noid-mklive/README.md.in

# The Void Linux live image/rootfs generator and installer

## Overview

This repository contains several utilities:

* [*mklive.sh*](#mklivesh) - The Void Linux live image generator for x86
* [*build-x86-images.sh*](#build-x86-imagessh) - Wrapper script to generate bootable
  and installable live images for x86
* [*mkrootfs.sh*](#mkrootfssh) - The Void Linux rootfs generator for all platforms
* [*mkplatformfs.sh*](#mkplatformfssh) - The Void Linux filesystem tool to produce
  a rootfs for a particular platform
* [*mkimage.sh*](#mkimagesh) - The Void Linux image generator for ARM platforms
* [*mknet.sh*](#mknetsh) - Script to generate netboot tarballs for Void
* *installer.sh* - The Void Linux el-cheapo installer for x86
* *release.sh* - interacts with GitHub CI to generate and sign images for releases

### Workflow

#### Generating x86 live ISOs

To generate a live ISO like the officially-published ones, use
[*build-x86-images.sh*](#build-x86-imagessh). To generate a more basic live ISO
(which does not include things like `void-installer`), use [*mklive.sh*](#mklivesh).

#### Generating ROOTFS tarballs

ROOTFS tarballs contain a basic Void Linux root filesystem without a kernel.
These can be useful for doing a [chroot install](https://docs.voidlinux.org/installation/guides/chroot.html)
or for [chroots and containers](https://docs.voidlinux.org/config/containers-and-vms/chroot.html).

Use [*mkrootfs.sh*](#mkrootfssh) to generate a Void Linux ROOTFS.

#### Generating platform-specific tarballs

Platform-specific ROOTFS tarballs, or PLATFORMFS tarballs, contain a basic Void
Linux root filesystem including a kernel. These are commonly used for bootstrapping
ARM systems or other environments that require platform-specific kernels, like
Raspberry Pis.

First create a ROOTFS for the desired architecture, then use
[*mkplatformfs.sh*](#mkplatformfssh) to generate a Void Linux PLATFORMFS.

#### Generating ARM images

Platform-specific filesystem images contain a basic filesystem layout (`/` and
`/boot` partitions), ready to be copied to the target drive with `dd`. despite
the naming, they are not traditional "live" images like those available on x86
platforms, and do not need installation like live ISOs.

To generate these images, first create a PLATFORMFS for the desired platform,
then use [*mkimage.sh*](#mkimagesh) to generate the image.

## Dependencies

Note that void-mklive is not guaranteed to work on distributions other than Void
Linux, or in containers.

* Compression type for the initramfs image (by default: liblz4 for lz4, xz)
* xbps>=0.45
* qemu-user-static binaries (for mkrootfs)
* bash

## Kernel Command-line Parameters

`void-mklive`-based live images support several kernel command-line arguments
that can change the behavior of the live system:

- `live.autologin` will skip the initial login screen on `tty1`.
- `live.user` will change the username of the non-root user from the default
  `anon`. The password remains `voidlinux`.
- `live.shell` sets the default shell for the non-root user in the live environment.
- `live.accessibility` enables accessibility features like the console screenreader
  `espeakup` in the live environment.
- `console` can be set to `ttyS0`, `hvc0`, or `hvsi0` to enable `agetty` on that
  serial console.
- `locale.LANG` will set the `LANG` environment variable. Defaults to `en_US.UTF-8`.
- `vconsole.keymap` will set the console keymap. Defaults to `us`.

### Examples:

- `live.autologin live.user=foo live.shell=/bin/bash` would create the user `foo`
  with the default shell `/bin/bash` on boot, and log them in automatically on `tty1`
- `live.shell=/bin/bash` would set the default shell for the `anon` user to `/bin/bash`
- `console=ttyS0 vconsole.keymap=cf` would enable `ttyS0` and set the keymap in
  the console to `cf`
- `locale.LANG=fr_CA.UTF-8` would set the live system's language to `fr_CA.UTF-8`

## Usage