How to make a Salix OS based distro?

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linus72
Posts: 79
Joined: 1. Dec 2009, 00:12

Re: How to make a Salix OS based distro?

Post by linus72 »

Thanks JRD

the problem is that the live installer looks for the layout of the salix livecd and mine is different because it uses the default Linux-Live layout. Linux Live simply creates .lzm modules from the existing filesystem so in the base/ folder you have .lzms like bin.lzm, etc.lzm,home.lzm,etc
the salix layout is different using base/01-core.lzm, 02-basic.lzm, etc
Personally, I would like to jsut be able to create the default salix livecd layout but LiveClone just creates one big .lzm which is not what I want.
and I dont have the brains to edit the live installer stuff):

The live installer is python based isn't it?
thanks
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Akuna
Salix Wizard
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Joined: 14. Jun 2009, 12:25

Re: How to make a Salix OS based distro?

Post by Akuna »

Yes it is.

I'll look at your livecd & check how to make it work. ;)

It shouldn't be that hard, just a matter of adding some option depending on the livecd structure.
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linus72
Posts: 79
Joined: 1. Dec 2009, 00:12

Re: How to make a Salix OS based distro?

Post by linus72 »

OH
hello Akuna
just remember the ones up now are slackware current based and are 2.6.36.2
I haven't released the Salix version yet
the structure is all the same though
if you want to check out Salix version I will send link in PM or email?
but, as I said directory structure is same

Thanks
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gapan
Salix Wizard
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Joined: 6. Jun 2009, 17:40

Re: How to make a Salix OS based distro?

Post by gapan »

dimebag wrote:@gapan: Thank you for the suggestion :) . However, what I have in mind might be a bit more complicated than that...I probably should have elaborated a bit more in my previous post while being more specific as well. While I do wish to keep the text based installer and only offer the full install option for my new distro (as the only DE/WM will be Enlightenment), I would like the new distro to be more minimalist. For instance, the only apps to be included would be Firefox, LXTerminal, and Wicd. I assume that for what I have planned I simply cannot avoid customizing the Salix install scripts.
Right. You'll at least need to edit the install scripts and rebuild the iso initrd to remove the dialog that prompts for the installation mode (core, basic or full). Other than that I think you don't need to tweak the install scripts for anything else. All installation scripts are in our svn repo. After that it would only be a matter of removing/adding package to the iso, which can easily be done with isomaster. However you will also need to create default configuration files for new users. Check how the user-settings and user-settings-* packages are made, you'll need to do something similar.
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linus72
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Joined: 1. Dec 2009, 00:12

Re: How to make a Salix OS based distro?

Post by linus72 »

Hey guys
I have finished the preliminary build of the now Salix based PocketWriter 13.1.2 LiveCD
and you can check it out here
http://multidistro.com/downloads.html

Note that the add-on modules are simply pkgs turned into .lzm's
most of which are Salix packages. All the modules are compatible with all the Salix livecd's
For instance if you place the JRE and Storybook modules into the modules or base folder of the Salixlive cd's and they will load at boot. Most of you know this anyway.

Because I dont have a true hard drive installer i recommend it best for USB as that's what it was really made for, persistent usb.
Hopefully I can integrate it with the Salix way of building livecd's but don't know how so maybe that will come in the future.
Thanks for a great Slackware derivative guys!
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dimebag
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Re: How to make a Salix OS based distro?

Post by dimebag »

@Gapan: Thank you very much! :D One last question, if you don't mind, how do I go about building up and adding Enlightenment as the DE/WM? Specifically, do I have to build this part of the new distro first using slkbuild tools?
If we could first know where we are, and whither we are tending, we could then better judge what to do, and how to do it.- Abraham Lincoln
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gapan
Salix Wizard
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Re: How to make a Salix OS based distro?

Post by gapan »

dimebag wrote:@Gapan: Thank you very much! :D One last question, if you don't mind, how do I go about building up and adding Enlightenment as the DE/WM? Specifically, do I have to build this part of the new distro first using slkbuild tools?
You'll have to create packages for everything you want of course. What you'll use to build the packages doesn't really matter, just that the packages work.
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linus72
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Re: How to make a Salix OS based distro?

Post by linus72 »

dimebag
You could use the Easy_e17.sh script to install e17 from source on your salix install or cd
http://omicron.homeip.net/projects/#easy_e17.sh

or you could build it from SlackBuilds
http://slackbuilds.org/repository/13.1/ ... ghtenment/

there's also an older slackware related build here for ideas?
http://slacke17.sourceforge.net/
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dimebag
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Re: How to make a Salix OS based distro?

Post by dimebag »

@ Gapan and linus72: Thank you both kindly! I'm enthused to begin working on my project and can only hope that it is successful.
If we could first know where we are, and whither we are tending, we could then better judge what to do, and how to do it.- Abraham Lincoln
linus72
Posts: 79
Joined: 1. Dec 2009, 00:12

Re: How to make a Salix OS based distro?

Post by linus72 »

Hey Dimebag

I ended up using the SlackBuilds Enlightenment build and found a I had to add the "-g" to the CFLAGS parameter for each SlackBuild (eina, eet,etc) or e17 would crash at initial startup.
so I did this, open terminal

Code: Select all

su + password
export EDITOR=leafpad
sbopkg
searched and found all components of e17 and chose "Customize the .info or SlackBuild" from the build menu of each part. Choose "edit SlackBuild" and add the -g as below

Code: Select all

if [ "$ARCH" = "i486" ]; then
  SLKCFLAGS="-O2 -g -march=i486 -mtune=i686"
  LIBDIRSUFFIX=""
elif [ "$ARCH" = "i686" ]; then
  SLKCFLAGS="-O2 -g -march=i686 -mtune=i686"
  LIBDIRSUFFIX=""
elif [ "$ARCH" = "x86_64" ]; then
  SLKCFLAGS="-O2 -g -fPIC"
  LIBDIRSUFFIX="64"
else
  SLKCFLAGS="-O2 -g"
  LIBDIRSUFFIX=""
fi
Then build all the components in order
eina, eet, evas, ecore, embryo, edje, e_dbus, efreet, and then enlightenment.

Also, I have stolen a auto-menu updater app from ARCH linux's AUR repo and edited it to function for e17 to give you a menu without having to create,etc one manually. I made it into a slackpkg and it also works with
Ion3, Icewm, TWM, Windowmaker, FVWM2, Blackbox, Fluxbox, and Openbox.

Here's the package: http://multidistro.com/Pwriter/salix/Pa ... arch-1.txz

Also, please read here regarding how to setup other wm's menus like Openbox,etc
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/XdgMenu

For all the WM's you need to edit /etc/update-menus.conf and uncomment your desktop

Code: Select all

# uncomment needed WMs
#ion3
#icewm
#twm
#WindowMaker
#fvwm2
#blackbox
#fluxbox
#openbox
#enlightenment
then as root you have to do "update-menus" in a terminal.
then start enlightenment.

Also, I made a script to give a output in terminal for/when updating the menus.

here is /usr/bin/menu-update

Code: Select all

#!/bin/bash
echo "Updating Menus Please Wait..."
  /usr/sbin/update-menus
echo "Thank You..."
sleep 1
  exit 1
fi
I then added a menu-update.desktop file to /usr/share/applications so I could run menu-update from desktop menu under System

Code: Select all

[Desktop Entry]
Name=Menu-Update
Exec=gksu lxterminal -e /usr/bin/menu-update
Icon=/usr/share/icons/menu-System.png
Type=Application
Categories=System;
Terminal=false
edit for terminal and icon if necessary.
For some reason the app needs root permissions to write to /var/cache/xdg-menu and thats why you must use gksu,etc
Maybe someone could make it so it works without root permissions?

here's the orginal package
http://www.archlinux.org/packages/commu ... -xdg-menu/

whew!
And I also added the command to /etc/rc.d/rc.M Dimebag and then the livecd would update menus when it loads, necessary if adding add-on modules not part of the livecd build

Code: Select all

# Update-menus
echo
echo -e "${BOLDYELLOW}Updating Menus...${COLOR_RESET}"
/usr/bin/menu-update
Hope that helps and my e17 build looks and operates great!
Here's my e17 salix desktop
http://multidistro.com/Pwriter/salix/Pics/salixe17.png
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