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[baslinux AT lists.ibiblio.org]

On Thu, 25 Oct 2007, baslinux AT lists.ibiblio.org wrote:

> I figured out how to customize BasicLinux 3.5 floppy edition, improve
> compression, add some desired packages, and increase space in RAM disk.
> Sindi asked how to add ftp client, ftp server and vfat drivers to
> BasicLinux floppy and recompress everything. Indeed, she was right,
> after using upx we have additonal
> space, but I suggest upx 3.0 (with upx 1.x your can not compress
> busybox, while upx 2.x had problem with programs linked with libc5).
> Even zimage can
> be compressed with this version.
>
> Tutorial follows.
>
> Samir

Can you provide a upx 3 compiled for libc5?
I can compile one for BL2 glibc 2.2.5.


> #Boot on "big computer" with modern Linux and recent upx (3.01)

I use BL for everything.  It is as modern as I want to make it.

> installed. I use Debian 4. You need to have installed commands
> # fdformat, upx, unzip, lilo, mkfs, mount, umount, wget. Also your

All but upx are in BL3.50 already.  I don't see lilo in the loop > ext2 
version but it is on the floppy.

> computer needs about 30 megabytes free on hard disk,
> # floppy drive and prepare two floppy diskettes.

> #Go to your home directory, say
My home directory is /root

mkdir /bl350upx instead


>  cd /home/sindi
>  su
>
> #Create few subdirectories:
>
>  mkdir /home/sindi/fdbaslin
>  mkdir /home/sindi/fdbaslin/rawfloppy1
>  mkdir /home/sindi/fdbaslin/editingfloppy1
>  mkdir /home/sindi/fdbaslin/unpackedfloppy2
>
> #Change to:
>
>  cd /home/sindi/fdbaslin
>
> #Download Basiclinux floppy edition and place it to /home/sindi/fdbaslin
>
>  wget
> http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/baslinux/bl3-50fd.zip
>
> #Unzip it:
>  unzip bl3-50fd.zip
>
> #Copy the files you want to add to /home/sindi/fdbaslin
>
>  cp /home/any/ftp /home/sindi/fdbaslin
>  cp /home/any/ftp /home/sindi/fdbaslin
>
> #You should have (for example) files disk1.img, disk2.tgz, ftpd,
> ftpd.conf, ftp, ntfs.o and vfat.o in
> #the directory   /home/sindi/fdbaslin
>
> #First, let us make changes to floppy 2. Let us unpack it
>
>   cd /home/sindi/fdbaslin/unpackedfloppy2
>   gunzip ../disk2.tgz
>   tar -xvf ../disk2.tar
>
> #Floppy 2 is unpacked. Let us try to upx compress, something
>
>   cd usr/bin
>
> # warning no slash before usr!
What is this about?

>   upx *
>   cd ..
>   cd X11/bin
>   upx *
>
> #Now, we will add modules for ntfs and vfat
>
>   mkdir /home/sindi/fdbaslin/unpackedfloppy2/lib/modules/2.2.26/fs
>   cd /home/sindi/fdbaslin/unpackedfloppy2/lib/modules/2.2.26/fs
>   cp /home/sindi/fdbaslin/ntfs.o .
>   cp /home/sindi/fdbaslin/vfat.o .
>
> # You can also delete some files. For example if you do  not need links
> you can type here
>
> #   rm /home/sindi/fdbaslin/usr/bin/lin*
>
>
> #We have finished with modules, and we can add some application
> programs, for example ftp client (by the way, I took it from Slackware 3)
>
>   cd /home/sindi/fdbaslin/unpackedfloppy2/usr/bin
>   cp /home/sindi/fdbaslin/ftp .
>
> # and why not compress it
>
>   upx ftp
>
>
> #So we have finished with modification of the second floppy. Let us
> repack it
>
>   cd /home/sindi/fdbaslin/unpackedfloppy2
>   tar -cf ../disk2.tar *
>
> # The tar file is reduced from 2926080 to in this case 2007040 bytes
>
> #Now, gzip it
>
>   gzip ../disk2.tar
>   mv ../disk2.tar.gz ../disk2.tgz
>
> #Hmm, disk2 is now 1375446 bytes, it is less than previous 1405907 even
> when we added two drivers and ftp # client.
>
> #We no longer need directory unpackedfloppy2
>   su
>   cd /home/sindi/fdbaslin
>   rm unpackedfloppy2 -r
>
> #Let us create second floppy
>   fdformat /dev/fd0
>   mkfs -t vfat /dev/fd0
> #Repeat formating until you find prefect floppy, and if it is OK, you
> can copy the second disk

I format my DOS disks with DOS.  Never tried with linux.


>   mount /dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy
>   cp disk2.tgz /mnt/floppy
>   umount /dev/fd0
>
> #Congratulations, second floppy is remastered. Eject it.
>
>   echo Replace the floppy and press ctrlD
>   cat
What is this about?

> #Now, let us remaster first floppy

This is the tricky one.  It might be enough just to redo the second disk 
to add a few programs and modules after upxing what is there.

> #We wish to compress everything and add ftp server.
>
>   cd /home/sindi/fdbaslin
>   mount -o loop disk1.img /home/sindi/fdbaslin/rawfloppy1
>   cd rawfloppy1
>   ls
>
> #You will see: boot.b, disk1.gz, map and zimage
>
> #Upx can compress even Linux kernels, and therefore we can gain 50 kilobytes
>   cp zimage ..
>   upx ../zimage
>   mv ../zimage .
>
> #We can try to remaster disk1.gz
>
>  cp disk1.gz ..
>  gunzip ../disk1.gz
>
> #Now we can go inside
>
>  mount -o loop ../disk1 /home/sindi/fdbaslin/editingfloppy1
>  cd /home/sindi/fdbaslin/editingfloppy1
>  ls
>
> #Oh, now we have access to the most of files. OK, let us upx them
>
>  cd /home/sindi/fdbaslin/editingfloppy1/bin
>  upx busybox
>  cd ../sbin
>  upx *
>  cd ../usr/bin
>  upx *
>
> #Warning, I do not give warranty that upx-ed programs will work,
> #if it fails repeat this step, but compress only desired.

Most of /usr/bin is busybox.

I would probably omit microcom (it won't work at my account and I have 
only used it to play with when I set up one computer as a terminal via 
nullmodem cable) and readmail (I don't download mail) eznet ldd file (what 
is this for?).  Do scripts such as wp and pkg compress well?

upx 1.24 produced a upx-ed links-0.95 that appears to work well.
180K instead of 380K.  That makes a huge difference.  One could add Arena.
234K upx'ed.  Do not try to strip a upx'ed file.  What else would you add?


> #Of course, you can delete some programs you do not want to have on the
> first floppy.
> #For example, if you do not need microcom
>
> #  rm /home/sindi/fdbaslin/editingfloppy1/bin/microcom

How did you guess?

> #Now, let us add ftp daemon
>
>  cd /home/sindi/fdbaslin/editingfloppy1/sbin
>  cp /home/sindi/fdbaslin/ftpd .
>  cd /home/sindi/fdbaslin/editingfloppy1/etc
>  cp /home/sindi/fdbaslin/ftpd.conf .
>
> #Because we added ftp client in the second floppy we need also to update
> services file
>
>  echo "ftp 21/tcp" >>services

I already have this in /etc/services in BL2.

I have no BL3 /etc/services.  You did not mention needing a services
to run ftp in BL3.  If I try, I get ftp: ftp/tcp:  unknown service.
Can you set up your ftp.tgz package to also add the above line to services 
in BL3 (perhaps making 'services' first) and not to add it in BL2 since it 
is there?  Will pkg run doinstall.sh?

I just made a BL3 /etc/services consisting of
ftp 21/tcp
and ftp still is not working in BL3.
I chrooted there, exited, and chrooted back again to test.
Does this ftp work for you in BL3.50?

> #Everything is added. And something is deleted. We need to ensure good
> compressability. Enter
>
>  df
>
> # and see how many available blocks there are in
> /home/sindi/fdbaslin/editingfloppy1 mount.
> # Say, it is 2411 blocks. We need to create big empty file
>
>  dd if=/dev/zero of=/home/sindi/fdbaslin/editingfloppy1/empty bs=1024
> count=2411
>
> #Disk is currently full. Now unmount it to flush the empty file
>
>  cd /home/sindi/fdbaslin
>  umount disk1
>
> # Now, we will remount to delete the empty file.
>
>  mount -o loop disk1 /home/sindi/fdbaslin/editingfloppy1
>  cd editingfloppy1
>  rm empty
>  df
>
> # The compressed image is free again. But empty sectors are zeroed
> ensuring good compression. Now we can unmount it again
>
>  cd /home/sindi/fdbaslin
>  umount disk1
>
> # And compress
>
>  gzip disk1
>
> # Compare the sizes
>
>  ls disk1.gz -l
>  ls rawfloppy1/disk1.gz -l
>
> #If the first disk1.gz is smaller than second one, it is excellent!
> # Otherwise, you must remaster first floppy from the begining and delete
> more files.
>
> # Now, replace the disk1.gz to raw image
>
>  cp disk1.gz rawfloppy1
>
> # Finalize modification of the first floppy
>
>  umount rawfloppy1
>
> # Insert the diskette and low level format it
>
>  fdformat /dev/fd0
>
> # If it has not bad sectors save image to floppy
>
>  dd if=disk1.img of=/dev/fd0
>
> # First floppy is created. But, we need to update LILO Linux loader
> # because we reordered the files and it needs to know where they are.
> # First, we will mount the created floppy
>
>  mount /dev/fd0 /home/sindi/fdbaslin/rawfloppy1
>
>
> # Create the file /home/sindi/fdbaslin/lilo-initrd.conf as follows:
>
>  echo boot=/dev/fd0 >/home/sindi/fdbaslin/lilo-initrd.conf
>  echo install=/home/sindi/fdbaslin/rawfloppy1/boot.b
> >>/home/sindi/fdbaslin/lilo-initrd.conf
>  echo map=/home/sindi/fdbaslin/rawfloppy1/map
> >>/home/sindi/fdbaslin/lilo-initrd.conf
>  echo delay=100 >>/home/sindi/fdbaslin/lilo-initrd.conf
>  echo compact >>/home/sindi/fdbaslin/lilo-initrd.conf
>  echo image=/home/sindi/fdbaslin/rawfloppy1/zimage
> >>/home/sindi/fdbaslin/lilo-initrd.conf
>  echo "  label=linux" >>/home/sindi/fdbaslin/lilo-initrd.conf
>  echo "  root=/dev/ram0" >>/home/sindi/fdbaslin/lilo-initrd.conf
>  echo "  initrd=/home/sindi/fdbaslin/rawfloppy1/disk1.gz"
> >>/home/sindi/fdbaslin/lilo-initrd.conf
>
> # Now, update LILO on the floppy
>
>  lilo -C /home/sindi/fdbaslin/lilo-initrd.conf
>
> # Finally unmount the LILO diskette:
>
>  umount /dev/fd0
>
> # And, if you wish to keep the image file
>
>  cd /home/sindi/fdbaslin
>  dd if=/dev/fd0 of=disk1.img
>
> # Cleaning up
>
>  rm /home/sindi/fdbaslin/rawfloppy1 -r
>  rm /home/sindi/fdbaslin/editingfloppy1 -r
>  rm /home/sindi/fdbaslin/unpackedfloppy2 -r
>  rm /home/sindi/fdbaslin/disk1
>  rm /home/sindi/fdbaslin/lilo-initrd.conf
>
> # Reboot the computer and try changed BasicLinux


This will be an education.  Please post the instructions at your site.
I might just try modifying disk2.tgz first.  I understand why Steven did 
not want to make the 2-floppy version until any bugs were removed (such as 
dead DNS server numbers).

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