[SOLVED] Iso construction to install the gentoo on pen drive

nubiocicarini · Last edited by nubiocicarini on Tue Sep 28, 2021 6:06 pm; edited 1 time in total

Hello, Gentoo community! I need your help.

I have to distribute a iso of Gentoo to be installed on pen drive with UnetBootin.

- The system needs to support varied computers with amd64 architecture and boot uefi.
- Must be encrypted.
- Contain a lightweight Desktop Manager (xfce/mate).
- Update capability, installation of new software and file recording.

In research I found the Catalyst indication for building livecd systems with Gentoo. However, I need to write in partitions for software installation. And I'm not sure it's the way to build this iso. Or if there are other ways. Is it possible to build the iso from a conventional USB drive installation?

So I need some guidance on what to research, or the way to go, to do this job.

Thank you.
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Workers of the world, unite!

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2021 2:09 pm Post subject:

nubiocicarini,

If you only need to do this once, build it in a chroot and when you are done, put it onto a USB stick.
To script it and make it maintainable, use the catalyst tool. That's how all the Gentoo binaries, stages, miniimal ISO, admin CD and even the DVD are made.

You probably don't want an ISO. That's a read only filesystem by design. You want a full working install on USB.

Updating on a USB stick is a bad idea. It can get very slow unless the stick supports trim.

If you go with catalyst, you will want to join #gentoo-releng on the Libera IRC network as that's where the help is.
You need to register your nickname no speak there.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

nubiocicarini · Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2021 3:09 pm Post subject:

Hi, NeddySeagoon!

Then, the Catalyst is more suitable, as it will be necessary to distribute copies for some people to install outside of my range. In this sense, it is also important that the installation is as easy as possible. Do you know if Calamares can be used after the catalyst for this purpose (pendrive)?
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Workers of the world, unite!

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2021 5:33 pm Post subject:

nubiocicarini,

I don't know Calamares at all.

Booting from a pen drive takes a little extra care as the USB subsystem needs to be started before the root filesystem is available.
Normally the kernel mounts root, then starts USB. That's a problem for root on USB.

An initrd can take care of it. As you need this to work on a wide range of hardware, you will want an initrd anyway, so it's just an extra thing to keep in mind.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

nubiocicarini · Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2021 6:04 pm Post subject:

Okay,

your guidelines will help me a lot. Thank you!
_________________
Workers of the world, unite!

figueroa · Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2021 2:42 am Post subject:

If the installation needs to be "as easy as possible," are you sure Gentoo is the right thing to be distributing. Why not something actually easy like MX-Linux? Easy is baked in.
_________________
Andy Figueroa
hp pavilion hpe h8-1260t/2AB5; spinning rust x3
i7-2600 @ 3.40GHz; 16 gb; Radeon HD 7570
amd64/23.0/split-usr/desktop (stable), OpenRC, -systemd -pulseaudio -uefi