selection   * Non-US Language selection
Line 87: Line 88:
 On UEFI computers, Grub2 handles the boot and it will show a menu similar (and similarly themed) to the Syslinux menu: On UEFI computers, Grub2 handles the boot and it will show a menu similar (and similarly themed) to the Syslinux menu:
  
-  * Start (SLACKWARE | PLASMA5 | XFCE | MATE) Live (depending on which of the ISOs you boot)+  * Start (SLACKWARE | KTOWN | XFCE | MATE | DAW) Live (depending on which of the ISOs you boot)
   * Non-US Keyboard selection   * Non-US Keyboard selection
   * Non-US Language selection   * Non-US Language selection
Line 96: Line 97:
 Editing a Grub menu before booting it is possible by pressing the "e" key.  After making your changes to the boot commandline, press <F10> to boot.  To discard your changes, press <ESC>. Editing a Grub menu before booting it is possible by pressing the "e" key.  After making your changes to the boot commandline, press <F10> to boot.  To discard your changes, press <ESC>.
  
-Another difference between Syslinux and Grub2 menus: in Grub2 you can select a non-US keyboard, language and/or timezone and you will return to the main menu every time.  You still have to select "Start SLACKWARE Live" to boot the computer.  In the Syslinux menu, only the keyboard selection menu will return you to the main menu.  Any non-US *language* selection on the other hand will boot you into Slackware Live immediately; without returning to the main menu.  This is a limitation of syslinux which would require exponentially more menu files to construct  a menu with more choices.  Grub2 supports variables which make it easy to modify a menu entry's characteristics.+Another difference between Syslinux and Grub2 menus: in Grub2 you can select a non-US keyboard, language and/or timezone and you will return to the main menu every time.  You still have to select "Start SLACKWARE Live" to boot the computer.  In the Syslinux menu, only the keyboard selection menu will return you to the main menu.  Any non-US *language* selection on the other hand will boot you into Slackware Live immediately; without returning to the main menu.  This is a limitation of syslinux which would require exponentially more menu files to construct a menu with more choices.  Grub2 supports variables which make it easy to modify a menu entry's characteristics.
  
 +
 +=== UEFI Secure Boot ===
 +
 +
 +On computers with Secure Boot enabled, extra measures may be required to boot an Operating System.  Slackware for instance, is unable to boot on a computer that has Secure Boot enabled. Historic liveslak based ISOs are also not able to boot there. From liveslak-1.5.0 and onwards, Secure Boot is supported for the 64-bit ISO images.
 +
 +Secure Boot enforces that the first-stage bootloader is signed with an encryption key known to Microsoft.  For Linux based Operating Systems, the most widely used solution is to place an small single-purpose bootloader before the regular Linux bootloader.  This EFI bootloader is called 'shim' Shim must be cryptographically signed by Microsoft for it to successfully boot a computer.  This is not a trivial process, Microsoft is very strict about the signing process because in essence your signed bootloader will boot anything on a Secure Boot enabled computer, including malware if that was signed by your 'distro key' That would create a huge security hole and defy the purpose of Secure Boot.
 +
 +Signing your Grub bootloader and your kernel also becomes mandatory, because the 'shim' refuses to load un-signed binaries.  This complicates the process of upgrading to a new kernel further.
 +
 +The Slackware Live OS boots on a Secure Boot enabled computer if created with liveslak-1.5.0 or newer, and only for the 64-bit liveslak ISO images.  The Slackware Linux distro does not ship a 'shim' which is signed by Microsoft, so how to get around the dilemma of requiring a signed 'shim'?
 +
 +To realize this, the Slackware Live ISO 'borrows' a 3rd-party 'shim'. The binaryis actually called ''bootx64.efi'' in the ''/EFI/BOOT/'' directory and has been extracted from another distro's officially signed 'shim' package; Fedora by default but the Debian and openSUSE shim are also supported by the ''make_slackware_live.sh'' script.  This 3rd-party 'shim' binary has been signed by 'Microsoft UEFI CA' which will allow it to boot on any computer. We just need to tell it that is OK to load Slackware's Grub and kernel into memory.
 +
 +A distro 'shim' like Fedora's contains an embedded distro SSL certificate and 'shim' will trust the signature of any binary (grub, kernel, etc) which has been signed using that certificate. Of course, 3rd-party 'shim' binaries do not embed a Slackware SSL certificate. Therefore, another means must be used to establish trust.  Secure Boot recognizes additional SSL certificates in the computer's MOK (Machine Owner Key) database as valid.  The 'shim' trusts custom SSL vertificates of signed binaries, if they are present in the MOK database.  It is up to the user (the Machine Owner) to enroll a custom SSL certificate into that database.
 +
 +The Grub and kernel images of Slackware Live Edition are signed with an 'Alien BOB' SSL certificate and private key.  This SSL certificate needs to be added to the MOK database of your Secure Boot enabled computer.  All liveslak ISOs use this specific certificate plus its associated private key. The private key will of course never be distributed but a 'DER-encoded' version of the public certificate is distributed as part of the ISO.  You can find it as ''/EFI/BOOT/liveslak.der'' inside the ISO. On a persistent USB stick which you created from the ISO, this will be on the second partition (the ESP).
 +
 +== Add the ''liveslak.der'' certificate to the MOK database ==
 +
 +There are two ways to add or enroll this certificate.
 +  * When you boot a Secure Boot enabled liveslak ISO for the first time, the 'shim' will fail to validate the certificate of liveslak's Grub. It will then start the 'MokManager' showing you a nice blue screen with a dialog requesting you to enroll a public key (aka the SSL certificate) from disk. You can use the file selector to browse to the 'efi' partition and there to the ''./EFI/BOOT/'' directory. Select the ''liveslak.der'' and confirm that this is the correct certificate. The computer will then reboot and after reboot, you will automatically end up in the Grub boot menu without any further intervention.
 +  * If you already have a Linux OS up and running on that computer, you can use the program ''mokutil'' to enroll the key before you boot a liveslak ISO:<code>
 +# mokutil --import liveslak.der</code> This command will schedule a request to shim, and the first time you boot a liveslak ISO the MokManager will ask confirmation to enroll the scheduled key.  In other words, you won't have to 'enroll from disk'.
 +
 +Note that MOK key enrollment is a one-time action for the official liveslak based ISOs.  All future liveslak ISOs will also be signed using this ''liveslak.der'' certificate and as long as it stays in your computer's MOK database, the 'shim' will load Grub and the kernel without complaint.
 +
 +Note that you can create your own SSL certificate plus private key and use those to generate custom liveslak ISO images with Secure Boot support.  All you need to do is to enroll the public key (the DER-encoded version of your SSL certificate) into the MOK database of your computer.  The MOK database has room for multiple keys so yours as well as liveslak's keys (and more) will fit there.
 +
 +
 +=== Boot from an ISO file on disk ===
 +
 +
 +If you downloaded a liveslak ISO file and want to boot that ISO directly from its location on your computer's hard drive, you can use this Grub configuration block and add it to your ''/boot/grub/grub.cfg'' (the example code assumes you downloaded the XFCE ISO and stored it as "''/data/ISOS/slackware64-live-xfce-current.iso''"):<code>
 +menuentry "LIVESLAK ISO" --class gnu-linux --class os --class icon-linux {
 +  set iso='/data/ISOS/slackware64-live-xfce-current.iso'
 +  set bootparms='load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 rw printk.time=0 kbd=us tz=Europe/Amsterdam lang=nl'
 + 
 +  search -f $iso --set=root
 +  loopback loop $iso
 +  linux (loop)/boot/generic livemedia=scandev:$iso $bootparms
 +  initrd (loop)/boot/initrd.img
 +}</code>
 +
 +This example will add a 'LIVESLAK ISO' menu entry to your local computer's boot menu, through which you can start a downloaded XFCE Live ISO pre-configured for a US keyboard, Dutch language and Amsterdam timezone. You should of course change the "''bootparms''" string so that it matches your requirements.
  
 ==== Transfering ISO content to USB stick ==== ==== Transfering ISO content to USB stick ====
Line 104: Line 150:
 A script is available which allows you to transfer the ISO image content to a USB stick, making some modifications depending on the script's parameters. A script is available which allows you to transfer the ISO image content to a USB stick, making some modifications depending on the script's parameters.
  
-The USB stick will be erased and re-formatted when running this script!  Before inflicting any irreversible damage, the script will show you a prompt at which point you can evaluate whether it is safe to continue.+The USB stick will be erased and re-formatted when running this script (except when using the '-r' refresh option)!  Before inflicting any irreversible damage, the script will show you a prompt at which point you can evaluate whether it is safe to continue.
  
 This script, called 'iso2usb.sh', accepts the following parameters: <code> This script, called 'iso2usb.sh', accepts the following parameters: <code>
   -c|--crypt size|perc       Add a LUKS encrypted /home ; parameter is the   -c|--crypt size|perc       Add a LUKS encrypted /home ; parameter is the
                              requested size of the container in kB, MB, GB,                              requested size of the container in kB, MB, GB,
-                             or as a percentage of free space. +                             or as a percentage of free space 
-                             Examples: '-c 125M', '-c 1.3G', '-c 20%'.+                             (integer numbers only)
 +                             Examples: '-c 125M', '-c 2G', '-c 20%'
 +  -d|--devices               List removable devices on this computer.
   -f|--force                 Ignore most warnings (except the back-out).   -f|--force                 Ignore most warnings (except the back-out).
   -h|--help                  This help.   -h|--help                  This help.
Line 116: Line 164:
   -o|--outdev <filename>     The device name of your USB drive.   -o|--outdev <filename>     The device name of your USB drive.
   -p|--persistence <name>    Custom name of the 'persistence' directory/file.   -p|--persistence <name>    Custom name of the 'persistence' directory/file.
 +                             If it does not exist yet, create it manually.
   -r|--refresh               Refresh the USB stick with the ISO content.   -r|--refresh               Refresh the USB stick with the ISO content.
                              No formatting, do not touch user content.                              No formatting, do not touch user content.
 +  -s|--scan                  Scan for insertion of new USB device instead of
 +                             providing a devicename (using option '-o').
   -u|--unattended            Do not ask any questions.   -u|--unattended            Do not ask any questions.
   -v|--verbose               Show verbose messages.   -v|--verbose               Show verbose messages.
Line 124: Line 175:
                              Use a LUKS-encrypted 'persistence' file instead                              Use a LUKS-encrypted 'persistence' file instead
                              of a directory (for use on FAT filesystem).                              of a directory (for use on FAT filesystem).
 +                             Format for size/percentage is the same
 +                             as for the '-c' parameter.
   -P|--persistfile           Use an unencrypted 'persistence' file instead   -P|--persistfile           Use an unencrypted 'persistence' file instead
                              of a directory (for use on FAT filesystem).                              of a directory (for use on FAT filesystem).
Line 137: Line 190:
   * Create a USB Live with both the /home and the persistent data encrypted (the persistence filesystem will be 300 MB in size):   * Create a USB Live with both the /home and the persistent data encrypted (the persistence filesystem will be 300 MB in size):
     # ./iso2usb.sh -i slackware64-live-current.iso -o /dev/sdX -c 30% -C 300M     # ./iso2usb.sh -i slackware64-live-current.iso -o /dev/sdX -c 30% -C 300M
 +  * Refresh the system modules on a USB Live using a Live ISO as the source.  Let the script scan for insertion of a USB stick instead of specifying the device name on the commandline.  Note that the addons and optional modules will not be touched by this action:
 +    # ./iso2usb.sh -i slackware64-live-current.iso -r -s
  
 You might have noticed that the "-P" parameter does not accept a size parameter.  This is because the unencrypted container file is created as a 'sparse' file that starts at zero size and is allowed to grow dynmically to a maximum of 90% of the initial free space on the Linux partition of the USB stick. You might have noticed that the "-P" parameter does not accept a size parameter.  This is because the unencrypted container file is created as a 'sparse' file that starts at zero size and is allowed to grow dynmically to a maximum of 90% of the initial free space on the Linux partition of the USB stick.
 +
 +
 +==== Using the Live OS to install Slackware to hard disk ====
 +
 +All variants of Slackware Live Edition contain a script "setup2hd", a tweaked version of the regular Slackware setup program.
 +The "setup2hd" script supports regular Slackware network installations. In addition it allows you to install the Slackware release on which the Live OS is based, to the computer's local hard disk.  You must boot the Live OS first, and then start ''setup2hd'' either in an X Terminal in your graphical Desktop Environment (aka Runlevel 4), or from the console in Runlevel 3.  The fact that you can start "setup2hd" from a graphical terminal means that during installation, you can continue browsing, listening to music, watching video, reading an e-book or whatever else makes you pass the time.
 +
 +The "setup2hd" script has some capabilities that the original Slackware 'setup' lacks:
 +  * It will launch fdisk/gdisk if you forgot to create Linux partitions in advance;
 +  * It will allow you to create a regular user account and set its password;
 +  * It will prompt you to set the root password in a graphical dialog.
 +
 +
 +==== Updating the kernel (and more) on a USB stick ====
 +
 +
 +A script is available which allows you to tweak the content of a USB Live stick.
 +
 +Specifically, the script is able to:
 +  * Upgrade the kernel and modules, making a backup of the old kernel and modules.
 +  * Restore the backed-up kernel and modules if the new kernel is not working.
 +  * Add network support modules for PXE boot (if missing).
 +  * Increase (or decrease) USB wait time during boot.
 +  * Replace the Live init script inside the initrd image with a new script that you supply.
 +  * Move current persistence data to a new squashfs module in 'addons' afther which the persistence store will be re-initialized.  The new module's name is time-stamped (/liveslak/addons/0099-slackware__customchanges-yymmddHHMMSS.sxz) so that this action can be repeated many times.
 +
 +The script is meant to be used while you are running Slackare Live from that same USB stick but this is not mandatory. With the exception of the '-p' option which moves the persistence data into a squashfs module, its functions can be used on any Linux computer where you can insert the USB stick. 
 +
 +Before making any modifications, the script will show you a prompt at which point you can evaluate whether it is safe to continue.
 +
 +This script, called 'upslak.sh', accepts the following parameters: <code>
 +  -b|--nobackup              Do not try to backup original kernel and modules.
 +  -d|--devices               List removable devices on this computer.
 +  -h|--help                  This help.
 +  -i|--init <filename>       Replacement init script.
 +  -k|--kernel <filename>     The kernel file (or package).
 +  -m|--kmoddir <name>        The kernel modules directory (or package).
 +  -n|--netsupport            Add network boot support if not yet present.
 +  -o|--outdev <filename>     The device name of your USB drive.
 +  -p|--persistence           Move persistent data into new Live module.
 +  -r|--restore               Restore previous kernel and modules.
 +  -s|--scan                  Scan for insertion of new USB device instead of
 +                             providing a devicename (using option '-o').
 +  -v|--verbose               Show verbose messages.
 +  -w|--wait<number>          Add <number> seconds wait time to initialize USB.
 +</code>
 +Examples:
 +
 +  * Get a listing of all available removable devices on the computer:
 +    # ./upslak.sh -d
 +  * Updating kernel and modules, providing two packages as input and assuming the USB stick is known as /dev/sdX:
 +    # ./upslak.sh -o /dev/sdX -m kernel-modules-4.19.0-x86_64-1.txz -k kernel-generic-4.19.0-x86_64-1.txz
 +  * Restore the previous kernel and modules after a failed update, and let the script scan your computer for the insertion of your USB stick:
 +    # ./upslak.sh -s -r
 +  * Replace the Live init script with the latest template taken from the git repository:
 +    # ./upslak.sh -o /dev/sdX -i liveslak/liveinit.tpl
  
  
Line 269: Line 380:
   Implemented tweaks:   Implemented tweaks:
   nga - no glamor 2D acceleration, avoids error "EGL_MESA_drm_image required".   nga - no glamor 2D acceleration, avoids error "EGL_MESA_drm_image required".
 +  nsh - no 'new style' sub-pixel hinting in freetype.
   tpb - enable TrackPoint scrolling while holding down middle mouse button.   tpb - enable TrackPoint scrolling while holding down middle mouse button.
   syn - start the syndaemon for better support of Synaptics touchpads.   syn - start the syndaemon for better support of Synaptics touchpads.
Line 286: Line 398:
  
 === Media tweaks === === Media tweaks ===
 +
 +cfg=[skip|write] =>
 +  Specify 'skip' to skip disk-based configuration file containing
 +  OS parameters; or specify 'write' to write current OS parameters
 +  to disk.
 +
 +domain=your_custom_domain =>
 +  Specify a custom domain name.  Defaults to 'example.net'.
  
 hostname=your_custom_hostname[,qualifier] => hostname=your_custom_hostname[,qualifier] =>
Line 300: Line 420:
   Use this if you want to   Use this if you want to
   load the live OS from an ISO file on a local harddisk partition.   load the live OS from an ISO file on a local harddisk partition.
 +
 +livemedia=scandev:/path/to/live.iso =>
 +  Use this if liveslak should
 +  scan all device partitions to locate the ISO file.
  
 livemain=directoryname => livemain=directoryname =>
Line 324: Line 448:
   Use this if you are using a different   Use this if you are using a different
   directory/file than "persistence" for storing persistent data.   directory/file than "persistence" for storing persistent data.
 +
 +persistence=/dev/sdX:/path/to/mypersistence
 +persistence=scandev:/path/to/mypersistence =>
 +  Use this if the persistence directory or container is not located on
 +  the USB stick, but on a local hard disk partition.
 +  Useful for network (PXE) boot where you still want to offer users persistence.
  
 toram => toram =>
-  copy the OS from the media to to RAM before running it.+  Copy the OS from the media to to RAM before running it.
   You can remove the boot media after booting.   You can remove the boot media after booting.
 +
 +toram=all =>
 +  Prevent writes to disk since we are supposed to run from RAM;
 +  equivalent to parameter "toram".
 +
 +toram=core =>
 +  Load Console OS modules into RAM.
 +  Console-only Slackware loads fast, contains 'setup2hd' and frees up your USB drive
 +  so you can overwrite it with a Persistent Live OS.
 +
 +toram=os =>
 +  Load OS modules into RAM, but write persistent data to USB.
  
 === Troubleshooting === === Troubleshooting ===
Line 339: Line 481:
   During init, pause at strategic locations while   During init, pause at strategic locations while
   assembling the overlay filesystem and show mount information.   assembling the overlay filesystem and show mount information.
 +
 +debug=<number> =>
 +  '2' enables verbose script execution;
 +  '4' dumps you into a debug shell right before the switch_root.
  
 rescue => rescue =>
Line 359: Line 505:
   * The boot/ directory contains the syslinux configuration used when the Live OS boots on a computer with a BIOS.  This directory also contains the kernel and initrd files which are used to actually boot the OS.   * The boot/ directory contains the syslinux configuration used when the Live OS boots on a computer with a BIOS.  This directory also contains the kernel and initrd files which are used to actually boot the OS.
   * The liveslak/ directory contains all the squashfs modules which are used to assemble the filesystem of the Live OS, as well as files that are copied directly into the root of the Live filesystem.  It contains four subdirectories:   * The liveslak/ directory contains all the squashfs modules which are used to assemble the filesystem of the Live OS, as well as files that are copied directly into the root of the Live filesystem.  It contains four subdirectories:
-    * addons/ - modules which are stored in this directory will always be added the Live filesystem unless you prevent that with a "noload=" boot parameter;+    * addons/ - modules which are stored in this directory will always be added to the Live filesystem unless you prevent that with a "noload=" boot parameter;
     * optional/ - modules in this directory will not be added to the filesystem of the Live OS unless you force this with a "load=" boot parameter;     * optional/ - modules in this directory will not be added to the filesystem of the Live OS unless you force this with a "load=" boot parameter;
     * system/ - this directory contains all the modules which were created by the "make_slackware_live.sh" script.  All these modules are numbered and the Live init script will use that to re-assemble the Live filesystem in the exact same order as they were created initially.     * system/ - this directory contains all the modules which were created by the "make_slackware_live.sh" script.  All these modules are numbered and the Live init script will use that to re-assemble the Live filesystem in the exact same order as they were created initially.
Line 388: Line 534:
  
   * The script reads a package sequence for the Live variant and installs all packages in this sequence to subdirectories of a temporary directory tree.   * The script reads a package sequence for the Live variant and installs all packages in this sequence to subdirectories of a temporary directory tree.
-  * Every Slackware package set (a, ap, d, ... , y) or package list (min, xbase, xapbase, ...) is installed into a separate 'root' directory.+  * Every Slackware package set (a, ap, d, ... , y) or package list (min, noxbase, x_base, xapbase, ...) is installed into a separate 'root' directory.
   * Each of those root directories is "squashed" (using squashfs) into a separate squashfs module.  Such a module is a single archive file containing the compressed directory structure of the installed packages.   * Each of those root directories is "squashed" (using squashfs) into a separate squashfs module.  Such a module is a single archive file containing the compressed directory structure of the installed packages.
   * These module files are subsequently loop-mounted and then combined together into a single read-only directory structure using an "overlay mount" The overlayfs is relatively new; earlier Live distros have been using aufs and unionfs to achieve similar functionality, but those were not part of any stock kernel source and therefore custom kernels had to be compiled for such a Live distro.   * These module files are subsequently loop-mounted and then combined together into a single read-only directory structure using an "overlay mount" The overlayfs is relatively new; earlier Live distros have been using aufs and unionfs to achieve similar functionality, but those were not part of any stock kernel source and therefore custom kernels had to be compiled for such a Live distro.
Line 407: Line 553:
     * an initial environment for the accounts is configured,     * an initial environment for the accounts is configured,
     * the desktop environment is pre-configured for first use,     * the desktop environment is pre-configured for first use,
-    * the liveslak scripts "makemod" and "iso2usb.sh" are copied to "/usr/local/sbin/" in the ISO for your convenience, +    * the liveslak scripts "makemod""iso2usb.sh" and "upslak.sh" are copied to "/usr/local/sbin/" in the ISO for your convenience, 
-    * if the Live system contains a huge kernel (all ISO variants except XFCE) then the "setup2hd" script and the Slackware installer files are copied to "/usr/local/sbin" and "/usr/share/liveslak" respectively,+    * the "setup2hd" script and the Slackware installer files are copied to "/usr/local/sbin" and "/usr/share/liveslak" respectively.
     * slackpkg is configured,     * slackpkg is configured,
     * a locate database is created,     * a locate database is created,
     * etc...     * etc...
-  * All these modifications are written to the writable filesystem that was created in the previous section. This filesystem will also be stored on the ISO as a squashfs module and when the Live OS boots, it will be mounted read-only just like all the other modules. Its name will be "0099-slackware_zzzconf-current-x86_64.sxz" or more generically "0099-slackware_zzzconf-$SLACKVERSION}-${ARCH}.sxz"+  * All these modifications are written to the writable filesystem that was created in the previous section. This filesystem will also be stored on the ISO as a squashfs module and when the Live OS boots, it will be mounted read-only just like all the other modules. Its name will be "0099-slackware_zzzconf-current-x86_64.sxz" or more generically "0099-slackware_zzzconf-${SLACKVERSION}-${ARCH}.sxz"
  
  
Line 443: Line 589:
  
 This section explains how the script modifies the ISO for the enhanced USB functionality. This section explains how the script modifies the ISO for the enhanced USB functionality.
 +
 +== Layout of the USB stick ==
 +
 +The "iso2usb.sh" script wipes and re-partitions the USB stick unless the "-r" or //refresh// parameter is used.  See section "[[#transfering_iso_content_to_usb_stick|Transfering ISO content to USB stick]]" for an explanation of all commandline switches. \\ The script will create 3 partitions:
 +
 +  * First partition: a small (1 MB in size) FAT partition which  is not used for Slackware Live Edition.  It can be used by an alternative bootloader if needed.  You can also store your LUKS keyfile on it to unlock a LUKS-encrypted Slackware Linux computer (see the [[http://ftp.osuosl.org/pub/slackware/slackware64-current/README_CRYPT.TXT|README_CRYPT.TXT]] file on your Slackware DVD for more information on LUKS keyfiles).
 +  * Second partition: a 100 MB VFAT partition containing the kernel, initrd and all the other stuff required by syslinux and grub2 to boot Slackware Live Edition.
 +  * Third partition: a Linux partition taking up all of the remaining space. It contains the actual liveslak modules, the persistent live storage and optionally your encrypted homedirectory. You can use the remainder of this Linux //ext4// filesystem's free space to store anything you like.
 +
 +Note that this script is the only supported method of transfering the liveslak ISO content to a USB stick and make that USB stick into a persistent live OS.  Several 3rd party tools (like multibootusb, rufus, unetbootin) that claim to be able to mix several Live OS'es on a single USB stick and make them all work in a multi-boot setup, are not currently supporting liveslak.
  
 == Mounting a filesystem in an encrypted container == == Mounting a filesystem in an encrypted container ==
Line 486: Line 642:
 The fourth script: The fourth script:
  
-The "setup2hd" script enables you to install the running Live OS to the computer's local hard disk.  The "setup2hd" is a modified Slackware installer, so you will be comfortable with the process.  There is no 'SOURCE' selection because the script knows where to find the squashfs modules.  After you select the target partition(s), every active module of the Live OS variant (SLACKWARE, PLASMA5, MATE, ...) is extracted to the hard drive.  After extraction has completed, the script summarizes how many modules have been extracted.  It will also show an example command to extract any remaining inactive or disabled modules manually.  The final step in the installation is again the stock Slackware installer which kicks off the Slackware configuration scripts. +The "setup2hd" script is a modified Slackware installer, so you will be comfortable with the process.  The 'SOURCE' section offers two types of choices:  a regular Slackware network installation using a NFS, HTTP, FTP or Samba server, as well as a choice of installing the Live OS which you are running. The script knows where to find the squashfs modules, so the "Install Live OS" selection will not prompt further inputs. 
- +  * The Slackware network installation is identical to that of the official Slackware installation medium. 
 +  * If you chose to install the Live OS, then after you select the target partition(s), every active module of the Live OS variant (SLACKWARE, KTOWN, MATE, ...) is extracted to the hard drive.  After extraction has completed, the script summarizes how many modules have been extracted.  It will also show an example command to extract any remaining inactive or disabled modules manually.  The final step in the installation is again the stock Slackware installer which kicks off the Slackware configuration scripts.
  
  
Line 517: Line 673:
 </code> Which shows that the configuration of the Live OS where the PXE server runs is largely determining the configuration of the PXE clients. </code> Which shows that the configuration of the Live OS where the PXE server runs is largely determining the configuration of the PXE clients.
   * Note that when networkbooting, the hostname of the Live OS will be suffixed with the machine's MAC address to make the hostname of every network-booted computer unique.   * Note that when networkbooting, the hostname of the Live OS will be suffixed with the machine's MAC address to make the hostname of every network-booted computer unique.
 +
 +
 +=== upslak.sh ===
 +
 +
 +The sixth script:
 +
 +The "upslak.sh" script's runtime usage is explained in detail in a previous paragraph "Updating the kernel (and more) on a USB stick".
 +
 +This section explains how the script modifies the content of the Live USB stick.
 +
 +When the script is started, it will do some sanity checks and then extracts the content of the initrd image. Some characteristics of the initrd will be recorded:
 +  * existence of previously backed-up kernel modules is checked,
 +  * template variables and their values are obtained from the init sctript,
 +  * the current USB wait time is checked.
 +Depending on the parameters passed to the script, it will then perform one or more of the following actions:
 +
 +== Update the kernel and moules ==
 +
 +You can provide a new kernel and its modules in two ways.  The '-k' option accepts a kernel image file or else a Slackware package contaning a kernel.  The '-m' option accepts a directory tree of modules below "/lib/modules/, or else a Slackware package containing kernel modules.
 +If there is sufficient space on the Linux and EFI partitions, the script will make a backup of the current kernel and modules by renaming the kernel and the module directory with a ".prev" suffix.  Sufficient space means that at least 10 MB of free space must remain on the partition(s) after making the backup and installing the new kernel plus modules. If space is an issue, you can skip making a backup by providing the '-b' parameter to the script (a possibly unsafe choice).
 +
 +== Restore backed-up kernel and modules ==
 +
 +If a backup was made of kernel and modules, the upslak.sh script is able to restore these using the '-r' option, thereby removing the replacements.  This comes in handy when the replacement kernel turns out to be non-functional.
 +
 +== Add network support modules ==
 +
 +This should normally not be needed.  By default, all liveslak ISO images have network support built-in.  But customized Live ISO images may be shipped without network support initially.  If you want your Live OS to be PXE-bootable you need network support in the kernel.  Use the '-n' option.
 +
 +== Increase (or decrease) USB wait time ==
 +
 +Similar to the functionality of the "iso2usb.sh" script, the "upslak.sh" script is able to alter the USB wait time at boot using the '-w' option.
 +
 +== Replace the liveslak init script ==
 +
 +The init script inside the initrd image is the core of liveslak.  The init script prepares the Live filesystem and configures several run-time OS parameters.  If you have made modifications to this init script you can easily replace the default init script with your own script using the '-i' option.  The "upslak.sh" script is smart enough to recognize a iveslak template as input.  The ".tpl" extension of some liveslak files means that these are templates.  They are not usable as-is, because they contain placeholder strings like "@VERSION@" or "@DISTRO@" that first need to be replaced with real values.  The "upslak.sh" script will take care of these substitutions.
 +
 +== Wrap persistence data into a new squashfs module ==
 +
 +Persistence data will accumulate over time on the USB stick.  That is perfectly OK, and you can wipe it on boot if that is needed.  But sometimes you want to capture the packages you installed into the persistent storage, and create a new squashfs module out of them.  The "upslak.sh" script is able to move your persistence data into a new squashfs module using the '-p' option.  The new module will be created in the "/liveslak/addons/" directory so that it will be loaded into the Live OS everytime your USB Live boots up.  After creating the new module, the persistence store will be re-initialized (i.e. its content will be erased on the next boot).  The new module's name is time-stamped (/liveslak/addons/0099-slackware_customchanges-yyyymmddHHMMSS.sxz where yyyymmddHHMMSS is the timestamp) so that this action can be repeated as many times as you want.
  
  
Line 522: Line 719:
  
  
-Creating an ISO image of Slackware Live Edition requires that you are running Slackware 14.2 (64-bit).  Older releases of Slackware have a kernel that is too old to support liveslak's use of the "overlayfs" kernel functionality, and are lacking the squashfs tools.  Likewise, a Slackware Live Edition can only be created for Slackware 14.2 or newer.+Creating an ISO image of Slackware Live Edition requires that you are running Slackware 14.2 or newer (64-bit).  Older releases of Slackware have a kernel that is too old to support liveslak's use of the "overlayfs" kernel functionality, and are lacking the squashfs tools.  Likewise, a Slackware Live Edition can only be created for Slackware 14.2 or newer.
  
-You also need the "liveslak" script collection which can be downloaded from any of the links at the bottom of this page.+You also need the "liveslak" script collection which can be downloaded from any of the [[#liveslak_sources|links at the bottom of this page]].
  
-Liveslak is a directory tree containing scripts, bitmaps and configuration files.  Only scripts are meant to be run by you, the user.  These scripts ("make_slackware_live.sh", "iso2usb.sh", "makemod", "setup2hd" and "pxeserver") are explained in more detail in the section "Scripts and tools" higher up.  When creating a Live ISO from scratch, you only need to run the "make_slackware_live.sh" script.+Liveslak is a directory tree containing scripts, bitmaps and configuration files.  Only scripts are meant to be run by you, the user.  These scripts ("make_slackware_live.sh", "iso2usb.sh", "makemod", "setup2hd""pxeserver" and "upslak.sh") are explained in more detail in the section "[[#scripts_and_tools|Scripts and tools]]" higher up.  When creating a Live ISO from scratch, you only need to run the "make_slackware_live.sh" script.
  
  
Line 536: Line 733:
   * README.txt - this documentation.   * README.txt - this documentation.
   * addons/ - squashfs modules placed in this directory will be loaded into the Live filesystem when the OS boots.   * addons/ - squashfs modules placed in this directory will be loaded into the Live filesystem when the OS boots.
 +  * contrib/ - contributed scripts that are not used directly for the creation and usage of a Live ISO.
   * graphics/ - squashfs modules for proprietary GPU support (Nvidia) can be placed here. The module(s) will be copied to addons/ by the "make_slackware_live.sh" script for any Live Desktop Environment (except pure Slackware) that might profit from proprietary driver support.   * graphics/ - squashfs modules for proprietary GPU support (Nvidia) can be placed here. The module(s) will be copied to addons/ by the "make_slackware_live.sh" script for any Live Desktop Environment (except pure Slackware) that might profit from proprietary driver support.
   * local64/ , local/ - these directories can contain Slackware packages considered 'local' i.e. not belonging to any repository.  The package(s) will be converted to squashfs module(s) by the "make_slackware_live.sh" script, copied to the "addons/" subdirectory in the ISO and loaded into the Live filesystem when the OS boots.   * local64/ , local/ - these directories can contain Slackware packages considered 'local' i.e. not belonging to any repository.  The package(s) will be converted to squashfs module(s) by the "make_slackware_live.sh" script, copied to the "addons/" subdirectory in the ISO and loaded into the Live filesystem when the OS boots.
 +  * media/ - scripts and images that are specific to a Live variant.
   * optional/ - squashfs modules placed in this directory will not automatically be loaded into the Live filesystem when the OS boots.  You need to pass "load=[mod]" boot parameter to load any of these.   * optional/ - squashfs modules placed in this directory will not automatically be loaded into the Live filesystem when the OS boots.  You need to pass "load=[mod]" boot parameter to load any of these.
 +  * patches/ - patches for Slackware scripts that need modifications to run inside a Live OS.
   * pkglists/ - definition files of 3rd party repositories (*.conf) and the package lists to be used from those repositories (*.lst) must be placed in this directory.   * pkglists/ - definition files of 3rd party repositories (*.conf) and the package lists to be used from those repositories (*.lst) must be placed in this directory.
 +  * setup2hd/ - script templates used by the ''setup2hd'' disk installer.
   * skel/ - contains compressed tarballs (whose filenames must match wildcard "skel*.txz"). These files will be extracted to the "/etc/skel" directory in the Live filesystem.   * skel/ - contains compressed tarballs (whose filenames must match wildcard "skel*.txz"). These files will be extracted to the "/etc/skel" directory in the Live filesystem.
   * syslinux/  - contains the skeleton for boot support on BIOS computers.  Some of its files are dynamically generated by the "make_slackware_live.sh" script.   * syslinux/  - contains the skeleton for boot support on BIOS computers.  Some of its files are dynamically generated by the "make_slackware_live.sh" script.
Line 555: Line 756:
     * locale = the locale used in the country     * locale = the locale used in the country
     * xkb = optional custom X keyboard variant for the language     * xkb = optional custom X keyboard variant for the language
-  * liveinit - this is the "init" script which is copied into the initrd image for the Live OS.  Together with the Slackware generic kernel, the initrd is what boots the computer. The "init" script assembles the Live filesystem from its squashfs modules.+  * liveinit.tpl - this is the template for the "init" script which is copied into the initrd image for the Live OS.  Together with the Slackware generic kernel, the initrd is what boots the computer. The "init" script assembles the Live filesystem from its squashfs modules.
   * make_slackware_live.conf - the configuration file for the "make_slackware_live.sh" script.  You can define defaults for many script parameters here so that you do not have to edit the script itself.   * make_slackware_live.conf - the configuration file for the "make_slackware_live.sh" script.  You can define defaults for many script parameters here so that you do not have to edit the script itself.
   * make_slackware_live.sh - the script that generates the Live ISO.   * make_slackware_live.sh - the script that generates the Live ISO.
   * makemod - this script creates a squashfs module out of a Slackware package (or out of a directory tree).   * makemod - this script creates a squashfs module out of a Slackware package (or out of a directory tree).
   * menu.tpl - template which is used to generate the syslinux boot menu for BIOS computers.   * menu.tpl - template which is used to generate the syslinux boot menu for BIOS computers.
-  * pxeserver - the script that starts a PXE server allowing other computers to boot Slackware Live over the network. +  * pxeserver.tpl template to generate the script that starts a PXE server allowing other computers to boot Slackware Live over the network. 
-  * setup2hd - the script you use to install your Slackware Live to a harddisk. +  * setup2hd.tpl  template to generate the script you use to install your Slackware Live to a harddisk. 
-  * setup2hd.local - here a developer of a custom Live OS can override the default post-installation routine by (re-)defining the function "live_post_install()" in the ''setup2hd'' script.+  * setup2hd.local.tpl - here a developer of a custom Live OS can override the default post-installation routine by (re-)defining the function "live_post_install()" in the ''setup2hd'' script
 +  * upslak.sh - a script which allows you to tweak the content of a USB Live stick.
  
  
Line 573: Line 775:
  -a arch            Machine architecture (default: x86_64).  -a arch            Machine architecture (default: x86_64).
                     Use i586 for a 32bit ISO, x86_64 for 64bit.                     Use i586 for a 32bit ISO, x86_64 for 64bit.
- -d desktoptype     SLACKWARE (full Slack), KDE4 (basic KDE4), + -c comp            Squashfs compression (default: xz). 
-                    XFCE (basic XFCE), PLASMA5 (full Plasma5 replaces KDE4), +                    Can be any of 'gzip lzma lzo xz zstd'
-                    MATE (Gnome2 fork replaces KDE4), CINNAMON (fork of Gnome3 + -d desktoptype     SLACKWARE (full Slack), LEAN (basic Plasma5/XFCE), 
-                    Shell replaces KDE4).+                    DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), XFCE (basic XFCE
 +                    stripped), KTOWN (ktown Plasma5 replacement), MATE 
 +                    (Gnome2 fork replaces KDE), CINNAMON (fork of Gnome3 Shell 
 +                    replaces KDE), DLACK (Gnome3 replaces KDE).
  -e                 Use ISO boot-load-size of 32 for computers  -e                 Use ISO boot-load-size of 32 for computers
                     where the ISO won't boot otherwise (default: 4).                     where the ISO won't boot otherwise (default: 4).
  -f                 Forced re-generation of all squashfs modules,  -f                 Forced re-generation of all squashfs modules,
                     custom configurations and new initrd.img.                     custom configurations and new initrd.img.
 + -l <localization>  Enable a different default localization
 +                    (script-default is 'en').
  -m pkglst[,pkglst] Add modules defined by pkglists/<pkglst>,...  -m pkglst[,pkglst] Add modules defined by pkglists/<pkglst>,...
  -r series[,series] Refresh only one or a few package series.  -r series[,series] Refresh only one or a few package series.
  -s slackrepo_dir   Directory containing Slackware repository.  -s slackrepo_dir   Directory containing Slackware repository.
- -t <doc|mandoc>    Trim the ISO (remove man and/or doc).+ -t <none|doc|mandoc|bloat> 
 +                    Trim the ISO (remove man and/or doc and/or bloat).
  -v                 Show debug/error output.  -v                 Show debug/error output.
  -z version         Define your Slackware version (default: current).  -z version         Define your Slackware version (default: current).
 + -C                 Add RAM-based Console OS to boot menu.
 + -G                 Generate ISO file from existing directory tree
  -H <hostname>      Hostname of the Live OS (default: darkstar).  -H <hostname>      Hostname of the Live OS (default: darkstar).
 + -M                 Add multilib (x86_64 only).
  -O <outfile>       Custom filename for the ISO.  -O <outfile>       Custom filename for the ISO.
  -R <runlevel>      Runlevel to boot into (default: 4).  -R <runlevel>      Runlevel to boot into (default: 4).
 + -S privkey:cert    Enable SecureBoot support and sign binaries
 +                    using the full path to colon-separated
 +                    private key and certificate files.
  -X                 Use xorriso instead of mkisofs/isohybrid.  -X                 Use xorriso instead of mkisofs/isohybrid.
 </code> </code>
 The script uses package repositories to create a Live ISO.  The packages will be installed into a temporary directory. The script uses package repositories to create a Live ISO.  The packages will be installed into a temporary directory.
  
-In order to create a Live ISO for any of these variants, the package repositories that are required must be available as a local directory (this can be a network-mounted directory).  A local mirror of the Slackware repository is mandatory.  Any packages that are used from a 3rd party repository will be downloaded from a remote server as long as a rsync URL for the repository is configured in ./pkglists/*.conf.+In order to create a Live ISO for any of these variants, the package repositories that are required must be available as a local directory (this can be a network-mounted directory).  If you have not mirrored them locally, then all packages of the Slackware repository as well as those you require from  a 3rd party repository will be downloaded from a remote server as long as a rsync URL for the repository is configured in ./pkglists/*.conf.
  
 When all pre-reqs are met, you issue a single command to generate the ISO.  The following example will create a pure Slackware Live Edition: When all pre-reqs are met, you issue a single command to generate the ISO.  The following example will create a pure Slackware Live Edition:
Line 601: Line 815:
 Another example which creates a MATE variant, configuring runlevel '3' as default and specifying a custom path for the Slackware package repository root (note that the script will look for a subdirectory "slackware64-current" below this directory if you are generating this ISO for slackware64-current): Another example which creates a MATE variant, configuring runlevel '3' as default and specifying a custom path for the Slackware package repository root (note that the script will look for a subdirectory "slackware64-current" below this directory if you are generating this ISO for slackware64-current):
   # ./make_slackware_live.sh -d MATE -R 3 -s ~ftp/pub/Slackware   # ./make_slackware_live.sh -d MATE -R 3 -s ~ftp/pub/Slackware
 +
 +An example on how to create a DAW Live ISO which supports UEFI SecureBoot (since liveslak 1.5.0 and only for 64-bit), is compressed using 'zstd' instead of the default 'xz' and is generated using xorriso instead of mkisofs. You need to provide the full path to a SSL private key and certificate file:
 +  # ./make_slackware_live.sh -d DAW -c zstd -X -S /root/liveslak.key:/root/liveslak.pem
  
 If you want to know what package sets are included in any of these Desktop Environments, run the following command: If you want to know what package sets are included in any of these Desktop Environments, run the following command:
Line 609: Line 826:
  
  
-==== Using the Customization Feature of the Live OS ====+==== Using the Customization Features of the Live OS ==== 
  
 +=== Master configuration file ===
  
 You can create your own custom Live OS by changing its characteristics in the configuration file "''make_slackware_live.conf''". You can create your own custom Live OS by changing its characteristics in the configuration file "''make_slackware_live.conf''".
 Among the things you can change are: Among the things you can change are:
-  * The name of the Desktop variant (the script itself knows "//SLACKWARE//", "//PLASMA5//", "//XFCE//", "//MATE//" and "//CINNAMON//"),+  * The name of the Desktop variant (the script itself knows "//SLACKWARE//", "//KTOWN//", "//DAW//", "//XFCE//", "//MATE//""//CINNAMON//", "//STUDIOWARE//" and  "//DLACK//"),
   * The list(s) of packages used for your custom distribution,   * The list(s) of packages used for your custom distribution,
 +  * The full name of the user (by default that is "//Slackware Live User//"),
   * The name of the useraccount (by default that is "//live//"),   * The name of the useraccount (by default that is "//live//"),
   * The name of the distribution (by default that is "//slackware//"),   * The name of the distribution (by default that is "//slackware//"),
Line 630: Line 850:
 # and "pkglists/cinelerra.lst" defining the package location and package list # and "pkglists/cinelerra.lst" defining the package location and package list
 # respectively): # respectively):
-#SEQ_CUSTOM="min,xbase,xapbase,xfcebase,cinelerra"+#SEQ_CUSTOM="min,noxbase,x_base,xapbase,xfcebase,cinelerra
 + 
 +# OPTIONAL: 
 +# Use something else than the name "min", 
 +# for the package list containing the generic kernel: 
 +#MINLIST="min"
  
 # OPTIONAL: # OPTIONAL:
Line 658: Line 883:
 #} #}
 </code> </code>
 +
 +=== Customizing the list of used packages ===
 +
 +Any liveslak ISO variant contains a specific set of Slackware packages, as defined in the various ''SEQ_*'' variables used in the ''make_slackware_live.sh'' script.  Your customized Live OS will be using variable "''SEQ_CUSTOM''".
 +
 +Let's breakdown the definition of such a variable to explain how to customize the package set for your own live ISO.
 +
 +The list of packages in the MATE ISO for instance, is defined by the ''SEQ_MSB'' variable (//MSB// stands for //Mate Slack Build//).  Its value is as follows: <code>
 +# grep ^SEQ_MSB make_slackware_live.sh
 +SEQ_MSB="tagfile:a,ap,d,e,f,k,l,n,t,tcl,x,xap,xfce,y pkglist:slackextra,mate local:slackpkg+"</code>
 +
 +Three keywords can be identified in the value of a ''SEQ_*'' variable, and these determine where the packages to be installed are going to be searched for:
 +  * tagfile - this is an Slackware tagfile for a complete package series.  For instance, using "tagfile:ap" means: install all packages in the **AP** series.
 +  * pkglist - this is a list of packages to be installed from the Slackware distro itself or from a Slackware-compatible 3rd-party repository.  The file containing that package list is searched in the ''./pkglists/'' subdirectory of the liveslak toplevel directory.  For instance, using "pkglist:mate" means: install all packages mentioned in the file ''./pkglists/mate.lst'' If there is no matching ''./pkglists/mate.conf'' file then the packages are assumed to be present in the Slackware distro directory.  Else the ".conf" file is parsed and the variables that are defined in the ".conf" file will be used while generating the ISO.  Most importantly, "''SL_REPO_URL''" will contain the rsync URI pointing to the 3rd-party repository where the requested packages can be downloaded.
 +  * local - some packages can not be found in Slackware-compatible repositories.  The "local" keyword alows you to install packages from a subdirectory of the liveslak toplevel directory.  For instance, using "local:slackpkg+" means: install all packages found in subdirectory ''./local/slackpkg+/'' or if you are generating a 64bit live ISO, install all packages found in directory ''./local64/slackpkg+/''.
 +
 +For the value of a ''SEQ_*'' variable, any combination of these keywords can be used. Every keyword is followed by a colon, and that is followed by a comma-separated list of relevant package definitions. They are all separated by spaces.
 +
 +=== Custom background images ===
 +
 +The Plasma5 based Live variants allow customization of the background image used for the login greeter, the desktop wallpaper and the lock screen. The image you want to use for this purpose, must have a 16:9 aspect ratio and its dimensions should at least be 1920x1080 pixels. You  must store the custom image inside the liveslak source tree: in the subdirectory ''./media/<variant>/bg/'' where "<variant>" is the lower-case name of the Live variant (variant 'KTOWN' equals directory 'ktown', 'DAW' becomes 'daw', etc).
 +
 +The "make_slackware_live.sh" script will look there for a file named either "background.jpg" or "background.png". If you want, that file can be a symlink to the actual bitmap file. The image will be converted into a set of wallpaper images of different aspect ratios and sizes. The different aspect ratios like 16:9, 16:10 and 4:3 will be achieved by cropping the images if needed, to avoid distortion. The image set will be installed as a Plasma5 wallpaper called "Slackware Live", and configured to be the default Live OS background.
 +
 +
 ==== Internals of Slackware Live Edition ==== ==== Internals of Slackware Live Edition ====
  
Line 693: Line 943:
   * The filesystem of the Live media is made available to the user of the Live OS as "/mnt/livemedia" If the media is a USB stick then you will have write access to "/mnt/livemedia".   * The filesystem of the Live media is made available to the user of the Live OS as "/mnt/livemedia" If the media is a USB stick then you will have write access to "/mnt/livemedia".
   * With the root filesystem assembled, the Live OS is configured before it actually boots:   * With the root filesystem assembled, the Live OS is configured before it actually boots:
 +    * if a OS-specific configuration file (by default ''/liveslak/slackware_os.cfg'') exists, its contents will be parsed.  Values of the variables defined in this file overrule any default //liveslak// or boot command-line values.
     * if you specified "swap" on the boot commandline, any available swap partition will be added to "/etc/fstab" in the Live OS.     * if you specified "swap" on the boot commandline, any available swap partition will be added to "/etc/fstab" in the Live OS.
     * if you specified a custom keyboard layout for the console (and optionally another for X) by using the "kbd" and "xkb" boot parameters then these will be confifured in "/etc/rc.d/rc.keymap" and "/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/30-keyboard.conf" in the Live OS.     * if you specified a custom keyboard layout for the console (and optionally another for X) by using the "kbd" and "xkb" boot parameters then these will be confifured in "/etc/rc.d/rc.keymap" and "/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/30-keyboard.conf" in the Live OS.
Line 705: Line 956:
     * The init script will end by telling the kernel to swith to our new root filesystem (the overlay) and start the Slackware init program (PID 1, /sbin/init).     * The init script will end by telling the kernel to swith to our new root filesystem (the overlay) and start the Slackware init program (PID 1, /sbin/init).
   * From this moment onward, you are booting a 'normal' Slackware system and the fact that this is actually running in RAM and not from your local harddisk is not noticeable.   * From this moment onward, you are booting a 'normal' Slackware system and the fact that this is actually running in RAM and not from your local harddisk is not noticeable.
 +
 +
 +=== OS configuration file for persistent media ===
 +
 +If present, the liveslak init will load a OS config file from a persistent Live medium such as a USB stick.  In the case of //Slackware Live Edition// this file is called ''/liveslak/slackware_os.cfg'' - i.e. is placed in the "''liveslak''" directory of your USB drive.  For custom non-Slackware Live OS-es based on liveslak, the filename may be different.\\ This file contains one or more "VARIABLE=value" lines, where VARIABLE is one of the following variables that are used in the live init script:
 +  * BLACKLIST, KEYMAP, LIVE_HOSTNAME, LOAD, LOCALE, LUKSVOL, NOLOAD, RUNLEVEL, TWEAKS, TZ, XKB.
 +Values for the variables defined in this configuration file override the values already set via liveslak's own defaults or via boot-up command-line parameters.
 +
 +When booting your persistent //Slackware Live Edition//, the optional boot-time parameter "cfg" deals with this OS configuration file. The "cfg" parameter understands two possible argument values:
 +  * "cfg=write" will (over)write the OS configuration file to your USB drive, using the values for all of the above variables that are valid for that particular boot. So if your timezone is "''PST''" then one of the lines in that file will read "''TZ=PST''".
 +  * "cfg=skip" will skip processing of an existing "''/liveslak/slackware_os.cfg''" file.
 +
 +The OS configuration file is not present by default. You either create it at boot-time using "''cfg=write''" (which is a persistent change) or you create it manually using an ASCII text editor, after mounting the USB partition on a computer.  As an example, here is the content of "''/liveslak/slackware_os.cfg''" on my own USB stick: <code>
 +KEYMAP=nl
 +LIVE_HOSTNAME=zelazny
 +LOCALE=nl_NL.utf8
 +TWEAKS=tpb,syn
 +TZ=Europe/Amsterdam</code>
  
  
Line 718: Line 987:
   * The four digits of a modulename have a meaning.  Some ranges are claimed by the core OS, so please do not use them. Their prefixes are based on the package source: <code>   * The four digits of a modulename have a meaning.  Some ranges are claimed by the core OS, so please do not use them. Their prefixes are based on the package source: <code>
     0000 = contains the Slackware /boot directory     0000 = contains the Slackware /boot directory
 +    0005 = Console OS modules when explicitly enabled for a regular ISO installed otherwise from Slackware tagfiles
     0010-0019 = packages installed from a Slackware tagfile (a,ap,d, ... , y series)     0010-0019 = packages installed from a Slackware tagfile (a,ap,d, ... , y series)
-    0020-0029 = packages installed from a package list as found in the ./pkglists subdirectory of the liveslak sources (min, xbase, xapbase, xfcebase etc)+    0020-0029 = packages installed from a package list as found in the ./pkglists subdirectory of the liveslak sources (min, noxbase, x_base, xapbase, xfcebase etc)
     0030-0039 = a 'local' package, i.e. a package found in subdirectory ./local or ./local64 (depending on architecture)     0030-0039 = a 'local' package, i.e. a package found in subdirectory ./local or ./local64 (depending on architecture)
     0099 = liveslak configuration module (contaning all the customizations that change the installed packages into a usable Live OS) </code>     0099 = liveslak configuration module (contaning all the customizations that change the installed packages into a usable Live OS) </code>
Line 739: Line 1009:
 Website: https://www.slax.org/ Website: https://www.slax.org/
  
-SLAX was the original Live variant of Slackware.  The linux-live scripts which are used to create a SLAX ISO were generalized so that they can create a Live version of any OS that is already installed to a harddrive.  SLAX development stalled a couple of years ago but its creator seems to have warmed up recently.+SLAX was the original Live variant of Slackware.  The linux-live scripts which are used to create a SLAX ISO were generalized so that they can create a Live version of any OS that is already installed to a harddrive.  SLAX development stalled a couple of years ago. \\ In 2017 a new release of SLAX became available, however Slackware is no longer its parent OS. New SLAX releases are based on Debian.
  
 The Live functionality of SLAX is based on aufs and unionfs which requires a custom-built kernel with aufs support compiled-in.  It is small and has its boot scripts tweaked for startup speed. The Live functionality of SLAX is based on aufs and unionfs which requires a custom-built kernel with aufs support compiled-in.  It is small and has its boot scripts tweaked for startup speed.
Line 747: Line 1017:
  
  
-Website: http://ww.porteus.org/+Website: http://www.porteus.org/
  
 Porteus was created as a fork of SLAX by the SLAX community when the development of SLAX seemed to have ended.  Porteus has an active user community where it's "all about the modules" The use of aufs instead of overlayfs allows Porteus (like SLAX) to add and remove squashfs modules in the running Live system on the fly, which sparked the development of a lot of community modules.  It looks like the next generation of Porteus will be based on Arch Linux instead of Slackware: this has to do with the original Porteus developer leaving the team. Porteus was created as a fork of SLAX by the SLAX community when the development of SLAX seemed to have ended.  Porteus has an active user community where it's "all about the modules" The use of aufs instead of overlayfs allows Porteus (like SLAX) to add and remove squashfs modules in the running Live system on the fly, which sparked the development of a lot of community modules.  It looks like the next generation of Porteus will be based on Arch Linux instead of Slackware: this has to do with the original Porteus developer leaving the team.
Line 773: Line 1043:
 Website: http://slackex.exton.net/ Website: http://slackex.exton.net/
  
-A website offering Live versions based on many regular Linux distributions.  The SlackEX version is loosely based on Slackware with a custom kernel and some tools that are not part of Slackware itself.  I was unable to find the sources for this live distro.+A website offering Live versions based on many regular Linux distributions.  The SlackEX version is loosely based on Slackware with a custom kernel and some tools that are not part of Slackware itself.  I was unable to find the sources for this live distro. Its creator stopped SlackEX development in December 2017.
  
  
Line 781: Line 1051:
 Slackware Live Edition is created by the 'liveslak' scripts developed and maintained by Eric Hameleers aka Alien BOB [[alien@slackware.com]]. Slackware Live Edition is created by the 'liveslak' scripts developed and maintained by Eric Hameleers aka Alien BOB [[alien@slackware.com]].
  
-  * Git repository: %%git://bear.alienbase.nl/liveslak.git%% +  * Git repository: %%git://git.liveslak.org/liveslak.git%% 
-  * Git repository (browsable): http://bear.alienbase.nl/cgit/liveslak/+  * Git repository (browsable): http://git.liveslak.org/liveslak/
   * Download mirror: http://www.slackware.com/~alien/liveslak/   * Download mirror: http://www.slackware.com/~alien/liveslak/
  
Line 788: Line 1058:
 ====== Sources ====== ====== Sources ======
 <!-- If you copy information from another source, then specify that source --> <!-- If you copy information from another source, then specify that source -->
-  * Original source: [[http://bear.alienbase.nl/cgit/liveslak/tree/README.txt]]+  * Original source: [[https://git.slackware.nl/liveslak/tree/README.txt]] 
 +  * Project landing page: [[https://liveslak.org/]] 
 +  * ISO downloads: [[https://download.liveslak.org/]]
 <!-- Authors are allowed to give credit to themselves! --> <!-- Authors are allowed to give credit to themselves! -->
   * Originally written by [[wiki:user:alienbob | Eric Hameleers]]   * Originally written by [[wiki:user:alienbob | Eric Hameleers]]
-<!-- * Contrbutions by [[wiki:user:yyy | User Y]] -->+<!-- * Contributions by [[wiki:user:yyy | User Y]] -->
  
 <!-- Please do not modify anything below, except adding new tags.--> <!-- Please do not modify anything below, except adding new tags.-->
 <!-- You must also remove the tag-word "template" below. Otherwise your page will not show up in the Table of Contents --> <!-- You must also remove the tag-word "template" below. Otherwise your page will not show up in the Table of Contents -->
-{{tag>slackware live author_alienbob}}+{{tag>slackware live overlayfs squashfs author_alienbob}}
 slackware:liveslak ()