[arch-releng] dual arch CDs [was: A TODO draft for next installation media]

[Gerardo Exequiel Pozzi]

On 02/18/2010 09:09 PM, Gerardo Exequiel Pozzi wrote:
> On 02/18/2010 08:34 PM, Thomas Bächler wrote:
>> Am 18.02.2010 21:04, schrieb Dan McGee:
>>> On Thu, Feb 18, 2010 at 1:14 PM, Thomas 
>>> Bächler<thomas at archlinux.org>  wrote:
>>>> That would leave us with:
>>>> - kernel x86_64
>>>> - initrd x86_64
>>>> - kernel i686
>>>> - initrd i686
>>>> - packages core-any
>>>> - packages core-i686
>>>> - packages core-x86_64
>>>> - squashfs base system i686
>>>> - maybe overlay-any
>>> All 3 of the "packages" things can go in one big directory anyway- the
>>> filenames are all unique since we put the architecture in the package
>>> filenames. That would make the mounting process a lot less complex as
>>> nothing would need to change between what kernel, processor, etc. you
>>> are booting up on or want to install. Only the installer would care.
>> I would create all those as squashfs images. After that, we can put them
>> together for different ISOs, like core-i686, core-x86_64, core-any,
>> netinstall-i686, netinstall-x86_64 - all by just modifying the isomounts
>> file and (not) putting the appropriate squashfs images to the disc, no
>> other remastering necessary.
>>
> sounds good, but.... booting x86_64 kernel with i686 userspace, kernel 
> modules are invalid, so maybe, should also add squashfs with only 
> kernel modules, /lib/modules, whn booting x86_64
>
> For overlay any, yes, but pacman.conf need to be parsed at startup, 
> (current pacman does not support $arch in .conf). Since overlay is 
> just 8KB, is not a space issue, can have for both archs with each 
> pacman.conf.
>
> Another point, maybe can have a script that launch /sbin/init with 
> linux32 wrapper, and using init=/the/script at kernel command line.
>
Maybe can go all in one CD 700MB CD

*.any packages in core-pkg are just about 4MB not much.

One interesting thing: doing a comparation of /usr/share between two 
root-images shows that:

usr/share/{man,info,doc,kbd} differs, but only because files are gz, or 
ps or html.
usr/share/groff/*/font/*/DESC in i686 default paper is A4 in x86_64 is 
letter.

 From currents isos:
9.4M    i686/boot (unused here: System26.map is about 1M)
211M   i686/core-pkgs.sqfs
143M   i686/root-image.sqfs
9.9M    x86_64/boot (unused here: System26.map is about 1M)
224M   x86_64/core-pkgs.sqfs
152M   x86_64/root-image.sqfs

10+212+144+11+225+153 = 755M

90M     work/iso/root-image.sqfs (i686) (no usr/share)
99M     work/iso/root-image.sqfs (x86_64) (no usr/share)
54M     work/iso/usrshare.sqfs

10+212+91+11+225+100+55 = 704 (ouch!)

But removing (if not fit), manpages/infopages/docs (and not all are 
necessary to remove), will fit perfectly. ;)

-- 
Gerardo Exequiel Pozzi ( djgera )
http://www.djgera.com.ar
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