Modify PXE Image

[KentUB]

I am replacing a number of XP instances in our public library with Puppy booting PXE. I have setup my PXE server with FatDog64 and I am able to get clients booting like I want. Now comes the point where I would like to modify some settings on the PXEboot image. Things like browser homepage, add some favorites and add some puplets before I roll this out.

Can anyone point me to a how-to or tell me how I might do this? My days of Google search have not turned up anything, but likely I am using the wrong search terms.

[bigpup]

browser homepage

Should be able to change that in the browser preference settings.

Basics of installing program packages
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=59597

After you get everything the way you want it, you could do a remaster and make a customized Puppy version.

Remaster Guide
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=71349

[Barkin]

I am replacing a number of XP instances in our public library

If it's a public library maybe a use a "kiosk" version of Puppy to make it public-proof , i.e. resistant to accidental damage or deliberate misuse*.

https://www.google.com/search?q=kiosk+site%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.murga-linux.com%2Fpuppy

This thread may be of interest ... "Would Puppy be a good choice for a public library? "


[ * could a puppy on your network be permitted to monitor the traffic on the network ?, i.e. record what the other patrons were doing on t'internet.
Software like Wireshark which may be able to do this is freely is available for Puppy ]

[KentUB]

Thanks for the link. I have been looking to lock down what they can do and looked at a lot of Kiosk distros, but not found one that has everything we need yet. I have Slacko setup for testing right now with no persistence, so they can mess it up all they want and a simple reboot gives them the golden image. However I would prefer someone can not install something like wireshark.

[gcmartin]

Hello @KentUB

You may find this is what could match your goal.

Otherwise, a configure of a Slacko via PPM and a remaster for an ISO which matches the needs would match your original requests.

Hope this helps

[KentUB]

Well I have made quite a bit of progress and have gotten the image to just about where I need it. I have two things that my Google searches have not found a way to get around.

First is that QuickSetup launches each and every time. Since all 10 computers this will be used on are identical, I want to setup everything, remaster and be done. However I have not gotten it to work right. On top of that we tested with a few people and they went off the deep end reporting to library staff the machine was broken.

The second is turning off the prompt to save the session when shutting down. I followed the directions at: http://www.canbike.ca/off-topic/aggrega ... tml#splash which resulted in nothing but Kernal Panic.

Any hints, links or pointers?

[gcmartin]

I think you may have to remaster the PUP you are trying to boot on those PC. I use Lighthouse's approach to building the PXE and it is different from the approach you are using in FATDOG. Running Lighthouse64's implementation setup to support remote booting of a FATDOG distro on any LAN PC, I do not see an initial pop-up.

Is your PXE staged to boot FATDOG or some other PUP on those LAN PCs?

Here to help

[KentUB]

Due to a number of issues I have moved to Ubuntu as my PXE server. However my client LAN PCs are running Slacko 5.7.

I am trying to configure the PXE image for the Clients. After doing almost all the changes I wanted and remastering everything is running smooth other than just the Popups on boot and the popup for saving the session, neither of which do I want.

*Edited for clarity*

[gcmartin]

If I understand correctly, you have setup a new Ubuntu server on the library's LAN and on that, you run a PXE server subsystem serving Slacko 5.7.

An idea I have, for what you want to do, may be useful to you. You will need to:

1. Identify the features to stop (you already have done so)
2. Open the ISO and extract the files for shutdown changes
3. Add the file for startup change
4. Run ISOmaster on the 5.7 ISO
5. add-replace the necessary files

ISOmaster will create a new ISO and you're done. Then from the new ISO, you can reload your TFTP subsystem.

Check your PM for a question I have of you

Hope this helps.

[KentUB]

Sounds real good, however the problem I am having is identifying the items I need to replace referred to in B and C. I am sure my limited Linux knowledge means that I am not properly searching Google or these forums.

I thought I had the quickstart script located, since a couple of articles referred me to /usr/bin/QuickStart. However it is not there at all on my copy of Slacko 5.7. I just keep crashing ahead knowing I will solve it sooner or later and learn a lot more about Linux in the process.

[gcmartin]

Sounds real good, however the problem I am having is identifying the items I need to replace referred to in B and C. I am sure my limited Linux knowledge means that I am not properly searching Google or these forums.

I thought I had the quickstart script located, since a couple of articles referred me to /usr/bin/QuickStart. However it is not there at all on my copy of Slacko 5.7. I just keep crashing ahead knowing I will solve it sooner or later and learn a lot more about Linux in the process.

I think this was covered earlier by a forum member. Quickstart Personalization launches based upon the presence or absence of a system file. Once it run, it insures that the file is ever present so that on boots, it never launches again.

Hope this helps

[KentUB]

I will have to go back and reread everything. It does not seem to stick with a remaster. So likely I just need to grab it and move it into the remaster build folder.

In case I had not said it before, I certainly appreciate the assistance everyone has given, even if tangentially. I spent hours trying to figure out how to remaster. However until it was mentioned in this thread I did not even know the term remaster and was using all sorts of other terms. I learned a ton from reading a load of documentation, threads and blog postings so far after getting on the right track.

[KentUB]

I found what I needed to almost completely stop the save on exit through a post by shadower_sc for Precise Puppy 5.4. The most helpful part of that post was that not only did he post the line numbers like everyone else he posted the code that needed to be commented out. So I will post the info here as well in case others may find it helpful.

Each version will have different line numbers.

Edit file /etc/rc.d/rc.shutdown. In Slacko 5.7 it is lines 283-297 that need to be commented out with a # at the beginning. In other version it might be slightly different lines, the code to comment out is:

#first time booted puppy, there may not have been any persistent storage...
if [ $PUPMODE -eq 5 ];then #ifpupmode5

#110919 code moved out to /usr/sbin/shutdownconfig.
#note, shutdownconfig normally called via /usr/bin/wmreboot or wmpoweroff when want shutdown from X.
unset PUPSAVE SAVEFS SAVEPART SAVEFILE NAMEONLY SAVEPATH MYPASSWORD SFEXT xPDEV xDEVFS
if [ ! -f /tmp/shutdownconfig_results ];then
shutdownconfig
fi
if [ -s /tmp/shutdownconfig_results ];then
. /tmp/shutdownconfig_results #supplies variables PUPMODE SAVEFS PUPSAVE SAVEPART SAVEFILE NAMEONLY SAVEPATH MYPASSWORD SFEXT
rm -f /tmp/shutdownconfig_results #precaution.
fi

fi #end ifpupmode5

Edit the file /usr/bin/wmpoweroff
Comment out line 24 which should read:

shutdownconfig #dlgs for creating save-file.

Edit the file /usr/bin/wmreboot
Comment out line 24 which should read:

shutdownconfig #dlgs for creating save-file.

Now I said I almost have this, I now get a console screen asking me if I want to save my session and I have not found where to change this. So I am still missing something.