:B~ Managing a configuration

1~managing-a-configuration Managing a configuration

This chapter explains how to manage a live configuration from initial creation, through successive revisions and successive releases of both the live-build software and the live image itself.

2~ Dealing with configuration changes

Live configurations rarely are perfect on the first try. It may be fine to pass #{lb config}# options from the command-line to perform a single build, but it is more typical to revise those options and build again until you are satisfied. To support these changes, you will need auto scripts which ensure your configuration is kept in a consistent state.

3~ Why use auto scripts? What do they do?

The #{lb config}# command stores the options you pass to it in #{config/*}# files along with many other options set to default values. If you run #{lb config}# again, it will not reset any option that was defaulted based on your initial options. So, for example, if you run #{lb config}# again with a new value for #{--distribution}#, any dependent options that were defaulted for the old distribution may no longer work with the new. Nor are these files intended to be read or edited. They store values for over a hundred options, so nobody, let alone yourself, will be able to see in these which options you actually specified. And finally, if you run #{lb config}#, then upgrade live-build and it happens to rename an option, #{config/*}# would still contain variables named after the old option that are no longer valid.

For all these reasons, #{auto/*}# scripts will make your life easier. They are simple wrappers to the #{lb config}#, #{lb build}# and #{lb clean}# commands that are designed to help you manage your configuration. The #{auto/config}# script stores your #{lb config}# command with all desired options, the #{auto/clean}# script removes the files containing configuration variable values, and the #{auto/build}# script keeps a #{build.log}# of each build. Each of these scripts is run automatically every time you run the corresponding #{lb}# command. By using these scripts, your configuration is easier to read and is kept internally consistent from one revision to the next. Also, it will be much easier for you identify and fix options which need to change when you upgrade live-build after reading the updated documentation.

3~ Use example auto scripts

For your convenience, live-build comes with example auto shell scripts to copy and edit. Start a new, default configuration, then copy the examples into it:

code{

 $ mkdir mylive && cd mylive && lb config
 $ cp /usr/share/doc/live-build/examples/auto/* auto/

}code

Edit #{auto/config}#, adding any options as you see fit. For instance:

code{

 #!/bin/sh
 lb config noauto \
     --architectures i386 \
     --linux-flavours 686-pae \
     --binary-images hdd \
     --mirror-bootstrap http://ftp.ch.debian.org/debian/ \
     --mirror-binary http://ftp.ch.debian.org/debian/ \
     "${@}"

}code

Now, each time you use #{lb config}#, #{auto/config}# will reset the configuration based on these options. When you want to make changes to them, edit the options in this file instead of passing them to #{lb config}#. When you use #{lb clean}#, #{auto/clean}# will clean up the #{config/*}# files along with any other build products. And finally, when you use #{lb build}#, a log of the build will be written by #{auto/build}# in #{build.log}#.

*{Note:}* A special #{noauto}# parameter is used here to suppress another call to #{auto/config}#, thereby preventing infinite recursion. Make sure you don't accidentally remove it when making edits. Also, take care to ensure when you split the #{lb config}# command across multiple lines for readability, as shown in the example above, that you don't forget the backslash (\) at the end of each line that continues to the next.

2~clone-configuration-via-git Clone a configuration published via Git

Use the #{lb config --config}# option to clone a Git repository that contains a Debian Live configuration. If you would like to base your configuration on one maintained by the Debian Live project, look at http://live.debian.net/gitweb/ for the repository named #{live-images}# in the category #{Packages}#. This repository contains the configurations for the Debian Live {prebuilt images}#downloading-prebuilt-images.

For example, to build a rescue image, use the #{live-images}# repository as follows:

code{

 $ mkdir live-images && cd live-images
 $ lb config --config git://live.debian.net/git/live-images.git
 $ cd images/rescue

}code

Edit #{auto/config}# and any other things you need in the #{config}# tree to suit your needs. For example, the unofficial non-free prebuilt images are made by simply adding #{--archive-areas "main contrib non-free"}#.

You may optionally define a shortcut in your Git configuration by adding the following to your #{${HOME}/.gitconfig}#:

code{

 [url "git://live.debian.net/git/"]
         insteadOf = ldn:

}code

This enables you to use #{ldn:}# anywhere you need to specify the address of a #{live.debian.net}# git repository. If you also drop the optional #{.git}# suffix, starting a new image using this configuration is as easy as:

code{

 $ lb config --config ldn:live-images

}code

Cloning the entire #{live-images}# repository pulls the configurations used for several images. If you feel like building a different image after you have finished with the first one, change to another directory and again and optionally, make any changes to suit your needs.

In any case, remember that every time you will have to build the image as superuser: #{lb build}#
