From 275c29e66dedd74fe80debb8326362b4bac0fab5 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: "T. Joseph Carter" Date: Fri, 2 Sep 2016 08:07:08 -0700 Subject: [PATCH] README.md: Overview of Raspbian's stages --- README.md | 46 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 46 insertions(+) diff --git a/README.md b/README.md index 37eb2a7..625d4a5 100644 --- a/README.md +++ b/README.md @@ -22,3 +22,49 @@ Obviously if you are making changes to the pi-gen stages you should probably use a different `IMG_NAME` to avoid confusion. You can also define `APT_PROXY` here if you need to. + +#Stages + +The build of Raspbian is divided up into several stages for logical clarity +and modularity. This causes some initial complexity, but it simplifies +maintenance and allows for more easy customization. + + - Stage 0, bootstrap. The primary purpose of this stage is to create a + usable filesystem. This is accomplished largely through the use of + `debootstrap`, which creates a minimal filesystem suitable for use as a + base.tgz on Debian systems. This stage also configures apt settings and + installs `raspberrypi-bootloader` which is missed by debootstrap. The + minimal core is installed but not configured, and the system will not quite + boot yet. + + - Stage 1, truly minimal system. This stage makes the system bootable by + installing system files like `/etc/fstab`, configures the bootloader, makes + the network operable, and installs packages like raspi-config. At this + stage the system should boot to a local console from which you have the + means to perform basic tasks needed to configure and install the system. + This is as minimal as a system can possibly get, and its arguably not + really usable yet in a traditional sense yet. Still, if you want minimal, + this is minimal and the rest you could reasonably do yourself as sysadmin. + + - State 2, lite system. This stage produces the Raspbian-Lite image. It + installs some optimized memory functions, sets timezone and charmap + defaults, installs fake-hwclock and ntp, wifi and bluetooth support, + dphys-swapfile, and other basics for managing the hardware. It also + creates necessary groups and gives the pi user access to sudo and the + standard console hardware permission groups. + + There are a few tools that may not make a whole lot of sense here for + development purposes on a minimal system such as basic python and lua + packages as well as the `build-essential` package. They are lumped right + in with more essential packages presently, though they need not be with + pi-gen. These are understandable for Raspbian's target audience, but if + you were looking for something between truly minimal and Raspbian-lite, + here's where you start trimming. + + - Stage 3, desktop system. Here's where you get the full desktop system + with X11 and LXDE, web browsers, git for development, Raspbian custom UI + enhancements, etc. This is a base desktop system, with some development + tools installed. + + - Stage 4, complete Raspbian system. More development tools, large packages + like LibreOffice, email, sonic-pi, wolfram-engine, etc. All the things.