SYNOPSIS

gentcos [options]

DESCRIPTION

This manpage show options for gentcos boot image generator. See gentcos -h to better descriptions.

You must exec this app as root user.

gentcos is a shell script that create a TCOS initramfs and optionally a iso image to boot from it.

OPTIONS

-h

-help

Show extended usage about gentcos

-suffix=foo

Suffix used to filenames (default empy)

-vmlinuz=2.6.16-1-486

Kernel version used to create initramfs

-size

Print size of uncompressed initramfs ram disk

-allmodules

Generate allmodules.squashfs and copy to /var/lib/tcos/tftp

Then thin client must start with allmodules cmdline to download it

BOOT METHODS

PXE like method

-tftp

Create initramfs-x.x.x (and usr-x.x.x.squashfs) and copy to /var/lib/tcos/tftp

-o=initramfs-pc1 output filename (in /var/lib/tcos/tftp)

NFS (LTSP like) method

-nfs

Create initramfs-x.x.x-nfs and copy to /var/lib/tcos/tftp

-rootfs

Creates an complete TCOS and uncompress in /var/lib/tcos/fs-x.x.x

NOTE: Need a NFS server (apt-get install nfs-kernel-server) and this line in /etc/exports:

/var/lib/tcos 192.168.0.0/255.255.255.0 (ro,no_root_squash,sync,no_subtree_check)
     (change network data with yours)

Floppy boot method

-nbi

Create initramfs (and usr.squashfs) an join with kernel in a nbi file then copy to /var/lib/tcos/tftp

-nbi-output=linux-pc1.nbi

output filename (in /var/lib/tcos/tftp)

CDROM method

-cdrom

Create initramfs and create a bootable iso based on isolunux Iso image is saved in /var/lib/tcos/isos/

EXAMPLES

PXE like boot (>=64 MB)
     # gentcos -tftp -suffix=-pc1

NFS (LTSP like) boot (28-64 MB)
     # gentcos -nfs -rootfs

CDROM boot
     # gentcos -cdrom

Floppy boot
     # gentcos -nbi -extra-append="vga=791 uselocal"

Package cache

Sometimes TCOS need some software that conflicts with installed packages. To solve this, gentcos can download and extract package files in /var/cache/tcos/packages/pkg_name to copy files to initramfs.

Howto install a cached package

-instpkg foo

Exec apt-get install --print-uris -y -f foo
 get the package URI and uncompress it
 into /var/cache/tcos/packages/foo

Remove one or more packages

-rmpkg foo

Remove foo package.

List installed packages

-listpkg

Show all packages installed.

AUTHOR

Mario Izquierdo (mariodebian) <[email protected]>