Personalised ISO

[harecanada]

I don't know if this would be possible or not. Whenever I start messing around with my system, I enviably screw something up usually to the point that I need to reformat using a new install of Kubuntu.
What I would like to be able to do is this:
I download Kubuntu.
Then I set it up the way I want it i.e.
Set my e-mail to my liking.
Set my printer , scanner to my liking
Set my audio and player to my liking.
Set up all the basics the way I want.
Then I take an image of that system and burn it to disk like a live CD of Kubuntu, but this is Kubuntu and all of my settings the way I want it. Then if I hose my system I can reformat with my own personalised Kubuntu with all of my own hardware and software settings already in place. TaDAAAAhhh.
If we had this in a GUI format under utilities and made really simple so anyone could do it at any stage they wanted to I think it would be a very cool asset to Kubuntu. It could be burnt to CD or if bigger then DVD but it's your own personalised Kubuntu.

What do you think? Is it doable?

[GreyGeek]

Re: Personalised ISO

Do a google search on "remastering"

[Qqmike]

Re: Personalised ISO

Search THIS forum, too -- toad has done some good work on this here.

[kjjjjshab]

Re: Personalised ISO

Not to steer you away from kubuntu..., and slightly off-topic is http://susestudio.com/

I just got my invite today, so it was on my mind. Pretty interesting concept...

Edit: Dang... have been playing with the susestudio a little more... I could spend days with that!

[GreyGeek]

Re: Personalised ISO

Not to steer you away from kubuntu..., and slightly off-topic is http://susestudio.com/

I just got my invite today, so it was on my mind. Pretty interesting concept...

Edit: Dang... have been playing with the susestudio a little more... I could spend days with that!

I tend to stay away from distros too heavily linked to Microsoft, or which benefit Microsoft.
It's the same reason why I do not install or use MONO. As James Plamondon, Microsoft Technical Evangelist and creator of "The Slog" and "The Stacked Panel", wrote in "Evangelism is War!":

"Every line of code written to Microsoft's standard is a small victory for Microsoft, every line of code written to some other standard is a small defeat for Microsoft. Total victory ... is the universal adoption of our standards by developers."

Using MONO or distros that become increasingly dependent on MONO, or are aligned with Microsoft, is helping Microsoft to total victory, and, helping to destroy Linux. What goes into openSUSE eventually may end up in SELS, for which Novell pays a royalty to Microsoft for each copy sold. In paying that royalty Novell is calling you and me and every other user of Linux (except SELS) a thief.

But, they are the real thieves:
http://www.groklaw.net/articlebasic....71023002351958

There is a section on evangelism steps to take to build support, which he calls guerrilla marketing, or "The Slog" and and that's the section that includes using supposedly "independent" analysts and consultants:

Our mission is to establish Microsoft's platforms as the de facto standards throughout the computer industry.... Working behind the scenes to orchestrate "independent" praise of our technology, and damnation of the enemy's, is a key evangelism function during the Slog. "Independent" analyst's report should be issued, praising your technology and damning the competitors (or ignoring them). "Independent" consultants should write columns and articles, give conference presentations and moderate stacked panels, all on our behalf (and setting them up as experts in the new technology, available for just $200/hour). "Independent" academic sources should be cultivated and quoted (and research money granted). "Independent" courseware providers should start profiting from their early involvement in our technology. Every possible source of leverage should be sought and turned to our advantage.

I have mentioned before the "stacked panel". Panel discussions naturally favor alliances of relatively weak partners - our usual opposition. For example, an "unbiased" panel on OLE vs. OpenDoc would contain representatives of the backers of OLE (Microsoft) and the backers of OpenDoc (Apple, IBM, Novell, WordPerfect, OMG, etc.). Thus we find ourselves outnumbered in almost every "naturally occurring" panel debate.

A stacked panel, on the other hand, is like a stacked deck: it is packed with people who, on the face of things, should be neutral, but who are in fact strong supporters of our technology. The key to stacking a panel is being able to choose the moderator. Most conference organizers allow the moderator to select the panel, so if you can pick the moderator, you win. Since you can't expect representatives of our competitors to speak on your behalf, you have to get the moderator to agree to having only "independent ISVs" on the panel. No one from Microsoft or any other formal backer of the competing technologies would be allowed – just ISVs who have to use this stuff in the "real world." Sounds marvelously independent doesn't it? In fact, it allows us to stack the panel with ISVs that back our cause. Thus, the "independent" panel ends up telling the audience that our technology beats the others hands down. Get the press to cover this panel, and you've got a major win on your hands.

Finding a moderator is key to setting up a stacked panel. The best sources of pliable moderators are:

-- Analysts: Analysts sell out - that's their business model. But they are very concerned that they never look like they are selling out, so that makes them very prickly to work with.

-- Consultants: These guys are your best bets as moderators. Get a well-known consultant on your side early, but don't let him publish anything blatantly pro-Microsoft. Then, get him to propose himself to the conference organizers as a moderator, whenever a panel opportunity comes up. Since he's well- known, but apparently independent, he'll be accepted – one less thing for the constantly-overworked conference organizer to worry about, right?

[kjjjjshab]

Re: Personalised ISO

...I tend to stay away from distros too heavily linked to Microsoft...

OK, now that's OT!

But then perhaps to at least suggest that Canonical provide something similar to susestudio can be agreed upon?

[GreyGeek]

Re: Personalised ISO

...I tend to stay away from distros too heavily linked to Microsoft...

OK, now that's OT!

But then perhaps to at least suggest that Canonical provide something similar to susestudio can be agreed upon?

Sure! Take your pick and knock yourself out:
Assuming Kubuntu remasters the same way Ubuntu does:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/In...DCustomization
or one specific way:
http://www.der-winnie.de/posts/remas...ubuntu_livecd/

[harecanada]

Re: Personalised ISO

All of these replies are great. However, I tend to feel like you guys are all IT Linux geniuses and I'm still in Linux preschool. There are so many abbreviations and terms I know nothing about. Don't get me wrong I love learning this stuff but dam... there just seems to be so much I need to know to get there. Feels like I have to go to Linux university and get a degree to be able to do this stuff. Anyway, I'll keep at it and see how I do. It sounds like Mondo, mkCDrec, re mastering, uck, etc will do what I want and create my own personalised ISO but man I'm going to have to graduate to the advanced class in able to do it.

I'll let you know how I do.