What's the best (recommended) way to modify a Fedora install ISO ?

[Fernando Cassia]

I'm curious as to what is the best, or official way to modify a Fedora ISO
image considering that I only want to change the defaults of a few handful
packages, not do any major rebranding or modifications.

For instance, I'd like a Fedora ISO that includes cups-pdf pre-installed as
the default printer. How would one go about adding such package to the
default LiveCD?

Let's say also that I want only Firefox and all other packages under
"Internet" removed.

Just to name two examples... is there a "custom LiveCD creator" ?

FC


-- 
During times of Universal Deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary
act
Durante épocas de Engaño Universal, decir la verdad se convierte en un Acto
Revolucionario
- George Orwell

[T.C. Hollingsworth]

On Sat, Apr 27, 2013 at 6:19 PM, Fernando Cassia <fcassia(a)gmail.com&gt; wrote:
>  I'm curious as to what is the best, or official way to modify a
> Fedora ISO
>  image considering that I only want to change the defaults of a few handful
>  packages, not do any major rebranding or modifications.
>
>  For instance, I'd like a Fedora ISO that includes cups-pdf pre-installed
>  as the default printer. How would one go about adding such package to the
>  default LiveCD?
>
>  Let's say also that I want only Firefox and all other packages under
>  "Internet" removed.
>
>  Just to name two examples... is there a "custom LiveCD creator" ? 
You can roll your own custom live media with livemedia-creator, the
same tool used to build Fedora live images.  You can find it in the
"lorax" package in Fedora.

See its README here for some usage examples:
https://git.fedorahosted.org/cgit/lorax.git/tree/README.livemedia-creator

After you've got lorax installed, clone the spin-kickstarts repo:
git clone git://git.fedorahosted.org/spin-kickstarts.git

Then cd to it, and check out the branch for the Fedora version you
want to build live media for:
cd spin-kickstarts
git checkout f18

Start with the kickstart for the desktop of your choice (e.g.
fedora-livecd-desktop.ks for GNOME), and then edit the %packages
section to contain the packages you want.  Note that you can remove
packages from the default set by adding them to the %packages section
with a minus sign in front of them.  See this page for a complete
description of kickstart syntax:
https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Anaconda/Kickstart

Once you've got your kickstart like you like it, follow the
instructions in the README to build your ISO.  There's an example of
how the author made their own custom XFCE live media in there.

If you run into trouble, you'll have to ask the anaconda folks for
help.  I doubt anyone on this list is qualified to debug issues with
this process.  Their list is here:
https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/anaconda-devel-list

Keep in mind that they're busy getting anaconda ready for F19, so they
might not be able to help right away.

There used to be a graphical tool called "revisor" to make this
process easier, but it's currently unmaintained and the process for
making live media in Fedora has completely changed in the interim so
it's useless at the moment.  :-(  So going at it manually as described
above is the only way to go right now.

Good luck!

-T.C.

[Fernando Cassia]

On Sat, Apr 27, 2013 at 9:46 PM, T.C. Hollingsworth <
tchollingsworth(a)gmail.com&gt; wrote:

>  Once you've got your kickstart like you like it, follow the
>  instructions in the README to build your ISO.
>  
Amazing reply!. Thanks for the detailed help.
I'm gonna print that one and have it next to me while looking for trouble
:)... errm... I mean trying to do it.

FC