Make your own Linux Distro challenge!

happyland440

So we've got a bunch challenges running in the ATs, why not a challenge to build your own distro?

I'm doing a build of Linux from Scratch, but you can do what ever you like as long as it's bootable (even if it's just a shell and a few packages installed!).

Good luck!

nathanprocks

I done a LFS build (with systemd) a couple of years ago just for fun. I didn't add any extra software to it.
I also attempted a few years before that but failed because I was a noob back then.

Jonathan50

It sounds good, how will we be judged?

happyland440

Jonathan50 wrote:
It sounds good, how will we be judged?

No judging, just a self challenge for yourself, but I'll compile a list of all the distros made, just like IcyCoder's other challenges (code editor and programming language).

Also, just built binutils! 1 down, about 30 to go!

Last edited by happyland440 (May 20, 2017 23:00:59)

Jonathan50

happyland440 wrote:
No judging, just a self challenge for yourself, but I'll compile a list of all the distros made, just like IcyCoder's other challenges (code editor and programming language).

Okay.

Also, just built binutils! 1 down, about 30 to go!

Do you mean on target or host?

happyland440

Jonathan50 wrote:
happyland440 wrote:
No judging, just a self challenge for yourself, but I'll compile a list of all the distros made, just like IcyCoder's other challenges (code editor and programming language).
Okay.
Also, just built binutils! 1 down, about 30 to go!
Do you mean on target or host?

On the computer I'm making the distro on, so I guess that would be host?

Jonathan50

happyland440 wrote:
On the computer I'm making the distro on, so I guess that would be host?

I meant, are you compiling binutils to use on the host system to compile all the packages for use on the final system, or compiling it for use on the final system? Although if you have the same target on both systems (which you probably do unless you're working on Windows or macOS or a different CPU) you can use the same binaries or just compile everything for the final system with your distro binaries.

happyland440

Jonathan50 wrote:
happyland440 wrote:
On the computer I'm making the distro on, so I guess that would be host?
I meant, are you compiling binutils to use on the host system to compile all the packages for use on the final system, or compiling it for use on the final system? Although if you have the same target on both systems (which you probably do unless you're working on Windows or macOS or a different CPU) you can use the same binaries or just compile everything for the final system with your distro binaries.

I'm using it to compile all the packages on the final system.

Jonathan50

I think I wrote a mini package manager thing to build all the packages for me without requiring my attention. Yay

Last edited by Jonathan50 (May 21, 2017 01:44:48)

herohamp

Can I base the distro off another? Or just the linux kernal?

happyland440

herohamp wrote:
Can I base the distro off another? Or just the linux kernal?

Sure, just make it your own.

happyland440

I have a problem.

I am building libstdc++, however I can't make a build directory because I've already built gcc in that same directory. Re-unpacking the tarball doesn't do anything, it doesn't create a new directory. Help?

nathanprocks

happyland440 wrote:
I have a problem.

I am building libstdc++, however I can't make a build directory because I've already built gcc in that same directory. Re-unpacking the tarball doesn't do anything, it doesn't create a new directory. Help?

The LFS book says to create a directory called ‘gcc-build’ in the gcc directory, cd into it, then configure, make, make install from in that directory.
When something isn't working correctly, you should go back and reread it carefully.

happyland440

nathanprocks wrote:
happyland440 wrote:
I have a problem.

I am building libstdc++, however I can't make a build directory because I've already built gcc in that same directory. Re-unpacking the tarball doesn't do anything, it doesn't create a new directory. Help?
The LFS book says to create a directory called ‘gcc-build’ in the gcc directory, cd into it, then configure, make, make install from in that directory.
When something isn't working correctly, you should go back and reread it carefully.

RIP

I'm pretty sure it said “build”, not “gcc-build”. Thanks anyway.

EDIT: Yep, pretty sure.

make -j4 works, but make install doesn't. This is in a directory called gcc-build. Errors:

../libtool: line 1132: x86_64-lfs-linux-gnu-ranlib: command not found
Makefile:595: recipe for target 'install-toolexeclibLTLIBRARIES' failed
make[2]: *** [install-toolexeclibLTLIBRARIES] Error 127
make[2]: Leaving directory '/mnt/lfs/sources/gcc-6.3.0/gcc-build/libsupc++'
Makefile:725: recipe for target 'install-am' failed
make[1]: *** [install-am] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory '/mnt/lfs/sources/gcc-6.3.0/gcc-build/libsupc++'
Makefile:507: recipe for target 'install-recursive' failed
make: *** [install-recursive] Error 1

Still need help.

Last edited by happyland440 (May 23, 2017 00:34:16)

nathanprocks

happyland440 wrote:
nathanprocks wrote:
happyland440 wrote:
I have a problem.

I am building libstdc++, however I can't make a build directory because I've already built gcc in that same directory. Re-unpacking the tarball doesn't do anything, it doesn't create a new directory. Help?
The LFS book says to create a directory called ‘gcc-build’ in the gcc directory, cd into it, then configure, make, make install from in that directory.
When something isn't working correctly, you should go back and reread it carefully.

RIP

I'm pretty sure it said “build”, not “gcc-build”. Thanks anyway.

EDIT: Yep, pretty sure.

make -j4 works, but make install doesn't. This is in a directory called gcc-build. Errors:
../libtool: line 1132: x86_64-lfs-linux-gnu-ranlib: command not found
Makefile:595: recipe for target 'install-toolexeclibLTLIBRARIES' failed
make[2]: *** [install-toolexeclibLTLIBRARIES] Error 127
make[2]: Leaving directory '/mnt/lfs/sources/gcc-6.3.0/gcc-build/libsupc++'
Makefile:725: recipe for target 'install-am' failed
make[1]: *** [install-am] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory '/mnt/lfs/sources/gcc-6.3.0/gcc-build/libsupc++'
Makefile:507: recipe for target 'install-recursive' failed
make: *** [install-recursive] Error 1
Still need help.

Ah, I have a local copy of LFS which is outdated. I should have looked up the latest version.

The name of the build directory doesn't actually matter. Run ‘make clean’ and try again. If that doesn't work, you may have to go back and check that you done everything else correctly. Also, did you check that all of the required packages are installed on your host system? (2.2. Host System Requirements).

Jonathan50

Well now I can build individual packages without recompiling ones already finished, it's still a rudimentary way to do what I want (I could just make it only configure each package if it hasn't already been configured but run make again each time with no effect unless something has been changed) but this will still be helpful yay

Last edited by Jonathan50 (May 23, 2017 02:40:33)

Jonathan50

I put a basic system on a USB drive and got it running on QEMU, time to try it on my real PC

Jonathan50

No matter what value I put in for root= Linux always can't mount root

I'm using a USB drive, Linux recognizes my internal HDD (sda) but not the drive its running on (sdb), and of course mknod can't solve the problem because root hasn't been mounted yet. Do I need to make an initramfs?

Well I've already got the USB Mass Storage and SCSI disk things checked, and not checked as modules, there is an option for a Lexar Jumpdisk though I have a Lexar disk I don't think it's a jumpdisk but I'll try just in case.

Last edited by Jonathan50 (May 23, 2017 04:59:05)

Jonathan50

Jonathan50 wrote:
Well I've already got the USB Mass Storage and SCSI disk things checked, and not checked as modules, there is an option for a Lexar Jumpdisk Jumpshot though I have a Lexar disk I don't think it's a jumpdisk jumpshot but I'll try just in case.

It doesn't work!

Last edited by Jonathan50 (May 23, 2017 06:04:05)

Jonathan50

I copied it to another disk and it still doesn't work

Does anybody know what to do?

Last edited by Jonathan50 (May 23, 2017 06:39:34)

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