Tools For Customizing Ubuntu Into Your Custom Distro

Hello everybody, I'm listing some of the tools that can be used to customize the ubuntu distro and create your own flavour of ubuntu. I'm saying ubuntu specifically because I've tested them on ubuntu but some work for all debian based distro and maybe some work for all linux distro.

If you want to customize the ubuntu distro, you need an ISO file of the ubuntu of your preferred version. For the terminal lovers, the following two links are very helpful:

Ubuntu Live CD Customization
Ubuntu Install CD Customization

Now for those people who hate terminal and would like to the same thing using GUI, I'm listing here few of the tools that you can use.

1) Ubuntu Customization Kit: UCK is a tool that helps you customizing official Ubuntu Live CDs (including Kubuntu/Xubuntu and Edubuntu) to your needs. You can add any package to the live system like, for example, language packs, applications, etc.

2) RemasterSys: This script creates a livecd of the installed system. You can either make a distributable livecd or backup of your system. The resulting iso file can be used on any other PC that still meets the original minimum requirements of Ubuntu or Debian. Things like the graphics card and other hardware will be configured and setup automatically and you do not have to use identical hardware. Ubuntu's live boot tool, casper, currently blacklists Nvidia and AMD proprietary drivers so they will not be available on the live system and will need to be reinstalled after installation of your custom system.

3) Reconstructor Engine: Reconstructor is a GNU/Linux distribution customization and creation toolkit. It allows for the customization of the Ubuntu GNU/Linux distribution. Customizations include boot logo image and text color, wallpaper, themes, icons, applications, and more. Personally, I didn't like this one very much. Check this site.

4) Live Magic: Live-helper is a collection of programs that can be used to build Debian Live system images. The philosophy behind live-helper is to provide a collection of small, simple, and easily understood tools that can be used in your own program to automate building of a Live system.

5) Live Scripts: Linux Live is a set of shell scripts which allows you to create your own Live Linux from an already installed Linux distribution. The Live system you create will be bootable from CD-ROM or a disk device, for example USB Flash Drive, USB Pen Drive, Camera connected to USB port, and so on. People use Linux Live scripts to boot Linux from iPod as well.

6) Revisor For Fedora: Revisor enables you to customize and compose your own Fedora based installation and live media. It does so by presenting you a GUI with all options you can click your way through, a command-line interface and extended configuration files for more advanced users. Features that Revisor has vary from customizing the packages available during the installation and/or installed on the live media, to fully customizing the desktop environment for the live media.

I hope these helps. :)


Read more...