Neutis Debian-based image

Debian-based Linux images for neutis-n5

Overview

This build system is based on pi-gen-navio. Image assembly is divided up into several stages for logical clarity and modularity.

Build

Hereinafter $USER environment variable is assumed to be your username.

1. Create a docker image.

user@host$ cd /path/to/neutis-debian-based-image
user@host$ docker build -t neutis-debian-based-image:$USER -f Dockerfile .

2. Create and connect to docker container.

user@host$ docker create -t -i --privileged neutis-debian-based-image:$USER bash
docker_container_id
user@host$ docker start -a -i docker_container_id

3. Create config file.

root@container$ cd neutis-debian-based-image

to build bootable and server images:

root@container$ printf "IMG_NAME='Xenial'
SKIP_STAGES='3'
EXPORT_STAGES='1:-bootable 2:-server'
CPU_CORES='16'" > config

to build desktop image:

root@container$ printf "IMG_NAME='Xenial'
SKIP_STAGES=''
EXPORT_STAGES='3:-desktop'
CPU_CORES='16'" > config

4. Run build.

root@container$ ./build.sh

5. If everything runs correctly your image will be in deploy. Now you can copy it:

user@host$ docker cp <containerId>:neutis-debian-based-image/work/buildname/deploy/image /host/path/target

6. Resuming old build.

• Add stages that you don't want to run again to SKIP_STAGES section of config file.
• Run ./build.sh.

Config

Upon execution, build.sh will source the file config in the current working directory. This bash shell fragment is intended to set needed environment variables.

The following environment variables are supported:

• IMG_NAME (Default: neutis-n5-xenial)

  The name of the image to build with the current stage directories.

• SKIP_STAGES (Default: unset)

  Suffixes of stages which you wish not to execute. Setting SKIP_STAGES="1 2:00 4" will result skip stage1, stage2/00-substage and stage4 during the build.

• EXPORT_STAGES (Default: unset)

  Suffixes of stages on which you wish to export the image. Setting EXPORT_STAGES="1:-bootable 3:-desktop" will result to produce images on stage1 and stage3. Image file names will be supplemented by -bootable and -desktop accordingly.

• CPU_CORES (Default: 1)

  Number of parallel jobs for sources compiling.

A simple config example for building Xenial:

IMG_NAME='Xenial'
SKIP_STAGES=''
EXPORT_STAGES='1:-bootable 2:-server 3:-desktop'
CPU_CORES='16'

Stage anatomy overview

• Stage 0 - bootstrap. The primary purpose of this stage is to create a usable filesystem. This is accomplished largely through the use of debootstrap, which creates a minimal filesystem suitable for use as a base.tgz on Debian systems. The minimal core is installed but not configured, and the system will not quite boot yet.

• Stage 1 - compile dependencies. At this stage, important dependencies are collected for the future image, such as Linux, u-boot etc. This stage makes the system bootable, configures the bootloader, makes the network operable. At this stage the system should boot to a local console from which you have the means to perform basic tasks needed to configure and install the system. This is as minimal as a system can possibly get, and its arguably not really usable yet in a traditional sense yet. Still, if you want minimal, this is minimal and the rest you could reasonably do yourself as sysadmin.

• Stage 2 - This stage produces server image. It installs some development tools, adds wifi and bluetooth support and other basics for the hardware managing.

• Stage 3 - Here's where you get the desktop system with xfce4.