Refracta Development, Scripts, etc.
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dzz

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## Re: Going with the systemd flow . . . or not?

Sun Apr 12, 2015 5:59 pm

> New util-linux needs some more testing before we can say for sure this problem is fixed. I used a clean debootstrap for this test. I don't yet know what will happen after an "upgrade" before refractasnapshot is used.

I do now.. same problem as before! Better not remove the patch. Only a clean bootstrap build boots properly. The snapshot of the system installed from that does not. Neither does
an older build (e.g. refracted_jessie_sysv-20141203_1737) after extracting, dist-upgrading in a chroot and rebuilding (unpatched) as new iso.
Maybe initramfs-tools needs forking. It's too close to (systemd-) udev anyway. I counted 85 open bugs https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/pkgrepo ... t=unstable. In the meantime, the patch works.
dzz

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## Re: Going with the systemd flow . . . or not?

Tue Apr 14, 2015 6:33 pm

Just looked at an unpacked official debian-live image and noticed that some files are present in /dev.
As our boot hang problem is caused by an empty /dev after switch_root I investigated further. Read a little about LFS http://www.tldp.org/LDP/lfs/LFS-BOOK-6. ... vices.html
Patched usr/bin/refractasnapshot-gui, right after the filesystem rsync (which excludes /dev) at line 574):

Code:
  `# add some basic files to /dev
  mknod -m 622 myfs/dev/console c 5 1
  mknod -m 666 myfs/dev/null c 1 3
  mknod -m 666 myfs/dev/zero c 1 5
  mknod -m 666 myfs/dev/ptmx c 5 2
  mknod -m 666 myfs/dev/tty c 5 0
  mknod -m 444 myfs/dev/random c 1 8
  mknod -m 444 myfs/dev/urandom c 1 9
  chown -v root:tty myfs/dev/{console,ptmx,tty}
  ln -sv /proc/self/fd myfs/dev/fd
  ln -sv /proc/self/fd/0 myfs/dev/stdin
  ln -sv /proc/self/fd/1 myfs/dev/stdout
  ln -sv /proc/self/fd/2 myfs/dev/stderr
  ln -sv /proc/kcore myfs/dev/core
  mkdir -v myfs/dev/pts
  ln -sv /run/shm myfs/dev/shm`

Ran refractasnapshot on a fairly new install with the init patch disabled (and reverted in the running system).
Yes! That snapshot booted normally.
I don't know if all of those entries in /dev are necessary. Debian-live image has a few more. A manual build I did from debootstrap was found to have similar entries in /dev, don't know exactly at what point they got there.
Can someone else please test this? just my word on one test is not enough.
Another suggestion for snapshot. Because missing log files can cause problems: rather than mess with rsync exludes, truncate them like this:

Code:
  `find myfs/var/log -name "*gz" -print0 | xargs -0r rm -f
  find myfs/var/log/ -type f -exec truncate -s 0 {} \;`

Re forking initramfs tools: Will need doing anyway for vdev when it's ready. For anyone who didn't know, vdev is planned to replace systemd-udev for Devuan.
fsmithred

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## Re: Going with the systemd flow . . . or not?

Wed Apr 15, 2015 3:33 pm

Tested on jessie-sysv build. It works. Nice job.
I recently ran into a problem with a missing log file preventing something from running. I adjusted the excludes file to get it to work, but your way is much better. Thanks.
fsmithred

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## Re: Going with the systemd flow . . . or not?

Fri Apr 17, 2015 3:03 pm

Just tested the edits with a jessie-systemd build, and it works there, too. I can't find any errors in system logs or live logs.
golinux

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## Re: Going with the systemd flow . . . or not?

Sun Apr 19, 2015 2:55 am

Do you think it would be OK for dzz's systemd-free build and Devuan (when it's released) to share a home directory?
I have downloaded dzz's xfce iso and am thinking of testing it on metal.
dzz

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## Re: Going with the systemd flow . . . or not?

Sun Apr 19, 2015 10:43 am

> Do you think it would be OK for dzz's systemd-free build and Devuan (when it's released) to share a home directory?

For anyone interested, I post (*experimental* and *unofficial*) live ISO's here: http://www.exegnulinux.net/refracta/iso/

> Images posted here are Debian Jessie (-based) XFCE (i386) with a similar package list and UI configs to Refracta 7.
> They are unofficial and experimental builds only. Some modified or custom packages from devuan or elsewhere are installed. No systemd components nor libs are installed and are excluded by apt preferences.
> In a (very) few cases packages from stable or unstable are used, either because they do not exist in Jessie or have unwanted dependencies.

The latest (April 18) includes modified refractasnapshot (-base and -gui) packages to fix the bug as discussed earlier and recompiled *cups* 1.7.5-11 . Other custom nosystemd packages: consolekit2 and sane-utils. None of this is yet properly tested (a live iso is actually a very good way to test new stuff).
There is no longer any need to downgrade core system packages for *systemd* exclusion. Also, devuan's debootstrap now allows a base install without it getting in from the start, before we had to install systemd then purge later.
Share /home/your_user with anything "experimental"? At your own risk|
golinux

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## Re: Going with the systemd flow . . . or not?

Sun Apr 19, 2015 3:57 pm

That's what I figured. Thanks!
thwak

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## Re: Going with the systemd flow . . . or not?

Wed Apr 22, 2015 6:07 pm

In what ways should we expect that dzz's distrolette(?) will differ from that of devuan?
Asked differently: ignoring desktop environment and app selection, will devuan be utilizing all the packages/components dzz has created?
Once devuan has released, does dzz plan to continue developing a separate distrolette, in parallel?
If so, why is such regarded as desirable/necessary?
Hmm, in case the above reads like a "pointed question" or "loaded question", it's not.
Chalk it up to "morbid curiosity". I'm just trying to make sense of the big picture; I'm not expecting/demanding an explanation.
golinux

- golinux
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## Re: Going with the systemd flow . . . or not?

Wed Apr 22, 2015 6:29 pm

I am also curious how all this is going to sort out. Devuan is looking more longer term by stripping out systemd dependencies and building and maintaining systemd-free repos. I imagine it will become the basis for a number of respins.
dzz

- dzz
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## Re: Going with the systemd flow . . . or not?

Wed Apr 22, 2015 8:34 pm

My xfce live images are intended not as a "distrolette" but to help Devuan and Refracta as early working examples. They are clearly marked as *experimental*. I don't want Devuan fragmented and do hope there will be an official non-systemd Refracta 8, whether or not systemd is also supported.
These images are great for testing the new Devuan stuff and sorting a few other quirks of jessie (e.g. luks persistence). They are built initially from Devuan's version of debootstrap.
As for the TDE images, nobody else is yet doing a debian-based image with TDE (which happens to be the easiest DE to get fully-functional without systemd)
Systemd-free packages from Devuan repo are used except where not (yet) available or not (yet) matching current Jessie version. Other Devuan supporters also are unofficially recompiling debs without systemd.
Details of my recompilations including sources are available for Devuan (or anyone else) to use as GPL. If my stuff helps, good.
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