The Debian-Live Daedalus Starter Kit

[dancytron]

Some people are terrified by the idea of Secure Boot, but it's a non-issue once you've gone through the key-enrollment process as part of ISObooter.

I believe that Ventoy uses the same EFI stuff as ISObooter. So if you have registered a Secure Boot machine with ISObooter, it should automatically work in Ventoy.

I'm certainly not terrified, but it's always a pia to have to learn something new for what seems like no good reason. But EFI seems to just work.

[dancytron]

No, not yet. I usually just do one ISO on sdb1 and then put the rest on sdb2 with the multiinstaller, but I'll try it.

There is an advantage to doing it that way - you never have to worry about sdb1 becoming dis-contiguous.

This morning I took my 16 Gig usb stick and made a Fatdog 900 based Isobooter from scratch with a 4 Gig Fat32 Drive and 12 Gig Ext4 drive.

Followed the instructions. It worked as expected.

Not really interested in more than one ISO for the isobooter script.

I'll install some stuff with the multi-installer later and report if anything doesn't work.

[rcrsn51]

Thanks for all your testing.

Bill

[dancytron]

Predictably, it works for DD iso's.

[rcrsn51]

This is a converted Lenovo N21 (Baytrail) Chromebook with a full ROM firmware replacement and the Starter Kit installed on the 16GB emmc drive. The entire procedure from Chromebook to Linux desktop with WiFi and ALSA audio took 50 minutes.

It only has 2GB RAM but that's enough to run Google Earth in the Chromium browser. Youtube video+audio is fine at 480p.

As with most UCM audio setups, finding the volume controls in Alsamixer can be awkward, so I assigned them to the keyboard speaker up/down keys.

xscreenshot-20230717T163525.jpg (48.03 KiB) Viewed 3527 times

[williwaw]

See Page 1 for an update to the Multi Installer. It adds support for Fatdog.

I recently installed Grub2 with the Multi Installer (downloaded from the link found on page 1) and used the Multi Installer generated stanza for booting a Vanilla iso. A generated stanza from the updated Multi Installer works fine for booting Fatdog.iso (900 alpha) also.

https://github.com/thias/glim has a simple way to generate Grub2 stanzas for other distros....

[rcrsn51]

https://github.com/thias/glim has a simple way to generate Grub2 stanzas for other distros....

This is an interesting project. Because many of the distros it supports are Ubuntu-based, they could also be handled with the Multi Installer's "Ubuntu" choice for booting ISOs.

For others, you could perhaps modify the Installer's GRUB entry as per the corresponding GLIM entry. See below.

Thanks for testing the Multi Installer with Fatdog.

xscreenshot-20230720T083734.png (50.1 KiB) Viewed 3317 times

[rcrsn51]

Just for fun, I downloaded the Antix ISO. I ran the Multi Installer and built a GRUB boot stanza for it using the "Ubuntu" ISO choice. Using hints from GLIM, I changed the two key lines to:

Code: Select all

linux (loop)/antiX/vmlinuz fromiso=$isopath from=all buuid=$uuid quiet splash=v disable=lx
initrd (loop)/antiX/initrd.gz

I added it to my main hard drive GRUB2 menu. It booted successfully.

Bodhi Linux:

Code: Select all

linux (loop)/casper/vmlinuz boot=casper file=/preseed/custom.seed iso-scan/filename=$isopath noeject noprompt splash --
initrd (loop)/casper/initrd.gz

Zorin:

Code: Select all

linux (loop)/casper/vmlinuz boot=casper iso-scan/filename=$isopath noeject noprompt splash maybe-ubiquity --
initrd (loop)/casper/initrd.lz4

Manjaro for USB boot:

Code: Select all

  set uuid=<uuid of /dev/sdb2>
  linux (loop)/boot/vmlinuz-x86_64 img_dev=/dev/disk/by-uuid/$uuid img_loop=$isopath
  initrd (loop)/boot/intel_ucode.img (loop)/boot/amd_ucode.img (loop)/boot/initramfs-x86_64.img

KLV-Airedale for USB boot:

Code: Select all

linux (loop)/vmlinuz w_bootfrom=$isopath w_changes=/mnt/sdb2
initrd (loop)/initrd.gz

Porteus:

Code: Select all

linux (loop)/boot/syslinux/vmlinuz from=$isopath
initrd (loop)/boot/syslinux/initrd.xz

Quickpup for USB boot (PuppyOld):

Code: Select all

linux (loop)/vmlinuz pmedia=usbflash psubdir=PuppySFS pfix=fsck
initrd (loop)/initrd.xz

KLA-OT2baseCE-2.6:

Code: Select all

linux (loop)/vmlinuz w_bootfrom=$isopath w_changes=/mnt/sdb2
initrd (loop)/initrd.gz

MiniOS USB boot with 6-Other:

Code: Select all

linux (loop)/minios/boot/vmlinuz load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 rw printk.time=0 consoleblank=0 selinux=0 net.ifnames=0 \
biosdevname=0 minios.flags= 
initrd (loop)/minios/boot/initrfs.img

Make a folder on sdb2 named "minios".
Open the ISO and copy some files to minios: all the .sb files, minios.conf

Linux-lite:

Code: Select all

linux (loop)/casper/vmlinuz boot=casper iso-scan/filename=$isopath noeject noprompt splash --
initrd (loop)/casper/initrd.gz

Debian 12 Live:

Code: Select all

linux (loop)/live/vmlinuz-6.1.0-10-amd64 boot=live components quiet splash findiso=$isopath
initrd (loop)/live/initrd.img-6.1.0-10-amd64

Fedora Workstation 38:

Code: Select all

probe --set isolabel --label (loop)
linux (loop)/images/pxeboot/vmlinuz root=live:CDLABEL=$isolabel rd.live.image iso-scan/filename=$isopath
initrd (loop)/images/pxeboot/initrd.img

[rcrsn51]

The original ISObooter is based on Grub4Dos. It is easy to set up in Puppy and generally works well. But it has limitations and there are places where it doesn't work any more.

The UEFI component of ISObooter uses GRUB2, so it makes sense for the BIOS side to work the same way. Then you can have identical grub.cfg files for both boot methods. This is how ISObooter3 works.

You will format your flash drive with the same structure as a GRUB2 hard drive setup done with the Multi Installer. See page 1.

a. Make a small fat32 boot partition and a main ext4 partition.
b. In the boot partition, add the usual EFI folder and .cer file.
c. Do a GRUB2 install on the MBR for BIOS booting. In the Multi Installer's GRUB2 section, select sdb and sdb1.
d. The ISOs will go in the second partition.
e. Put the isobooter3 script there too.

Run the script from the command line with:

./isobooter3 xxx.iso
Hint: use Tab completion
or
./isobooter3 xxx.iso yyy.iso zzz.iso
or
./isobooter3 *.iso

Copy the boot stanzas from the grubmenu.txt file into your grub.cfg files in the boot partition.

For older Puppies (Bionic and earlier) and Fatdog, you must extract some files out of the ISO and copy them to sdb2.

a. PuppyOld: open the ISO and copy all the SFS files into a folder in the second partition named PuppySFS.
b. Fatdog: copy the large initrd file from the ISO to a folder named Fatdog in sdb2.

Boot off the flash drive.

You can also build stanzas to boot other distros from their ISOs - see the examples above. Use "6-Other" and paste in the key lines.

--------------------

[rcrsn51]

KLA-OT2baseCE-2.6 works with ISObooter3. Use 6-Other and add the key lines listed above.

[rcrsn51]

This is an update on the status of Linux print/scan methods for Brother printers. For a recent model like the MFC-J1012DW, there are two approaches.

The conventional approach is to download a driver from the Brother website. Brother has long provided Linux drivers for its products, but often in 32bit-only form. This means that 64bit users need an extra 32bit compatibility framework (the Starter Kit has the brother-32bit-compat-pack_1.3_amd64.squashfs module) and the driver is usually split over two DEB packages. For first-time users, the procedure can be confusing.

With the MFC-J1012DW, Brother has simplified things. It uses a single 32/64bit installer package that recognizes the correct architecture of the target machine. But there is a small catch. The DEB package is identified as i386, so amd64 users must install it manually with a tool like debbi.

Once the driver is successfully loaded, the CUPS procedure is routine. The connection can be USB or networked. A network connection uses the Port 515 lpd:// protocol that requires an entry in the hosts file. Scanning needs another DEB driver package - Brother provides separate 32/64 bit drivers for its scanners.

But there is an easier, modern approach. The MFC-J1012DW is Apple AirPrint-compatible so it can be installed using the CUPS IPP-Everywhere "driverless" system. With PeasyCUPS, this just takes a few clicks. The functionality is virtually equivalent to that of the vendor driver. You can even skip the network connection and use WiFi-Direct with IPP-Everywhere.

Scanner setup is trivial because SANE now auto-recognizes AirPrint devices with the escl backend. This is fully compatible with PeasyScan, even for using the ADF.

Be aware that AirPrint technology is designed to run over networks. If your printer is connected by USB, you may still need the traditional driver method. There are AirPrint-over-USB projects, but I have found them awkward to use. See below.

[rcrsn51]

I have revisited IPP-USB and it now feels more stable than before. So I have added a section to PeasyCUPS. If you have an AirPrint-capable unit that is also IPP-USB-capable (not all are), and you have the prerequisites like avahi-daemon in place, this is the simplest way to get a printer working. No need to track down drivers any more!

Get the package ipp-usb from your Debian repo. This will also get the avahi-daemon stuff.

xscreenshot-20230801T084244.png (32.91 KiB) Viewed 2673 times

IPP-USB works through a background daemon process. In a mainstream Linux, this is handled by a udev hotplug mechanism and systemd. Since the Starter Kit does not have systemd, you must start the daemon separately. Also, trying to manage multiple USB printers through IPP-USB is awkward. It's easiest to just have one. You CAN have other USB printers installed with regular CUPS drivers, but you must stop the IPP-USB daemon before they will work.

Scanning over IPP-USB is also possible. The SANE escl backend may detect the unit through the localhost:60000 IP address.

[dancytron]

Tested the isobooter3 script on multiple iso's at once.

Seemed to work fine. Fatdog worked too.

[rcrsn51]

Thanks.

MiniOS works with ISObooter3. LIke the PuppyOld ISOs, you need to extract some files and copy them to sdb2. See above.

[rcrsn51]

testing

[rcrsn51]

testing

more

[rockedge]

testing

more

I will give the starter kit a work out later today. I fixed the forum's permissions...is all of it working?

[rcrsn51]

It looks OK now. Thanks.

[rcrsn51]

The Realtek 8821ce WiFi driver (github version) is included in the k6.1.0-9 combo-wifi-driver-pack. It has been tested successfuly on a device with ID 10ec:c821.

[rcrsn51]

Linux-lite works with ISObooter3. See above.

[dancytron]

The Realtek 8821ce WiFi driver (github version) is included in the k6.1.0-9 combo-wifi-driver-pack. It has been tested successfuly on a device with ID 103c:c821.

Is this driver pack compatible with Bookworm or is it intended to be Devuan only?

[rcrsn51]

I would assume that if Bookworm is running the same 6.1.0-9-amd64 kernel, it would work there too.

[rcrsn51]

Debian 12 Live works with ISObooter3. See above.

[rcrsn51]

The Realtek 8852be WiFi driver (github version) is included in the k6.1.0-9 combo-wifi-driver-pack. It has been tested successfuly on a device with ID 10ec:b852.

[rcrsn51]

Fedora Workstation 38 works with ISObooter3. See above.

[rcrsn51]

This is an HP ENVY 5530 printer circa 2013. Despite its age, it is AirPrint-compatible. Printing works well through a variety of drivers and connection methods:

hplip-print-scan driver - USB, WiFi, WiFi Direct
AirPrint driverless - WiFi, WiFi Direct
IPP-USB driverless - USB

Scanning is hit-and-miss depending on the SANE backend:

hpaio (from hplip-print-scan driver) - works everywhere
escl (built into SANE) - thinks that the unit has an ADF feeder and quits
airscan (Debian package) - works over wireless, sometimes works over USB when the IPP-USB daemon is active

[dancytron]

If you want to try another one, the https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/ra ... i-desktop/

It's a nice 32 bit bullseye lxde modified for children with lots of educational software that matches the stuff for the Raspberry Pi.

[rcrsn51]

ISObooter3 updated with an option that automatically adds the new menu entries to the grub.cfg files. See above.

[rcrsn51]

This is the PeasyMP3 media player updated to be gtk3 compatible. It uses jamesbond's gtk3 version of Xdialog which is included below as a dependent package. You must install it first.

Unlike previous versions of PeasyMP3, this one does NOT list mplayer as a dependency, so you can get mplayer from any source you like. I am currently using a combo mplayer+ffmpeg squashfs module made with apt2sfs because those two share a lot of code. This finally eliminates any need for the old gmplayer app which required a number of legacy/abandoned packages.

[dcung]

OK. The Bullseye combo-wifi-driver-pack may support this model. Download it here.

Please run "lsusb" and identify the vendor:product ID code for this USB adapter.

I got progress. I get list of wifi networks listing now when scanning.
Still failed to connect to my 3G or 5G wifi networks.
I already selected wlan1 in PeasyWiFi.
I'll continue fiddling....

lsusb output

Code: Select all

Bus 002 Device 003: ID 0bda:b812 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. 802.11ac NIC  --> should be the USB wifi adapter
...

A while ago (over 2 years), I used the combo wifi driver to get my spare USB 3.0 wifi working (RTL8812BU) in Bullseye starter kit with Bill's help. I never need to use the spare USB wifi since.

I thought to test it again with Daedalus Starter kit if the current combo wifi driver has support for it.

I bought 4 Ports PCI-E USB 3.0 Expansion Card for USB disk for one of my old PC that only had USB2 ports that I often transfer files. So, I'll test it with USB3 port this time.

Does current combo wifi driver support it? If so, where can I download it from (I tried to look but couldn't find it yet).