[SOLVED] Custom Mint Live Login

[mattzab]

Hello,

I followed the guide here:
https://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/1784

I've done it completely through twice, very carefully each time, and I have the same problem resulting. When I boot my custom ISO with Virtualbox, it doesn't load as if it's live, but asks me to log in. I have to press F1 to log in, then a text field appears asking for username and password. I've not set any username or password and would prefer it to load the desktop on boot.

I'm quite certain that I followed the directions exactly, and the things I modified in customizing was nothing more than installing a few tools and creating a custom menu in the Cinnamon-menu settings. I don't think those changes should cause the problem I'm facing.

Any thoughts on how to correct this?

Thanks,
Matt


EDIT: [SOLVED]

The problem is that virtualbox sets up users (vbox_sf for shared folders) as userid 999. But casper (the app that controls the "live cd system") hard codes the Pinguy Builder userid as 999 also! So this means that the "live" user isn't ever created (since 999 already exists!). The solution is to give a different uid to the casper created user.

This terminal command will make the change for you automagically:

sed -i -e 's@user-uid [0-9]*@user-uid 990@' /usr/share/initramfs-tools/scripts/casper-bottom/25adduser

To interpret this command, in the 25adduser file, I am changing "user-uid 999" to "user-uid 990". You can just manually make that edit if you want, but thought others may enjoy the sed one-liner to do it automagically.

After this fix, I am no longer faced with the "login screen" when starting the live system: it auto-logs-in just as it should!

There really should be a casper patch to move away from the hard-coded uid, maybe it could be a Pinguy Builder variable in /etc/PinguyBuilder.conf but for now the hack to change that uid to something *OTHER THAN 999* seems to work!

Reference: http://pinguyos.com/2015/09/pinguy-buil ... 2336772305

[mattzab]

I'm still having trouble with this.

Is there somewhere else I can ask this question where I might get a slightly quicker response than I have so far here?

I tried the usual suggestion of "googling" or "search the forums" but I haven't found any solutions.

I still need help with this, a month after the initial post.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

[kukamuumuka]

You have faulty initrd.lz file. How do you have modified initrd.lz file?
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LiveCDCustomization

[mattzab]

I don't think I've modified it, especially after looking at the directions you linked to.

Would it be safe to replace the corrupted one with a copy from a fresh Mint ISO?


EDIT: From all appearances, there were no changes made to initrd. I rebuilt it anyway, and I come to the same problem every time.

How can I fix this?

[kukamuumuka]

I don't think I've modified it, especially after looking at the directions you linked to.

Would it be safe to replace the corrupted one with a copy from a fresh Mint ISO?


EDIT: From all appearances, there were no changes made to initrd. I rebuilt it anyway, and I come to the same problem every time.

How can I fix this?

Your custom iso is faulty. You can add a normal user via chroot environment to your iso like

Code: Select all

adduser xxxx
adduser xxxx sudo
adduser xxxx adm

PS. jahid_0903014's tutorial is for Mint 17, not for Mint 18

[mattzab]

[SOLVED]

I finally found the solution here: http://pinguyos.com/2015/09/pinguy-buil ... 2336772305

To quote it,

The problem is that virtualbox sets up users (vbox_sf for shared folders) as userid 999. But casper (the app that controls the "live cd system") hard codes the Pinguy Builder userid as 999 also! So this means that the "live" user isn't ever created (since 999 already exists!). The solution is to give a different uid to the casper created user.

This terminal command will make the change for you automagically:

sed -i -e 's@user-uid [0-9]*@user-uid 990@' /usr/share/initramfs-tools/scripts/casper-bottom/25adduser

To interpret this command, in the 25adduser file, I am changing "user-uid 999" to "user-uid 990". You can just manually make that edit if you want, but thought others may enjoy the sed one-liner to do it automagically.

After this fix, I am no longer faced with the "login screen" when starting the live system: it auto-logs-in just as it should!

There really should be a casper patch to move away from the hard-coded uid, maybe it could be a Pinguy Builder variable in /etc/PinguyBuilder.conf but for now the hack to change that uid to something *OTHER THAN 999* seems to work!

[scjet45]

[SOLVED]

I finally found the solution here: http://pinguyos.com/2015/09/pinguy-buil ... 2336772305

To quote it,

The problem is that virtualbox sets up users (vbox_sf for shared folders) as userid 999. But casper (the app that controls the "live cd system") hard codes the Pinguy Builder userid as 999 also! So this means that the "live" user isn't ever created (since 999 already exists!). The solution is to give a different uid to the casper created user.

This terminal command will make the change for you automagically:

sed -i -e 's@user-uid [0-9]*@user-uid 990@' /usr/share/initramfs-tools/scripts/casper-bottom/25adduser

To interpret this command, in the 25adduser file, I am changing "user-uid 999" to "user-uid 990". You can just manually make that edit if you want, but thought others may enjoy the sed one-liner to do it automagically.

After this fix, I am no longer faced with the "login screen" when starting the live system: it auto-logs-in just as it should!

There really should be a casper patch to move away from the hard-coded uid, maybe it could be a Pinguy Builder variable in /etc/PinguyBuilder.conf but for now the hack to change that uid to something *OTHER THAN 999* seems to work!

@mattzab
Ehm.
The above does NOT solve the Linux Mint 18.* custom iso creation issues, since "vbox" has nothing to do with a real "custom Live" creation dvd/usb's, nor does vbox have anything to do with the (u)EFI conglomeration of LM 18.* ?!
The only thing that that "sed" script did, was make my system unbootable,
as it will for any "real" (bare-metal) DVD/USB creation/installation that I tried with Pinguy ?!
But hey, maybe this works in some fantasy vbox ?

For LM 17.* then sure, it's fine. if you like ubuntu-legacy-bios-mbr, but forget about LM 18.*

Also this:
https://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/1784
and although I've successfully made many custom mint 17.* iso's with it, in the past, it is now obviously woefully outdated and, in fact, it can NOT work with LM 18.* and uefi/gpt.

In essence, and again, Pinguy Builder, ..., does NOT solve these issues, and therefore this is NOT really "Solved", but whatever...

And yes, that is very SAD today.

[kukamuumuka]

https://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/1784
and although I've successfully made many custom mint 17.* iso's with it, in the past, it is now obviously woefully outdated and, in fact, it can NOT work with LM 18.* and uefi/gpt.

In essence, and again, Pinguy Builder, ..., does NOT solve these issues, and therefore this is NOT really "Solved", but whatever...

And yes, that is very SAD today.

The easy fix is to use basic initrd.lz from official ISO.

[scjet45]

https://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/1784
and although I've successfully made many custom mint 17.* iso's with it, in the past, it is now obviously woefully outdated and, in fact, it can NOT work with LM 18.* and uefi/gpt.

In essence, and again, Pinguy Builder, ..., does NOT solve these issues, and therefore this is NOT really "Solved", but whatever...

And yes, that is very SAD today.

The easy fix is to use basic initrd.lz from official ISO.

I purged virtualbox-guest*, (to eliminates any vbox 999 uid/user silliness).
I also didn't even touch "initrd.lz". Left kernel, ... all the same as Official ones, from LM 18.2
Created .iso as per instructions, but USB flash drive does NOT boot, cannot even boot/see uefi

So I'm not sure what you might mean about using basic initrd.lz from Official iso, and unfortunately, for me, none of these methods work anymore for creating any custom
LM 18.*
If you have successfully done it with 18.2? then point me in the right direction.
Thanks.

[scjet45]

https://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/1784
and although I've successfully made many custom mint 17.* iso's with it, in the past, it is now obviously woefully outdated and, in fact, it can NOT work with LM 18.* and uefi/gpt.

In essence, and again, Pinguy Builder, ..., does NOT solve these issues, and therefore this is NOT really "Solved", but whatever...

And yes, that is very SAD today.

The easy fix is to use basic initrd.lz from official ISO.

I purged virtualbox-guest*, (to eliminates any vbox 999 uid/user silliness).
I also didn't even touch "initrd.lz". Left kernel, ... all the same as Official ones, from LM 18.2
Created .iso as per instructions, but USB flash drive does NOT boot, cannot even boot/see uefi

So I'm not sure what you might mean about using basic initrd.lz from Official iso, and unfortunately, for me, none of these methods work anymore for creating any custom
LM 18.*
If you have successfully done it with 18.2? then point me in the right direction.
Thanks.

==========================
@administrollaattori

Well, to my surprise, I managed to get this going by using the latest JLIVECD:
https://neurobin.org/projects/softwares/unix/JLIVECD/

The only basic changes I made were enabling UEFI image building, (UEFI=y), in the "config.conf" files in my /home/[live_custom_home_user]/, and in /usr/local/JLIVECD/
The "/home/[live_custom_home_user]" is just a folder JLIVECD creates/uses to extract the .iso, and for it scripts, ...
I didn't rebuild kernel, nor touch initrd.lz.

After changing "config.conf", restarting JLIVECD, and performaing a basic custom iso build of LM 18.2,
the resultant "/home/[live_custom_home_user]/.config" became:

Code: Select all

# operating mode (override not possible)
OSMODE=ubuntu

# Image label (no override for archlinux)
IMAGENAME=Linux Mint 18.2 MATE 64-bit

# ISO image name without .iso
DISKNAME=LM_18.2_Mate_Custom

# Whether to prevent GUI apps to run.
XHOST=n

# Whether to rebuild initrd
REBUILDINITRAMFS=n

# Kernel version
KERNEL=4.8.0-53-generic

# Whether to keep users home directory, by default it is deleted.
RETAINHOME=n

# y: Fast compression, larger image size. n: smaller image but slower
FASTCOMPRESSION=n

# Whether the image to be built is a UEFI image
UEFI=Y

# Whether to prevent building hybrid image.
NOHYBRID=n

It boots (live-bare-metal) now from a usb flash-drive into uefi mode, and it kept all my package changes as well, so far so good.
I'll try and do a bare-metal test install later ... and update this with any other changes if need be.
Anyway, it's just for personal use nuthin' fancy.

[kukamuumuka]

If you have successfully done it with 18.2? then point me in the right direction.
Thanks.

I have successfully done it with 18.1, but I make my custom isos without external programs or scripts.

I have not tested with 18.2, but I cannot see why it would work differently that 18.1 custom iso.

[scjet45]

If you have successfully done it with 18.2? then point me in the right direction.
Thanks.

I have successfully done it with 18.1, but I make my custom isos without external programs or scripts.

I have not tested with 18.2, but I cannot see why it would work differently that 18.1 custom iso.

Well the complexity of trying to do this manually, with uefi,..., requirements today, is a bit more than what we we able to do with a custom iso build of LM 17 and older.

[scjet45]

If you have successfully done it with 18.2? then point me in the right direction.
Thanks.

I have successfully done it with 18.1, but I make my custom isos without external programs or scripts.

I have not tested with 18.2, but I cannot see why it would work differently that 18.1 custom iso.

Well the complexity of trying to do this manually, with uefi,..., and other requirements today, is a bit more than what we were able to do more easily with a custom iso build of LM 17 and older.
and like i said: that other link you posted fails miserably, notwithstanding initrd.lz, 'cause it's too fsckin' old: <- https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LiveCDCustomization
Whereas, this atleast worked for me: https://neurobin.org/projects/softwares/unix/JLIVECD/
But glad you can manually still do this.

Thx for the tip.