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I'm using xubuntu mostly with the read-only default image (without installation).

I was wondering if it's possible to tweak that same exact default xubuntu image and use that newly created image as the default (read only) bootable image.

Obviously, I'm going to assume that I should fully install it first and then tweak it to my own needs and then save it as a custom image but here is the thing...

I don't want to replicate that image 1:1 to a different hard drive I want to be able to use that same exact tweaked image to be loaded from external bootable USB device (read only) as the same as I loaded the default image from external bootable USB device.

Hezi-Gangina
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  • This a rather difficult task. It is much easier to create an installed system, which is portable in a USB device or to make a persistent live drive. I think those two alternative methods are good enough in many cases, but not in every case. – sudodus Sep 20 '17 at 13:30
  • @Hezi-gangina You will find your answers including solution to your own modified usb bootable system here which will work for any Ubuntu flavor https://askubuntu.com/questions/829652/build-my-own-ubuntu-iso – Pavel Sayekat Sep 20 '17 at 16:25

1 Answers1

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A lot depends on what exactly you intend to tweak.

If what you want to change is contained in a casper file system embedded in the ISO I don't think you can do this without at least extracting the ISO. I don't have your specific unnamed Xubuntu ISO so I can only speak in generalities. I would approach this by

1) Extracting the ISO.

2) if necessary, loop mounting the casper file system read/write

3) tweaking as required

4) Replacing the changed files in the ISO with isomaster as suggested here.

Note that you will require at least sufficient storage space to contain both the source and the destination ISO files and if you need to modify the casper filesystem enough space to extract that also and modify it as well.

Sources:

How to extract iso images to the hard disk?

Device type "loop" in mount command

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2566121/what-is-casper-rw-loop-file-and-why-do-i-need-it-to-make-saving-persistant-on-us/12982030#12982030

https://packages.ubuntu.com/search?keywords=isomaster&searchon=names&suite=all&section=all

How to edit ISO Images (Including Bootable ISOs)

Elder Geek
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