boot CD based on Gentoo - some basic questions

djc · n00b Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 3

I apologize if I selected the wrong forum for this. I am in the middle of purchasing a program that runs in Gentoo linux. Its wipedrive by white canyon software. Basically, as I'm told, its gentoo linux loaded with SCSI, RAID, and NIC drivers and serves as the platform for their WipeDrive software. Its a bootable cd that loads gentoo, appropriate drivers, and then launches wipedrive. I am still awaiting feedback from the company as to the specific version of Gentoo in use so as of now I don't know.

You can exit the wipedrive program and there is gentoo linux in all its glory ready for use. I want to find out about the possibilities for customizing this gentoo boot cd (I'm assuming gentoo liveCD) so my questions revolve around first 'if its possible' and secondly, if its possible 'how'?

1) could I just modify the iso file by adding my own shell script files and programs that basically just run, i.e. don't require installation?

2) what if I want to add gentoo packages to the existing cd? or other programs that do require installation or even kernal recompiles? how would I go about doing that and generating the new iso image?

Basically, the fact that this wipedrive software runs in linux, and is providing access to a linux environment, is giving me the opportunity to get some long overdue linux experience. I currently have a few programs that are used in a DOS boot environment and I would like to convert the whole operation to linux. Assuming I can find the linux equivalents to the utilities I need my goal would be to create a boot cd that runs gentoo and these utilities and scripts of my chossing...

any input, especially links to how-tos and the like would be greatly appreciated. I have a descent amount of general linux knowledge but no real experience.

djc · n00b Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 3

http://www.livecdlist.com/wiki/index.php/LiveCD_Creation_Resources

just found the above... it has many links that will likely answer my questions. Yes, I posted before researching... only because I'm in a bit of a rush to find out about this and feedback from the folks that already know is very helpful. Feedback still welcome. I'll be reading.

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007 9:24 pm Post subject:

djc,

Welcome to Gentoo.

If I was going where you are going, I wouldn't start from where you are.
There are lots of free things that do what wipedrive does, the gentoo liveCD is supplied with some of them,
others are in portage.

The single command

djc · n00b Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 3

thanks for the reply NeddySeagoon. Its appreciated.

As far as using wipedrive its not actually for personal use but rather part of a service so leveraging a known products certifications, endorsements, client list, etc... is important for us to maintain credibility.

ya, definitely not a planned starting point, more seeing some opportunity as a result of circumstance. Since the wipedrive cd is already loaded with drivers and configured to discover a large variety of hardware I was thinking of leveraging that (what I assume is the harder part - beyond my current know how at least) and just polishing it off with a couple additional programs.

well, in the short term at least, my guys are just going to have to reboot between running wipedrive (linux) and running diagnostics (DOS). In the meantime I'll start at the 'beginning' and learn how to create the whole thing myself and get everything running under linux. Very cool. And so much faster than DOS!

thanks again.

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007 10:51 pm Post subject:

djc,

There are free tools that claim compliance with DoD regualtions for declassifying drives but none are certified, as far as I know, probably because that costs money. In any case, any tool that operates the HDD normally only makes it difficult to recover the previous contents of the drive, not impossible.

There are als a lot of tools out there that don't do what they claim they are doing by destroying file contents. Mostly because you can't overwrite a file on a modern filesystem.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.