Remastering SparkyLinux

[pavroo]

Sparky provides two tools to make custom iso images:
- Sparky Backup System
- Custom ISO Builder

If you make a spin of existing iso image or a hard drive installation of SparkyLinux you have to:
1. Change the iso image name adding 'community', 'custom', 'unofficial' or 'remix' in the new spin's name.
2. Let all the people know that you made an 'unofficial' spin which is NOT made by SparkyLinux 'dev' team members.

Feel free to customize it, and remember about the two simply rules.

[Chdslv]

Is Imagemagick absolutely needed for live installer to work?

[pavroo]

You should ask the question Clem the Mint founder.
The live installer is a fork of Mint's live installer so I only fork it and keep following their work.

[godstand2]

I was wondering after I have already set up my sparky how can I make a backup disk with all my settings and apps and not just a hybrid iso like sparkybackup dist does and keep it for an emergencies to install it to say another computer, Like I can with Systemback does.It also gives you the option to install for a new user. I had installed System back on Sparkylink test machines and tried to use the copy user data and settings box checked and it said that it could not read Live image even when i tried to install the same thing happened, from the ISO I had made of the system using Systemback. I could run the live cd but not copy or install even with out box checked for user data and settings always "Could not read Live image error."

[pavroo]

Just short update.
I created wiki pages of Sparky Backup System, so if you have problems with building your custom iso images - read first:
https://sparkylinux.org/wiki/doku.php/sparky_backup_system

[Chdslv]

What does the tip 2 in https://sparkylinux.org/wiki/doku.php/tricks_tips do? I now have a UEFI laptop, and I would like to have a bootable copy of what I have in my Linux only BIOS laptop, without reinstalling and doing the whole work again.

It is 64 bit. What does having these deb packages in /home/offline do to make newly created iso to boot in a UEFI system?   

[pavroo]

No, it doesn't work in this way.
The tool makes bootable iso from BIOS machine, adding extra grub-efi debs to be installed on an UEFI machines.

But it is good question.

[Chdslv]

So, how do I remaster my install to boot on the UEFI machine?

[pavroo]

Oohh, I think, I understood you wrong.
You have Sparky installed on a BIOS machine and would like to make a backup iso which will install on an UEFI machine.
If yes, download 6 64bit debs as I described on the wiki page, and place them in your /home/offline dir (create it if not exist).
The debs will be added to the new iso and lets you install grub-efi instead of grub-pc on your UEFI machine.

You can also install 'live-installer' or newer 'calamares' to easy installation on the second machine.

[Chdslv]

Thanks. Would the process create the boot/grub folder with efi.img?

[pavroo]

Yes, it creates it for the iso image, so can be booted on an UEFI machine.

[Chdslv]

Thanks! :)

[Chdslv]

When I try to boot in the UEFI laptop, I get this,

Minimal BASH-like editing is supported.....
grub>

What might be the problem? Doesn't grub see the grub.cfg file?  Or something else?

[pavroo]

I updated one of sparky installation, built a new iso, and tried it out in virtualbox with uefi mode to make sure that latest updates from Debian did not destroy something, but it works fine.

Looks like your iso has not been built as it should be.
We have to check what is inside your iso image.

You need packeges to be installed: rsync, squashfs-tools, mount.
1. Copy your iso to a new folder, for example "new".
2. Create two subfolders inside the "new": 'isotemp' and 'isomount'.
3. Mount the iso:

Code Select Expand

modprobe -r loop
modprobe loop
mount -o ro -o loop your.iso isomount
4. Copy mounted iso to isotemp:

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rsync -a isomount isotemp/
5. Umount isomount:

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umount isomount
If any problem, do everything as root.

Then check what is inside the isotemp sub-folder. There should be 5 dirs: EFI, boot, isolinux, live, offline.
If yes, check and tell me what is inside:
* EFI/boot/
* boot/grub/
* offline

[kris]

all this files are on my computer but there is nothing but nothing in the /hoime/offline that wil not even work , the problem is that the tables for booting are not on the respin iso , so if you ask me , without a proper respin that backup is wordless ..
dont get me wrong every thing works perfect but that remaster backup sys , is not perfect , and i have all the deb files on my computer , it is very strange that from all other builds not sparky there is not one problem to boot them up , and from this respins NOT ONE IS FIND (not working on stable sparky :-[