5 ms·

Show HN: Build your Linux from Scratch inside Docker with one command

94 points by eiskalt 9y ago

ggoo 9y ago
"one"
throwaway2016a 9y ago
First thought was the website http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/ http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/ and book. Edit: low and behold under "License"... "This work is based on instructions from Linux from Scratch project and provided with MIT license."
- dboreham 9y ago
  That's what the article is about.
- jfoutz 9y ago
  My first thought was this old chestnut http://bash.org/?464385 http://bash.org/?464385
Xeoncross 9y ago
Interesting invention "Standard Build Units" (SBUs) as a measurement of time to build/compile. http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/~bdubbs/about.html http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/~bdubbs/about.html
UncleEntity 9y ago
Seems to defeat the purpose of 'from scratch' if all you do is run a script. I fondly remember building linux from scratch in the early 00's and learning quite a bit about how a system is put together by doing (and troubleshooting) the steps. IIRC bootstrapping the compiler was the trickiest bit since the fedora (or maybe it was still redhat back then) gcc didn't like to play nice with its younger siblings.
- jiggunjer 9y ago
  What's the difference between writing x commands and hitting enter once, vs writing x commands and waiting for each command to finish? This is a good starting point for people who already know Linux and want a lean self-built system.
  - UncleEntity 9y ago
    Not gonna be all that lean with all the build tools and whatnot. And isn't all that practical without package management. Linux kernel + busybox + few unit scripts == lean But, you know, to each their own -- don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed tinkering with LFS back in the day.
  - finnthehuman 9y ago
    >What's the difference between writing x commands and hitting enter once, vs writing x commands and waiting for each command to finish? The point of homework is to do it yourself, not to clone a repo with the answers.
  - m_mueller 9y ago
    I don't really get what's different compared to using something like `from debian:jessie`. In what ways is this more lean?
    - krylon 9y ago
      Generally speaking, building an LFS, you can freely choose what software to include or omit, and where there are multiple pieces of software that solve the same problem, you can choose which one to use. (Of course, you are stuck with the work of making all this work, but that is what this is all about: Learning what makes a Linux system tick.)
    - majewsky 9y ago
      `FROM debian:jessie` costs 53 MiB. (And by the way, please upgrade to Stretch at the earliest convenience.) `FROM alpine` costs 2 MiB. When you need to send container images across the globe on shitty connections, this matters a lot.
jason_slack 9y ago
This idea is interesting. I recently started a LFS project but quickly ran into I am traveling a lot right now. Any thoughts on using a virtual machine to practice while I travel? VMWare Fusion?
- giancarlostoro 9y ago
  I don't see why this wouldn't work?
digi_owl 9y ago
I thought LFS already had an automated variant for the base book. Supposedly the latest Gobolinux was bootstrapped using a variant of it.
rkagerer 9y ago
Why are the docs at linuxfromscratch.org still based on 4.12 instead of 4.14? Have they just not gotten around to updating, or is 4.12 considered more widely accepted? I want to deep dive into building Linux from scratch (step by step, not via a magic script) to get intimately familiar with the OS, but wonder if I ought to invest my time in a more recent version.
- wila 9y ago
  You are talking about kernel versions? Version 4.12 was from July 2017 until September 2017 (0) Right now the main line kernel is at 4.14, but it has not changed so much that it really matters for learning Linux. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_kernel#4.x.y_releases https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_kernel#4.x.y_releases
  - rkagerer 9y ago
    I am. Do you think the same steps will work with 4.14? (Or at least that any changes I need to make would be straightforward enough for a relative beginner to figure out?)
    - wila 9y ago
      It is impossible for me to determine your level, I would expect it to be straightforward enough. But probably best to stick with the kernel that the doc is written for.
- eiskalt 9y ago
  As magic script author, who completed the book step by step, I want to say, you won't get "intimately familiar with the OS" after completion. What you will learn: * needed packages: purpose, how and in which order to build them * really basics of OS configuration * fault intolerance to mistakes So, why I've built such script? I think it is needed for the next steps, where you actually might want to modify kernel/tools/configuration to gain the knowledge how things are (not-)working.
jakeogh 9y ago
LFS is a gateway to Gentoo;)
- nickstinemates 9y ago
  Gentoo is such a great learning platform. Stage 3 installs really educate you on how a linux machine is built. Portage on how system services are built in a modular (or not) way. It creates such a different relationship with the user than most other OS's.
provost 9y ago
So if I'm understanding this correctly, this builds the LFS kernel inside a docker container into an ISO image that can be used with VirtualBox, but cannot be used within a Docker container itself?
- eiskalt 9y ago
  Yes, that's correct. The goal was to use the whole LFS's system including OS kernel. Docker, AFAIK, uses host's kernel, see info here https://docs.docker.com/get-started/#virtual-machine-diagram https://docs.docker.com/get-started/#virtual-machine-diagram Anyway, it should be possible to build image for docker container if necessary.
zwischenzug 9y ago
I did something similar a few years ago: https://zwischenzugs.com/2015/01/12/make-your-own-bespoke-docker-image/ https://zwischenzugs.com/2015/01/12/make-your-own-bespoke-do... it was a great learning experience but take-up was 0 :)

94 points by eiskalt 9y ago

ggoo 9y ago

"one"

throwaway2016a 9y ago

First thought was the website http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/ http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/ and book. Edit: low and behold under "License"... "This work is based on instructions from Linux from Scratch project and provided with MIT license."

dboreham 9y ago
That's what the article is about.
jfoutz 9y ago
My first thought was this old chestnut http://bash.org/?464385 http://bash.org/?464385

Xeoncross 9y ago

Interesting invention "Standard Build Units" (SBUs) as a measurement of time to build/compile. http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/~bdubbs/about.html http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/~bdubbs/about.html

UncleEntity 9y ago

Seems to defeat the purpose of 'from scratch' if all you do is run a script. I fondly remember building linux from scratch in the early 00's and learning quite a bit about how a system is put together by doing (and troubleshooting) the steps. IIRC bootstrapping the compiler was the trickiest bit since the fedora (or maybe it was still redhat back then) gcc didn't like to play nice with its younger siblings.

jiggunjer 9y ago
What's the difference between writing x commands and hitting enter once, vs writing x commands and waiting for each command to finish? This is a good starting point for people who already know Linux and want a lean self-built system.
- UncleEntity 9y ago
  Not gonna be all that lean with all the build tools and whatnot. And isn't all that practical without package management. Linux kernel + busybox + few unit scripts == lean But, you know, to each their own -- don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed tinkering with LFS back in the day.
- finnthehuman 9y ago
  >What's the difference between writing x commands and hitting enter once, vs writing x commands and waiting for each command to finish? The point of homework is to do it yourself, not to clone a repo with the answers.
- m_mueller 9y ago
  I don't really get what's different compared to using something like `from debian:jessie`. In what ways is this more lean?
  - krylon 9y ago
    Generally speaking, building an LFS, you can freely choose what software to include or omit, and where there are multiple pieces of software that solve the same problem, you can choose which one to use. (Of course, you are stuck with the work of making all this work, but that is what this is all about: Learning what makes a Linux system tick.)
  - majewsky 9y ago
    `FROM debian:jessie` costs 53 MiB. (And by the way, please upgrade to Stretch at the earliest convenience.) `FROM alpine` costs 2 MiB. When you need to send container images across the globe on shitty connections, this matters a lot.

jason_slack 9y ago

This idea is interesting. I recently started a LFS project but quickly ran into I am traveling a lot right now. Any thoughts on using a virtual machine to practice while I travel? VMWare Fusion?

giancarlostoro 9y ago
I don't see why this wouldn't work?

digi_owl 9y ago

I thought LFS already had an automated variant for the base book. Supposedly the latest Gobolinux was bootstrapped using a variant of it.

rkagerer 9y ago

Why are the docs at linuxfromscratch.org still based on 4.12 instead of 4.14? Have they just not gotten around to updating, or is 4.12 considered more widely accepted? I want to deep dive into building Linux from scratch (step by step, not via a magic script) to get intimately familiar with the OS, but wonder if I ought to invest my time in a more recent version.

wila 9y ago
You are talking about kernel versions? Version 4.12 was from July 2017 until September 2017 (0) Right now the main line kernel is at 4.14, but it has not changed so much that it really matters for learning Linux. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_kernel#4.x.y_releases https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_kernel#4.x.y_releases
- rkagerer 9y ago
  I am. Do you think the same steps will work with 4.14? (Or at least that any changes I need to make would be straightforward enough for a relative beginner to figure out?)
  - wila 9y ago
    It is impossible for me to determine your level, I would expect it to be straightforward enough. But probably best to stick with the kernel that the doc is written for.
eiskalt 9y ago
As magic script author, who completed the book step by step, I want to say, you won't get "intimately familiar with the OS" after completion. What you will learn: * needed packages: purpose, how and in which order to build them * really basics of OS configuration * fault intolerance to mistakes So, why I've built such script? I think it is needed for the next steps, where you actually might want to modify kernel/tools/configuration to gain the knowledge how things are (not-)working.

jakeogh 9y ago

LFS is a gateway to Gentoo;)

nickstinemates 9y ago
Gentoo is such a great learning platform. Stage 3 installs really educate you on how a linux machine is built. Portage on how system services are built in a modular (or not) way. It creates such a different relationship with the user than most other OS's.

provost 9y ago

So if I'm understanding this correctly, this builds the LFS kernel inside a docker container into an ISO image that can be used with VirtualBox, but cannot be used within a Docker container itself?

eiskalt 9y ago
Yes, that's correct. The goal was to use the whole LFS's system including OS kernel. Docker, AFAIK, uses host's kernel, see info here https://docs.docker.com/get-started/#virtual-machine-diagram https://docs.docker.com/get-started/#virtual-machine-diagram Anyway, it should be possible to build image for docker container if necessary.

zwischenzug 9y ago

I did something similar a few years ago: https://zwischenzugs.com/2015/01/12/make-your-own-bespoke-docker-image/ https://zwischenzugs.com/2015/01/12/make-your-own-bespoke-do... it was a great learning experience but take-up was 0 :)