floppyfw
cdrom iso

Archival page … no longer updated.

How to create a floppyfw iso boot CD

Create a bootable floppyfw CDR/RW custom iso image including all of your site unique configuration.

  • What you will need

  • A PC with Linux installed (works with 2.4.x and 2.6.x kernels)
  • A mkisofs distribution available here » rpmfind.net_mkisofs
  • A cdrecord distribution available here » rpmfind.net_cdrecord
  • Please note that the installation and configuration of a bootable linux system with cdrecord and mkisofs components installed is beyond the scope of this HowTo. The assumption is made that you have a bootable linux system with a functioning cd writer installed. This procedure should work with most all floppyfw versions 2.9.x, 2.99.x through the latest stable 3.0.xx release.

  • Procedure

  • Login as root and create the following directories -
  • mkdir /cdfw
    mkdir /cdfw/iso_base
    mkdir /mnt/loop
  • Download a bootable iso image - floppyfw-3.0.xx the latest 3.0.xx stable release is (recommended) - - - and save it on /cdfw as in this example.
  • Download this script - bld_cdfw.sh  and save it on the /cdfw directory.
  • Create a symlink to this script by typing:    ln -s /cdfw/bld_cdfw.sh /bin/bldcdfw
  • Copy all the files and folders necessary to implement all of your custom settings and packages from your current floppyfw floppy disk or other media source to the /cdfw/iso_base directory. For example, I copied my entire /packages directory and its files as shown:
  • /cdfw/iso_base/packages/
  • drop_ath.key
    dropbear.ffw
    hosts_b.ffw
    post-dropbear.ini
    wsmenu.ffw
  • I also copied my own root level file versions as shown:
  • /cdfw/iso_base/
  • config
    firewall.ini
    hosts

  • At this point, you should determine your cd writer's device address as follows:
  • For the 2.4.x kernel with scsi emulation, type» cdrecord -scanbus
    The result should appear as 0,0,0 or something similar with your cd writer description next to it. Edit it into the bld_cdfw.sh script as in the example below:
  • CDRECOPT="dev=0,0,0 speed=4 -v -data"
  • For the 2.6.x kernel and an ATAPI CDwriter, substitute dev=/dev/hdc or whatever your CDwriter address is hdc, hdd, hde - - - as in the example below:
  • CDRECOPT="dev=/dev/hdc speed=4 -v =data"
  • The following sections of the bld_cdfw.sh script also need your attention and editing:
  • # Location/URL of the floppyfw iso image you wish to use.
    ISO_LOC=/cdfw/floppyfw-3.0.xx.iso

    # If you are burning a one time image to a CDR,
    # you should NOT blank the disk, uncomment the
    # isCDR="Yes" line below to disable blanking for a CDR.
    isCDR="No"
    # isCDR="Yes"
  • Be sure you have the correct baseline iso file (floppyfw-3.0.10 or 3.0.xx ) and the # above should be removed for writing to CDR to suppress the blanking.
  • Place a cdrw or cdr in your cd writer per your settings above. The bldcdfw command will launch the bld_cdfw.sh script and:
  • loop mount the baseline iso file (floppyfw-3.0.10 or 3.0.xx )
    copy its files and folders to a scratch directory "/cdfw/iso_new"
    merge your custom packages and files from /cdfw/iso_base
    produce a new, custom iso image "cdfw_yymmdd.iso" on the /cdfw directory.
    blank the CD media if # isCDR="Yes" is commented out ( cdrw )
    write the new, custom iso image to the media and eject the CD.

  • If you use a CDRW, you can update it easily with the same script. Remember to update your customized files/packages on the /cdfw/iso_base directory and the "baseline" iso file (floppyfw-3.0.10 or 3.0.xx ) settings with your changes. This process also works for writing to CDR except you must un-comment the # isCDR="Yes" parameter in the script to suppress blanking.

  • Note: ALL .ffw extension packages require a floppyfw-2.99.3 or later version iso. Use the .bz2 extension packages with earlier version iso images.

This is a version of Frisco Rose's web enabled, automated script with a few of my own minor changes added. I've made it available for local download here as mkisofw.sh. This script uses different directories than my "How To" version and it creates them if they don't pre-exist. I recommend you first create "/root/cdfw" manually and put all of your own unique configuration files and folders there per Frisco's script excerpt below.

# Directory where a master copy of all config files are kept.
# This directory can contain a complete list, or any part thereof,
# of the iso image file hierarchy.
MASTERDIR=/root/cdfw

The following was part of Frisco's help file that sets the file protections for the script and runs it. I tested this one and it produced a good, bootable CDRW on my system.

Edit the configuration section to your liking, the defaults should mostly
work except for the CDRECOPT setting, that will most likely need to be modified.
Then as root -

chmod u+x mkisofw.sh

./mkisofw.sh

Some useful references:
floppyfw
syslinux
fedora

Updated: 03-Jan-2012