Image Creation For Beginners

MeeGo Image Creator is the tool we use to create Mer images. Here are the simple steps on how to create a Mer image. For more in-depth information, go to the main Image Creator developer's guide: Image Creation

This page needs updating when the Mer Tools repo is setup correctly : see https://bugs.merproject.org/show_bug.cgi?id=117

Creating a Mer Image

STEP 1 - Install Meego Image Creator (MIC)

See the mic installation guide

STEP 2 - Get Mer .ks File

KickStart (.ks) configuration files are passed to MIC to create images.

There is a page with links to the official Mer kickstart files

For details about how to modify the ks file, please refer: http://wiki.meego.com/Image_Configurations_-_KickStart_Files

STEP 3 - Create Mer Livecd Image

MIC has to be run with root privileges using 'sudo'.

Here is the command to create a Mer livecd image you can burn onto a CD.

sudo mic-image-creator --config=default.ks --format=livecd --cache=mycache

A file named meego-1.2-default-XX.iso is created. This ISO image is a hybrid image and can be either written to a disk device or burned onto a cd.

STEP 4 - Create Mer LiveUSB Image

To create a Mer liveusb image that you can transfer to a USB stick.

sudo mic-image-creator --config=default.ks --format=liveusb --cache=mycache

A file named meego-1.2-default-XX.usbimg will be created. To burn it onto a USB stick, run the following command:

sudo mic-image-writer meego-1.2-default-XX.usbimg

This image has a FAT file system and can be mounted easily on Windows and other OSes.

Configure Proxy and Other Variables

~/.mic2.conf is a configuration file that can make your life easier by specifying proxy settings, cache directories, and other variables that you normally would have to re-type in your command-line.

Copy and paste this into a file called: ~/.mic2.conf

Replace with your own relevant values.

[main]
cachedir=/home/user1/mycache
tmpdir=/home/user1/mystorage/tmp
outdir=/home/user1/mystorage
proxy=http://my.proxy.com:911/
no_proxy=localhost,127.0.0.0/8,.mysite.com,172.16.0.0/16

cachedir = directory where the cached repo(s) will reside. With this variable set, you do not need to pass the --cache flag in the command-line.

tmpdir = temporary directory used by mic2 when creating images. With this variable set, you do not need to pass the --tmpdir flag in the command-line.

outdir = where your images will reside once they are created. With this variable set, you do not need to pass the --outdir flag in the command-line.

proxy = specify your proxy if you're behind a behind a firewall.

no_proxy = specify what domains should not sure the proxy setting.

Note: When specifying proxy and no_proxy, you do not need to use the --proxy flag in your .ks files when referring to repos.

---FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON MIC, PLEASE VISIT THE MIC DEVELOPER'S GUIDE HERE: Image_Creation---