Automated Linux From Scratch 12.2 (SysV)

Tested with Debian 12 Bookworm:

• CPU 4 cores (Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-8259U CPU @ 2.30GHz), RAM 4GB, swap 3GB.
• CPU 3 cores (Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-5575R CPU @ 2.80GHz), RAM 4GB, swap 3GB.

Target: x86_64 architecture with UEFI

This project is based on the Official LFS 12.2 Book

https://www.linuxfromscratch.org/lfs/view/12.2/

Package Requirements

Add the following packages

sudo apt install gcc g++ make patch bison gawk git htop texinfo file dosfstools gettext

Set these Environment Variables

export LFS=/mnt/lfs
export ALFS=/mnt/lfs/alfs
export NONROOT_USER=user

LFS Partition

⚠️ wipes the /dev/sdb drive

• Create a new empty GPT partition table (option g)
• Create a new vfat parition /dev/sdb1 (option n, 150MB) for EFI
• Create a new ext4 parition /dev/sdb2 (option n, 1GB) for boot
• Create a new ext4 parition /dev/sdb3 (option n) for root
• Create a new swap parition /dev/sdb4 (option n, 4GB) for swap

sudo fdisk /dev/sdb
sudo mkfs.vfat -v /dev/sdb1
sudo mkfs -v -t ext4 /dev/sdb2
sudo mkfs -v -t ext4 /dev/sdb3
sudo mkswap /dev/sdb4

Mount new partitions

sudo mkdir $LFS
sudo mount -vt ext4 /dev/sdb3 $LFS
sudo mkdir $LFS/boot
sudo mount -vt ext4 /dev/sdb2 $LFS/boot
sudo mkdir $LFS/boot/efi
sudo mount -vt vfat /dev/sdb1 -o codepage=437,iocharset=iso8859-1 $LFS/boot/efi

Prepare Host

Grab the alfs project files

sudo git clone https://github.com/vuonglequoc/alfs.git $ALFS

Change directory to alfs

cd $ALFS

Verify required programs

# Chapter 2
sudo $ALFS/scripts/version_check.sh

Download toolchain source code from wget-list

# Chapter 3
sudo -E $ALFS/scripts/host_get_packages.sh

Setup the LFS user environment

# Chapter 4
sudo -E $ALFS/scripts/host_setup_lfs_env.sh

Build Toolchain

These scripts are required to run as the new LFS user

sudo su lfs

# Chapter 5
# build 30 minutes
$ALFS/scripts/host_compile_cross-toolchain.sh

# Chapter 6
# build 35 minutes
$ALFS/scripts/host_cross-compile_temp-tools.sh

exit

Build LFS System

Run as root with environment variables set earlier

# Chapter 7
# build 11 minutes
sudo -E $ALFS/scripts/chroot_build_addtemp-toolchain.sh
# backup 32 minutes
sudo -E $ALFS/scripts/host_backup_temp-toolchain.sh

# Chapter 8
# build 6 hours 8 minutes
#   gcc 3 hours
sudo -E $ALFS/scripts/chroot_build_basic_system_software.sh

# Chapter 9
# build <1 minutes
sudo -E $ALFS/scripts/chroot_system_configuration.sh

# Chapter 10
# build 15 minutes
sudo -E $ALFS/scripts/chroot_make_system_bootable.sh

Grub Bootloader

Below is how I installed GRUB with UEFI support while inside the chrooted LFS system

https://www.linuxfromscratch.org/blfs/view/12.2/postlfs/grub-efi.html

Consider reading the LFS book for backing up your bootloader.

https://www.linuxfromscratch.org/lfs/view/12.2/chapter10/grub.html

⚠️ make certain you are in chroot

sudo -E $ALFS/extras/chroot.sh /dev/sdb3
mountpoint /sys/firmware/efi/efivars || mount -v -t efivarfs efivarfs /sys/firmware/efi/efivars

Prepare background

mkdir -pv /boot/grub/images/
cp /alfs/defaults/boot/grub/images/splash.png /boot/grub/images/splash.png

Updating grub defaults for boot menu with background

cp /alfs/defaults/etc/default/grub /etc/default/grub

Add menu entry for Windows and helpful Reboot, Shutdown

cp /alfs/defaults/etc/grub.d/40_custom /etc/grub.d/40_custom

Make grub.cfg with grub-mkconfig instead of typing manually.

grub-install --target x86_64-efi --bootloader-id=LFS --recheck
efibootmgr | cut -f 1
grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

Exit chroot environment

umount efivarfs
exit

Backup final OS

# backup 35 minutes
sudo -E $ALFS/scripts/host_backup_lfs_os.sh

Un-mount LFS partitions

cd /home
sudo umount $LFS/boot/efi
sudo umount $LFS/boot
sudo umount $LFS

At this step, we have a basic LFS system that can boot and play around with bash shell.

BLFS

Remote environment

Prepare remote environment with OpenSSH to use LFS system efficiently to install other packages instead of chroot environment.

Mount LFS partitions

sudo mount -vt ext4 /dev/sdb3 $LFS
sudo mount -vt ext4 /dev/sdb2 $LFS/boot
sudo mount -vt vfat /dev/sdb1 -o codepage=437,iocharset=iso8859-1 $LFS/boot/efi

Enter chroot environment and build software for remote environment

sudo -E $ALFS/scripts/chroot_build_remote_software.sh

From now on, we can use LFS system remotely for other installation with $NONROOT_USER user and pass $NONROOT_USER.

Reboot to LFS Machine

sudo reboot

Remote to LFS Machine from Dev Machine for the rest building

ssh $NONROOT_USER@LFS_MACHINE_IP

Set these Environment Variables

export NONROOT_USER=user

Post LFS Configuration and Extra Software

sudo -E /alfs/scripts/build_post_lfs.sh

Reboot to LFS Machine again to take effect

sudo reboot
ssh $NONROOT_USER@LFS_MACHINE_IP
export NONROOT_USER=user

General Libraries and Utilities

sudo /alfs/scripts/build_general_utilities.sh

Networking

sudo /alfs/scripts/build_networking.sh

Reboot to LFS Machine again to take effect

sudo reboot
ssh $NONROOT_USER@LFS_MACHINE_IP
export NONROOT_USER=user

Multimedia

sudo -E /alfs/scripts/build_multimedia.sh

Reboot to LFS Machine again to take effect

sudo reboot
ssh $NONROOT_USER@LFS_MACHINE_IP
export NONROOT_USER=user

Using sample:

# Play audio
ffplay music.mp3
nvlc music.mp3
mpv music.mp3

# Play video without sound
sudo -E ffmpeg -re -i ${VIDEO} -filter:v scale=1024:-1 -c:v rawvideo -pix_fmt bgra -f fbdev /dev/fb0

# Play video with sound
sudo -E ffmpeg -re -i ${VIDEO} -filter:v scale=1024:-1 -c:v rawvideo -pix_fmt bgra -f fbdev /dev/fb0 > ${VIDEO}_video.log 2>&1 < /dev/null &
ffplay ${VIDEO} -autoexit > ${VIDEO}_sound.log 2>&1 < /dev/null &
# Stop
sudo pkill -9 ffmpeg
sudo pkill -9 ffplay

# Play Youtube video + sound with yt-dlp
# Need to install yt-dlp
./yt-dlp ${VIDEO_URL} -o - 2>/dev/null | tee >(sudo ffmpeg -re -i - -filter:v scale=1024:-1 -c:v rawvideo -pix_fmt bgra -loglevel quiet -f fbdev /dev/fb0) >(ffplay -autoexit -loglevel quiet -) >/dev/null

# Adjust audio Volume
sudo alsamixer

Graphical Components: Wayland + Sway (tiling Wayland compositor)

I decided to use modern Wayland instead of traditional X system.

# build         3 hours 40 minutes
#   librsvg     10 minutes
#   SPIRV-Tools 15 minutes
#   libclc      20 minutes
#   GTK+        10 minutes
#   gtkmm       10 minutes
#   Waybar      10 minutes
#   mesa        46 minutes
sudo -E /alfs/scripts/build_graphic.sh

Fix /tmp folder permission for XDG RUNTIME DIR

sudo chmod -R 777 /tmp

Let's change to Run level 5 and re-login to see the Desktop:

sudo telinit 5
exit

Some key bindings for beginner:

• MOD key (Windows/Command)
• MOD + Return: Start terminal (foot)
• MOD + Space: Start launcher (Wofi)
• MOD + Shift + Q: Kill focused window
• MOD + Shift + T: Switch the current focus window between tiling and floating mode
• MOD + Shift + Return: Lock the screen (type password and press Return for Unlock)
• MOD + Shift + C: Reload Sway configuration file
• MOD + Shift + E: Exit Sway (logout of Wayland session)

Graphical Softwares: Web Browser, File Manager

sudo /alfs/scripts/build_graphic_software.sh

TODO: Office

Extra Scripts

Confirm that LFS and ALFS environment variables are both set and LFS partition is mounted.

Re-enter chroot and pass partition

sudo -E $ALFS/extras/chroot.sh /dev/sdb3

Emulate the LFS system with QEMU (pass drive)

sudo -E $ALFS/extras/qemu.sh /dev/sdb

Emulate the LFS system with QEMU + graphics (pass drive)

sudo -E $ALFS/extras/xqemu.sh /dev/sdb vmware

Notes

The root password in the LFS chrooted system is root.

LFS User

The lfs user on the host system can be deleted with sudo deluser lfs the lfs user /home/lfs folder can also be removed. It is only required to build the first toolchain.

GCC compile need high stack size

Before building the package, increase the stack size

ulimit -s 32768

Glibc compile need high RAM

• Tested with CPU 4 cores, RAM 4GB, swap 3GB -> OK

Kernel Panic

This can happen if you are trying to boot from qemu and the entry for root=/dev/??? is not sda

Simply edit vi /boot/grub/grub.cfg and change root references to sda1

root=/dev/sda1

When I am booting from my physical server I had to set it back to sdb3, because sda is my primary Debian installation.

root=/dev/sdb3

References

Linux From Scratch 12 Book: https://www.linuxfromscratch.org/lfs/view/12.2/

Beyond Linux From Scrach 12 Book: https://www.linuxfromscratch.org/blfs/view/12.2/

Windy's ALFS: https://github.com/mattwind/alfs

Armstrong's Sway : https://www.dwarmstrong.org/sway

Sway Add ons: https://github.com/swaywm/sway/wiki/Useful-add-ons-for-sway

Waybar config: https://man.archlinux.org/man/extra/waybar/waybar-clock.5.en

Knowledge

GNU toolchain: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_toolchain

How a toolchain is constructed: https://crosstool-ng.github.io/docs/toolchain-construction/

Linux Booting Process:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booting_process_of_Linux
• https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/the-linux-booting-process-6-steps-described-in-detail/
• https://learn.adafruit.com/running-programs-automatically-on-your-tiny-computer/sysv-init-runlevels

1. System startup (BIOS): search, load, execute boot loader program

• default: EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI
• GRUB: EFI/grub/grubx64.efi
• custom: EFI/LFS/grubx64.efi (same as GRUB)

2. Bootloader stage (GRUB): load kernel image /boot/vmlinuz-*
3. Kernel: execute /sbin/init with configuration in /etc/inittab
4. Init (SysV): execute init scripts in /etc/rc.d/rcS.d/ then /etc/rc.d/rc[run level].d/ (symlink -> /etc/rc.d/init.d/*).

• Run level 0: /etc/rc.d/rc0.d/ : Power off

• Run level 1: /etc/rc.d/rc1.d/ : Rescue (single-user)

• Run level 3: /etc/rc.d/rc3.d/ : Multi-user with networking (default)

• Run level 5: /etc/rc.d/rc5.d/ : level 3 + Graphical

• Run level 6: /etc/rc.d/rc6.d/ : Reboot

  For Run level from 1 to 6, final step is execute /sbin/agetty to opens a tty port, prompts for a login name and invokes the /bin/login command.

  After a successful login, an interactive login shell is started.

  Interactive login shell was defined in /etc/passwd. (root:x:0:0:root:/root:/bin/bash)

  The /etc/shadow file stores user passwords in Linux.

From now on, we can interact with linux system by interactive login shell.

Wayland: https://wayland.freedesktop.org/docs/html/ch03.html

Sway: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Sway