[Revisor-users] problems creating lite f8/gnome install CD and live

[Jeroen van Meeuwen]

Fred Welland wrote:
> Environment
> -----------------
> -fairly seasoned fedora user  (been using since RH 5)
> -total noob to revisor
> -revisor host is a Dell D820 with recently installed F8  (2.6.23.1-49.fc8)
> -yumex'ed up revisor and I have:
> 
> revisor-rebrand-2.0.5-9.fc8
> revisor-2.0.5-9.fc8
> revisor-jigdo-2.0.5-9.fc8
> revisor-delta-2.0.5-9.fc8
> revisor-virt-2.0.5-9.fc8
> revisor-cobbler-2.0.5-9.fc8
> revisor-comps-2.0.5-9.fc8
> 
> Desired Result
> ---------------------
> I want a pretty lite F8 install disc with gnome support.  I'd prefer a 
> single CD install.   Installed F8 must be 1GB or less.   Target CPU is a 
> PIII.    Only internet stuff (browser(s) and IM)  is required.  Needs 
> booth wireless and wired network support.
> 
> Problem(s):
> ----------------
> So among, many problems I am working thru; here are the ones that have 
> me stopped dead:
> 
> --After steping thru several revisor screen, and a long wait on 
> 'building' screen, I get an error box with a message cut off.   
> Something about conflicting files.   I just found a very long message in 
> /var/log/revisor.log that I am pretty sure is the message.  It starts with
> 
>     "[('file /boot/System.map-2.6.23.1-49.fc8 conflicts between 
> attempted installs of kernel-2.6.23.1-49.fc8.i686 and 
> kernel-2.6.23.1-49.fc8.i586'"   
> 
> What do I do about this error???
> 

Please select a kernel using kickstart; If kernel is a package mentioned 
in the kickstart manifest Revisor will honor the user's request for 
package kernel and select the best match for that request instead of 
selecting all kernels (as the kernel package obviously is a required 
package).

> -- I get 'SELinux requested but not enabled on the host system.'  
> shortly following this message.   My revisor host has SELinux 
> disabled.     What can I do to avoid this?   (I don't want SELinux on 
> target either).
> 
> FWIW:  after the above to message, revisor just stops -- doesn't seem to 
> be making any forward progress and never completes  (well, I usually hit 
> the 'Quit' button after about 1 hour of waiting.   This pattern has 
> happened 3 times....
> 

In kickstart, use 'selinux --disabled', so that Revisor doesn't attempt 
to relabel the Live Media filesystem -which is only possible if the host 
is running SELinux.

> --(Any general advice on building install/live images with Revisor?   In 
> particular small ones?   Dependencies, seem to drag lots of baggage that 
> I know I don't need - anyway to avoid this? )
> 

For small (CD) installer images you could take a look at the Fedora 
Unity configuration files we use to create our own spins with:

http://git.kanarip.com/?p=unityspin/.git;a=blob;f=conf/fedora-8-single-cd.cfg

Is what we put on CD Installation Media that has a maximum size of 1 disc.

> Here are some other areas that I am tripping over (but not show stoppers 
> yet):
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> -- I get several message like "No Package Matching  ppc64-utils", before 
> making my package selections.   These seem harmless, correct?
> 

 From the kickstart provided, Revisor selects all groups and packages in 
those groups using 'comps.xml' in the repositories loaded. If 
'comps.xml' has 'ppc64-utils' listed in (for example) the @core group, 
and Revisor can't find the package anywhere in the repository, it'll 
complain just like anaconda does during installation. To prevent the 
complaints, use '%packages --ignoremissing' (just like in kickstarts you 
use with anaconda)

> --Since I've never gotten revisor to succesfully complete I don't know 
> if it saves any 'project' like data so I can go in and tweak some 
> settings (remove packages, etc) and rebuild the install/live image.   Is 
> there a way to do this?
> 

Yes, a kickstart configuration file is what you would want to start 
with. Tweaking the options means that you will need to save the 
kickstart with all the changed options you've made and you can do so by 
starting Revisor with --kickstart-save /path/to/ks.cfg

Kind regards,

Jeroen van Meeuwen
-kanarip