view · edit · attach · print · history

The contents of this website are Copyright (c)2004 by Brian Manning <brian at antlinux dot com>. Please do not reuse any of the content on this website without permission from the author.

Antlinux Journal :: Testing Ideas :: Storing System Settings :: Core Package Applications :: Application Package Ideas :: Boot Floppies :: Kernel :: Package Building :: Windows Packaging :: Creating SQZ Package Files

AntLinux MileStones page. Go there for release milestones and whatnot.

BootScenarios. How AntLinux would be booted, from what media, and how it would be used once the system is up and running.

Testing and Platform Ideas

  • For the filedb.pl script, use binary values to represent script options, i.e. DEBUG == 1, VERBOSE == 2, QUIET == 4
  • Have shell scripts that call a program with the program's help switch (if there is one) when the manpage for that command is invoked. The actual help switch for the program is embedded into the package's metadata and is looked up when the man page is asked for. man foo runs foo -v or maybe foo --help.
  • use netcat for outputting syslog/boot time messages directly to the syslog server. How are syslog network messages formatted? is it as simple as catting the message to the correct port on the receiving server?
    • The kernel has a netlogging facility (Network console logging under Device Drivers -> Networking support)
  • set up the filesystem ala GoboLinux, where instead of /bin, /usr, /var, etc., libraries are located in /Libraries, binaries in /Executables
  • Use Freshmeat and Sourceforge RSS feeds to watch project file releases. Download and build new versions of files when they get released. Pull upstream project author and contact info from RSS feed. Freshmeat is sending me project updates in any case, add more projects to the list.
  • ShowHelp - a script that runs a command in a loop looking for the command's help output. To be used to replace man/info pages on AntLinux projects.
  • Can external events be triggered via keyboard key commands? Example would be a certain key combination to raise/lower the volume. Perhaps bind via Tk?
  • Document troubleshooting steps for building application packages; using strace/ldd/lsof for checking processes and libraries, mounting the package file and checking package installation
  • Hide DocBook XML documentation inside of Perldoc documentation, so that when you call perldoc with the right command switch, instead of dumping the normal POD documenation, it instead dumps the XML which can then be redirected to a file and parsed with the DocBook tools.

Storing System Settings

Use encrypted loopback file, either encrypted or plaintext

  • crypto
  • USB Keydrive
  • NTFS partition via zipped loopback file, you create a file under Linux, then copy it to the Windows machine via USB drive/e-mail/web/floppy/FAT partition
  • Linux-compatable partition
  • NFS/SMB/CIFS share, may not be able to mount loopback file from the network, may need local copy which is then saved back to the network at the end of the session
  • use autofs to mount pre-determined shares
  • use sshfs over FUSE to view/use information located on remote machines

Core Package Applications

See also the AntBuild package builder page for ideas on how packages will be created

  • some kind of hardware detection
    • hwsetup
    • discover
    • hotplug
  • lmsensors - detect and load modules for the lmsensors monitoring tools, display system status in a special page once the system is up and running
  • create a syslogger package, so that you can have the ability to send debugging output from apps and scripts to a syslog server of your choice. Include details on how to set up syslog on the syslog server to filter logs from the test machine to their own file. Use the logger plugin from Busybox for sending syslog traffic? Have the ability to pass the IP of the syslog server at boottime, for example DEBUG=192.x.x.x sends debugging messages from AntLinux apps to syslog server 192.x.x.x. Remember, DNS won't be available until after the machine has been IP'ed or runs DHCP.
  • antpkg - shell script that will create/mount/unmount/extract sqashfs packages. script will accept options thru getopts, and output files/packages that are versioned basde on the date (2004JJJ) and the --revision flag passed in by user
  • each package will create it's own devices, or possibly use udev (userspace device utilities) for creating devices
  • use amd (automount daemon) to automatically mount packages as they will be used

Kernel

See also the AntBuild page, which may automate kernel builds and packaging of the initrd image

  • research kernel preempt patch and other goodies for 2.4 that come with 2.6, that might make 2.6 100k bigger than 2.4
  • Can the kernel's compiled in font be changed, so as to use one of the other nicer/wierd fonts, like m.fnt or scr.fnt (mebbe in framebuffer modules)?
    • See the BootFloppyBuildNotes page for suggestions of programs to use
    • The kernel stores font information inside of C source files in /usr/src/linux/drivers/video/console
    • Add new fonts to the Makefile so they show up in the kernel configuration menu
    • run diff to build a patch file for distribution
  • for floppy images, include usbkbd and keybdev modules in default kernel\initrd image, so people using USB keyboards can still function after startup
  • modules are packaged into usb, net, and all modules packages. Create an application that builds custom packages for creating custom boot floppies
  • keep track of how big a custom module package is, so as to make sure it fits on the boot floppy initrd image with busybox and the kernel
  • See also BootScenarios for more ideas of what what pieces would go where on the boot images
view · edit · attach · print · history
Page last modified on November 14, 2007, at 11:20 PM