Tips_and_Hacks/Creating a LiveCD from an existing ISO.md

Creating a LiveCD from an existing ISO

These instructions are condensed and simplified from the guide at https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LiveCDCustomization. Other information, like regional defaults, or changing the kernel used, can be found in that more complete guide.

1. Make sure you have squashfs-tools and genisoimage

   sudo apt install squashfs-tools genisoimage

2. Extract the iso contents into a folder

   mkdir mnt
   sudo mount -o loop _iso filename_ mnt
   mkdir extract-cd
   sudo rsync --exclude=/casper/filesystem.squashfs -a mnt/ extract-cd
   

3. Extract the Desktop system

   sudo unsquashfs mnt/casper/filesystem.squashfs
   sudo mv squashfs-root edit
   

4. Mount the necessary volumes

   sudo mount --bind /dev/ edit/dev
   sudo chroot edit
   mount -t proc none /proc
   mount -t sysfs none /sys
   mount -t devpts none /dev/pts
   

   To have network resolution in the chroot use:

   sudo mount -o bind /run/ edit/run
   

5. (Optional) If you want to remove some of the installed software, to shrink the volume:

   dpkg-query -W --showformat='${Installed-Size}\t${Package}\n' | sort -nr | less
   

   This will give you a list of installed apps sorted by size. Remember to purge any apps you remove. Alternatively, you can rm-rf /tmp/* ~/.bash_history.

6. ####Make all of the changes to the installed software and configuration here.

7. Unmount the volumes from within the chroot

umount /proc || umount -lf /proc umount /sys umount /dev/pts

Note that if `umount /proc` fails it will cascade to the bruteforce `umount -lf /proc`
7. Exit the chroot

	```
exit
sudo umount edit/dev
    ```

	If you added the network layer:
	
	```
	sudo umount edit/run
	```
8. Assemble the file system
	9. 	Regenerate the manifest

		```
		chmod +w extract-cd/casper/filesystem.manifest
		sudo su
		chroot edit dpkg-query -W --showformat='${Package} ${Version}\n' > extract-cd/casper/filesystem.manifest
		exit
		sudo cp extract-cd/casper/filesystem.manifest extract-cd/casper/filesystem.manifest-desktop
		sudo sed -i '/ubiquity/d' extract-cd/casper/filesystem.manifest-desktop
		sudo sed -i '/casper/d' extract-cd/casper/filesystem.manifest-desktop
		```
	2. Compress the file system

		```
		sudo rm extract-cd/casper/filesystem.squashfs
		sudo mksquashfs edit extract-cd/casper/filesystem.squashfs
		```
		Alternately, for higher compression, try:
		```
		sudo mksquashfs edit extract-cd/casper/filesystem.squashfs -b 1048576
		```
		
		And for the highest possible compression:
		```
		sudo mksquashfs edit extract-cd/casper/filesystem.squashfs -comp xz -e edit/boot
		```
	3. Update the filesystem.size file, which is needed by the installer.

		```
		sudo su
		printf $(du -sx --block-size=1 edit | cut -f1) > extract-cd/casper/filesystem.size
		exit
		```
	2. Set an image name in extract-cd/README.diskdefines

		```
		sudo nano extract-cd/README.diskdefines
		```
	1. Create the new md5sum.txt

		```
		cd extract-cd
		sudo rm md5sum.txt
		find -type f -print0 | sudo xargs -0 md5sum | grep -v isolinux/boot.cat | sudo tee md5sum.txt
		```
	2. Creat the new ISO image

		```
		sudo mkisofs -D -r -V "$IMAGE_NAME" -cache-inodes -J -l -b isolinux/isolinux.bin -c isolinux/boot.cat -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table -o ../_new_iso_disk_image_name.iso .
		```