EM_MULTISTRAP(1)
Name
em_multistrap - extends debootstrap for multiple repository support
Synopsis
em_multistrap [-a ARCH] [-d DIR] -f CONFIG_FILE
em_multistrap -?|-h|--help|--version
Options
(These options can also be set in the configuration file.)
--tidy-up - remove apt cache data, downloaded Packages files and the
apt package cache. Same as cleanup=true.
--no-auth - allow the use of unauthenticated repositories. Same as
noauth=true
Description
em_multistrap provides a debootstrap-like method based on apt and
extended to provide support for multiple repositories, using a
configuration file to specify the relevant suites, architecture, extra
packages and the mirror to use for each debootstrap.
The aim is to create a complete debootstrap with all packages installed
and configured, instead of just the base system.
- Example configuration:
- [General]
arch=armel
directory=/opt/multistrap/
# same as --tidy-up option if set to true
cleanup=true
# same as --no-auth option if set to true
# keyring packages listed in each debootstrap will
# still be installed.
noauth=false
# extract all downloaded archives (default is true)
unpack=true
# the order of sections is not important.
# the debootstrap option determines which repository
# is used to calculate the list of Priority: required packages.
debootstrap=Debian - [Debian]
packages=
source=http://ftp.uk.debian.org/debian
keyring=debian-archive-keyring
suite=lenny - This will result in a completely normal debootstrap of Debian lenny
from the specified mirror, for armel in '/opt/multistrap/'. - Specify a package to extend the multistrap to include that package and all dependencies.
- Specify more debootstraps by adding new sections. Section names are
used in the debootstrap general option. - Section names are case-insensitive.
- e.g. change
debootstrap=Debian- to
debootstrap=Grip- then add the new section for Grip:
[Grip]
packages=locales
keyring=emdebian-archive-keyring
source=http://www.emdebian.org/grip
suite=lenny- Setting Grip instead of Debian in the debootstrap option, as above,
will provide a base system from Emdebian Grip 1.0 and locate any
missing dependencies in Debian 5.0 Lenny, allowing you to add any
package(s) you need from Debian that are not yet in Emdebian Grip. - All dependencies are resolved only by apt, using all configured
repositories, to use only the most recent and most suitable
dependencies. Note that multistrap turns off Install-Recommends so if
the multistrap needs a package that is only a Recommended dependency,
the recommended package needs to be specified in the packages line
explicitly. - 'Architecture' and 'directory' can be overridden on the command line.
Other general options have command line options, except debootstrap
itself.
General settings:
'directory' specifies the top level directory where the debootstrap
will be created - it is not packed into a .tgz once complete.
As with debootstrap, em_multistrap will continue after errors.
em_multistrap does not currently implement the machine:variant support
used in Emdebian but the build directory is not packed up at the end of
the run so other scripts can be used to implement customisations.
Secure Apt
To use authenticated apt repositories, multistrap either needs to be
able to install an appropriate keyring package from the existing apt
sources *outside the multistrap environment* or have the relevant keys
already configured using apt-key *on the host system*.
If relevant packages exist, specify them in the 'keyring' option for
each repository. em_multistrap will then check that apt has already
installed this package so that the repository can be authenticated
before any packages are downloaded from it.
Note that *all* repositories to be used with multistrap must be
authenticated or apt will fail. Similarly, secure apt can only be
disabled for all repositories (by using the --no-auth command line
option or setting the general noauth option in the configuration file),
even if only one repository does not have a suitable keyring available.
Not all packages need keyring packages, if you configure apt-key
appropriately.
The keyring package(s) will also be installed inside the multistrap
environment to match the installed apt sources for the multistrap.
All configuration of apt-key needs to be done for the machine running
multistrap itself.
State
multistrap is stateless - if the directory exists, it will simply
proceed as normal and apt will try to pick up where it left off.
Native mode - multistrap
em_multistrap was not intended for native support, it was developed for
cross architecture support. In order for multiple repositories to be
used, em_multistrap only unpacks the packages selected by apt.
- In native mode, various post-multistrap operations are likely to be
needed that debootstrap would do for you: - 1. copy /etc/hosts into the chroot
2. clean the environment to unset LANGUAGE, LC_ALL and LANG
to silence nuisance perl warnings that obscure other errors - (An alternative to unset the localisation variables is to add locales
to your multistrap configuration file in the 'packages' option. - Eventually, multistrap will either replace em_multistrap or call
em_multistrap with --arch and take over native duties.