In this article, we will guide you through the process of creating a bootable system with Squashfs root and how to resolve a common user account login issue. This tutorial is aimed at system administrators and individuals with a good understanding of Linux systems.
How to Create a Bootable System with Squashfs Root and Fix User Account Login Issue
To create a bootable system with Squashfs root, you need to install necessary packages, create a Squashfs file, format the target drive, create folder layout and install extlinux, and create an extlinux configuration file. To fix user account login issues, you may need to check the casper scripts, initrd, /usr/share, and libs for any changes or issues. However, it is not possible to provide a quick answer for this complex topic.
Introduction
Squashfs is a compressed read-only filesystem for Linux. It is used to compress and bundle software packages for Linux distributions. A bootable system with a Squashfs root allows you to boot into a Linux system with a compressed filesystem, which can be beneficial for systems with limited disk space.
Prerequisites
Before we start, make sure you have the following:
- A running Ubuntu system
- A target drive for the bootable system
- Basic knowledge of Linux command line
Step 1: Install Necessary Packages
Firstly, we need to install the necessary packages. Open your terminal and run the following commands:
sudo apt-get install live-boot live-boot-initramfs-tools extlinux
sudo update-initramfs -uThe apt-get install command installs the listed packages. live-boot and live-boot-initramfs-tools are necessary for creating a bootable system, while extlinux is a modern, simple boot loader.
The update-initramfs -u command updates the initial ram filesystem. The -u flag stands for update.
Step 2: Create a Squashfs File
Next, we need to create a Squashfs file from a bootstrapped or running Ubuntu filesystem with the desired packages. You can refer to the instructions provided in the link: LiveCDCustomizationFromScratch.
Step 3: Format the Target Drive
Now, format the target drive with ext2/3/4 and enable the bootable flag. This can be done using a tool like gparted.
Step 4: Create Folder Layout and Install Extlinux
After the drive is formatted, we need to create the necessary folder layout on the target drive and install extlinux:
mkdir -p ${TARGET}/boot/extlinux ${TARGET}/live
extlinux -i ${TARGET}/boot/extlinux
dd if=/usr/lib/syslinux/mbr.bin of=/dev/sdX # Replace X with the drive letter
cp /boot/vmlinuz-$(uname -r) ${TARGET}/boot/vmlinuz
cp /boot/initrd.img-$(uname -r) ${TARGET}/boot/initrd
cp filesystem.squashfs ${TARGET}/liveThe mkdir -p command creates the necessary directories. The -p flag creates parent directories as needed.
The extlinux -i command installs the extlinux bootloader to the specified directory.
The dd command copies the master boot record (MBR) to the target drive.
The cp commands copy the necessary files to the target drive. The vmlinuz and initrd.img files are the compressed Linux kernel and the initial ramdisk, respectively.
Step 5: Create Extlinux Configuration File
Finally, we need to create the extlinux configuration file ${TARGET}/boot/extlinux/extlinux.conf with the following contents:
DEFAULT Live
LABEL Live
KERNEL /boot/vmlinuz
APPEND initrd=/boot/initrd boot=live toram=filesystem.squashfs
TIMEOUT 10
PROMPT 0This configuration file sets the default boot option, specifies the kernel and initial ramdisk, and sets boot parameters.
Fixing User Account Login Issue
In case you encounter issues with user accounts not working after the second boot, it is suggested to check the casper scripts, initrd, /usr/share, and libs for any changes or issues. However, in the given context, the user mentioned that they were able to resolve the issue by using the live-boot and live-boot-initramfs-tools packages to generate an initrd and extlinux for the bootloader.
By following these steps, you should be able to create a bootable system with a Squashfs root and resolve any user account login issues. If you have any questions or run into any issues, feel free to leave a comment below.
A Squashfs root is a compressed read-only filesystem for Linux that allows you to boot into a Linux system with a compressed filesystem, which can be beneficial for systems with limited disk space.
The prerequisites for creating a bootable system with Squashfs root are a running Ubuntu system, a target drive for the bootable system, and basic knowledge of Linux command line.
You can install the necessary packages by running the following commands in the terminal:
sudo apt-get install live-boot live-boot-initramfs-tools extlinux
sudo update-initramfs -uTo create a Squashfs file, you can refer to the instructions provided in the link: LiveCDCustomizationFromScratch.
You can format the target drive with ext2/3/4 and enable the bootable flag using a tool like gparted.
After formatting the target drive, you can create the necessary folder layout and install extlinux by running the following commands in the terminal:
mkdir -p ${TARGET}/boot/extlinux ${TARGET}/live
extlinux -i ${TARGET}/boot/extlinux
dd if=/usr/lib/syslinux/mbr.bin of=/dev/sdX # Replace X with the drive letter
cp /boot/vmlinuz-$(uname -r) ${TARGET}/boot/vmlinuz
cp /boot/initrd.img-$(uname -r) ${TARGET}/boot/initrd
cp filesystem.squashfs ${TARGET}/liveTo create the extlinux configuration file, you need to create a file named ${TARGET}/boot/extlinux/extlinux.conf with the following contents:
DEFAULT Live
LABEL Live
KERNEL /boot/vmlinuz
APPEND initrd=/boot/initrd boot=live toram=filesystem.squashfs
TIMEOUT 10
PROMPT 0If you encounter user account login issues after the second boot, it is suggested to check the casper scripts, initrd, /usr/share, and libs for any changes or issues.
