lfs-buildscripts/README.md

LFS SystemD Build Scripts
=========================
Shell scripts for building LFS SystemD

Based upon https://www.linuxfromscratch.org/lfs/view/stable-systemd/
version 12.2

Do not yet use

This git repository contains shell scripts needed to build LFS 12.2-systemd and
is being worked on in an `x86_64` LFS 11.3 (modified) system.

There are some deviations from LFS 12.2, namely:

* LibreSSL is used instead of OpenSSL
* LTS Kernel series 6.6 is being used in place of 6.10.x kernel series
* Some versions are updated from what is in the LFS book.

The host I am building from is an LFS 11.3 system with similar modifications.

As of present, these scripts are not complete and probably broken.

These instructions are incomplete notes.


Chapter 03 ‘Get Sources’ Script
-------------------------------

This script is to be run by the `lfs` user. The partition LFS is to be built on
must already be mounted at `/mnt/newlfs` and the directory `/mnt/newlfs/sources`
should exist and be owned by the `lfs` user.

The script will download the needed sources (sourcing `versions.sh`) and make a
backup of the downloaded sources so that if run again, it can get the sources
from the backup and not need to download them again.

The file `versions.sh` also includes `sha256sum` digests so that the script can
verify the integrity of the fetched files.


Chapter 05 Building
-------------------

In the `CH5Build` directory, the `lfs` user should execute the `Master.sh`
script:

    lfs$ bash Master.sh

The script works but is not finished. To do, it needs to verify the system is
ready for the script to run. The `Master.sh` script calls the `CH05.*` scripts.


Chapter 06 Building
-------------------

In the `CH6Build` directory, the `lfs` user should execute the `Master.sh`
script:

   lfs$ bash Master.sh

The script works but is not finished. To do, it needs to verify the system is
ready for the script to run. The `Master.sh` script calls the `CH06.*` scripts.


Chapter 07 Building
-------------------

__PAY ATTENTION__: First, the `root` user must execute the `CHROOT.sh` script.
That script will copy `CH7Build` and `CH8Build` into `/mnt/newlfs/sources` and
then fix some permissions and set up `/mnt/newlfs` for the `chroot`
environment.

Finally, it echoes the command that the `root` user must execute to enter the
`chroot` environment.

Once in the `chroot`:

    cd /sources/CH7Build
    bash 0-CH07-Prep.sh

After executing `0-CH07-Prep.sh` reload `bash` with the following:

    exec /usr/bin/bash --login

Then, still inside the `chroot` at `/sources/CH7Build`, execute:

    bash Master.sh

The script works but is not finished. To do, it needs to verify the system is
ready for the script to run. The `Master.sh` script calls the `CH07.*` scripts.

Some important build tools previously built in the host environment will be
rebuilt within the `chroot` environment. After the script runs, it will echo
instructions on how to back things up. The backup takes a few minutes but it
saves time if something goes wrong in Chapter 8 building.


Chapter 08 Building
-------------------

__PAY ATTENTION__: After running the build scripts for LFS Chapter 7, the
instructions for creating the backup involved deleted the `/mnt/newlfs/sources`
directory.

As the `lfs` user, re-run the `CH03-get-sources.sh` script to restore the
sources. The script will restore them from backup, it will not need to fetch
them again.

Then as the `root` user, once again execute the `CHROOT.sh` script to set up
the `chroot` environment and copy the build scripts into it. Again, the script
will echo the command to enter the `chroot`. Execute it as `root` and then
once in the `chroot` environment:

    cd /sources/CH8Build
    bash Master.sh

That will run many of the `CH08.*` scripts, building the LFS system through
`CH08.34-bash`. Note that when it builds the `shadow` package, it first builds
the `cracklib` package from BLFS and then links `shadow` against it. It does
not however build PAM.

After it finishes building `bash`, the `Master.sh` script will instruct you to
set the `root` password. After doing so, exit the `chroot` and re-enter so that
the freshly rebuilt `bash` will be loaded.

Once in the `chroot` environment again:

    cd /sources/CH8Build
    bash Master2.sh

That will run the rest of the `CH08.*` scripts. Assuming all goes well, the
system will be ready for LFS Chapter 9 configuration.

Note that `Master2.sh` does have a major deviation from the LFS book. It builds
LibreSSL to provide the OpenSSL API (e.g. as used by the `kmod` package). Most
software that builds against OpenSSL will build against LibreSSL and I have
more trust in the LibreSSL developers.

As of Python 3.10, Python 3 no longer allows building against LibreSSL. So
OpenSSL is still built, the `_ssl` and `_hashlib` Python modules need it and
are pretty important to a sane Python environment.

See the file `TLS-README.md` for more information.

The `CH08.*` scripts seem to work but I need to audit them against the LFS book
and some of them are missing the running of the tests. Also, I need to add a
way to disable the running of the tests.


The Madness
-----------

Long term goal is to produce a GNU/Linux distribution largely based upon LFS
but using RPM packages with a ‘core’ package repository and then additional
package repositories that require the ‘core’ package repository.

Multilib is not a goal, nor is compatibility with WINE. The goal is to allow
‘Free Libre Open Source Software’ to have a capable GNU system running the
Linux kernel upon which to run.

I *personally* will be involved in the package repository for the MATE Desktop
Environment when it gets that far, but as far as GNOME, KDE, etc. if they are
to have package repositories then others will have to provide them.

What I want is a stable ‘LTS’ distribution along the lines of what CentOS used
to be but third-party package repositories providing for the needs of the user
community, similar to how ‘Fedora Extras’ supplemented Red Hat Linux back in the
day.

Is that too much to ask?


The Plan
--------

These scripts will be used to build a bootable USB thumb drive that will then
be used to run the scripts again to rebuild itself on the hard disk. The thumb
drive then becomes my emergency boot device.

Once installed on the hard drive, BLFS packages will be added until I have a
basic usable system bootstrapped with the RPM package manager.

At that point, packages will be added until I am able to run the XFCE desktop
environment. Long-term goal personally is MATE but MATE will be done as a
separate package repository. Hopefully KDE and GNOME will also be done as
separate package repositories as well.

Users who are happy with XFCE will not need a separate package repository for
their desktop environment.

Back on topic, once XFCE is properly packaged and working, then the scripts
used to build the bootable USB thumb drive will be used to build an installer
thumb drive with a crude basic installer to create a system using RPM packages.

That will be the first release of ‘Yellow-Jacket GNU/Linux’ and it is probable
that by the time that happens, the LTS kernel will have changed and quite
likely other core components like GCC and GlibC and Python.