VSIDO Build Discussions

[hakerdefo]

I'm sure you would have written about it somewhere but it would be great if you can share with us the build process of VSIDO. Like how do you start, from Debian netinstall or by some other method and other info.
Cheers!!!

[VastOne]

Really it is very very basic

Netinstall of debian and change to SID repos and refracta snapshot immediately.. I start doing snapshots (iso builds) before X is even installed

I then go systematically area by area on what you see on the menus

I also start purging cruft just as quick

The current /etc/skel is the most critical because it is the defaults of the login

Using the same build name (username hostname livecd username etc) is critical in this as well. It keeps everything simple and linear

I have the latest version of VSIDO open on another machine to verify all apps are installed one by one

I keep on installing and building until it gets to where it needs to be.

That's pretty much it. I have some standard how to's for me (reminders) on branding things and building installers but other than that it is done

[hakerdefo]

And what a great job you have been doing. Hands down the best Debian Sid distro out there. For comparison latest 64bit VSIDO weighs-in at 637MB. A German Sid based distro (S*******n) with Fluxbox in 64bit version comes with the download size of 1006MB.
And S*******n doesn't come with as polished Fluxbox as VSIDO.
Keep up the great job.
Cheers!!!

[VastOne]

^ thank you... the absolute frustration though?  It should be 475 MiB and no bigger.. I have no control over some of the cruft but realistically over the last two years there has been an increase of cruft even though no new files have been installed

I am going to do a new install and tests with PackRat's suggestion to install without recommends and see what that does

Cheers!

[hakerdefo]

After the base netinstall, do

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nano /etc/apt/apt.conf
And add the following lines,

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APT::Get::Install-Recommends "false";
APT::Get::Install-Suggests "false";

Save the file and proceed with building of VSIDO. This will prevent unnecessary packages from being installed. Once you have finished installing all packages do the following to remove unnecessary leftovers,

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apt-get clean
apt-get autoclean
apt-get autoremove


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dpkg --list | grep '^rcb' | awk '{ print $2 }' | xargs dpkg -P

Cheers!!!

[PackRat]

I then go systematically area by area on what you see on the menus

I suspect that can be done via a script. Have you ever tried to write one?

Although, some of that branding and cruft removal would make it kind of pointless if it's concurrent.

[VastOne]

 I do have some of the original scripts from the old netinstall method that I peak at but really it is not as much as you think..  I will capture it now during this build I am doing and see how feasible a script might be

I love the KISS method,  serves me quite well

[PackRat]

The band had it's moments as well 

[VastOne]

@PackRat I also use

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dpkg -l | grep ^ii | awk {'print $2'} | tee ~/packages.txt
On the very latest build of VSIDO and go through that.. it is the most precise

[VastOne]

Since I have both of my resident geniuses here on this thread.. what would you use (or do use) instead of lightdm?  It is A PIG and I am tired of it...  I love the ability and simplicity of

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startx /usr/bin/fluxbox

[PackRat]

That command will bypass your ~/fluxbox/startup file (has always done that for me, but VSIDO is set up a bit different)

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startx /usr/bin/startfluxbox
is the usual.

Or, a $HOME/.xinitrc:

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#!/bin/sh

# optional startup stuff, edit to suit your needs
xmodmap $HOME/.Xmodmap
xrdb -l $HOME/.Xresources
fbsetbg -c -r $HOME/wallpaper &    <- sets a random wallpaper from given directory

exec fluxbox
and then startx from the console. No login manager, but you'll need to add xinit package to iso. Change the "exec flubox" line to whatever is needed in Debian for automounting if you want/need that.

I like lxdm -

1. more resource friendly than lightdm
2. still get the automounting (because I'm lazy)
3. select from multiple window managers
4. /etc/lxdm.conf is easy to set up for aesthetics

If you want a login mnager to get to X, you can use one of the old faithfuls like xdm and custom VSIDO .xinitrc. That should be an easy setup. Xdm doesn't read the /usr/share/xsessions/*.desktop files, but you only ship one window manager so no big deal. Only issue is whether or not it works with systemd.

If users want multiple window managers, lxdm or lightdm etc ... are just an apt command or two away. Any one looking to try Sid is most likely aware of that.

I actually switched to lxdm on VSIDO installs a while back becuase lightdm was always getting borked by systemd upgrades. Was happy with it from the start. Just have toi set up apt to not install all the recommended stuff from lxde.

[VastOne]

I have added the changes that hakerdefo recommended for apt.conf but

lxdm wants to add 425 new files and 660 MiB of new space

There must be something missing

[VastOne]

Turns out these were what apt.conf needed to work for recommends and suggestions:

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APT::Install-Recommends "false";
APT::Install-Suggests "false";

[hakerdefo]

I checked and you are right. Some time back this was changed in APT. So correct syntax is the one you are using now.
And I would recommend against removing a display manager. Which one should it be, LightDM or LXDM, I would leave it to your wisdom
And BTW not installing recommended and/or suggested packages will leave some applications with broken or reduced functionalities. It all depends on the packager. Packager A might add mp3 playback library as the required dependency while packaging an audio player but packager B might add it as a recommended or suggested dependency.
So please diff installed packages after building this system with the older build system and go through the list of packages not installed on the newer build and see if some important ones are missing or not.
Cheers!!!

[Snap]

@PackRat are you using dbus? I mean, starting fluxbox one of these two ways (without a display manager)

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startx /usr/bin/startfluxbox
or simply

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exec fluxbox #(into $HOME/.xinitrc)
takes care of dbus for the session?  No need for dedicated lines like this (or something similar)?

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exec dbus-launch --exit-with-session startfluxbox