MLED installation script as a proof-of-concept

PROBLEMCHYLD · 10-03-2016, 06:26 PM

Everything is running well so far.

@ solarfields

I think if he add the transparency option, it wouldn't hurt to have both. Giving users options is what I'm all about. After creating your new user and configuring everything,
Example: Would you like (F)ull or (P)artial Transparency? If you don't choose one after 3 seconds then nothing is change and everyone is happy. It would be ideal for the script to do it because it create the user for it.

PROBLEMCHYLD · 12-01-2016, 10:30 AM

@ gegechris99

Do you think it's possible to create an offline mledauto script? I plan to put everything on a DVD and let it take course.
Thanks, I have a couple machines ready with clean installs for testing if you decide to do it.

gegechris99 · 12-04-2016, 04:00 AM

At the same time I developped the meldauto script, I looked into how to create a script for offline installation.

I took notes that you'll find at the end of this post (my notes are taken in the form of a post as I intended to publish them when I was done).

As it stands today, a script for an offline installation needs to:

- make assumption of the structure of the offline media (DVD/USK Key): Slackware packages, MLED ones + extras ones, multilib, MLED GIT repository - Refer to Assumptions c) in my notes
- the trim.sh script uses slackpkg to add missing Slackware packages. If the initial Slackware installation was full, it should not be a problem otherwise one needs to ensure that Slackware packages are available offline (the installation media would be the best place).

Basically, if the DVD has the Slackware packages, MLED packages (including the extra ones), multilib packages (if one doesn't want to restrict it to 32-bit installation) and the MLED git repository, an offline script should not be too difficult to create starting from the existing mledauto script.

What do you have in your DVD?

My draft notes for an offline installation:

Quote:

checklist for a MLED offline installation.

I built a checklist for an offline installation of MLED. It's not an installation guide but I believe a checklist is a good starting point to identify points of attention and desgin decisions to be taken (ex: how to install Slackware extra packages).

I focused on the installation steps and not the creation of the MLED installation medium (CD/DVD or USB key) because I think that how we do the installation would determine what we want to have in the MLED CD/DVD/USB.

Here's how I would see an offline installation of MLED. In the checklist below, the command lines start with "$", my comments start with "#".

1) Assumptions:

a) User has a Slackware installation medium (DVD or USB) that includes the extra packages

b) Slackware has been installed on the machine (Full installation except maybe E, KDE, KDEI categories).
User is logged as root in the console.

c) User has a MLED installation medium (CD/DVD or USB) with following directory layout:
desktop-{14.1|14.2}-{32|64}bit:
list of MLED packages and tools copied from http://www.microlinux.fr/microlinux/desktop-{14.1|14.2}-{32|64}bit/slackware{64}/

$ wget -c -r -np -nH --cut-dirs=1 -R "index.html*" http://www.microlinux.fr/microlinux/desktop-{14.1|14.2}-{32|64}bit/

extras-{14.1|14.2}-{32|64}bit:
list of MLED extra packages copied from http://www.microlinux.fr/microlinux/extras-{14.1|14.2}-{32|64}bit/slackware{64}/

$ wget -c -r -np -nH --cut-dirs=1 -R "index.html*" http://www.microlinux.fr/microlinux/extras-{14.1|14.2}-{32|64}bit/

multilib:
multilib packages (only for 64bit edition) copied from http://bear.alienbase.nl/mirrors/people/alien/multilib/{14.1|14.2}/

$ wget -c -r -np -nH --cut-dirs=3 -R "index.html*" http://bear.alienbase.nl/mirrors/people/alien/multilib/{14.1|14.2}/

# TO-DO: describe how to create the MLED installation medium
# TO-DO: check any licensing/distribution issue with getting multilib from AlienBob repository

2) MLED offline installation procedure:

2.1) Install Slackware extra packages: mplayerplug-in and recordmydesktop

If Slackware CD/DVD
$mount /dev/cdrom /mnt/tmp
Else Slackware USB
$mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/tmp

# /mnt/tmp seems to be the most appropriate mount point as the name is independant from the installation medium type

$cd /mnt/mnt/extra/mplayerplug-in/
$upgradepkg --reinstall mplayerplug-in*.t?z
$cd /mnt/mnt/extra/recordmydesktop/
$upgradepkg --reinstall recordmydesktop*.t?z
$umount /mnt/tmp

# Remove Slackware installation medium

# TO-DO: add a step to check on which device is detected the USB key
# TO-DO: an alternative solution would be to include mplayerplug and recordmydesktop packages into the MLED installation medium. In this case, installation of extra packages would take place after trimming the base installation (step 2.3 here).

2.2) Mount MLED installation medium
If MLED CD/DVD
$mount /dev/cdrom /mnt/tmp
Else MLED USB
$mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/tmp

2.3) Trim the Slackware base installation
$cd /mnt/tmp/desktop-{14.1|14.2}-{32|64}bit/tools/
$./trim.sh
# WARNING: there is a problem if trim.sh needs to add packages as it uses slackpkg install

2.4) Installation of multilib packages (only for 64bit edition)
$cd /mnt/tmp/multilib/{14.1|14.2}/
$upgradepkg --reinstall --install-new *.t?z

2.5) Installation of MLED packages
$cd /mnt/tmp/desktop-{14.1|14.2}-{32|64}bit/slackware{64}/
$for dir in ap d f l locale multimedia n profile x xap xfce ; do \
( cd $dir ; upgradepkg --reinstall --install-new *.t?z ) \
done

2.6) Installation of MLED extra packages
$cd /mnt/tmp/extras-{14.1|14.2}-{32|64}bit/slackware{64}/
$for dir in ap d x xap y ; do \
( cd $dir ; upgradepkg --reinstall --install-new *.t?z ) \
done

# TO-DO: explain that user should substitute <extra package> in the command with the name of the package to be installed

2.7) Clean menus (should be done here and not in configuration section as we want to remove installation medium before proceeding to the configuration section
$cd /mnt/tmp/desktop-{14.1|14.2}-{32|64}bit/tools/
$./cleanmenu.sh

2.8) Umount MLED installation medium
$ umount /mnt/tmp

# Remove MLED installation medium

2.9) Configure slackpkg+
# TO-DO Even if we did an offline installation, I believe the guide should include the steps to configure slackpkg+: select mirror, and optionally slackpkg update gpg && slackpkg update

A final word: it looks like most of the installation steps could easily be automated using a simple script (at least to cover steps 2.3 to 2.7). This would greatly reduce the size of the offline installation guide.

PROBLEMCHYLD · 12-04-2016, 08:01 AM

I don't have anything on my DVD atm. I was waiting to download all of MLED and your script then burn it to a DVD. Then run the script from the within the DVD.

This is a list of updated packages after a clean install using mledauto script.
These should be on the media as well. These are installed before the trim.sh

bind-9.10.4_P4-i586-1_slack14.2
curl-7.51.0-i586-1_slack14.2
gimp-2.8.18-i586-1_slack14.2
glib2-2.46.2-i586-3_slack14.2
glibc-zoneinfo-2016i-noarch-1_slack14.2
gnupg-1.4.21-i586-1_slack14.2
gnutls-3.4.15-i586-1_slack14.2
gtk+2-2.24.31-i586-1_slack14.2
intltool-0.51.0-i586-3_slack14.2
irssi-0.8.20-i586-1_slack14.2
libgcrypt-1.7.3-i586-1_slack14.2
libidn-1.33-i586-1_slack14.2
libX11-1.6.4-i586-1_slack14.2
libXfixes-5.0.3-i586-1_slack14.2
libXi-1.7.8-i586-1_slack14.2
libXrandr-1.5.1-i586-1_slack14.2
libXrender-0.9.10-i586-1_slack14.2
libXtst-1.2.3-i586-1_slack14.2
libXv-1.0.11-i586-1_slack14.2
libXvMC-1.0.10-i586-1_slack14.2
mariadb-10.0.28-i586-1_slack14.2
mozilla-firefox-45.5.1esr-i586-1_slack14.2
mozilla-thunderbird-45.5.1-i586-1_slack14.2
ntp-4.2.8p9-i586-1_slack14.2
openssh-7.3p1-i586-1_slack14.2
openssl-1.0.2j-i586-1_slack14.2
openssl-solibs-1.0.2j-i586-1_slack14.2
php-5.6.27-i586-1_slack14.2
pidgin-2.11.0-i586-1_slack14.2
samba-4.4.5-i586-1_slack14.2
screen-4.4.0-i586-2_slack14.2
stunnel-5.35-i586-2_slack14.2
xscreensaver-5.36-i586-1_slack14.2
tumbler
mplayer
sdl

gegechris99 · 12-04-2016, 03:04 PM

From my current knowledge/investigation, the main difficulty in writing a script for offline installation lies with the trim.sh script that uses slackpkg to add or remove packages. There might be no need to add packages if one has already done a full installation of Slackware but one would still need to have some packages removed.

So the ideal DVD structure should be based on a Slackware DVD including the CHECKSUM, FILELIST, etc.. files needed by slackpkg (but without the source directory to save space) to which the following directories should be added:

# Slackware packages updated since the release of the Slackware DVD
slackware{64}-{14.1|14.2}/patches/packages/

# MLED packages
desktop-{14.1|14.2}-{32|64}bit/slackware{64}/
extras-{14.1|14.2}-{32|64}bit/

# MLED tools (trim, cleanmenu scripts, tagfiles, desktop files)
desktop-{14.1|14.2}-{32|64}bit/tagfiles/
desktop-{14.1|14.2}-{32|64}bit/tools/
desktop-{14.1|14.2}-{32|64}bit/tools/desktop/

# multilib packages from AlienBob repository (if 64bit installation)
multilib/{14.1|14.2}/

PROBLEMCHYLD · 12-04-2016, 10:42 PM

Well, I'm ready when you are.

PROBLEMCHYLD · 12-06-2016, 03:32 PM

I was wrong, the trim.sh file runs before the updated slackware packages.

gegechris99 · 12-06-2016, 04:32 PM

As long as you are ready to put in a DVD whatever is needed to make a test run, the trim.sh script is not an issue.

I will try to make a mledoffline script next week-end. You should not expect it to be bulletproof however

I will also provide a guideline for the structure of the DVD.

PROBLEMCHYLD · 12-06-2016, 07:02 PM

Ok thanks

gegechris99 · 12-11-2016, 03:34 PM

Herewith the first draft version of script mledoffline.sh that automates an offline installation of MLED.

I based the script on the assumption that the user would have an installation medium (DVD or USK Key) containing local copies of the Slackware and MLED package repositories (and multilib one for 64-bit edition).

The expected structure of the installation medium is:

For Slackware 32-bit edition:
slackware-14.{1|2}/ and its sub-directories
microlinux/desktop-14.{1|2}-32bit/ and its sub-directories
microlinux/extras-14.{1|2}-32bit/ and its sub-directories

For Slackware 64-bit edition:
slackware64-14.{1|2}/ and its sub-directories
microlinux/desktop-14.{1|2}-64bit/ and its sub-directories
microlinux/extras-14.{1|2}-64bit/ and its sub-directories
multilib/14.{1|2}/ and its sub-directories

For the Slackware repository, the following sub-directories are not needed (to help save space on DVD):
isolinux/
kernels/
slackware{64}/kde/
slackware{64}/kdei/
source/
testing/
usb-and-pxe-installers/

How to build the installation medium is not the object of this post. I can suggest that you use lftp to retrieve the repositories from their online locations. Syntax should be:

Code:

$ lftp -c 'open -e "mirror <remote_dir> <local_dir>/" <bookmark>'

For example:

Code:

$ lftp -c 'open -e "mirror slackware64-14.2 mirror_dir/" http://slackware.osuosl.org/'

Of course, there are lftp options to exclude files/directories from the mirror command. Finding the adequate syntax is left as an exercise to the reader

I made only basic unitary tests of the script.

Feedback would be appreciated.

[EDIT]
One last thing: the mledoffline.sh script can be copied into the installation medium but it's not mandatory. You can just put it somewhere in the Slackware machine on which you want to install MLED.
[/EDIT]

PROBLEMCHYLD · 12-11-2016, 05:09 PM

I'm about to test away.............. Thanks
When you said next weekend, I thought you meant the following, which is next week.
Anyway, I got some down time, so I'm about to test. Be back in a couple hours.

PROBLEMCHYLD · 12-12-2016, 07:50 AM

This is the only error I get

Quote:

WARNING! One or more errors occurred while slackpkg was running
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Repository 'microlinux-desktop' not configured.
Add:
MIRRORPLUS['microlinux-desktop']=http://repoaddres/...
See documentation in /usr/doc/slackpkg+-* for details

gegechris99 · 12-12-2016, 01:30 PM

Can you post the content of both /etc/slackpkg/slackpkgplus.conf and /etc/slackpkg/slackpkgplus.conf.offbkp (if this file exists)?

Also please indicate the mount point of your DVD (ex: /mnt/tmp or /run/media/joe/DVD).

Finally, go into the directory where your DVD is mounted and run the following command so I can to have a look at the directory structure of the DVD:

Code:

find . -maxdepth 3 -type d

Thanks

PROBLEMCHYLD · 12-12-2016, 02:26 PM

I'm using a USB until I get it right. I only have about 8 DVDs left, so I didn't want to waste them.

I use these commands to get all the files

Code:

wget -c -r -np -nH --cut-dirs=1 \
   http://www.microlinux.fr/microlinux/desktop-14.2-32bit/
wget -c -r -np -nH --cut-dirs=1 \
   http://www.microlinux.fr/microlinux/extras-14.2-32bit/

and copied my SlackDVD to the root of the usb in the folder of slackware-14.2

Code:

[problemchyld@problemchyld:b0cc1019-8c72-096d-9028-ff707c61ed6f] $ find . -maxdepth 3 -type d
.
./microlinux
./microlinux/desktop-14.2-32bit
./microlinux/desktop-14.2-32bit/slackware
./microlinux/desktop-14.2-32bit/tools
./microlinux/desktop-14.2-32bit/tagfiles
./microlinux/extras-14.2-32bit
./microlinux/extras-14.2-32bit/slackware
./microlinux/extras-14.2-32bit/tools
./slackware-14.2
./slackware-14.2/slackware
./slackware-14.2/slackware/a
./slackware-14.2/slackware/e
./slackware-14.2/slackware/xfce
./slackware-14.2/slackware/l
./slackware-14.2/slackware/x
./slackware-14.2/slackware/y
./slackware-14.2/slackware/tcl
./slackware-14.2/slackware/t
./slackware-14.2/slackware/ap
./slackware-14.2/slackware/d
./slackware-14.2/slackware/kdei
./slackware-14.2/slackware/kde
./slackware-14.2/slackware/xap
./slackware-14.2/slackware/k
./slackware-14.2/slackware/n
./slackware-14.2/slackware/f
./slackware-14.2/pasture
./slackware-14.2/pasture/source
./slackware-14.2/usb-and-pxe-installers
./slackware-14.2/usb-and-pxe-installers/etherboot
./slackware-14.2/isolinux
./slackware-14.2/isolinux/sbootmgr
./slackware-14.2/extra
./slackware-14.2/extra/emacspeak
./slackware-14.2/extra/emacspeak-ss-1.9.1
./slackware-14.2/extra/bittorrent
./slackware-14.2/extra/tigervnc
./slackware-14.2/extra/bittornado
./slackware-14.2/extra/google-chrome
./slackware-14.2/extra/xf86-video-fbdev
./slackware-14.2/extra/recordmydesktop
./slackware-14.2/extra/mplayerplug-in
./slackware-14.2/extra/xf86-video-nouveau-blacklist
./slackware-14.2/extra/linux-4.4.14-nosmp-sdk
./slackware-14.2/extra/btmgr-3.7
./slackware-14.2/extra/source
./slackware-14.2/extra/aspell-word-lists
./slackware-14.2/extra/fltk
./slackware-14.2/extra/bash-completion
./slackware-14.2/extra/dip-3.3.7p
./slackware-14.2/extra/brltty
./slackware-14.2/extra/wicd
./slackware-14.2/kernels
./slackware-14.2/kernels/speakup.s
./slackware-14.2/kernels/memtest
./slackware-14.2/kernels/huge.s
./slackware-14.2/kernels/hugesmp.s
./slackware-14.2/testing
./slackware-14.2/testing/packages
./slackware-14.2/testing/source
./slackware-14.2/slackbook
./slackware-14.2/slackbook/html

gegechris99 · 12-12-2016, 05:02 PM

It seems that, when prompted to enter the mount point of your installation medium, you entered it with the trailing /
So when the script update the location of the local mirror for MLED, the path has double /

Code:

MIRRORPLUS['microlinux-desktop']=/run/media/root/1320-3B16//microlinux/desktop-14.2-32bit/

This should be avoided with the current version of the script. I put a warning about this in the lines before the prompt.
Please try entering the mount point without the trailing / (i.e. /run/media/root/1320-3B16). My unitary tests on this section of the script were successful.

If that's the origin of the error, I'll make a correction later (either remove the trailing / if inadvertently entered by the user or request the trailing / and adapt the script accordingly).

Also, I don't know if you made an error during upload of the slackpkgplus.conf files but the slackpkgplus.conf.offbkp file should have been the original one and it's not. It may be an error in the script but we'll find out because after offline installation of MLED, the slackpkgplus.conf.offbkp file is moved back to slackpkgplus.conf.