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  • Custom gtk installer similar to Proxmox VE installer

    From pve-hgoi9uef@21:1/5 to All on Sun Mar 17 04:40:01 2024
    Hello,
    I'm not too familiar with mailing lists, so please excuse any mistakes I may make.

    I have been attempting to package my software (.deb packages served by a repository) into a custom Debian GNU/Linux installer for redistribution. I have been using the GTK netboot installer with a preseed file packaged into the initrd.

    I did run into limitations with preseed though:
    1. Install packages into /target before d-i apt-setup/local[0-9] repositories are loaded. (one being ca-certificates)
    2. Run custom scripts at certain points in the installation process.
    3. Change/add questions, display some text (put locale/language/kbd map all in one step, change the layout)

    I tried debconf but it seems that I was not able to completely solve the problem, only ask custom questions.

    I've done some research and found the Proxmox Virtualization Environment installer (https://git.proxmox.com/?p=pve-installer.git). My knowledge in this area of OS installers is very little, and after two weeks or so of attempting to get this to work (
    without much success), I thought that I would ask for help.

    The Proxmox VE installer seems to be a customized one built with GTK3, html/CSS, and Perl. My question: How would I go about making a similar installer? Preferably, I would want to be able to customize how it looks with html templates, similar to what
    Proxmox does. There are many videos online of people going through the installer.

    Here is my workflow for building the ISO (in a bookworm Docker container):
    1. install dependencies
    2. run debootstrap
    3. fetch initrd from http://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/[version]/main/installer-[arch]/current/images/netboot/gtk/amd64
    4. extract, add custom files, archive it back
    5. use grub-mkrescue to create the ISO

    Thank you very much for your help. I can attach a 'bounty' of some sort to be paid in cryptocurrency if this is a very hard task to accomplish.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Geert Stappers@21:1/5 to All on Sun Mar 17 10:20:01 2024
    On Sun, Mar 17, 2024 at 03:35:15AM +0000, pve-hgoi9uef wrote:
    Hello,

    I have been attempting to package my software (.deb packages served
    by a repository) into a custom Debian GNU/Linux installer for
    redistribution. I have been using the GTK netboot installer with a
    preseed file packaged into the initrd.

    I did run into limitations with preseed though:
    1. Install packages into /target before d-i apt-setup/local[0-9]
    repositories are loaded. (one being ca-certificates)
    2. Run custom scripts at certain points in the installation process.
    3. Change/add questions, display some text (put locale/language/kbd
    map all in one step, change the layout)

    I tried debconf but it seems that I was not able to completely solve
    the problem, only ask custom questions.

    I've done some research and found the Proxmox Virtualization Environment installer (https://git.proxmox.com/?p=pve-installer.git). My knowledge
    in this area of OS installers is very little, and after two weeks or
    so of attempting to get this to work (without much success), I thought
    that I would ask for help.

    The Proxmox VE installer seems to be a customized one built with GTK3, html/CSS, and Perl. My question: How would I go about making a similar installer?

    Start with just rebuilding that installer. Verify that it is working.
    Then change some text string and rebuild. Verify that it is still
    working and your change is visible.
    That known good point is starting point for further changes.


    Preferably, I would want to be able to customize how it looks with
    html templates, similar to what Proxmox does. There are many videos
    online of people going through the installer.

    Here is my workflow for building the ISO (in a bookworm Docker container):
    1. install dependencies
    2. run debootstrap
    3. fetch initrd from
    http://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/[version]/main/installer-[arch]/current/images/netboot/gtk/amd64
    4. extract, add custom files, archive it back
    5. use grub-mkrescue to create the ISO

    Thank you very much for your help. I can attach a 'bounty' of some sort
    to be paid in cryptocurrency if this is a very hard task to accomplish.

    Yeah, expressing the value of libre software is a challenge.



    Groeten
    Geert Stappers
    --
    Silence is hard to parse

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)