[tor-bugs] #7576 [Torouter]: Debian Live build tool for torouter

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#7576: Debian Live build tool for torouter
-------------------------+--------------------------------------------------
 Reporter:  ficus        |          Owner:  ioerror
     Type:  enhancement  |         Status:  new    
 Priority:  normal       |      Milestone:         
Component:  Torouter     |        Version:         
 Keywords:  torouter     |         Parent:         
   Points:               |   Actualpoints:         
-------------------------+--------------------------------------------------
 This is a ticket for feedback/discussion.

 I wrote an experimental torouter image builder using Debian Live
 (live.debian.net; specifically the live-build tool). It currently
 generates
 debian wheezy Live SD card images that boot on the DreamPlug (after a
 u-boot
 upgrade and configuration) from either a compressed read-only squashfs
 filesystem or a read-only ext3 filesystem. This was motivated out of
 frustration with the freedom-maker build scripts.

 A few kernel mangling steps are hardware-dependent, but otherwise the
 entire
 build system should be able to generate images for any debian supported
 architecture. NB: debian armel binaries run on the Raspberry Pi, but with
 reduced performance. It might be possible to point live-build at the
 raspberian
 apt repositories to build more efficient raspberian images.

 The old torouter build process uses the freedom-maker tool (from
 FreedomBox) to
 generate a debian image for the DreamPlug hardware, then (automatically)
 uses
 the torouter-prep package to install torouter-specific customizations. The
 Debian Live system could also accept a torouter-prep package for torouter
 configuration, but it currently does not.

 An example image and readmes are online here; this image has lots of known
 bugs
 and leaky problems, and is intended only a demonstration of functionality:

 image:
 http://ficus.robocracy.org/pub/images/torouter-
 live_dreamplug_squashfs_20121125.img

 docs:
 http://ficus.robocracy.org/?p=torouter-
 live.git;a=tree;f=doc;h=2b3fe19919378a05f3ab93ad4241d93c656aa5ef;hb=HEAD

 Some thoughts on using Debian Live images:

 * the live-build configuration system is extensive, documented, modular,
 and scriptable, especially compared to freedom-maker

 * "normal" (eg, with a read/write rootfs and minimal first-boot
 reconfiguration) images should be buildable with the live-build tool

 * live-build tool has some bugs and documentation holes w/r/t armel and
 non-squashfs builds

 * helper scripts for live-build exist to automate weekly image builds and
 on-demand image builds with configuration (eg, web interface to a build
 cluster)

 * persistence (including optional encrypted persistence) should work with
 little additional configuration

 * TAILS uses live-build with heavy customization

 See also ticket #6824 w/r/t upgrade and release process.

-- 
Ticket URL: <https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/7576>
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