Creating a Archlinux Live CD LXDE Gui with Larch

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April 5, 2010 Linux No Comments

Step 1: Edit /etc/pacman.conf add information below before the [core] entry.

[larch]
Server = ftp://ftp.berlios.de/pub/larch/larch7/i686
# There must be a blank line after this!

Step 2: Run pacman -Sy as root to update packages.

Step 3: Run pacman -S larch as root to install larch and also create a directory /home/larchbuild

Step 4: Run larch as a regular user, command prompt type larch

Step 5: Project Setting I went with defaults

Step 6:  Installation - Edit 'addedpacks' add applications list below and then click on install.

Here is my list of applications that I wanted on my live system, now some of them you must have and some are my choices. Of course you could start with this and then change it like you feel.

This will take a few minutes to setup. If you add more apps later here then you will have to make all the other changes below again.

base-devel
alsa-utils
alsa-oss
libgl
xorg
mesa
xf86-input-keyboard
xf86-input-mouse
xf86-video-vesa
(You could change this to your Video adapter but this works with Vmware and real hardware.)
xf86-input-synaptics
pdnsd
hal
dbus
xf86-input-evdev
ttf-ms-fonts
ttf-dejavu
ttf-bitstream-vera
lxde
gamin
openbox
leafpad
xarchiver
obconf
firefox
pidgin
epdfview
gthumb
gimp
exaile
vlc
lirc-utils
flashplugin
xvidcore
libdvdcss
brasero
cups
cups-pdf
slim
slim-themes
archlinux-themes-slim
conky
keepassx
rdesktop
chromium
filezilla
pstoedit
mono
tango-icon-theme
tar
gzip
bzip2
zip
unzip
unrar
p7zip
arj
lzma-utils
lzop
obmenu
eject
syslinux
cdrkit
aufs2
aufs2-util
parted
sudo
larchin
roxterm
zenity
cheese
rsync
openssh
pmount

Step 7: Larchify (Don't click Larchify yet)

Add user: username then click on group and change to this list "lp,video,audio,optical,storage,power,hal" without quotes.

Edit supported locales: Unrem en_CA.UTF-8 UTF-8 or whatever locales you want.
Edit Arch configuration: Change TIMEZONE and go to the bottom and under DAEMONS= add alsa dbus hal cups
Now before you larchify do all the configuration changes you would like then click on Larchify. (REMEMBER everytime you add new application in the Installation page you will have to do theses changes again.)

I had some saved files so I copied them to there proper places and edited some files.

cp xorg.conf.new /home/larchbuild/etc/X11/xorg.conf

cp conky.conf /home/larchbuild/etc/conky/

nano /home/larchbuild/etc/sudoers and gave the new user sudo access.

nano /home/larchbuild/etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist and unrem your mirror location.

nano /home/larchbuild/etc/slim.conf and change unrem default_user username and unrem auto_login yes

nano /home/larchbuild/etc/inittab and rem out id:3:initdefault and unrem id:5:initdefault and rem outx:5:respawn:/usr/bin/xdm -nodaemon and unrem x:5:respawn:/usr/bin/slim >& /dev/null

nano /home/larchbuild/etc/skel/.xinitrc and add below
xrandr -s 1024x768 & add this only for VMware Virtual machines.
exec ck-launch-session startlxde

nano /home/larchbuild/etc/xdg/lxsession/LXDE/autostart add @conky at bottom of file.

I added theses entries to disable IPV6 and disable a sound option.
nano /home/larchbuild/etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf and add below
alias net-pf-10 off

nano /home/larchbuild/etc/slim.conf and change current_theme default to
current_theme archlinux-simplyblack
numlock on

Now if you have made all the changes click on larchify in the bottom right corner.

Step 8: Now it is time to create you image file. Click on Prepare Medium and then click on Create larch medium.

You should now have a working Live Archlinux CD. Of course you can do a lot more with this, have fun.

Now that you booted from your LiveCD you can do a install to your hard drive.

Installing to Hard Drive: Using Larchin software. Make sure before doing this that you have good backup of your software and data.

Fresh install:
cfdisk /dev/sda
(created a / partition, /home and swap partition)
mkswap /dev/sda3 (Or what ever partition you have set aside for the swap partition.)
larchin-install -p -l '/:/dev/sda1:ext4:,/home:/dev/sda2:ext4:,swap:/dev/sda3::'
larchin-grub -m -l '/:/dev/sda1::'
Reboot
and your live system will now be on your hard drive.

Installing on a system and keeping /home partition:
cfdisk /dev/sda
(created a / partition, /home and swap partition)
mkswap /dev/sda3 (Or what ever partition you have set aside for the swap partition.)
larchin-install -p -l '/:/dev/sda1:ext4:,/home:/dev/sda2::,swap:/dev/sda3::' (home partition is not being formated, Still have to test this to make sure it works properly.)
larchin-grub -m -l '/:/dev/sda1::'
Reboot
and your live system will be on your system.

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