Image builder

Source code is at: http://dev.laptop.org/git/users/cscott/image-builder

The image builder tool is very simple: it consists of a single python file named 'build.py', which you can download from http://dev.laptop.org/git?p=users/cscott/image-builder;a=blob_plain;f=build.py;hb=HEAD

First, prepare a collection of activity and content bundles in the style of a customization stick. Make sure you include an OS image on the customization stick, as explained in the optional step on the customization stick] page (this is not optional for the image builder).

Assuming the customization stick (including OS image) is mounted or located at (say) /media/custom, you invoke the image builder with:

$ build.py -v -o per703-6 /media/custom

This will create peru703-6.img and other files needed to install the image with copy-nand. For more information:

$ build.py --help
Usage: build.py [options] [path-to-customization-stick]

Options:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -o FILE, --output=FILE
                        Name of custom image file to generate.
  -v                    Display verbose progress information.
  -q, --quiet           Don't output anything if successful.

You will need the following programs installed on your machine for build.py's use: tar, unzip, mkfs.jffs2, sumtool, crcimg. The mkfs.jffs2 and sumtool binaries are in the 'mtd-utils' package on Debian and Fedora; the crcimg tool is described here.

PLEASE BE SURE YOU ARE USING AN UP-TO-DATE mkfs.jffs2, since the resulting images are much more robust if they can be generated with hardlinks built-in. The image builder script will complain if you don't have an appropriate mkfs.jffs2; never ignore this warning for production images.

Contact cscott at laptop dot org for more information.