nanodesk/README.md

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# nanodesk - lightweight linux (live) desktop
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Origin: https://git.la10cy.net/DeltaLima/nanodesk
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nanodesk is a lightweight debian linux flavor/distribution, using the
jwm window manager.
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This is just a fun and learning project. My goal is to have a (live) system
which is very lightweight and still usable too as daily driver.
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This is for a VM where you need a basic graphical environment or for an old computer
with less resources.
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## Screenshots
The most important thing about a completely useless linux distro are the screenshots.
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Here you go!
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![nanodesk_1](screenshots/nanodesk_1.png)
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![nanodesk_2](screenshots/nanodesk_2.png)
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![nanodesk_3](screenshots/nanodesk_3.png)
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![nanodesk_4](screenshots/nanodesk_4.png)
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![nanodesk_5](screenshots/nanodesk_5.png)
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![nanodesk_6](screenshots/nanodesk_6.png)
![nanodesk_7](screenshots/nanodesk_7.png)
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![nanodesk_7](screenshots/nanodesk_8.png)
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## Build it your own!
If you want to build nanodesk by your own, maybe with your own customisations - `makeanything.sh` will cover you.
This script will perform all tasks which are necessary to build nanodesk from scratch, including installing packages on your host machine where you build nanodesk.
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The script is tested running with Ubuntu 22.04, Debian 11 and Debian 12.
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Simply run `./makeanything.sh` and the show will start!
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Your .iso file will be generated in `build`, named like `nanodesk-vX.Y.Z.iso`.
Git tags and commit count are used for versioning.
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You can give the script a custom debian-mirror, if your prefer e.g.
`./makeanything.sh http://ftp.debian.org/debian/`
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## customize nanodesk
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Of course you can customize nanodesk to fit your needs!
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The simplest way is to add your favorite packages to the nanodesk live-image.
Just add them to the file `templates/install_base.custompkg.sh`
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For example, let's add Abiword and Pidgin to nanodesk, the file would look like
```bash
apt install -y \
audacious \
abiword \
pidgin
```
Now run `makeanything.sh` and you will have both programs on your live-linux.
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You can also jump into the chroot with `chroot build/chroot/ /bin/bash` and do
customizations by hand. Just run `makeanything.sh` afterwards to recreate the
.iso
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Keep in mind that the chroot does not get recreated everytime you run
`makeanything.sh`.
While experimenting around it could be helpful to delete your complete `build/`
directory
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```bash
sudo rm -Rf build
```
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keeping a fresh copy of `build/chroot/` after the first debootstrap is also a
good idea to save bandwidth :)
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```bash
sudo cp -a build/chroot build/chroot.bak
```
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## install nanodesk on harddrive
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When you booted nanodesk from the iso, then you can install nanodesk to your
harddrive. The installer is called `nanodesk-installer`.
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Before doing so, you have to create, if not already existing, a partition with
a formatted linux compatible filesystem (e.g. ext4).
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nanodesk comes with fdisk, so you can create it very quick and format the
partition afterwards. When you decide to create a swap-partiotion, do not
forget to run mkswap.
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Then the installer will detect it automatically (I hope so!) and use it.
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This is an example, how to do the partitioning and formatting.
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```bash
debian@nanodesk:~$ sudo su -
root@nanodesk:~# fdisk /dev/sda
Welcome to fdisk (util-linux 2.36.1).
Changes will remain in memory only, until you decide to write them.
Be careful before using the write command.
Command (m for help): o
Created a new DOS disklabel with disk identifier 0xe29b8e3b.
Command (m for help): n
Partition type
p primary (0 primary, 0 extended, 4 free)
e extended (container for logical partitions)
Select (default p): p
Partition number (1-4, default 1): 1
First sector (2048-16777215, default 2048):
Last sector, +/-sectors or +/-size{K,M,G,T,P} (2048-16777215, default 16777215): +7700M
Created a new partition 1 of type 'Linux' and of size 7.5 GiB.
Command (m for help): n
Partition type
p primary (1 primary, 0 extended, 3 free)
e extended (container for logical partitions)
Select (default p):
Using default response p.
Partition number (2-4, default 2):
First sector (15771648-16777215, default 15771648):
Last sector, +/-sectors or +/-size{K,M,G,T,P} (15771648-16777215, default 16777215):
Created a new partition 2 of type 'Linux' and of size 491 MiB.
Command (m for help): t
Partition number (1,2, default 2): 2
Hex code or alias (type L to list all): 82
Changed type of partition 'Linux' to 'Linux swap / Solaris'.
Command (m for help): w
The partition table has been altered.
Calling ioctl() to re-read partition table.
Syncing disks.
root@nanodesk:~# mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda1
mke2fs 1.46.2 (28-Feb-2021)
Creating filesystem with 1971200 4k blocks and 492880 inodes
Filesystem UUID: 59b069ae-d9be-4fc0-a277-4204d20dc293
Superblock backups stored on blocks:
32768, 98304, 163840, 229376, 294912, 819200, 884736, 1605632
Allocating group tables: done
Writing inode tables: done
Creating journal (16384 blocks): done
Writing superblocks and filesystem accounting information: done
root@nanodesk:~# mkswap /dev/sda2
Setting up swapspace version 1, size = 491 MiB (514846720 bytes)
no label, UUID=700c237a-d6ff-45d5-9cd9-8d623e851e06
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root@nanodesk:~# ./install_nanodesk.sh /dev/sda1
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```
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## Download
Yeah, you can download the .iso file.
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Download: [http://pub.la10cy.net/nanodesk/](http://pub.la10cy.net/nanodesk/)
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## Resources
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- Linux Logo Button: https://freesvg.org/linux-key-vector-button
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- xdgmenumaker deb package: https://bgstack15.wordpress.com/2020/03/03/package-for-devuan-xdgmenumaker/
- How To debootstrap a small desktop system: https://git.la10cy.net/DeltaLima/devnull/src/branch/main/debootstrap_minimal_dekstop_from_scratch.md
- How To create a linux live cd: https://www.willhaley.com/blog/custom-debian-live-environment/