How to create a custom Ubuntu live from scratch

This procedure shows how to create a bootable and installable Ubuntu Live (along with the automatic hardware detection and configuration) from scratch. The steps described below are also available in this repo in the /scripts directory.

Authors

Marcos Vallim - Founder, Author, Development, Test, Documentation - mvallim
Ken Gilmer - Commiter, Development, Test, Documentation - kgilmer

See also the list of contributors who participated in this project.

Ways of Using this Tutorial

(Recommended) follow the directions step by step below to understand how to build an Ubuntu ISO.
Run the build.sh script in the scripts directory after checking this repo out locally.
Fork this repo and run the github action build. This will generate an ISO in your github account.

Terms

build system - the computer environment running the build scripts that generate the ISO.
live system - the computer environment that runs from the live OS, generated by a build system. This may also be referred to as the chroot environment.
target system - the computer environment that runs after installation has completed from a live system.

Prerequisites (GNU/Linux Debian/Ubuntu)

Install packages we need in the build system required by our scripts.

sudo apt-get install \
    binutils \
    debootstrap \
    squashfs-tools \
    xorriso \
    grub-pc-bin \
    grub-efi-amd64-bin \
    mtools

mkdir $HOME/live-ubuntu-from-scratch

Bootstrap and Configure Ubuntu

debootstrap is a program for generating OS images. We install it into our build system to begin generating our ISO.

Checkout bootstrap
```
sudo debootstrap \
   --arch=amd64 \
   --variant=minbase \
   focal \
   $HOME/live-ubuntu-from-scratch/chroot \
   http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/
```
debootstrap is used to create a Debian base system from scratch, without requiring the availability of dpkg or apt. It does this by downloading .deb files from a mirror site, and carefully unpacking them into a directory which can eventually be chrooted into.
Configure external mount points
```
sudo mount --bind /dev $HOME/live-ubuntu-from-scratch/chroot/dev
  
sudo mount --bind /run $HOME/live-ubuntu-from-scratch/chroot/run
```
As we will be updating and installing packages (grub among them), these mount points are necessary inside the chroot environment, so we are able to finish the installation without errors.

Define chroot environment

A chroot on Unix operating systems is an operation that changes the apparent root directory for the current running process and its children. A program that is run in such a modified environment cannot name (and therefore normally cannot access) files outside the designated directory tree. The term “chroot” may refer to the chroot system call or the chroot wrapper program. The modified environment is called a chroot jail.

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chroot

From this point we will be configuring the live system.

Access chroot environment

sudo chroot $HOME/live-ubuntu-from-scratch/chroot

Configure mount points, home and locale
```
mount none -t proc /proc

mount none -t sysfs /sys

mount none -t devpts /dev/pts

export HOME=/root

export LC_ALL=C
```
These mount points are necessary inside the chroot environment, so we are able to finish the installation without errors.
Set a custom hostname
```
echo "ubuntu-fs-live" > /etc/hostname
```

Configure apt sources.list

cat <<EOF > /etc/apt/sources.list
deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal main restricted universe multiverse

deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-security main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-security main restricted universe multiverse

deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-updates main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-updates main restricted universe multiverse
EOF

Update indexes packages
```
apt-get update
```
Install systemd
```
apt-get install -y libterm-readline-gnu-perl systemd-sysv
```
systemd is a system and service manager for Linux. It provides aggressive parallelization capabilities, uses socket and D-Bus activation for starting services, offers on-demand starting of daemons, keeps track of processes using Linux control groups, maintains mount and automount points and implements an elaborate transactional dependency-based service control logic.
Configure machine-id and divert
```
dbus-uuidgen > /etc/machine-id

ln -fs /etc/machine-id /var/lib/dbus/machine-id
```
The /etc/machine-id file contains the unique machine ID of the local system that is set during installation or boot. The machine ID is a single newline-terminated, hexadecimal, 32-character, lowercase ID. When decoded from hexadecimal, this corresponds to a 16-byte/128-bit value. This ID may not be all zeros.
```
dpkg-divert --local --rename --add /sbin/initctl

ln -s /bin/true /sbin/initctl
```
dpkg-divert is the utility used to set up and update the list of diversions.
Upgrade packages
```
apt-get -y upgrade
```

Install packages needed for Live System

apt-get install -y \
    sudo \
    ubuntu-standard \
    casper \
    lupin-casper \
    discover \
    laptop-detect \
    os-prober \
    network-manager \
    resolvconf \
    net-tools \
    wireless-tools \
    wpagui \
    locales \
    grub-common \
    grub-gfxpayload-lists \
    grub-pc \
    grub-pc-bin \
    grub2-common

apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends linux-generic

Graphical installer
```
apt-get install -y \
   ubiquity \
   ubiquity-casper \
   ubiquity-frontend-gtk \
   ubiquity-slideshow-ubuntu \
   ubiquity-ubuntu-artwork
```
The next steps will appear, as a result of the packages that will be installed from the previous step, this will happen without anything having to be informed or executed.
1. Configure keyboard
1. Console setup

Install window manager

apt-get install -y \
    plymouth-theme-ubuntu-logo \
    ubuntu-gnome-desktop \
    ubuntu-gnome-wallpapers

Install useful applications

apt-get install -y \
    clamav-daemon \
    terminator \
    apt-transport-https \
    curl \
    vim \
    nano \
    less

Install Visual Studio Code (optional)

Download and install the key

curl https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc | gpg --dearmor > microsoft.gpg

install -o root -g root -m 644 microsoft.gpg /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/

echo "deb [arch=amd64] https://packages.microsoft.com/repos/vscode stable main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vscode.list

rm microsoft.gpg

Then update the package cache and install the package using
```
apt-get update

apt-get install -y code
```
Install Google Chrome (optional)

Download and install the key

wget -q -O - https://dl-ssl.google.com/linux/linux_signing_key.pub | sudo apt-key add -

echo "deb http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome.list

Then update the package cache and install the package using
```
apt-get update

apt-get install google-chrome-stable
```

Install Java JDK 8 (optional)

apt-get install -y \
    openjdk-8-jdk \
    openjdk-8-jre

Remove unused applications (optional)

apt-get purge -y \
    transmission-gtk \
    transmission-common \
    gnome-mahjongg \
    gnome-mines \
    gnome-sudoku \
    aisleriot \
    hitori

Remove unused packages
```
apt-get autoremove -y
```
Reconfigure packages
Generate locales
```
dpkg-reconfigure locales
```
1. Select locales
2. Select default locale
Reconfigure resolvconf
```
dpkg-reconfigure resolvconf
```
1. Confirm changes

Configure network-manager

cat <<EOF > /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf
[main]
rc-manager=resolvconf
plugins=ifupdown,keyfile
dns=dnsmasq

[ifupdown]
managed=false
EOF

Reconfigure network-manager
```
dpkg-reconfigure network-manager
```
Cleanup the chroot environment
If you installed software, be sure to run
```
truncate -s 0 /etc/machine-id
```

Remove the diversion

rm /sbin/initctl

dpkg-divert --rename --remove /sbin/initctl

Clean up

apt-get clean

rm -rf /tmp/* ~/.bash_history

umount /proc

umount /sys

umount /dev/pts

export HISTSIZE=0

exit

Unbind mount points

sudo umount $HOME/live-ubuntu-from-scratch/chroot/dev

sudo umount $HOME/live-ubuntu-from-scratch/chroot/run

Create the CD image directory and populate it

We are now back in our build environment after setting up our live system and will continue creating files necessary to generate the ISO.

Access build directory
```
cd $HOME/live-ubuntu-from-scratch
```

Create directories

mkdir -p image/{casper,isolinux,install}

Copy kernel images

sudo cp chroot/boot/vmlinuz-**-**-generic image/casper/vmlinuz

sudo cp chroot/boot/initrd.img-**-**-generic image/casper/initrd

Copy memtest86+ binary (BIOS)

sudo cp chroot/boot/memtest86+.bin image/install/memtest86+

Download and extract memtest86 binary (UEFI)

wget --progress=dot https://www.memtest86.com/downloads/memtest86-usb.zip -O image/install/memtest86-usb.zip

unzip -p image/install/memtest86-usb.zip memtest86-usb.img > image/install/memtest86

rm -f image/install/memtest86-usb.zip

Access build directory
```
cd $HOME/live-ubuntu-from-scratch
```
Create base point access file for grub
```
touch image/ubuntu
```

Create image/isolinux/grub.cfg

cat <<EOF > image/isolinux/grub.cfg

search --set=root --file /ubuntu

insmod all_video

set default="0"
set timeout=30

menuentry "Try Ubuntu FS without installing" {
   linux /casper/vmlinuz boot=casper nopersistent toram quiet splash ---
   initrd /casper/initrd
}

menuentry "Install Ubuntu FS" {
   linux /casper/vmlinuz boot=casper only-ubiquity quiet splash ---
   initrd /casper/initrd
}

menuentry "Check disc for defects" {
   linux /casper/vmlinuz boot=casper integrity-check quiet splash ---
   initrd /casper/initrd
}

menuentry "Test memory Memtest86+ (BIOS)" {
   linux16 /install/memtest86+
}

menuentry "Test memory Memtest86 (UEFI, long load time)" {
   insmod part_gpt
   insmod search_fs_uuid
   insmod chain
   loopback loop /install/memtest86
   chainloader (loop,gpt1)/efi/boot/BOOTX64.efi
}
EOF

Create manifest

Next we create a file filesystem.manifest to specify each package and it’s version that is installed on the live system. We create another file filesystem.manifest-desktop which specifies which files will be installed on the target system. Once the Ubiquity installer completes, it will remove packages specified in filesystem.manifest that are not listed in filesystem.manifest-desktop.

Access build directory
```
cd $HOME/live-ubuntu-from-scratch
```

Generate manifest

sudo chroot chroot dpkg-query -W --showformat='${Package} ${Version}\n' | sudo tee image/casper/filesystem.manifest

sudo cp -v image/casper/filesystem.manifest image/casper/filesystem.manifest-desktop

sudo sed -i '/ubiquity/d' image/casper/filesystem.manifest-desktop

sudo sed -i '/casper/d' image/casper/filesystem.manifest-desktop

sudo sed -i '/discover/d' image/casper/filesystem.manifest-desktop

sudo sed -i '/laptop-detect/d' image/casper/filesystem.manifest-desktop

sudo sed -i '/os-prober/d' image/casper/filesystem.manifest-desktop

Compress the chroot

After everything has been installed and preconfigured in the chrooted environment, we need to generate an image of everything that was done by following the next steps in the build environment.

Access build directory
```
cd $HOME/live-ubuntu-from-scratch
```
Create squashfs
```
sudo mksquashfs chroot image/casper/filesystem.squashfs
```
Squashfs is a highly compressed read-only filesystem for Linux. It uses zlib compression to compress both files, inodes and directories. Inodes in the system are very small and all blocks are packed to minimize data overhead. Block sizes greater than 4K are supported up to a maximum of 64K. Squashfs is intended for general read-only filesystem use, for archival use (i.e. in cases where a .tar.gz file may be used), and in constrained block device/memory systems (e.g. embedded systems) where low overhead is needed.

Write the filesystem.size

printf $(sudo du -sx --block-size=1 chroot | cut -f1) > image/casper/filesystem.size

Create diskdefines

README file often found on Linux LiveCD installer discs, such as an Ubuntu Linux installation CD; typically named “README.diskdefines” and may be referenced during installation.

Access build directory
```
cd $HOME/live-ubuntu-from-scratch
```

Create file image/README.diskdefines

cat <<EOF > image/README.diskdefines
#define DISKNAME  Ubuntu from scratch
#define TYPE  binary
#define TYPEbinary  1
#define ARCH  amd64
#define ARCHamd64  1
#define DISKNUM  1
#define DISKNUM1  1
#define TOTALNUM  0
#define TOTALNUM0  1
EOF

Create ISO Image for a LiveCD (BIOS + UEFI)

Access image directory

cd $HOME/live-ubuntu-from-scratch/image

Create a grub UEFI image

grub-mkstandalone \
   --format=x86_64-efi \
   --output=isolinux/bootx64.efi \
   --locales="" \
   --fonts="" \
   "boot/grub/grub.cfg=isolinux/grub.cfg"

Create a FAT16 UEFI boot disk image containing the EFI bootloader

(
   cd isolinux && \
   dd if=/dev/zero of=efiboot.img bs=1M count=10 && \
   sudo mkfs.vfat efiboot.img && \
   LC_CTYPE=C mmd -i efiboot.img efi efi/boot && \
   LC_CTYPE=C mcopy -i efiboot.img ./bootx64.efi ::efi/boot/
)

Create a grub BIOS image

grub-mkstandalone \
   --format=i386-pc \
   --output=isolinux/core.img \
   --install-modules="linux16 linux normal iso9660 biosdisk memdisk search tar ls" \
   --modules="linux16 linux normal iso9660 biosdisk search" \
   --locales="" \
   --fonts="" \
   "boot/grub/grub.cfg=isolinux/grub.cfg"

Combine a bootable Grub cdboot.img

cat /usr/lib/grub/i386-pc/cdboot.img isolinux/core.img > isolinux/bios.img

Generate md5sum.txt

sudo /bin/bash -c "(find . -type f -print0 | xargs -0 md5sum | grep -v -e 'md5sum.txt' -e 'bios.img' -e 'efiboot.img' > md5sum.txt)"

Create iso from the image directory using the command-line

sudo xorriso \
   -as mkisofs \
   -iso-level 3 \
   -full-iso9660-filenames \
   -volid "Ubuntu from scratch" \
   -output "../ubuntu-from-scratch.iso" \
   -eltorito-boot boot/grub/bios.img \
      -no-emul-boot \
      -boot-load-size 4 \
      -boot-info-table \
      --eltorito-catalog boot/grub/boot.cat \
      --grub2-boot-info \
      --grub2-mbr /usr/lib/grub/i386-pc/boot_hybrid.img \
   -eltorito-alt-boot \
      -e EFI/efiboot.img \
      -no-emul-boot \
   -append_partition 2 0xef isolinux/efiboot.img \
   -m "isolinux/efiboot.img" \
   -m "isolinux/bios.img" \
   -graft-points \
      "/EFI/efiboot.img=isolinux/efiboot.img" \
      "/boot/grub/bios.img=isolinux/bios.img" \
      "."

Alternative way, if previous one fails, create an Hybrid ISO

Create a ISOLINUX (syslinux) boot menu

cat <<EOF> isolinux/isolinux.cfg
UI vesamenu.c32

MENU TITLE Boot Menu
DEFAULT linux
TIMEOUT 600
MENU RESOLUTION 640 480
MENU COLOR border       30;44   #40ffffff #a0000000 std
MENU COLOR title        1;36;44 #9033ccff #a0000000 std
MENU COLOR sel          7;37;40 #e0ffffff #20ffffff all
MENU COLOR unsel        37;44   #50ffffff #a0000000 std
MENU COLOR help         37;40   #c0ffffff #a0000000 std
MENU COLOR timeout_msg  37;40   #80ffffff #00000000 std
MENU COLOR timeout      1;37;40 #c0ffffff #00000000 std
MENU COLOR msg07        37;40   #90ffffff #a0000000 std
MENU COLOR tabmsg       31;40   #30ffffff #00000000 std

LABEL linux
 MENU LABEL Try Ubuntu FS
 MENU DEFAULT
 KERNEL /casper/vmlinuz
 APPEND initrd=/casper/initrd boot=casper

LABEL linux
 MENU LABEL Try Ubuntu FS (nomodeset)
 MENU DEFAULT
 KERNEL /casper/vmlinuz
 APPEND initrd=/casper/initrd boot=casper nomodeset
EOF

Include syslinux bios modules

apt install -y syslinux-common && \
cp /usr/lib/ISOLINUX/isolinux.bin isolinux/ && \
cp /usr/lib/syslinux/modules/bios/* isolinux/

Create iso from the image directory

sudo xorriso \
   -as mkisofs \
   -iso-level 3 \
   -full-iso9660-filenames \
   -volid "Ubuntu from scratch" \
   -output "../ubuntu-from-scratch.iso" \
 -isohybrid-mbr /usr/lib/ISOLINUX/isohdpfx.bin \
 -eltorito-boot \
     isolinux/isolinux.bin \
     -no-emul-boot \
     -boot-load-size 4 \
     -boot-info-table \
     --eltorito-catalog isolinux/isolinux.cat \
 -eltorito-alt-boot \
     -e /EFI/boot/efiboot.img \
     -no-emul-boot \
     -isohybrid-gpt-basdat \
 -append_partition 2 0xef EFI/boot/efiboot.img \
   "$HOME/live-ubuntu-from-scratch/image"

Make a bootable USB image

It is simple and easy, using “dd”

sudo dd if=ubuntu-from-scratch.iso of=<device> status=progress oflag=sync

Summary

This completes the process of creating a live Ubuntu installer from scratch. The generated ISO may be tested in a virtual machine such as VirtualBox or written to media and booted from a standard PC.

Contributing

Please read CONTRIBUTING.md for details on our code of conduct, and the process for submitting pull requests to us.

Versioning

We use GitHub for versioning. For the versions available, see the tags on this repository.

License

This project is licensed under the GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE - see the LICENSE file for details

How to create a custom Ubuntu live from scratch

This procedure shows how to create a bootable and installable Ubuntu Live (along with the automatic hardware detection and configuration) from scratch.

How to create a custom Ubuntu live from scratch

Authors

Ways of Using this Tutorial

Terms

Prerequisites (GNU/Linux Debian/Ubuntu)

Bootstrap and Configure Ubuntu

Define chroot environment

Unbind mount points

Create the CD image directory and populate it

GRUB menu configuration

Create manifest

Compress the chroot

Create diskdefines

Create ISO Image for a LiveCD (BIOS + UEFI)

Alternative way, if previous one fails, create an Hybrid ISO

Make a bootable USB image

Summary

Contributing

Versioning

License