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• Launchpad Entry: customised-iso

• Packages affected:

Summary

Create a tool for easy making of customised Ubuntu iso images.

Release Note

This tool will allow any user without technical knowledge to create a customised cd/dvd image of Ubuntu. This will allow LoCo teams for easier creation of localised Ubuntu images. Ordinary users will be able to create an Ubuntu image suited to their personal taste, with their favourite applications included. More anxious users will have an easier way to create a specialised Ubuntu based distribution.

Rationale

A tool for easy creating of customised iso images will allow for further adoption of Ubuntu and will increase the number of creative ideas in which Ubuntu could be changed.

Use Cases

1. The LoCo team in Taiwan wants to distribute a localised iso image of Edubuntu with the language packs for Chinese, Japanese and Korean instead of the default ones.

2. The computer magazine "foo" wants to distribute a branded Ubuntu CD and put their logo into the boot and login screens.

3. A Ubuntu user group wants to exchange some applications on the default CD and redistribute the modified isos under a new name.

4. Tom wants to make his personal Ubuntu remix with his favourite apps added.

5. Joan wants to make an Ubuntu derivative.

Assumptions

Design

You can have subsections that better describe specific parts of the issue.

Implementation

This section should describe a plan of action (the "how") to implement the changes discussed. Could include subsections like:

UI Changes

Should cover changes required to the UI, or specific UI that is required to implement this

Code Changes

Code changes should include an overview of what needs to change, and in some cases even the specific details.

Migration

Include:

• data migration, if any
• redirects from old URLs to new ones, if any
• how users will be pointed to the new way of doing things, if necessary.

Test/Demo Plan

It's important that we are able to test new features, and demonstrate them to users. Use this section to describe a short plan that anybody can follow that demonstrates the feature is working. This can then be used during CD testing, and to show off after release.

This need not be added or completed until the specification is nearing beta.

Outstanding Issues

This should highlight any issues that should be addressed in further specifications, and not problems with the specification itself; since any specification with problems cannot be approved.

BoF agenda and discussion

• Look into existing tools like UCK and Reconstructor
  • neither UCK, nor Reconstructor fulfills our needs completely

    • UCK:

      • why?

    • Reconstructor:

      • why?

  • DRU - Dell's Disc Remastering Utility

• KIWI has limitations

  • Can only modify images that were build by kiwi
  • Would need something like an initial import tool for the default iso to create the xml config
  • Commandline only

• look into the tools provided by Redhat (Revisor)

• collaborate with Debian - see CDD - Custom Debian Distributions - tools and discussion on Debian Wiki

  • Custom Debian Distribution Toolkit - work in progress

• Other tools:

  • Remastersys - a tool for making a livecd from your Ubuntu installation

  • Builder - gNewSense builder script

• Branding
• Requirements
  • customising LiveCDs and Package based isos
  • have a decent UI which can be scriptable
  • having reasonable recipes for often used tasks
    • changing default language and removing not needed language packs
    • changing default artwork
    • changing default set of packages
    • changing default desktop enviroment (could be messy)
  • reminding users of using a different name when modifying too much of the original iso.
  • facilities to include arbitrary packages
  • gui and command line interface
  • independent of the ubuntu version for as far as possible, easily adaptable to different releases
• Action
  • get into contact with upstream developers of the mentioned solutions and present them our requirements
  • try out what those tools provide already
  • prepare a summary and post to ubuntu-devel

Similar specs

• DerivativeTeam/Specs/DerivativeDistroTools - older spec

• LiveCDCreator - another spec

• Unidistro - A framework to create and maintain a Debian/Ubuntu derivative distro -- AzraelNightwalker 2008-01-02 16:31:49

Discussion

• being a developer of UCK, I think that using UCK + reconstructor allows you to do all you wrote in the use cases, what I see for the future is UCK + reconstructor to join in a single project where uck does the low lever (iso manipulation) and reconstructor does the UI customizations. - FabrizioBalliano

CategorySpec