Release Notes for grml-medium 2009.10 - codename Hello-Wien
+ +About
+ +Grml is a bootable live system (Live-CD) based on Debian. It + includes a collection of GNU/Linux software especially for system + administrators and users of texttools. Grml provides automatic hardware + detection. You can use Grml (for example) as a rescue system, for + analyzing systems/networks or as a working environment. It is not + necessary to install anything to a harddisk; you don't even need a + harddisk to run it. Due to on-the-fly decompression grml includes about + 2 GB of software and documentation on the CD.
+ +Whereas grml provides about 2.1 GB of software on a ~700 MB ISO and + grml-small is a flavor with only ~100 MB + ISO-size, grml-medium tries to close + the gap between those two flavours providing an ISO with ~200MB. It does + not provide all the software shipped with normal/big/large grml but + provides essential stuff, a full featured kernel and the X.org server. + You can use the Debian package management system to install software on + the fly (assuming you have network access to a Debian mirror). Take a + look at the 'Debian-Information'-section if you + are searching for the package list.
+ +New features
+ +Special new features:
+ +-
+
+
- vesamenu bootsplash: this graphical bootsplash + version (see screenshot on the right) provides an easy to use boot + selection menu. + +
- dd-able ISO: the ISO can be installed to a device + directly using dd(1). This means you can run (warning: overwrites any + existing data) 'dd if=grml.iso of=/dev/sdX' on your USB pen and will + get a bootable grml system. This method isn't as flexible as the grml2usb approach but might be useful if you + don't have a working grml2usb setup. + +
- Integration of Etherboot/gPXE. In the Addons + submenu of the bootsplash you can directly invoke Etherboot/gPXE. + +
- Integration of Grub. In the Addons submenu of + the bootsplash you can directly invoke Grub1 and Grub2. + +
- bootoption nostartx: if using startx as + default bootoption the bootoption 'nostartx' disables automatic + startup of X. + +
- bootoption ethdevice: use specified network + device for network booting (PXE) instead of default (being eth0). + Feature contributed by Helge Wagner. + Usage example: ethdevice=eth1 + +
- bootoption netscript: use this parameter to + download and run a script from a specific location. Supports variables + like $HOSTNAME, $ARCH, $KERNEL to download host specific software. + Usage example: 'netscript=example.org/$HOSTNAME/startup-script' + 'netconfig' has been adjusted to also support this variables. + +
- DNS info as hostname: the hostname of the live + system will be automatically set to the information retrieved via + DHCP/DNS (if present). This feature can be disabled using the + nodhcphostname bootoption. Feature contributed by + Andreas Thienemann. + +
- reworked configuration framework: the so called + DCS feature (debs, configuration and scripts) provides a more + consistent configuration for bootoptions like scripts, netconfig, + debs,.... The DCS directory defaults to the root directory of the live + image. If a file system labeled GRMLCFG is found, the DCS directory is + the root directory of that file system. Alternatively, the myconfig + boot parameter can be used to directly specify a device which is then + taken as DCS directory (myconfig=/dev/sda1, for example). The + documentation of the behavior up to Grml 2009.05 is documented as + well as the + behavior in current Grml versions. Special thanks to Marc Haber + for his work. + +
- grml-autconfig configuration: support for + overwriting values via /etc/grml/autoconfig.local has been added, so + configuration changes are possible without running into file conflicts + on upgrade. + + + +
+
+ New features in Grml's Zsh
+ +-
+
+
- grml zsh documentation: grmlzshrc(5) is a manpage providing + detailled information about grml's zsh configuration. On the grml + system it is available offline via 'man grmlzshrc'. An online version is available + as well. Special thanks to Joerg Woelke for his work. + +
- Directory specific shell configuration with Zsh: + based on directories you can set your own profiles. Further details available + online. + +
- Using history-incremental-pattern-search-* for + incremental history searches per default (via ^r and ^s). Press ctrl-r + to search in the history using the specified pattern. For example you + can type 'cd*grml' for searching command lines containing 'cd + ~/devel/grml2usb' or 'cd ~/git/grml-live. You can iterate through the + results as usual too retyping ^r or ^s. + +
New grml-scripts:
+ +-
+
+
- grml-exec-wrapper: simple but smart program + execution wrapper. This script is for executing commands but check + whether the specified program is available at all. If the command is + not available an error message is displayed either on the command line + (if $DISPLAY is empty) or as graphical version (if $DISPLAY is + set). + +
- grml-sniff: script for configuring a network + sniffing setup. + +
grml2usb (install grml ISO(s) on usb device for booting):
+ +-
+
+
- using syslinux as default bootmanager (grub available only as + option using --grub) + +
- support for new vesamenu bootsplash, including support for + multi-ISO setup + +
- adding additional ISOs to an existing grml2usb installation + is possible (specifying different default boot options is possible as + well) + +
- grml2iso (tool to create a multiboot grml ISO using grml2usb) + supports vesamenu bootsplash, altering of bootoptions and removing + existing boot parameters. grml2iso also supports copying files to the + generated iso (easy remastering for common usecases). + +
Visit the usb webpage + in the grml wiki and grml.org/grml2usb for + more details regarding grml2usb.
+ +grml-debootstrap (wrapper around debootstrap for installing plain Debian via grml):
+ +-
+
+
- new cmdline option for specifying target architecture + (--arch) + +
- use cdn.debian.net as default mirror + +
- several bugfixes and more updates... check out the Debian + changelog for details + +
Visit grml.org/grml-debootstrap/ for more + details regarding grml-debootstrap.
+ +grml-live (build system for creating a + Grml (based) Linux live system):
+ +-
+
+
- integrate grub2 for hybrid boot (special thanks to Thorsten + Glaser) + +
- provide information about grml-live version and Debian/suite + through /etc/grml_live_version in the generated ISO + +
- new graphical boot menu. Can be disabled via + ISOLINUX_METHOD=console + +
- new configuration variables DISTRI_NAME and DISTRI_INFO which + should allow easier rebranding of grml-live based distributions + +
- support installation of local files (not being part of any Debian + package) through $CHROOT_INSTALL + +
- display path of FAI logs during execution of grml-live + +
- replace all references to ftp.de.debian.org with + cdn.debian.net + +
- new cmdline option: "-n" skips generation of the ISO file + +
- add check for valid Debian suite name to avoid breakage of + sources.list if someone calls grml-live with a typo in the -s + option + +
- split the single /etc/apt/sources.list file into structured files + in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ + +
- buildd scripts support building Debian/squeeze based ISOs + +
- ... and several further improvements, bugfixes and software + updates. Check out the + changelog for all the details. + +
Visit grml.org/grml-live for + more details regarding grml-live.
+ +Kernel
+ +Based on vanilla kernel 2.6.31.5 including several patches and additional modules:
+ ++ aufs virtualbox-ose-guest ++ +
Visit grml.org/kernel/ for more details + regarding the grml-kernel.
+ +Bugfixes
+ +Fixed several bugs and issues reported on grml-medium_2009.05 @ + grml-wiki and in the bug + tracking system.
+ +Important Changes
+ +-
+
+
- Use of Debian Geo Mirror: Grml uses + cdn.debian.net as Debian mirror in the sources.list setup nowadays. + This should select a mirror near to the location of the user, so the + default Debian mirror in Grml is no longer a server from Germany + only. Visit the + Debian Wiki for further information. + +
- Use of sources.list.d: the Debian mirror + configuration moved from /etc/apt/sources.list to the directory + /etc/apt/sources.list.d/. The Grml mirror configuration can be found + in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/grml.list and the Debian mirror + configuration is located in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.list. + +
Packages / Software
+ +Details about shipped packages and their versions on grml-medium are + available at the Debian section. Visit dpkg_get_selections + for a main package listing and dpkg_list for a more + detailed list of packages shipped with grml-medium 2009.10.
+ +Updates
+ +Updated all packages to Debian Unstable branch by 22nd of october + 2009 (plus some further selected updates).
+ +Removed 7 packages (excluding lib* and *2.6.28-grml*) - please + notice that some of them are available under + different names/in different packages:
+ ++ *2.6.28-grml* lib* + + ash diff grml-saveconfig grml-terminalserver-data mktemp timeout vbetool ++ +
Added 16 new packages (exluding lib* and *2.6.31-grml*):
+ ++ aumix-common diffutils fontconfig gnupg-curl grub-pc info install-info iw + links mksh schilylibs scsitools sg3-utils shared-mime-info + xserver-xorg-input-evtouch xserver-xorg-video-ivtv ++ +
Known issues
+ +Take a look at grml-medium_2009.10 @ grml-wiki. + Please report problems using information on grml.org/bugs/.
+ +Download grml-medium 2009.10
+ +grml 2009.10 can be downloaded from the mirrors listed on grml.org/download/.
+ +Feedback
+ +Your comments, bug reports, patches, and suggestions will help + fixing bugs and improving future releases. If you find a problem with + the release please check grml-medium_2009.10 @ + grml-wiki and report problems using information on grml.org/bugs/. Please send your feedback and + feature requests to the grml-team!
+ + + +Thanks
+ +Many thanks (alphabetically) in this release go to + Alexander 'Leo' Bergolth, + Al Sten-Clanton, + Andras Korn, + Andreas Thienemann, + António P. P. Almeida, + Axel Beckert, + Christian Bricart, + Christian Hofstaedtler, + Christian Vogel, + Daniel Tiefnig, + Daniel Weuthen, + Ernesto Domato, + Frank Prochnow, + Helge Wagner, + Joerg Woelke, + Julian Langschädel, + Marcel Meckel, + Marc Haber, + Marc 'HE' Brockschmidt, + Markus Schimpf, + Michael Schierl, + Michael Whapples, + Moritz Wilhelmy, + Peter Palfrader, + Ralf Moll, + Sedat Dilek, + Stefan Traby, + Thomas Koehler, + Thorsten Glaser, + Ulrich Zehl, + Walter Haidinger, + Wernfried Haas and + Zoran Dzelajlija + for their contributions.
+ +More Information
+ +You can find out more about grml on our website, IRC channel, and wiki. + +
To sign up for future grml announcements, please subscribe to grml's + announcement list.
+ +If you are interested in development releases grab the daily ISOs + from daily.grml.org.
+ +Further Questions?
+ +Please feel free to contact us.
+ +Credits
+ +
+ 
+