Tools to customize and redistribute your own Ubuntu Linux

This post is actually an email I sent to a friend of mine forwarding him my findings in the field of replicating an Ubuntu installation to many computers and creating a customized distribution. I know there are many similar posts out there but one more would not hurt.

The tools I was telling him about are:

- aptoncd – which is an application with a simple graphical user interface that takes all the DEB packages locally cached on your computer and creates a Deb repository as an ISO image to burn on a CD or DVD.
To install it in Ubuntu just type:
sudo apt-get install aptoncd
in a terminal window or use Synaptic. After installation, the shortcut is placed under the System -> Administration menu.
Start it up and choose Create. It will give you a list of packages that are in the cache and the option to Add more packages that are not cached. After selecting and clicking Burn, it will create an ISO image which you can choose to burn on CD/DVD immediately or leave it on the computer for later usage/burning.

I found this application extremely useful in two situations: when I wanted to install Ubuntu without having an Internet connection and also in adding more applications that cannot be found in the Ubuntu repositories or are spread across many custom repositories which I often forget. For instance, I preffer installing latest version of Freemind which is not included in Ubuntu or adding Skype and Picasa to my installation. I download the DEB packages, install them so that they cache all dependencies and then create aptoncd image manually adding these applications, provided that all dependencies are already cached.

Such a CD/DVD repository is also useful if you want to keep a certain version of Ubuntu over years and the online repositories vanish at some point.

- remastersys – I wont comment much on this one. It’s a working application that can back-up your Ubuntu installation with all customizations into a Live CD. Basically, it takes the system that you have installed on your computer and puts it back on the live CD state which you can install on other computers.
It offers the option of fully backing up the system together with your user, or to make a Dist(ribution) which means, an Ubuntu Live CD with packages and customizations but without your user files – so that you actually create a new Ubuntu flavour to distribute and share with friends (or clients).

Here are some tutorials googled for you:

• http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/remastersys
• http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/remastersys.html

The last application, which actually I did not have time to test is:
- reconstructor – this is another application allowing you to customize and create an installation CD of Ubuntu/Debian. A tutorial about it is located here…

More on the usefulness:
In my opinion this is a great set of tools both for home users tired of installing a fresh copy of ubuntu and then start adding all the extra packages they normally use and also for administrators who need to install and customize several computers and not always with an internet connection available.

My example of using them? I used the first two for customizing my law office desktops and server and to reinstall them whenever necessary. And since the CDs are not as small and easy to carry as a Pen Drive or a SD card, I use Unetbootin to “Burn” the ISO images to portable devices.

How are you using them ?