Boot time shell script on USB

2013-03-27 Thread T Gillett
Hi All

I am seeking some advice as a novice in the XO space.

I would like to run a shell script (to do some configuration changes and
install some additional packages) when an XO is started with a USB memory
stick installed with the script on board.

The idea is that users in the field can be given a USB stick containing the
latest release which they can instal in the normal manner, then at a
subsequent boot up, the script on the USB will run and configure the XO to
just the way we want it.

The idea is that this will provide a simple way to do upgrades and
reconfiguration in the field.
At present we have to ask users to start up a terminal session and run the
script from the command line.
This works just fine to set up the XO, but we would like to remove the need
for the terminal session for obvious reasons.

My question is whether there is a simple way to do this already built in to
the system.

I am aware of the recent discussion around using the Forth file at start
up, but I don't think that will work for what I want as the operating
system needs to be up to do the package installs etc that we want.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Terry
___
Devel mailing list
Devel@lists.laptop.org
http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/devel


Re: Boot time shell script on USB

2013-03-27 Thread Jerry Vonau
On Wed, 2013-03-27 at 17:51 +1000, T Gillett wrote:
 Hi All
 
 I am seeking some advice as a novice in the XO space.
 
 I would like to run a shell script (to do some configuration changes
 and install some additional packages) when an XO is started with a USB
 memory stick installed with the script on board.
 
 The idea is that users in the field can be given a USB stick
 containing the latest release which they can instal in the normal
 manner, then at a subsequent boot up, the script on the USB will run
 and configure the XO to just the way we want it.
 
 The idea is that this will provide a simple way to do upgrades and
 reconfiguration in the field.
 At present we have to ask users to start up a terminal session and run
 the script from the command line.
 This works just fine to set up the XO, but we would like to remove the
 need for the terminal session for obvious reasons.
 
 My question is whether there is a simple way to do this already built
 in to the system.
 
 I am aware of the recent discussion around using the Forth file at
 start up, but I don't think that will work for what I want as the
 operating system needs to be up to do the package installs etc that we
 want.
 
 Any suggestions appreciated.
 

Well I brought this up awhile ago[1], I hacked up dracut-modules-olpc,
where the customization key's initrd code runs it's magic, to add some
of that that functionality. There was some resistance so I've gone it
alone. I've refined the code since to add the ability to run scripts
also[2]. Let me know if your interested, should work on i386 up to
12.1.0 haven't tested on 13.1(need to compile). On a side note if
anybody knows why I can't see what going on after the initrd loads on
ARM I'd be thankful for any pointers. 

Jerry

1 http://lists.laptop.org/pipermail/devel/2011-May/031901.html
2
http://sugardextrose.org/projects/xo-au-usb/repository/revisions/master/show/dracut



___
Devel mailing list
Devel@lists.laptop.org
http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/devel


Re: Boot time shell script on USB

2013-03-27 Thread T Gillett
Hi Jerry
Thanks. It is 12.1.0 on i386 (XO-1) that I am using, so yes I am definitely
interested.
Regards
Terry


 Well I brought this up awhile ago[1], I hacked up dracut-modules-olpc,
 where the customization key's initrd code runs it's magic, to add some
 of that that functionality. There was some resistance so I've gone it
 alone. I've refined the code since to add the ability to run scripts
 also[2]. Let me know if your interested, should work on i386 up to
 12.1.0 haven't tested on 13.1(need to compile). On a side note if
 anybody knows why I can't see what going on after the initrd loads on
 ARM I'd be thankful for any pointers.

 Jerry

 1 http://lists.laptop.org/pipermail/devel/2011-May/031901.html
 2

 http://sugardextrose.org/projects/xo-au-usb/repository/revisions/master/show/dracut




___
Devel mailing list
Devel@lists.laptop.org
http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/devel