This software enables users to perform two tasks on an existing Klikit, Ubuntu, or related installation.
Inspiration for this tool came from the mklivecd script that Mandriva uses and the remasterme script that is in PCLinuxOS. The software Remastersys was developed from Scratch, as it was found challenging to port features from these scripts to Ubuntu. The team responsible for developing Remastersys carefully studied casper and ubiquity along with some wikis on the internet, to furnish the first version of Remastersys.
Initially, the software had a slight issue with making the livecd user, but it came with a small workaround that created the livecd user during the building of the livecd system but later, it is found that method wasn't always consistent and became a showstopper with Feisty. After a few months break, Remastersys creator almost gave up on the project, but after receiving a message from Chris of Klikit about using Remastersys to create Klikit, the software creator decided to continue with the project.
Remastersys 2.0 was born after a few bug fixes with a GUI frontend to make user experience easier. Remastersys usage is straightforward; one can easily run "sudo remastersys backup" at the command prompt to make a full system backup, or "sudo su" to become root and then run "remastersys dist" to make a distributable copy to share with friends.
The configuration file - /etc/remastersys.conf allows users to customize things like the name of the livecd/dvd, the live session username, and other files to exclude from the cd/dvd. A GUI person can click on the "Remastersys Backup" icon on the desktop and select which option they want to run.
When preparing to use the Dist option, users can start with a clean install of Klikit, Ubuntu, or variant.
When using the Backup option, users can log into the livecd/dvd with any valid user that was on the system on the hard drive but it is recommended to log into the first one created during the initial installation as that is the user that can sudo.
It is important to note that the user setup portion of ubiquity (the install program) is only a placeholder other than the system name when installing the backed up files back to a hard drive. The username and password set here will not be used but must be created to continue with the installation.
If you were using proprietary video drivers like the nvidia or ati ones, you will need to reinstall them. The Ubuntu livecd scripts prevent these from running properly but reinstalling them after installation will make them work again. Remastersys is a must-have software for anyone looking to backup or create a distributable copy of their Ubuntu, Klikit or derivative installation easily.
Version 2.0.11: N/A