====== HOWTO: LiveCD ======

===== Overview =====

Bellow is the documentation for creating a Debian-based LiveCD using the bootcdwrite package from the\\
Debian developers. This procedure builds a fully functioning LiveCD from an already working/installed\\
base system, so **you will need to have a customized (or not) install of Debian residing on a\\
Computer/Virtual Machine/Somewhere**.

===== Getting the Software =====

To Install bootcdwrite, type the following as root:\\
<code>apt-get install bootcd bootcd-mkinitramfs</code>

===== Pre-Build Configuration =====

All of the configuration options for bootcdwrite are located in /etc/bootcd/bootcdwrite.conf\\
The default bootcdwrite.conf file is pretty well documented, so I will not go into detail. I\\
will instead write a list of tips to remember when using bootcdwrite:\\

  * The KERNEL line is used to differentiate between distributions that use bzImage and vmlinuz images\\ for the kernel and **should not** be a full link to your linux kernel. e.g. KERNEL=vmlinuz-2.6.18-4-686 is **wrong**
  * I chose to leave NOT_TO_RAM blank (NOT_TO_RAM=''). The defaults exclude all /home/* directories and /root\\ this causes major issues with most software pacakges because it will be left on the CD as read-only.

After you have edited the configuration file to suit your needs you might want to make some small\\
modifications to the system before building, such as:

  * Remove the /etc/udev/rules.d/z25_persistant-net.rules so that the CD can create the correct device\\nodes for your network card. In English.... Remove this or networking breaks!
  * Modify /usr/share/bootcd/default.txt to use your own custom greeting when the CD first boots.

===== Building =====

Once you believe you are ready to build the CD, become root and type:
<code>bootcdwrite</code>
Say yes at the prompt to clear /var (mostly temp files that break the cd). The build will continue \\
until it needs to pack the final CD. On some systems it will complain about a file directing it to \\
somewhere else and ask if you want to **(a)bort/(i)gnore/(r)etry.** Choose ignore, it is only a warning\\
and does not seem to break anything major.\\
Once the system finishes building the liveCD iso image will be located in /var/spool/bootcd/cdimage.iso. \\
Burn this to a disk and test on your machine.\\

Building a custom system is fairly easy, but you may need to perform this procedure many times before you \\
get a system with no bugs and you are happy with.