Re: Making a localized, educational live-usb version of Netbsd? Possible, and is worth it?

[Aleksej Saushev <asau%inbox.ru@localhost>]

Ottavio Caruso <ottavio2006-usenet2012%yahoo.com@localhost> writes:

> On 28 March 2014 12:49, Brett Lymn <blymn%internode.on.net@localhost> wrote:
>> Well, I did say "sort of" - really all you need after a base install is
>> to configure X to start and perhaps a desktop environment from pkgsrc.
>> With modern Xorg the X session should just fire up though the display
>> may not be optimal on recent video hardware - even this is being fixed.
>> Only a few days ago code was committed to enable drm.
>
> My biggest worry for now is a selection of packages that have a Dutch
> locale. The form and the shape of the distribution is less relevant.
> Although Dutch secondary school kids are fully fluent in English, the
> foundation relies on distributing software that is available as much
> as possible in their native language. I could double check this aspect
> with the other members of the foundation.
>
> I would be interested in having an image that can be easily copied and
> installed on a flash drive, ideally without repartitioning the drive,
> so that the student can reuse their drive either as a live usb or a as
> portable storage for their own private files.

I don't know about repartitioning, but another part, that is building
such images is well-tested to the point of creating USB and/or CF images
that start fully-functional (although barebone) NetBSD. Extending it to
install packages is not a problem. Extending it to building a given set
of packages is not a problem either. Thus all pieces are there, you only
need to gather them in single place and make it all run.

Remaining problems are:
- generating fully functional GPT-based images (those based on BSD label are 
fine though);
- deciding on the list of necessary packages;
- packaging missing bits.

If we really need dosboot, someone has to try it out.


-- 
HE CE3OH...