The TelemetryBox has given up using boot-floppies as tne installation software. We needed a 2.4.X kernel and it seems that the boot-floppies package will never be able to cope with that. Moreover essential features like autodetection are problematic with a 2.2.X kernel.
We have now build a bootable CD based on isolinux (contained in the syslinux package). The CD boots with an initrd containing mass media drivers. It detects the CD and then mounts the CD as the root partition (using a tmpfs partition for storing changing files). A fully functional system comes up. The installation is a simple dialog script running in that environment. Since the whole distro is already up in RAM/CDrom all tools can be used and the process is very simple. To generate the CD contents debootstrap is used to build a debian root file system. Then packages are installed into the root using chroot. Packages can be configured at this point with a default configuration. As a result the user does not have to answer an endless stream of questions during install. Then a /isolinux directory is generated with a special initrd to bring the system up. The directory can then be burned on CD and is bootable. If you want to try it out there is a CD image at http://telemetrybox.org/tbox/iso/tboxlive-1.3.8.iso.gz (200M) The iso brings up a complete Debian distro with the newest KDE, everything preconfigured. It is very easy to use and install. Packages for this are available via apt-get from deb http://telemetrybox.org/tbox woody tbox Packages: tbox-cd Package installs a /isolinux directory with necessary stuff to make a CD bootable. Install this into the chroot environment. The source is useful for those wanting to tinker around with it. This contains all the essential scripts that might need customization if you want to use it for debian. tbox-cd uses mklibs.sh and busybox to build a minimal initrd. cdbuild script to build a bootable ISO image from a debian root tree. Builds a debian root tree from a package list (using debootstrap and apt-get). Not very well tested yet. Features: Boot menu with dialog allowing A. boot from CD into RAM B. install from CD to HD C. Driver loading D. Shell E. busybox init F, Rescue boot a HD installation Console menu (after system has come up) with: A. some instructions B. X configuration C. KDE on /off D. Single user mode E. install (if booted from CD) The iso image is still transferring to telemetrybox.org now. Might take another 2 1/2 hr to complete. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
