Reconstructor, your LiveCD ubuntu in half an hour without dancing with a tambourine. Part 2
Last time I told you about the Ubuntu distribution tool - Ubuntu Customization Kit, also mentioning a similar Reconstructor package. This weekend I had a great opportunity to get acquainted with both the package for the installed system and the online service. So I hasten to share my impressions and comparison of the current options for customizing the Ubuntu distribution further.
I'll start, perhaps, with the build.reconstructor.org online service . Following the tempting offer to register for free, after entering your data and confirming registration by email, we get to a very ascetic designed page that looks like various IDEs.
Given the work on a netbook, the usability design is admirable, but the features of this service are also interesting. To create a new project you will need to indicate:
Name of the project;
Version
Short description;
Base distribution (Debian 5.0 × 86 and amd64 are offered, as well as x86 and amd64 versions of ubuntu 9.04 and 9.10);
Type (can be Disk image or Live CD);
Work environment (for selection are: Gnome, KDE, XFCE, Text Only. Not a lot, but I think more than enough).
Later, you can always edit the project, and several new points for editing will appear:
Adding your logo;
The ability to publicly view the project and the ability to publicly download distribution builds;
And you can also open a project for joint development in a previously created team.
In addition, you can import / export the project settings file.
Now in more detail, what allows you to customize this service.
First of all, we can easily install the packages we need in the base distribution from the official repositories. The web menu for installation looks very similar to Synaptic, but unfortunately it does not show already installed packages, it does not show dependencies, it does not make it possible to remove unnecessary packages from the base distribution. It is also not possible to monitor the size of the future distribution.
Additional functionality is provided by the module system.
Some modules, such as installing pre-downloaded files, adding additional repositories, can be added to the project more than once. You can read more about modules in the help section.service. In addition, the modules allow you to easily upgrade the distribution packages to the current version, which is also very good.
Having finished working with modules, it is possible to add your own scripts for the final system setup, it is just possible to register in them the removal of unnecessary packages, or the installation of packages from freshly added repositories in modules.
After all, you can safely click on the Build icon and your iso will be built on a dedicated server in just a few minutes.
In general, the capabilities of the service are impressive, but as it turned out, not everything is as rosy as it seems at first glance. In a fit of joy from working with such a friendly service, I never ceased to wonder how such functionality could be free, who pays for the servers for builds and storage of the distribution, as well as additional files. The answer was found quickly enough, when registering, you are allocated $ 5, which are then charged for using disk space, as well as building the distribution kit and downloading it.
And if the first time the wait for building the distribution was insignificant, then the second time my build was in the queue for several hours. Also, for a slightly larger fee, it is possible to put your task on top priority. In addition, you can use the services of service partners, for example, order from On-Disk cd / dvd / usb-flash with your distribution kit and colorful media design. You can replenish your account on the service using PayPal. The first $ 5 is basically enough for the eyes to build your own version of the distribution.
Not very upset, I continued to familiarize myself with the site and the Reconstructor documentation and came across an offline version of the service, which can be downloaded here. In essence, this is a script similar to UCK python in the form of a wizard, however, as it seemed to me, it is more friendly and provides more features. I will not describe each step of this wizard, since working with it is really simple, so I will draw your attention to its distinctive features.
Like UCK, the Reconstructor allows you to work with Ubuntu distributions (although I did not try to feed Debian distributions to it), in addition, if there is no iso image of the distribution, you can use the LiveCD disc inserted into the drive, when working, the package creates its own ~ / reconstructor directory, where it unpacks your future distribution kit into the root directory (you can copy the necessary files, deb packages without problems), as well as remaster and initrd directories. To install your own themes, wallpapers, icons and other decorations Reconstructor has everything ready.
You can also change the Boot Screen, add additional repositories.
The Optimization tab allows you to speed up system shutdown and boot by selecting the necessary services to start, and the Live CD allows you to create your own system user, as well as specify hostname. Alternatively, you can upgrade the LiveCD core.
As well as in the online service there are modules. In essence, these are ordinary bash scripts that can be executed at certain stages, so writing additional ones yourself will not be difficult. Examples of ready-made scripts are located in / usr / share / reconstructor / modules.
But most of all I liked the ability to start the console with chroot ~ / reconstructor / root / (roughly speaking, it will allow you to work with the future system as if you already have it installed). As well as the ability to start an X-session with a future distribution, but unfortunately this option is under active development and may not always work. (I was not able to start the X-session, possibly due to the peculiarities of the settings of my system, so I couldn’t check it)
After finishing working with the distribution settings, we must click Apply and click Next, after which we will be asked to name the distribution, its architecture, and also select the file and path to save. In addition, it is possible to remove all Win32 versions of applications, as in UCK.
Further, depending on the power of your computer, after a while you will get an iso image of your version of Ubuntu.
In general, I really liked the offline version of Reconstructor, it is possible to constantly monitor the size of the final distribution, a lot of settings, some of which allow you to change the system with a couple of clicks. The rich features of the package really allow you to disconnect from unnecessary things that are automated as well as possible, and get down to creative work, in this regard, UCK seems like a monster.
I'll start, perhaps, with the build.reconstructor.org online service . Following the tempting offer to register for free, after entering your data and confirming registration by email, we get to a very ascetic designed page that looks like various IDEs.
Given the work on a netbook, the usability design is admirable, but the features of this service are also interesting. To create a new project you will need to indicate:
Name of the project;
Version
Short description;
Base distribution (Debian 5.0 × 86 and amd64 are offered, as well as x86 and amd64 versions of ubuntu 9.04 and 9.10);
Type (can be Disk image or Live CD);
Work environment (for selection are: Gnome, KDE, XFCE, Text Only. Not a lot, but I think more than enough).
Later, you can always edit the project, and several new points for editing will appear: Adding your logo;
The ability to publicly view the project and the ability to publicly download distribution builds;
And you can also open a project for joint development in a previously created team.
In addition, you can import / export the project settings file.
Now in more detail, what allows you to customize this service.
First of all, we can easily install the packages we need in the base distribution from the official repositories. The web menu for installation looks very similar to Synaptic, but unfortunately it does not show already installed packages, it does not show dependencies, it does not make it possible to remove unnecessary packages from the base distribution. It is also not possible to monitor the size of the future distribution.
Additional functionality is provided by the module system.
Some modules, such as installing pre-downloaded files, adding additional repositories, can be added to the project more than once. You can read more about modules in the help section.service. In addition, the modules allow you to easily upgrade the distribution packages to the current version, which is also very good. Having finished working with modules, it is possible to add your own scripts for the final system setup, it is just possible to register in them the removal of unnecessary packages, or the installation of packages from freshly added repositories in modules.
After all, you can safely click on the Build icon and your iso will be built on a dedicated server in just a few minutes.
In general, the capabilities of the service are impressive, but as it turned out, not everything is as rosy as it seems at first glance. In a fit of joy from working with such a friendly service, I never ceased to wonder how such functionality could be free, who pays for the servers for builds and storage of the distribution, as well as additional files. The answer was found quickly enough, when registering, you are allocated $ 5, which are then charged for using disk space, as well as building the distribution kit and downloading it.
And if the first time the wait for building the distribution was insignificant, then the second time my build was in the queue for several hours. Also, for a slightly larger fee, it is possible to put your task on top priority. In addition, you can use the services of service partners, for example, order from On-Disk cd / dvd / usb-flash with your distribution kit and colorful media design. You can replenish your account on the service using PayPal. The first $ 5 is basically enough for the eyes to build your own version of the distribution.
Not very upset, I continued to familiarize myself with the site and the Reconstructor documentation and came across an offline version of the service, which can be downloaded here. In essence, this is a script similar to UCK python in the form of a wizard, however, as it seemed to me, it is more friendly and provides more features. I will not describe each step of this wizard, since working with it is really simple, so I will draw your attention to its distinctive features.
Like UCK, the Reconstructor allows you to work with Ubuntu distributions (although I did not try to feed Debian distributions to it), in addition, if there is no iso image of the distribution, you can use the LiveCD disc inserted into the drive, when working, the package creates its own ~ / reconstructor directory, where it unpacks your future distribution kit into the root directory (you can copy the necessary files, deb packages without problems), as well as remaster and initrd directories. To install your own themes, wallpapers, icons and other decorations Reconstructor has everything ready.
You can also change the Boot Screen, add additional repositories.
The Optimization tab allows you to speed up system shutdown and boot by selecting the necessary services to start, and the Live CD allows you to create your own system user, as well as specify hostname. Alternatively, you can upgrade the LiveCD core.
As well as in the online service there are modules. In essence, these are ordinary bash scripts that can be executed at certain stages, so writing additional ones yourself will not be difficult. Examples of ready-made scripts are located in / usr / share / reconstructor / modules.
But most of all I liked the ability to start the console with chroot ~ / reconstructor / root / (roughly speaking, it will allow you to work with the future system as if you already have it installed). As well as the ability to start an X-session with a future distribution, but unfortunately this option is under active development and may not always work. (I was not able to start the X-session, possibly due to the peculiarities of the settings of my system, so I couldn’t check it)
After finishing working with the distribution settings, we must click Apply and click Next, after which we will be asked to name the distribution, its architecture, and also select the file and path to save. In addition, it is possible to remove all Win32 versions of applications, as in UCK.
Further, depending on the power of your computer, after a while you will get an iso image of your version of Ubuntu.
In general, I really liked the offline version of Reconstructor, it is possible to constantly monitor the size of the final distribution, a lot of settings, some of which allow you to change the system with a couple of clicks. The rich features of the package really allow you to disconnect from unnecessary things that are automated as well as possible, and get down to creative work, in this regard, UCK seems like a monster.
