Automatic Lazarus Linux installer for VMs: plan & comments

[BigChimp]

I've been thinking about making a bootable custom Debian cd that installs to the the hard disk and adds Apache, Firebird, PostgreSQL, sqlite, FPC 2.6.0 and Lazarus 1.0

On first boot, I can run fpcup (https://bitbucket.org/reiniero/fpcup) to additionally get the latest Lazarus sources from svn, as well as FPC 2.6.1/fixes 2.6 and install, along with packages like tiopf, zeos, fpspreadsheet.

I can install e.g. Xfce and/or KDE, maybe even Gnome

Once this works, phase 2:
* add wine, mingw binutils (make etc), and extend fpcup with a linux=>win32 crosscompiler. I can probably do this myself
* add whatever binutils are needed for android development and extend fpcup with a cross compiler module for that. I may need some help for this part. This will make the existing old android boot cd on sourceforge unnecessary

Result: a small install cd that does not need to be updated much, handy for people with virtual machines to set up a known environment as well as a bleeding edge environment.

Your comments are more than welcome, especially about easier install cd customization tools.

Thanks

I've created a custom Debian install cd before using a preseed file and a script,

[taazz]

Well since I'm on that path my self trying to find the time to install a linux distribution and lazarus and all the packages I might need I'd say that this would be something I would try when I'm ready for an installation then again I would love to have a live CD/DVD with everything pre installed no sql servers though I have separate computer with a few installed so I will not need to have them installed in linux too.

Just a basic linux system with either QT or GTK environment and lazarus with all the components I use would be what the doctor order to start evaluating or even coding today. I do use the following components that I would love to see installed VirtualTreeview, VirtualtreeExtras(db aware grids and trees) everything else is custom made so far and are not installed in the ide so nothing I could use but I think that synapse and lazreports, PowerPDF, Visual Planit, THTMLPort, RX library and multilog should be included too for a better experience.

It can be used to avoid installing linux and use it to help port and/or develop cross platform components from any OS windows, MacOS or whatever some one  might use.

This will have far better acceptance and use than a complete linux installation be it VM or not.

Also I think since all of the above are free to share you can easily create a vm with dynamic disks (aka the auto expand in space when needed) and share that VM in any form you want either VMWare or VirtualBox or even VirtualPC for the hardcore windows users.

Just my 2 cents.

Regards
Jo.

[BigChimp]

Thanks, Jo.

Just a basic linux system with either QT or GTK environment and lazarus with all the components I use would be what the doctor order to start evaluating or even coding today. I do use the following components that I would love to see installed VirtualTreeview, VirtualtreeExtras(db aware grids and trees) everything else is custom made so far and are not installed in the ide so nothing I could use but I think that synapse and lazreports, PowerPDF, Visual Planit, THTMLPort, RX library and multilog should be included too for a better experience.

.... shameless plug...
You/anybody else is welcome to contribute their svn locations to fpcup.ini That way, both Windows and Linux users can use them.

It can be used to avoid installing linux and use it to help port and/or develop cross platform components from any OS windows, MacOS or whatever some one  might use.

This will have far better acceptance and use than a complete linux installation be it VM or not.

Don't understand what you mean exactly, sorry. What will have far better acceptance than a linux VM?

Also I think since all of the above are free to share you can easily create a vm with dynamic disks (aka the auto expand in space when needed) and share that VM in any form you want either VMWare or VirtualBox or even VirtualPC for the hardcore windows users.

Yes, but a boot cd can be shared among those systems as well.. as well as physical systems.
Of course, to each his own - if somebody wants to export an installed system as an OVF (or whatever it's called) image, fine... it's just that the download size will be fairly huge compared to an install cd.

[taazz]

.... shameless plug...
You/anybody else is welcome to contribute their svn locations to fpcup.ini That way, both Windows and Linux users can use them.

Oh I indent to as soon as I have something stable to share even if that is windows only for starters I will create a public SVN Repo so anyone interested in it can help port it to other widget sets, then of course fpcup will be my 1st choice of auto installer, but so far everything is just to unstable.
 

Don't understand what you mean exactly, sorry. What will have far better acceptance than a linux VM?

A live CD/DVD of course you know the ones you download to evaluate a distribution and see if it agrees with you?
Just add to one the lazarus IDE with the components I mentioned above pre installed and let everyone evaluate away.

Yes, but a boot cd can be shared among those systems as well.. as well as physical systems.
Of course, to each his own - if somebody wants to export an installed system as an OVF (or whatever it's called) image, fine... it's just that the download size will be fairly huge compared to an install cd.

True that's why I prefer a live CD/DVD instead of a VM or an Installation CD/DVD its the safe way to test something out until you are ready for a bigger commitment.

Regards
Jo.