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List:       debian-user
Subject:    Re: Combining Distro DVD's
From:       "Thomas Schmitt" <scdbackup () gmx ! net>
Date:       2024-02-12 20:46:44
Message-ID: 18302292530312415593 () scdbackup ! webframe ! org
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Hi,

Steve Matzura wrote:
> I thought it'd be a nice idea to combine any and all distribution media for
> a release into a single medium--a USB drive, of course.

The initial situation will depend much on the distro ...
But given that Debian is about the last one i know with all its packages
in DVD images, i assume you mean the Debian installer ISO sets. Like
  https://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/current/amd64/jigdo-dvd/


> I'd start by
> creating my USB drive by extracting the first DVD to it, thereby ensuring
> the boot block and boot material is where it should be.

There is the dilemma that unpacking the first ISO into the USB stick's
filesystem will not enable the copied boot stuff, and that putting the
first ISO plainly onto the stick (e.g. by dd) will leave you with a
read-only filesystem on the stick.

So you'd need to invest some extra expertise.
Either for making a bootable USB stick with read-write filesystem from
the first ISO, or for merging the ISOs into a single ISO. In the former
case you need knowledge about booting Debian (by GRUB, i guess). In the
latter case you need xorriso.


> But then what do I
> do with the additional media? Surely there will be some files with the same
> name among the individual pieces of media, and some will probably contain
> the same info while others probably will not.

They should be either either merged or discarded, depending on their
meaning and on their importance for your final result. I.e. whether you
merged the ISOs or you extracted to a writable filesystem and installed
a bootloader yourself.

The way of merging multiple Debian DVD ISOs of the same release and
CPU architecture to a single ISO by xorriso is described in

  https://wiki.debian.org/MergeDebianIsos

(The script merge_debian_isos would also be the source to learn about
the proper handling of files with expected name collision.)


I leave it to others to elaborate the ways of creating a bootable USB
stick with writable filesystem and the content of Debian DVD 1 with
work-ready installer software. Then it's an adventure on its own to
add all the packages from the other DVD images and to properly care
for their non-package files.


Have a nice day :)

Thomas

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