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<h1><span><em>live Arch Linux</em> builder</span></h1>
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<li><a href="index.html"><h6>Table Of Contents</h6></a></li>
<li><a href="larch_quick-console.html"><h6>Next:</h6>
<div class="indent1">Quick Start - Console</div></a></li>
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<div class="indent1">Introduction</div></a></li>
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<h2 id="pagetitle" level="1">Features</h2>
<ul>
<li>
<p>Built from standard <em>Arch Linux</em> packages</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Only minimal changes made to enable functioning as a <em>live</em>
system - it is essentially pure <em>Arch Linux</em></p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Can build <em>live</em> iso images (for CD or DVD), USB-sticks,
hard disk partitions (sometimes called 'frugal' installation), etc.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Can also build from existing <em>Arch</em> installation</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Can use standard <em>Arch</em> kernel ('kernel26'), no kernel build is
necessary</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Fully customisable package selection</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Use of build 'profiles' to make system designs readily reproducible - all
the configuration details are contained within a 'profile' directory</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Uses isolinux/extlinux/syslinux bootloader</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Automatic generation of /etc/fstab based on device detection;
can also detect LVM volumes (when configured to do so)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Does not require an <em>Arch Linux</em> system to build it, any modern
<em>GNU/Linux</em> system should suffice</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Can be used to install an already configured <em>Arch Linux</em> to hard disk -
you can test, configure and reconfigure, and even update, before you install</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Uses standard udev-based hardware detection</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Based on squashfs, aufs, initramfs (using standard <em>Arch</em>
mkinitcpio)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>On a writeable medium (e.g. USB-stick) it is possible to support transparent
data persistence between boots - also package updates (including the kernel) are
possible</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Easy copying between media, e.g. USB-stick -- CD/DVD</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Full graphical system possible, e.g. with KDE, OpenOffice, GIMP, ... .
Example profiles build xfce based systems</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Using ssh it's possible to run this CD/USB-stick on a system without
monitor/keyboard - remote installation and rescue is also possible</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Optional use of existing swap partition ('swap' boot parameter)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Simple text configuration files</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Extensive documentation</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><em>larch</em> can itself be run from a <em>live</em> medium, allowing easy
'larchification' of existing installations</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>The basic functions are provided by command-line scripts (written in python),
but a convenient GUI is also provided (using pyqt)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>i18n-ready (using <em>gettext</em>)</p>
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