How do I mount a live compressed file system for reading & writing from a liveCD/DVD image ????? ...

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1

Hello,

On a Linux CD/DVD, there are compressed filesystem images for the live version for KDE or Gnome for example, but they have no extension, but they are clearly an image file ( compressed filesystem images for the live version before installation ) !!

I was wondering, How do I mount these compressed filesystem images, after I copy the ISO content of the CD/DVD on my system … I want to edit some files or packages and make some changes, like if I want to customize a live version of gnome for example ! … ( I know you might be tempted to tell me to use KIWI etc to customize etc … ) … but I want to be able to mount the compressed file system image, then edit it for reading and writing while it is in a subdirectory on its own … i want to open it ! … is there a way to do this ??? … these type of files have no extension …

Please help … can someone give me a command so i can open this compressed filesystem image then to edit for read & write … before I roll it back again … If and when I succeed … what should I watch out for ? … will the same compressed file image but slightly modified work again ??? … please advise ! any cues on this will be much appreciated !

thank you

Don

PS. that same question could be kind of translated or be extended like : how do I use unionfs/squashfs programs on the command line to mount these image files with no extension for read & write mode ???

2

On 07/09/2011 06:06 PM, Ls Don X wrote:
>
> please advise ! any cues on this will be much appreciated !

i not perfectly certain i know what you are trying to do, but if it is
build a custom iso, then the easiest way to do that is to do it here
http://susestudio.com/ and then download the iso to your machine…

if you must do it locally, then you have to start by mounting the iso:


su -
mount -oloop [full path and ISO name] /mnt

You can then access the files and folders from the ISO in the folder
named /mnt, and you can even run that image in a VM, but i don’t know if
you can actually change the iso’s contents…

–
DD
-Caveat-Hardware-Software-

3

I must admit that I do not understand half what you want or what you found on those CDs/DVDs. But while you are talking about extensions, you may mean the extensions that belonged to MS-DOS file identifications in MS-DOS file systems. Be aware that there is not such a thing as an extension of that type in Unix/Linux. Many people nevertheless call the last group of characters after the last dot in a fils name (when available) an extension, but that is a misnnomer and be aware that a Unix/Linux system has no real concept of them. They are more of a type of human reminder that says: “I think that the contents of this file is defined by that and that definition, thus this file may be handled correctly by so and so application”. And sadly enough, some applications are not cleverer then human beings in making descisions on those character texts, instead of looking inide the file what the contents might be. Often these are Desktop oriented applications.

4

Thx for the tip … but ! …
the files I am talking about are on the iso ! … I have done the susestudio ! I have made a custom build of a live gnome with susestudio … but … it does not do what I really want to do !
I have done it locally too … with KIWI …
I still get that big file with no extension …

here are some more info :
let’s consider the OpenSuse 11.4 DVD as an example, there are 2 files :

  1. config.kde.isoclient
  2. config.gnome.isoclient

for example, the config.kde.isoclient file contains the following :

IMAGE=/dev/ram1;openSUSE-kde-11.4-livecd-kde.i686;2.8.0
UNIONFS_CONFIG=/dev/ram1,/dev/loop1,clicfs

That gives me a hint that it might be a unionfs related scheme …

and the files that I am referring to in my first question above are on the DVD or the live CDs are :

openSUSE-kde-11.4-livecd-kde-read-only.i686-2.8.0
openSUSE-kde-11.4-livecd-gnome-read-only.i686-2.8.0

with no extensions and they weigh about 665 MiB each

… after doing a custom build, susestudio created one just like it ! … locally, KIWI created one just like it too … !
old suse distros ( like the 10.0 named SUSE OSS ) did not have this file … so it is easy to customize and do what I want to do … but now … since 11.0
these files are on all live CDs or DVDs.

so … I want to use another approach … can you help me with finding a command to open up one of these files so I can experiment …and eventually … possibly …really do what I am trying to do !

thx

cheers

Don

5

If you tell use what you are trying to do there may be an easier way.

6

I am trying to rebrand OpenSUSE completely !
My initiative is to eventually launch a distro project … in the likes of what MINT, MEPIS & UBUNTU did for Debian … I wish to be able to do that with and to OpenSUSE ! while this new distro would be ( may-be ) 100 % compatible with OpenSUSE packages and repositories ! … it is an ambitious project ! … I already tried to go with LFS with incorporating YAST into it ! … as the main control and configuration tool as well as the installation & package manager tool … but … but … but … too many bugs … I get lost … so … my next option is to completely rebrand the OpenSUSE 11.4 ( the stable version ) …

Suse Studio & Kiwi does not do it for me the way I want it done ! … so … I am still looking for solutions …

I use as a reference the link about rebrand Opensuse ; ( SDB:Making an openSUSE based distribution - openSUSE )

but it is a bit outdated !! … only the “debranding” portion that stays relevant … but to do so … I would need to do what I am asking for … to mount for read & write that compress image file with no extension !

to have a small idea of my initiative : go to the website : The “BOYO Linux” Project

I’ll be happy to share with you my plan … the website is still under construction ! no operational links yet ! … just this single page so far ( home.html ) as a very brief introduction of my initiative ! … I am planning on getting a written authorisation from Novell/OpenSUSE for debranding ! and possibly their coorporation with this ! …

thx

Don

7

On 07/10/2011 06:36 PM, Ls Don X wrote:

> I am planning on getting a written authorisation from Novell/OpenSUSE for
> debranding ! and possibly their coorporation with this ! …

good luck with your ambitious project…

but why?

in what ways would your rebranding improve openSUSE?

that is, if you strip out all the SUSE branding and insert your own BOYO
Linux logo, how does that make the world a better place?

just me (i’m not with Novell, Attachmate, or SUSE.de in anyway…i’m
just a user) but, i’d recommend instead of using your time asking
questions here you go ahead and get whatever written authorization you
require to proceed and then ask the folks that give you that
authorization how to proceed…

why? because we here, in this forum are only users helping users…you
need to talk with the folks who know what they are talking about, the
folks who actually construct the DVD/CD iso’s…they are not here,
they are the developers, they are almost never seen here, ever…but,
you are free to ask them about the secrets of their iso files on IRC or
in their mail lists, begin here:

http://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Communication_channels

–
DD
-Caveat-Hardware-Software-

8

On 2011-07-09 18:06, Ls Don X wrote:
>
> Hello,
>
> On a Linux CD/DVD, there are compressed filesystem images for the live
> version for KDE or Gnome for example, but they have no extension, but
> they are clearly an image file ( compressed filesystem images for the
> live version before installation ) !!

If you use “file” on those compressed images, it will tell you what they are.

> I was wondering, How do I mount these compressed filesystem images,
> after I copy the ISO content of the CD/DVD on my system … I want to
> edit some files or packages and make some changes, like if I want to
> customize a live version of gnome for example ! …

You can’t do that on the ISO image, because it is read-only. If you do what
I told you above, then perhaps you can write to the image copied elsewhere.
How, depends on the type, but perhaps you have to create an expanded
filesystem then use whatever tools to create a read-only-compressed image
of it.

–
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 11.4 x86_64 “Celadon” at Telcontar)

9

Hello Carlos,

Sorry … I was a bit busy and did not get back to this thread for a few days …

OK ! - the command file : tells me they are : “data”
so the answer is not very conclusive … from what I’ve read on the manpages of the file command !

I am under the impression that they are somekind of a squashfs/unionfs scheme … but I have no idea on how to extract or open these compress images or files … ! …

I am aware that they are read only … I will need to extract them somewhere else … then read/edit/write/ modify the contents etc … then … after … possibly reverse it back to its original format within the ISO CD/DVD file … or build a new ISO with for it.

anyways … thanx …

Don

10

good luck with your ambitious project…

Thank you ! … but I doubt your authenticity !

but why?

Why not !!

in what ways would your rebranding improve openSUSE?

I never implied that it would improve openSUSE ! but it will surely widen the circle… the community of open source linux !

that is, if you strip out all the SUSE branding and insert your own BOYO
Linux logo, how does that make the world a better place?

Did Ubuntu made the world a better place ?? … did MINT, did … whatever … Think outside the box a minute !

it is not making the world a better place … but it makes a difference … no matter how small !!

What I can tell you … some OpenSource solutions and technologies applied to real problems and situations, influence cost ! … think about the impact of Opensource applications in various context in a low developed country where the cost is always a factor ! … where organizations ( public and private ) wish they could embrace technology … but the costs hold them back !!! … and while few get to be hooked by the likes of Microsoft … with their yearly license renewal fees … etc …

just me (i’m not with Novell, Attachmate, or SUSE.de in anyway…i’m
just a user) but, i’d recommend instead of using your time asking
questions here you go ahead and get whatever written authorization you
require to proceed and then ask the folks that give you that
authorization how to proceed…

why? because we here, in this forum are only users helping users…

I am a user too … and a seasoned developer with an initiative …

openSUSE:Communication channels - openSUSE

Thanks for the tip … I seldom do chit - chat with them … but they are not as responsive as you most of the time … :wink:

Besides … may be that is about to change … I’ve heard … many of these openSUSE developers in the US got the boot ! as the openSUSE operations in the North Amercia is being sliced & slimmed !

11

good luck with your ambitious project…

**Thank you ! … but I doubt your authenticity ! **

but why?

Why not !!

in what ways would your rebranding improve openSUSE?

**I never implied that it would improve openSUSE ! but it will surely widen the circle… the community of open source linux ! **

*that is, if you strip out all the SUSE branding and insert your own BOYO
Linux logo, how does that make the world a better place?
*
**Did Ubuntu made the world a better place ?? … did MINT, did … whatever … Think outside the box a minute !

it is not making the world a better place … but it makes a difference … no matter how small !!

What I can tell you … some OpenSource solutions and technologies applied to real problems and situations, influence cost ! … think about the impact of Opensource applications in various context in a low developed country where the cost is always a factor ! … where organizations ( public and private ) wish they could embrace technology … but the costs hold them back !!! … and while few get to be hooked by the likes of Microsoft … with their yearly license renewal fees … etc …
**

just me (i’m not with Novell, Attachmate, or SUSE.de in anyway…i’m
just a user) but, i’d recommend instead of using your time asking
questions here you go ahead and get whatever written authorization you
require to proceed and then ask the folks that give you that
authorization how to proceed…

why? because we here, in this forum are only users helping users…*

**I am a user too … and a seasoned developer with an initiative …
**
openSUSE:Communication channels - openSUSE

**Thanks for the tip … I seldom do chit - chat with them … but they are not as responsive as you most of the time … :wink:

Besides … may be that is about to change … I’ve heard … many of these openSUSE developers in the US got the boot ! as the openSUSE operations in the North America is being sliced & slimmed !**

12

I booted the live CD for 12.1 M2. I then checked what was running. The relevant running process seems to be


clicfs -m 2005 /path/to/filename

Sorry, but I didn’t feel like typing in the file name. It is that huge file on the mounted CD, presumably with the compressed root file system.

To find the relevant process, after booting up, I just ran “fuser” on that file (as root). The result was the PID of the process using the file. I then did “ps -fp pidnumber” to get details of the process. The output of the ps is truncated, so there could have been additional arguments that I didn’t see.

I suggest google to lookup “clicfs”.

13

On 2011-07-13 04:36, nrickert wrote:
> I suggest google to lookup “clicfs”.

Several openSUSE hits…

–
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 11.4 x86_64 “Celadon” at Telcontar)