Software projects/OS/Slackware/Build-system

Disclaimer

• Same as here.
• The build system is GPL V3.

Principles

• It's not a one run and go. You need time and patience if you want a full and complete release. Anyway, you can get a minimal alpha build relatively fast.
• The target directory is likely to be a SD card. 8G recommended.
• Phase 1 populates the target directory with the main ARMedslack Linux distribution.
• Phase 2 populates the target directory with parts from official Open Pandora OS and tweaked stuff.
• A specific part of rc.local is executed during the first boot on a Pandora.
• The files folder contains tweaked stuff.
• The pkg folder contains pre-built packages from a previous alpha builds.
• The sources folder contains sources for essential programs.
• Some proprietary stuff is missing, like 3D drivers. They are useful only if you want to compile your own kernel.

Get the build system

• Get the archive here.
• If you don't run a Slackware or a derivative, get the Slackware's installpkg script here. Put it in /sbin and make it executable.

Dependencies

• You need to download the official Open Pandora rootfs: http://openpandora.org/firmware/pandora-rootfs.tar.bz2
• Uncompress it as root anywhere and link it to the build directory as "pandora-rootfs".
• Format a 8G or more SD card with the Ext2 filesystem. To make explanations clear, name it SLACK.
• If you don't know how to format a drive, use GParted under Linux, or run their Live-CD. Here's the manual.
• It's highly recommended to have a second partition formated as a swap. 256M or more is a good choice.

Bash knowledge

• You need minimal bash knowledge in order to understand and succeed. This is a good start.
• Each script contains comments. Read them.

Phase 1

• Run as su -.
• You'll see packages errors because it's a first run.

Phase 2

• Run as su -.
• For this very first alpha build, don't remove the SD card now, you have to edit ie.: /media/SLACK/etc/rc.d/rc.local

rc.local

• Remove simple-comments in order to produce the needed packages during the first boot.
• Put the SD card in the Pandora, and power it on.
• The Pandora will generate all (or almost all) needed packages.
• The Pandora will power off after having done the job. May last for one hour or two.
• Remove the card.
• Save all /media/SLACK/tmp/*.t?z in the PHASE-1.sh

 MYPKGS="/mnt/hd/sdb4/stockage/pandora/armed-pack/sbopkg/Aaa-base/"

folder of the build system.

• Now, you can boot normally this alpha build.

In-between steps

• Plug the net.
• Launch sbopkg as su -, load the vrac1 queue file, process it saying yes (Q) to options and wait. This is gonna be very long. I really mean very.
• Do the same with vrac2 and vrac3.
• Save all /tmp/*.t?z in the MYPKGS="/mnt/hd/sdb4/stockage/pandora/armed-pack/sbopkg/Aaa-vrac/" folder of the build system.
• Be careful with disk space, you may fill the card. If so, save and erase all /tmp/*.t?z, and sources inside /var/cache/sbopkg/ between queues processing.

Final step

• Populate a new SD card, with PHASE-1.sh and PHASE-2.sh
• Edit /media/SLACK/etc/rc.d/rc.local to build the remaining packages to put in $MYPKGS/AAA-base/
• Put the SD card in the Pandora, and power it on.
• The Pandora will generate final needed packages.
• The Pandora will power off after having done the job. May last for one hour or two.
• Remove the card.
• Save all /media/SLACK/tmp/*.t?z in $MYPKGS/AAA-base/ folder of the build system.
• Now, you can create a complete SL4P system.

Creating a compressed rootfs

• Populate a SD card. Now you should know how to do it ;^).
• Boot it on a Pandora.
• Once the Pandora shuts down, remove the card, and follow this procedure.

Special packages

• In the sources folder, you'll find some programs that aren't automatically generated by the build system.
• I ship a light, but optimized version of mplayer. If you want a big bunch of new features, just compile it after having installed many dependencies from /extra.

I don't list those dependencies for now, because i do more useful things ^^.

• Xmms may just needs libmikmod.
• Qt3 is a bit long to build. It should be built before the big playlist. I will probably include it in the alpha building.

Notes

• It may look a bit messy for now (and indeed, some part have to be cleaned), but it's versatile, as i intended from the start.
• Depending on what you comment/uncomment, you can produce an alpha build, very minimal, or a full build.
• Depending on what you edit, you can use it to port any *NIX to Open Pandora, and maintain your build very easily
• The -current build system is under work and is not released yet.

Ask a question/Report a bug

• You're welcome, and please post here: http://boards.openpandora.org/index.php?/topic/1524-slackware-inside-pandora/