Hello!

How difficult or even possible to create an image of a Ubuntu boot disk?

The situation is the following, we usually take a flash drive, using Universal-USB-Installer-1.8.6.8 install the Ubuntu image on it, allocating 4GB for the changes. Then we put all the necessary packages and utilities, after which we use as a Live boot disk, with which we actually work, transferring from one system to another.

But problems begin with some hardware, such as laptops with ATI cards. And due to the fact that, apparently, some trifle changes in the configuration (and maybe not a trifle), the flash drive stops running on all other machines, too, after which the image has to be uploaded to this flash drive again. Since flash drives are no longer equipped with a read-only switch, we cannot find the output.

The ideal solution would be to create our image from the standard Ubuntu * .iso image, with our packages and programs, which would be downloaded as a LiveCD (DVD) along with the download of Ubuntu itself. After that, we would have recorded this image on a disk and used it, without fear of spoiling our customized system.

Can you please tell me how to implement and is it even possible to implement this system? Advise how to be with the current decision?

Sincerely, thank you.

    6 answers 6

    1. Why not use programs similar to Ghost - clonezilla. And copy the disk images of the system, then boot from the boot sd of this program and upload the system to the receiving machine? is it if the goal is to transfer the configured system to another computer or create a backup disk ...
    2. And what prevents to use UbuntuLiveCD and install the system from it, or boot?
    3. and if the machines on your network, then create an image of a network installation ...

    Ubuntu Russian-speaking community forum , Google search result
    Generally google this topic - it is widely covered (and not only for your distra), so not everything is so bad ...

    • You apparently did not quite understand the problem, @itan_hunt, @Justicet. I do not need to install the system. I also do not need an ISO image. I need my system on a CD / DVD with the installed packages and programs that I use. 1. I do not need an installation disc, I need LiveDVD with the packages I need. With a flash drive, I can boot, make changes and they will remain, I can not do this with a disk. Therefore, you must first boot from the flash drive, "roll out" everything you need to work there, and then the resulting drop to disk to avoid changes. 3.. Machines are not always online. - Dex
    • @Justicet, if you tell me how to set up the configured system into the iso image / disk again, to be able to simply boot from it, I will be grateful. - Dex
    • It is now clear. [Creating a Live CD with adding packages] [1]; [Here is a description of how to add modules / packages and make your LiveSD on the example of Slax] [2]; [The most important and interesting: online Reconstructor (but for a fee)] [3] ; [Creation using Fedora as an example] [4]; [Creation based on Gentoo] [5]. Choose to your taste. The list, by the way, is not complete ... [1]: doc.slitaz.org/ru:handbook:genlivecd[2[:http://… - Justicet
    • @Justicet, did not find an option so that the "cast" could be done with the current system. Since some applications are installed manually from source. It seems that only Gentoo has something similar, but it may not be necessary for us to pack and program. - Dex
    • No matter what kind of distrib - you need to take the idea. Distribution is not so much different (if you do not take into account the external design). For example, in the Fedorovskiy variant it is generally described step by step how to create LiveCyDi with necessary programs, you can try to specify your program collected in a * .deb-package ... And considering that many programs are in different types of packages, then the field for activities ... - Justicet

    Install Remastersys on your system, but do not run ... Install the packages you need and are sufficient in the system ... Compile on health everything you want, what would have been ... Add UNetBootin and (or) MultiBoot there. These programs are worth it. Now you can run Remastersys. In its settings, specify how to name the system, user name, etc., etc. You can now create a disk image. It will create both the file system itself and the image for burning-seaming. You can add whatever you think is necessary to the file system (usually settings from / etc ...) and re-create the sneak ... Then use UNetBootin or MultiBoot to roll your creation onto a USB flash drive, but with a Persistant area. There you can then put what you forgot in the process of creation, your wallpaper, xorg.conf., Browser settings, etc. ... Use, and good luck to you!

    • Already done all this. Works. And thank you. - Dex

    You can create a live cd from an already installed system using remastersys http://www.geekconnection.org/remastersys/

    • Yes, yes, thank you, we have already discussed this a little higher - Dex

    Try MondoRescue :

    You can use Mondo to clone an installation of Linux. Just backup / home, / var / log, etc.

    • It will not work for him, for: "You can use Mondo to clone an installed system. Simply create a backup copy of the main data (with the exception) except / home, / var / log, etc" - Justicet
    • That is, I do not need a backup. As such, there is no system to backup. There is a system on a flash drive with a set of utilities installed. But now from this flash drive I want to make a disk. - Dex

    Well, you give a damn ... dd if = / dev / sdb of = / home / user / rescue_flash.iso Where / dev / sdb change to the drive device path (and not the partition on it, otherwise the bootloader will not be copied)

    • 1. And where then will I get 32GB? 2. How will it work if then this image is simply poured onto a DVD disc? Does the loader work? - Dex
    • 1. On a free space, you can create a partition and drop fresh packages there, or back up data from the system being restored. The dd command creates an exact bit-wise copy including the master boot record. Any CD / DVD recorder will allow you to get a boot disk, unless of course the media from which the ISO image was shot was bootable. - aDemon

    @Dex : There is a wonderful utility in linux called "Xfburn" (for burning). No more difficult Nero :) with a simple, clear-GUI. All you need is to download the ISO image of the desired distribution kit. Getting the program right will be easy.