Cannot install Remastersys

Archived topics about LMDE 1 and LMDE 2
twa

Re: Cannot install Remastersys

Post by twa »

fullmoonguru,
it is out of LMDE but
as an alternative why not try this based on Debian Squeeze that already
includes Remastersys
http://www.geekconnection.org/remastersys/distro.html
download this: http://www.remastersys.com/downloads/re ... ze-1.1.iso
and this: http://www.remastersys.com/downloads/re ... .1.iso.md5
cheers
fullmoonguru
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Re: Cannot install Remastersys

Post by fullmoonguru »

Yes, I'm showing all three. Same version. Strange. I saw that remastersys Squeeze version but I really want to stick with what I have. The only other thing that comes to mind is that I'm running LMDE (based on testing). I just downloaded it a few days ago and I haven't updated. Are you running the default version, or did you switch it to Squeeze? It might be that I just need to update. Just didn't want to do it until I had some time to determine if what I have is stable, and hopefully make a backup with Remastersys.
twa

Re: Cannot install Remastersys

Post by twa »

fullmoonguru,
am running LMDE (testing) since its first release on Sept-2010 and have
always applied the updates. Never switched to Squeeze.
here is my sources.list
deb http://packages.linuxmint.com/ debian main upstream import
deb http://ftp.debian.org/debian testing main contrib non-free
deb http://security.debian.org/ testing/updates main contrib non-free
# Liquorix sources added by smxi
deb http://liquorix.net/debian/ sid main
# Remastersys Squeeze
deb http://www.geekconnection.org/remastersys/repository squeeze/
deb http://www.debian-multimedia.org testing main non-free
the only squeeze repository is the one of remastersys
as a further note I use smxi script to update my LMDE.
http://smxi.org/
cheers
fullmoonguru
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Re: Cannot install Remastersys

Post by fullmoonguru »

Fascinating. So smxi was developed exactly to help prevent problems when updating. I've seen references to it recently, but never looked into it.

My souces list looks exactly the same except for tha line added by smxi.

So kind of a newb question here. I searched but didn't find the answer: When installing the smxi script I choose 1 to close x. I then need to login & run the install again (I think), but I just have a black screen with a blinking curser. No login prompt, & I don't know how to get there. Also, when you actually run smxi, are you using any options?

Thanks again for your help.
twa

Re: Cannot install Remastersys

Post by twa »

fullmoonguru,
When installing the smxi script I choose 1 to close x. I then need to login & run the install again (I think), but I just have a black screen with a blinking cursor. No login prompt, & I don't know how to get there.
the answer is: just type q
and exit.
do this way instead: Ctrl+Alt+F1
login (will ask for password)
then in order to run smxi U must be root so type

Code: Select all

su
password will be asked again
then type 1
and read/follow CAREFULLY the on-screen displays.
when you actually run smxi, are you using any options?
yes, adjusted to my (yours) needs according to what smxi proposes.
As U noticed from my sources.list I have installed the Liquorix kernel 2.6.37 via smxi and so-far no problems experienced.
smxi also launches with the proper start information 2 stand-alone script modules, sgfxi (the Video Driver Installer script), and svmi (the Virtual Machine Installer script), if you select the options to do that. Both of these scripts can also be run alone.
http://smxi.org/site/about.htm
Once again, b4 U start using smxi read and understand well the documentation .
cheers
fullmoonguru
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Re: Cannot install Remastersys

Post by fullmoonguru »

OK, so after untold hours, here's where I am. Not sure if the kernel makes a difference or not. I ran through smxi a couple of times on two different machines. Some parts are a little unclear to me. Think I'm a little out of my depth there.

The liquorix kernel looks like what I want to be using, so I installed LMDE, installed the kernal, did remastersys and it works! So then I made all of my tweaks & it doesn't work. So I loaded again, just changed some theme choices & that kind of stuff & it worked. Made a few more changes & it didn't work. So... I think I get this error every time it doesn't work, & I don't get the error when it does. It's showing when remastersys finishes making the distro:

isohybrid: Warning: more than 1024 cylinders: 1097
isohybrid: Not all BIOSes will be able to boot this device

I thought it might have been because I did the partitions during install, partitioning to mb rather than cylinders. The latest thing I did was run a live cd, use gparted to resize the partitions to cylinders, and run remastersys again. Same problem. I searched for this error in combo w/remastersys, but didn't find anything.

I also get this error when it starts, but I am assuming it's not the problem:

Checking if the /home/remastersys/remastersys folder has been created
Copying /var and /etc to temp area and excluding extra files
sed: can't read /home/remastersys/remastersys/dummysys/etc/gdm/gdm.conf: No such file or directory
/usr/bin/remastersys: line 234: /home/remastersys/remastersys/dummysys/etc/gdm/gdm.conf-custom: No such file or directory
find: `/home/remastersys/remastersys/dummysys/var/crash': No such file or directory
siete

Re: Cannot install Remastersys

Post by siete »

The answer here:

Since LMDE uses a custom live boot method created/modified by the Linux Mint developers, it is not compatible with debian live currently and as a result is not compatible with remastersys.

Since even Ubuntu will eventually adopt the new debian live method I will not be making a remastersys version for LMDE. If LMDE starts using the normal debian live tools then remastersys for debian will be fully compatible with it.

http://www.remastersys.com/forums/index ... pic=1186.0
fullmoonguru
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Re: Cannot install Remastersys

Post by fullmoonguru »

Yeah, we got past that part. TWA is using it & mine works too until I tweak my distro to the point that something breaks it.
twa

Re: Cannot install Remastersys

Post by twa »

Hi folks,
I don't know for which reason but I do confirm that on my LMDE I followed
the procedure I gave above and have successfully created the backup.
Only limit imposed is the max size of the backup, only 4MB and the other is I
had to lunch the backup from the terminal while for the reinstall I used
the Remastersys Installer under System>Administration.
Installed on a test disk without problems.
best regards
siete

Re: Cannot install Remastersys

Post by siete »

I'll try again and tell you
Mozenrath

Re: Cannot install Remastersys

Post by Mozenrath »

twa wrote:mzsade,
BINGO !!! have followed the trick suggested by kitchy
The solution I found is installing live-boot and live-boot-initramfs-tools via apt-get. By so doing live-initramfs is removed. Then I downloaded live-initramfs from here:
http://packages.debian.org/squeeze/live-initramfs
and have been able to create the iso for my LMDE.
installed on another HD without problems and it worked !!
the only issue was that I had to create the iso from the terminal

Code: Select all

sudo remastersys backup
then installed from System>Administration>Remastersys Installer
:mrgreen:
That worked for me! :D
amina

Re: Cannot install Remastersys

Post by amina »

I installed Remastersys Squeeze version on my LMDE, successfully created a backup, booted from it to live mode in a VM and started the installer. I can choose the disk, partition and see partitions in GParted but then at the next step the installer does not find any swap partition and the only option left is to exit.
See
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19933654/Drive%20selection.png
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19933654/Gparted.png
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19933654/Partit ... ection.png
I tried from terminal and on my real system, it is the same.

I see here (http://www.remastersys.com/forums/index ... pic=1356.0) that someone else has the exact same issue, with Debian Squeeze, but no solution. I might register also on that forums to report it but hope that someone here has an idea as well.

Just a sidenote, I also created a distributable iso from the same system, and I do not even get to GUI with it, it stays forever on the black screen with the circle (even if I choose the failsafe boot option).
fullmoonguru
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Re: Cannot install Remastersys

Post by fullmoonguru »

I get the same thing after creating a distro. Black screen with loading circle.
amina

Re: Cannot install Remastersys

Post by amina »

Have you tried both the backup and dist methods?
With the backup mode my live dvd works beautifully, and the problem with the installation seems to be a rather rare one...
amina

Re: Cannot install Remastersys

Post by amina »

In the meantime, I finally managed to get Remastersys to work :D

The solution to my problem (that the installer does not see the partitions) is to install gnu-fdisk. First you have to add the Debian live repo:

$ gksudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list
add this line:
deb http://live.debian.net/ sid-snapshots main

...then refresh the package list and install gnu-fdisk.
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install gnu-fdisk

Start the installer (Remastersys Installer), preferably the GUI version because the CLI version uses cfdisk and it is not willing to see/handle partitions that were created with the default GParted settings, using MB alignment. (Error message: FATAL ERROR: Bad primary partition 1: Partition ends in the final partial cylinder.)

As for the circle loading forever when booting from the dist ISO, the workaround I found is to boot to text mode and start X manually.
Press TAB while the first option in GRUB is highlighted and replace "quiet splash" with "text" in the boot options, then press Enter.
Then at the prompt type startx to get to GUI and begin the installation.
Shutdown again dropped me to a console where I had to manually shutdown (h) or reboot (r) using sudo shutdown -h/r now.
I installed to a VM using this method, and after installation, booting from the (virtual) hard drive, system started, behaved and stopped normally.

Hope this works for others too. :)
fullmoonguru
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Re: Cannot install Remastersys

Post by fullmoonguru »

Thanks amina, the backup did work. I'm excited to try the workaround for the dist option though.
fullmoonguru
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Re: Cannot install Remastersys

Post by fullmoonguru »

When I do this, everything goes well with the install. When it's done and I click shut down or reboot, It goes through the normal shut down routine until it gets the the part where you take out the disk & press enter. Immediately after posting that message I get " live-initramfs is resyncing snapshots and caching reboot files..." It stays there. When I reboot there is nothing there. Initially on a dual boot machine it told me on reboot that there was no such disk & I needed to reload the kernal. Then in VB, just a black screen on reboot.
amina

Re: Cannot install Remastersys

Post by amina »

Well that does not sound good and I know installing & trying again is not great fun, but are you sure that it really stays there forever?

Take a look at this: http://www.mail-archive.com/debian-live ... 03714.html

Maybe you did not wait long enough? (Though I do not remember getting this message. In fact I do not even remember the "remove the CD" message...)
fullmoonguru
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Re: Cannot install Remastersys

Post by fullmoonguru »

Definitely hung. I reinstalled in VB again & had dinner with that line on the monitor. Still there when I got back. This is killing me. So close! I am running LMDE as stable so that could be it. Could be any number of things related to changes I made to the default LMDE install though.
amina

Re: Cannot install Remastersys

Post by amina »

Well that's sad. But if you run stable, at least you have less chance to run into a problem that requires a reinstall, and if you did, you do not have to install those 1xxx updates :)

Also, glad that the backup option works. It seems a lot more convenient and practical to me (unless of course you want to redistribute your ISO).
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