[plug] How to build a complete Linux solution + app on a CD?

[Paul Arch]

Fred Janon wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I don't know much about Linux, hopefully more in the next year, so
> maybe you can tell me how to achieve this:
>
> I would like to be able to deliver a complete Linux + applications
> (Java, Tomcat, mySQL + my custom app) preconfigured on a bootable CD to
> my customers.
>
>   
<snip>
Hi Fred,

 a good starting point would be to look at a bootable CD ( like knoppix 
) - get something simple.  Actually I think starting with something like 
a rescue CD image ( I used SuSE ) is good.  Mount this, see how it 
works, and add what software you need.
 
 Whilst I have only just recently created a complete Linux op. System 
running off CD, I have had plenty of experience in creating custom 
deployments on embedded systems that do not have Hard Disks, with the 
concepts being very simular to CD :

    1.  Find out what parts of the system are read only - its probably 
going to be nearly all of your system ( eg. /boot, /etc/ , /www/ )
    2.  Find out which parts of the system require write access ( eg. 
/tmp , /var/log , /var/run )
    3.  Create Ramdisks to suit - this is where the system write access 
actions need to happen
    4.  Symbolic link and copy files to Ramdisks upon boot

 For what you are doing, I would image the java/tomcat installations are 
going to come under point (1), except of course their lock and log files 
etc.

 Mysql is mostly (1) if your application doesn't require write back ( 
and only reads from mysql tables ) - this was not the case for me, so I 
had some boot scripts to create tables upon boot, seed them with 
information, and operated these out of Ramdisks ( symbolic linked out of 
the usual mysql db directories )

 Lastly, if you need to permantly save any information anywhere.... well 
you can't unless you have a device which allows this ( eg. usb thumb drive )

 If you want I can post up what I have created in the past, contact me 
off list if interested.

cheers

-- 


Paul Arch

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