SIG - AlmaLinux Live Media

This git repository contains Kickstarts and other scripts needed to produce the AlmaLinux Live DVDs. Two ways to create/build this project. Using docker containers or AlmaLinux system.

Using Live media

Live media ISO files are available at https://repo.almalinux.org/almalinux/8/live/x86_64/ or use mirrors https://mirrors.almalinux.org find a close one. Refer to project wiki https://wiki.almalinux.org/LiveMedia.html#about-live-media for detailed installation steps.

Build using AlmaLinux System

AlmaLinux system installed on a physical or vitual system is required use these steps to live-media ISO files. This proces takes 20-50 minutes depends on number of CPU cores and internet speed. Minimum 15GB work space for temporary files. Resulting ISO size ranges from 1.4GB to 2.4GB depends on build type. Execute following commands from root folder of sources.

Build Environments

This project contains number of KickStart files to build live media for AlmaLiux. It uses anaconda and livecd-tools or lorax packages for ISO file build process. Use following command to install necessary softwares to build this project. Make sure to reboot the system prior to run the build commands.

sudo dnf -y install epel-release
sudo dnf -y --enablerepo="epel" install anaconda-tui \
                livecd-tools \
                lorax \
                subscription-manager \
                pykickstart \
                efibootmgr \
                efi-filesystem \
                efi-srpm-macros \
                efivar-libs \
                grub2-efi-*64 \
                grub2-efi-*64-cdboot \
                grub2-tools-efi \
                shim-*64

Build using livecd-tools

Run following commands inside docker shell to build Gnome live media. Remove old symbolic link to packages, choose right package and run build commands.

rm -f $PWD/kickstarts/repos.txt
ln -s $PWD/kickstarts/repos-86.txt $PWD/kickstarts/repos.txt
rm -f $PWD/kickstarts/packages-gnome.txt
ln -s $PWD/kickstarts/packages-gnome-full.txt $PWD/kickstarts/packages-gnome.txt 
ksflatten --config $PWD/kickstarts/almalinux-8-live-gnome.ks --output flat-gnome.ks
sudo livecd-creator --config flat-gnome.ks \
               --fslabel AlmaLinux-8-LiveDVD-Gnome \
               --title=AlmaLinux-8-LiveDVD \
               --product="AlmaLinux Live 8.6" \
               --cache=$PWD/pkg-cache-alma \
               --releasever=8.6

Run following commands inside docker shell to build Gnome Mini live media.

rm -f $PWD/kickstarts/repos.txt
ln -s $PWD/kickstarts/repos-86.txt $PWD/kickstarts/repos.txt
rm -f $PWD/kickstarts/packages-gnome.txt
ln -s $PWD/kickstarts/packages-gnome-mini.txt $PWD/kickstarts/packages-gnome.txt 
ksflatten --config $PWD/kickstarts/almalinux-8-live-gnome.ks --output flat-mini.ks
sudo livecd-creator --config flat-mini.ks \
               --fslabel AlmaLinux-8-LiveDVD-Mini \
               --title=AlmaLinux-8-LiveDVD \
               --product="AlmaLinux Live 8.6" \
               --cache=$PWD/pkg-cache-alma \
               --releasever=8.6

Run following commands inside docker shell to build KDE live media.

rm -f $PWD/kickstarts/repos.txt
ln -s $PWD/kickstarts/repos-86.txt $PWD/kickstarts/repos.txt
ksflatten --config $PWD/kickstarts/almalinux-8-live-kde.ks --output flat-kde.ks
sudo livecd-creator --config flat-kde.ks \
               --fslabel AlmaLinux-8-LiveDVD-KDE \
               --title=AlmaLinux-8-LiveDVD \
               --product="AlmaLinux Live 8.6" \
               --cache=$PWD/pkg-cache-alma \
               --releasever=8.6

Run following commands inside docker shell to build XFCE live media.

rm -f $PWD/kickstarts/repos.txt
ln -s $PWD/kickstarts/repos-86.txt $PWD/kickstarts/repos.txt
ksflatten --config $PWD/kickstarts/almalinux-8-live-xfce.ks --output flat-xfce.ks
sudo livecd-creator --config flat-xfce.ks \
               --fslabel AlmaLinux-8-LiveDVD-XFCE \
               --title=AlmaLinux-8-LiveDVD \
               --product="AlmaLinux Live 8.6" \
               --cache=$PWD/pkg-cache-alma \
               --releasever=8.6

Build using lorax

Run following commands inside docker shell to build Gnome live media. Remove old symbolic link to packages, choose right package and run build commands.

rm -f $PWD/kickstarts/repos.txt
ln -s $PWD/kickstarts/repos-86.txt $PWD/kickstarts/repos.txt
rm -f $PWD/kickstarts/packages-gnome.txt
ln -s $PWD/kickstarts/packages-gnome-full.txt $PWD/kickstarts/packages-gnome.txt 
ksflatten --config $PWD/kickstarts/almalinux-8-live-gnome.ks --output flat-gnome.ks
sed -i 's/repo --name="baseos" --base/url --/' $PWD/flat-gnome.ks &>/dev/null
sudo livemedia-creator \
    --ks=flat-gnome.ks \
    --no-virt --resultdir  ./iso-gnome \
    --project "AlmaLinux Live" \
    --make-iso \
    --iso-only \
    --iso-name almalinux-8-live-gnome.iso \
    --releasever 8.6 \
    --volid "AlmaLinuxLive" \
    --nomacboot

Run following commands inside docker shell to build Gnome Mini live media.

rm -f $PWD/kickstarts/repos.txt
ln -s $PWD/kickstarts/repos-86.txt $PWD/kickstarts/repos.txt
rm -f $PWD/kickstarts/packages-gnome.txt
ln -s $PWD/kickstarts/packages-gnome-mini.txt $PWD/kickstarts/packages-gnome.txt 
ksflatten --config $PWD/kickstarts/almalinux-8-live-gnome.ks --output flat-mini.ks
sed -i 's/repo --name="baseos" --base/url --/' $PWD/flat-mini.ks &>/dev/null
sudo livemedia-creator \
    --ks=flat-mini.ks \
    --no-virt --resultdir  ./iso-mini \
    --project "AlmaLinux Live" \
    --make-iso \
    --iso-only \
    --iso-name almalinux-8-live-mini.iso \
    --releasever 8.6 \
    --volid "AlmaLinuxLive" \
    --nomacboot

Run following commands inside docker shell to build KDE live media.

rm -f $PWD/kickstarts/repos.txt
ln -s $PWD/kickstarts/repos-86.txt $PWD/kickstarts/repos.txt
ksflatten --config $PWD/kickstarts/almalinux-8-live-kde.ks --output flat-kde.ks
sed -i 's/repo --name="baseos" --base/url --/' $PWD/flat-kde.ks &>/dev/null
sudo livemedia-creator \
    --ks=flat-kde.ks \
    --no-virt --resultdir  ./iso-kde \
    --project "AlmaLinux Live" \
    --make-iso \
    --iso-only \
    --iso-name almalinux-8-live-kde.iso \
    --releasever 8.6 \
    --volid "AlmaLinux Live" \
    --nomacboot

Run following commands inside docker shell to build XFCE live media.

rm -f $PWD/kickstarts/repos.txt
ln -s $PWD/kickstarts/repos-86.txt $PWD/kickstarts/repos.txt
ksflatten --config $PWD/kickstarts/almalinux-8-live-xfce.ks --output flat-xfce.ks
sed -i 's/repo --name="baseos" --base/url --/' $PWD/flat-xfce.ks &>/dev/null
sudo livemedia-creator \
    --ks=flat-xfce.ks \
    --no-virt --resultdir  ./iso-xfce \
    --project "AlmaLinux Live" \
    --make-iso \
    --iso-only \
    --iso-name almalinux-8-live-xfce.iso \
    --releasever 8.6 \
    --volid "AlmaLinux Live" \
    --nomacboot

Run following commands inside docker shell to build AlmaLinux 9 Gnome Mini live media.

rm -f $PWD/kickstarts/repos.txt
ln -s $PWD/kickstarts/repos-90.txt $PWD/kickstarts/repos.txt
rm -f $PWD/kickstarts/packages-gnome.txt
ln -s $PWD/kickstarts/packages-mini-al9.txt $PWD/kickstarts/packages-gnome.txt 
ksflatten --config $PWD/kickstarts/almalinux-8-live-gnome.ks --output flat-mini.ks
sed -i 's/repo --name="baseos" --base/url --/' $PWD/flat-mini.ks &>/dev/null
sudo livemedia-creator \
    --ks=flat-mini.ks \
    --no-virt --resultdir  ./iso-mini9 \
    --project "AlmaLinux Live" \
    --make-iso \
    --iso-only \
    --iso-name almalinux-9-live-mini.iso \
    --releasever 9.0 \
    --volid "AlmaLinuxLive" \
    --nomacboot

Run following commands inside docker shell to build AlmaLinux 9 Gnome Mini live media.

rm -f $PWD/kickstarts/repos.txt
ln -s $PWD/kickstarts/repos-90.txt $PWD/kickstarts/repos.txt
rm -f $PWD/kickstarts/packages-gnome.txt
ln -s $PWD/kickstarts/packages-gnome-al9.txt $PWD/kickstarts/packages-gnome.txt 
ksflatten --config $PWD/kickstarts/almalinux-8-live-gnome.ks --output flat-gnome.ks
sed -i 's/repo --name="baseos" --base/url --/' $PWD/flat-gnome.ks &>/dev/null
sudo livemedia-creator \
    --ks=flat-gnome.ks \
    --no-virt --resultdir  ./iso-gnome9 \
    --project "AlmaLinux Live" \
    --make-iso \
    --iso-only \
    --iso-name almalinux-9-live-gnome.iso \
    --releasever 9.0 \
    --volid "AlmaLinuxLive" \
    --nomacboot

Additional notes

• Current build scripts uses the AlmaLinux mirror closer to US/East zone. Use https://mirrors.almalinux.org to find and change different mirror.
• Use following commnd to generate package list to install rpm -qa --qf "%{n}\n" | grep -v pubkey | sort > packages-name.txt
• Make sure to use --cache for build process, it will help for faster build and less network traffic.'