Tag Archives: Create you own new ISO

Run Raspberry Pi’s PIXEL Desktop on a PC or Mac – an Exton modified Build 190705 with Refracta Tools (so you can create your own Raspberrypi Debian 10 Pixel system)

NEWS 190705 about Raspberry Pi Debian 10 Pixel – 32bit – an Exton Build
My previous Debian Pixel Build from is from 180928 . Study all included packages in Build 190705- latest by 190705. I’ve added NetworkManager and also Wicd, which makes it easier to configure wireless connections. Choose the one which works for you.

NEWS 180928 – a YouTube video about Debian Pixel
I’ve discovered a YouTube video about my Debian Pixel Build 170425. The video is called Debian Pixel..Exton forks it for you..
This video is of course also valid for Build 190705 and 180928. By watching the video you can learn a lot about Debian Pixel’s features.

Most important changes in Build 190705
This build replaces version 161223 , 170425, 180316 and 180928 . I’ve upgraded Raspbian/Debian from Stretch to Buster – Debian 10 stable to be officially released tomorrow (190706). I’ve also upgraded the kernel from 4.9.0-9-686-pae to 4.19.0-5-686-pae. I’ve also included kernel 4.19.0-5-686, which shall be used on older computers. PAE (Physical Address Extension) increases the physical memory addressable by the system from 4 GB to 64 GB. Firefox have been installed so you’ll have a browser when logged in as root. You can’t run Chromium as root. Another good thing about Firefox is that you can use it to watch Netflix movies.

OLD NEWS FROM 161223

On December 22, 2016 I read that the Raspberry Pi Foundation had announced the release of a new PIXEL image that can be booted on a PC or Mac. Study this site. I saw immediately that there was no installer included, which I thought was a little disappointing. Come to think of Refracta tools, which work very well in Debian and Ubuntu. I quickly made a “remix” of the Raspberry Pi Foundation PIXEL image. My remix thus include Refracta tools. This means that you can easily install the system to hard drive and you can just as easily make your own remix of the Raspberry Pi Foundation PIXEL image. I’ve added a few packages. Most important Synaptic, which I find essential.

About the PIXEL Desktop
Raspbian had its biggest update ever in September, 2016, thanks to a dazzling new desktop environment called PIXEL. Raspbian with PIXEL (which stands for “Pi Improved Xwindow Environment, Lightweight”) is a huge software update to the desktop environment. It introduces a crisp new interface, and is brimming with new programs and features.

VirtualBox and VMware
My build/image works very well in VirtualBox and VMware. I.e. you can run the system directly from the ISO file and also install it to a virtual hard drive. You can of course also make your own Raspbian/Debian system with the the PIXEL Desktop using Refracta Snapshot (pre-installed).

KERNEL
Kernel 4.19.0-5-686-pae is used in Build 190705. PAE (Physical Address Extension) increases the physical memory addressable by the system from 4 GB to 64 GB. If you want to run the system (which is 32bit) on older computers you shall use kernel 4.19.0-5-686, which also is included.

Login and passwords
Log in to the PIXEL Desktop as the ordinary user pi or as root. The passwords are raspberrypi respectively root. When logged in as pi you can use Sudo to become root. (Command: sudo su). When running Debian Pixel live (from a DVD or a USB stick) you’ll end up (after the boot process) logged in automatically as the user pi in X (PIXEL Desktop).

Runs from RAM
Another great thing is that this build can run from RAM. Use Boot alternative 3 (load to RAM). When the system has booted up you can remove the disc (DVD) or the USB stick. You’ll need at least 4 GB RAM to run the system that way. I.e. super fast!

Spotify
You may want to run Spotify. In this version of Debian Pixel you can’t install Spotify with the command sudo apt install spotify-client. Too many unfulfilled dependencies. You can, however, run Spotify Web Player. Use Firefox for that. Watch a screenshot when Spotify Web Player is running.

Important about Refracta
You can use the Refracta tools (pre-installed) to create your own installable Raspberry Pi Debian 10 PIXEL system once you have installed my build to hard drive. I mean change everything and then create a whole new Debian live system. Start Refracta from Menu >> System tools >> Refracta snapshot. You don’t even have to install my build to hard drive before you can use the Refracta tools. If you have plenty of RAM you can create a new (your own!) Debian PIXEL system while running my build from DVD or a USB stick. Please note that the whole Refracta process (creating your new ISO file) will only take 20 – 60 min! Please edit the configuration file /etc/refractasnapshot.conf first. Change line 45 and 46. I.e. decide where you want the ISO file to be build. The whole thing is very simple. NOTE: You can also do everything in VirtualBox or VMware. Use FileZilla (pre-installed) to transfer your new ISO file to your server.

Install to Debian PIXEL hard drive
Just start Refracta Installer from Menu >> System tools >> Refracta Installer and follow the instructions. Very simple.

Install Debian PIXEL to a USB stick
You can use Rufus in Windows. Persistence can’t be enabled though. You can also use UNetbootin in Windows or Linux. The best way to do it is to burn Debian PIXEL to a DVD, start up the system from the DVD and then use Refracta Installer for the installation. Choose to install Grub in MBR on /dev/sdb. (Normally your USB stick, but check it carefully!) I.e. you will get a chance to choose between /dev/sda and /dev/sdb. This method will (of course) give you perfect persistence.

Watch the slideshow below showing the Refracta installation process in Debian PIXEL.

SCREENSHOTS
Screenshot 1 – Spotify running
Screenshot 2 – Samba running (reach your Windows computers in your network)
Screenshot 3 – Refracta Snapshot has started
Screenshot 4 – Refracta Installer has started in VMware
Screenshot 5 – Wireless connection with NetworkManager and Wicd (installed in Build 170425, 180316, 180928 and 190705)
Screenshot 6 – WiFi connection using NetworkManager – in detail

DOWNLOAD
This version has been replaced by Build 191102...

Raspberry Pi is a trademark of Raspberry Pi Foundation

Read about my Android-x86 Systems – Pie, Oreo, Nougat, Marshmallow, Lollipop and KitKat at

andex.exton.net – latest is AndEX Pie 9.0 (with GAPPS) and AndEX Oreo 8.1 (also with GAPPS)!
and
about my Pie, Oreo, Nougat, Marshmallow and Lollipop versions for Raspberry Pi 3/2 at
raspex.exton.se – latest is RaspAnd Pie 9.0 (without GAPPS) and RaspAnd Oreo 8.1 (with GAPPS)!

DebEX Barebone, 64bit, based on Debian Buster/Sid with LXDE, Refracta tools and kernel 4.13.0-16-exton

About DebEX Barebone, DebEX Gnome and DebEX KDE Plasma Linux 64 bit
All three systems/distributions are a based on Debian Buster/Sid (upcoming Debian 10). LXDE is used as Desktop environment in DebEX Barebone/LXDE. Gnome 3.26 and Mate 1.18 are used in DebEX Gnome. KDE 4.16.08 and KDE Plasma Desktop 5:37 are used in DebEX KDE. All three DebEX systems use my special kernel 4.13.0-16-exton. (Kernel 4.13.4). The system language is English (in all three versions of DebEX).

NEWS 171030 about DebEX Barebone/LXDE – a Refracta Build
A new version of DebEX Barebone with LXDE and kernel 4.13.0-16-exton (equivalent to Kernel.org’s stable kernel 4.13.4) is ready. All packages have been updated to the latest version as of October 30, 2017. DebEX Barebone is now based on Debian Buster/Sid (upcoming Debian 10). I have replaced Google Chrome with Firefox 56.0-2 (for Netflix). Most important: The ISO has decreased from 1860 MB to 1330 MB, which makes it easier to run the system live from RAM. That ability allows DebEX LXDE to be very fast, since reading and writing data from/to RAM is much faster than on a hard disk drive.

Important about Refracta

You can use the Refracta tools (pre-installed in all three versions of DebEX) to create your own installable Debian Live DVD once you have installed DebEX to hard drive. I mean change everything and then create a whole new Debian live system. When you start Refracta it will look like this. You don’t even have to install DebEX to hard drive before you can use the Refracta tools. If you have plenty of RAM you can create a new (your own!) Debian 10 system while running DebEX from DVD or a USB stick. Please note that the whole Refracta process (creating your new ISO) will only take 10 – 50 min! You’ll find the ISO in /home/snapshots.

Screenshot of DebEX LXDE Desktop

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DebEX Xfce4 Build 161025 – Create your own installable Debian Stretch Live DVD with Refracta tools (pre-installed)!

debex-refracta-start2-smallNEWS 161025 about DebEX Xfce4 – a Refracta Build
A new version of DebEX Barebone with Xfce 4.12.1 and kernel 4.8.0-21-exton (equivalent to Kernel.org’s stable kernel 4.8) is ready. I have installed Nvidia’s proprietary graphics driver 370.28 in this new version of DebEX Barebone. Read about how to use it. All packages have been updated to the latest version as of October 25, 2016. DebEX Barebone is now based on Debian testing – Stretch – (upcoming Debian 9) and Debian unstable – Sid. I have replaced Google Chrome with Tor Browserit prevents somebody watching your Internet connection from learning what sites you visit, it prevents the sites you visit from learning your physical location, and it lets you access sites which are blocked. Announcement about Xfce 4.12, released 150228: Today, after 2 years and 10 months of work, we are pleased to announce the release of the Xfce desktop 4.12, a new stable version that supersedes Xfce 4.10. This long period can only be explained by how awesome Xfce 4.10 was. But as all things, it needed some refreshing – and for that we saw lots of new contributors providing valuable feedback, features and bugfixes. As always, Xfce follows its steady pace of evolution without revolution that seems to match our users’ needs.

Important about Refracta
You can use the Refracta tools (pre-installed in DebEX Xfce4) to create your own installable Debian Stretch Live DVD once you have installed DebEX Xfce4 to hard drive. I mean change everything and then create a whole new Debian Stretch live system. When you start Refracta it will look like this. You don’t even have to install DebEX to hard drive before you can use the Refracta tools. If you have plenty of RAM you can create a new (your own!) Debian 9 system while running DebEX from DVD or a USB stick. Please note that the whole Refracta process (creating your new ISO) will only take 5 – 10 min! I have also pre-installed VirtualBox in DebEX Xfce4 so you can test run your own created new Debian Stretch ISO.

New installed packages
I have added VirtualBox, Midori Private Browser, SMPlayer, SMTube (YouTube browser which allows to browse, search and play YouTube videos) and PulseAudio for better sound in YouTube. Study all installed packages.

SCREENSHOTS
Screenshot of the Boot menu in DebEX Xfce4 created with the Refracta tools
Screenshot of the Xfce4 Desktop in DebEX Barebone Xfce4 Build 161025

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