Setting Up Image for Linux On A Linux Distribution

This tutorial covers how to set up Image for Linux on a Linux distribution. It is recommended that IFL be set up in its own directory, completely separate from other files. In addition, IFL must be extracted and set up on a Linux partition (a Linux file system). This is mentioned since some users may find it convenient to set up IFL on a  FAT32 or NTFS partition that is shared between Windows and Linux on a dual boot system. However, this will not work for several reasons, and the Linux scripts will not run on a non-Linux file system.


The starting point for the procedure below will be with the IFL zip file (ifl_en.zip) downloaded and placed on the KDE or Gnome Desktop. While this procedure will set up IFL in a directory on the desktop, it can also be set up in other locations by using the same basic procedure.

Extract the IFL zip file to its own directory

While IFL can be extracted to a directory of any name you choose, this example will extract it to a directory with the same name as the zip file. In KDE, right click the zip file and choose Extract/Extract to ifl_en. In Gnome, right click the file and choose Extract Here. A new directory named ifl_en will be created, and will show the following contents:

 

Open a terminal window, change to the IFL directory, and start the setup script

Open a terminal window on the desktop. In KDE, the default terminal program is Konsole. In Gnome, the default terminal program is Gnome Terminal.With the terminal window open, use the command 'cd  Desktop/ifl_en' to change to the IFL directory. From the IFL directory, run the command 'su' and enter the root password at the prompt to become root. Then as root, run the command './setup' to start the setup script. The screenshot below shows these commands entered, with the setup script about to be started:


If you are using a distribution where the root account is disabled (such as Ubuntu), the ‘su’ command will fail. In that case, use the command ‘sudo ./setup’ to gain root privileges and start the setup script. You will be prompted for your user password before setup will run.

After starting setup, you will be prompted to accept or decline the License Agreement. The License Agreement text can be found in the file LICENSE.TXT in the IFL directory.

Enter the Product Key (registered version only)

On the next screen, enter your IFL Product Key in the text field provided. An IFL Product Key consists of 14 characters, including 2 dashes. You can find your Product Key on the TeraByte Unlimited Product Download page for register users.


Note that if you have previously run setup, and have already entered your Product Key, it will be displayed at the top of the screen. In this case, you can just press <Enter> to use the same one, or type in a new one if you entered it incorrectly the first time. If no Product Key is entered, you will be prompted to enter it the first time you run IFL from the distribution, and also the first time you start IFL from any boot media you create.

Select Restore Disc Settings (optional)

The next screen is an informational message about the Restore Disc Settings menu, which will appear next. The settings on that menu will apply only to restore discs created while running IFL from the Linux distribution (they do not apply to restore discs created from IFL boot media).


Press <Enter> to bring up the Restore Disc Settings menu.

At this menu, you can simply press <Enter> to keep all settings at their defaults, or you can select items to change from the menu, such as the keyboard map, the video mode, or the IFL Language version. Each menu item has help text on the screen to guide you through the selection. Any setting you change will be remembered the next time you run setup.When finished, ensure that the first menu item is highlighted, and press <Enter> to continue with setup.


Select the IFL language version for IFL when running from the distribution.

The next screen is to select the IFL Language version for when running IFL from the Linux distribution. This can be a different language version than the one selected for restore discs. The screen provides instructions on how to make additional language versions available. To accept the default (English), just press <Enter> to continue.

Extract config.zip (optional)

The next option is a prompt to extract, or not extract, the config.zip file. This prompt will not appear if the file has already been extracted on a previous run of setup.

The config.zip file contains several additional files and directories that are only relevant in Linux. If you intend to create custom versions of the IFL Boot Disk, or create boot media other than a CD/DVD, you will need to extract the file. Otherwise, the option can be declined. You can always run setup again to extract the file if you decline the first time.

Completing setup

After accepting or declining the config.zip option, the setup script will complete and return you to the Linux command prompt. The last thing it does is to check the status of the Linux edd module. If an issue is detected with the edd module, you will be directed to the file edd.txt in the help directory for an explanation, and possible corrective steps that can be taken.


When setup completes, the contents of the IFL directory will look like one of the following two screenshots, depending on whether or not config.zip was extracted.


The IFL directory contents if config.zip was not extracted:



The IFL directory contents if config.zip was extracted:


Once setup has completed, you can start the IFL program by running the command ‘./imagel’ from the IFL directory.




Note that while IFL can be run as a normal user, you may not be able to access hard drives from within IFL. This can normally be corrected by adding the user to the "disk" group, which can be done by running the command 'adduser user disk' as root. You will have to log out and back in again before that change will take affect.


Also note that IFL should not be used to create images of any mounted partitions when running from the distribution. The image created may not be reliable due to files changing during the imaging process. If a partition cannot be unmounted from the running system, IFL boot media should be used to create the image.


Optional: Creating an application link (KDE) or launcher (Gnome) to start IFL

The two sets of screenshots below run through the process of creating an application link/launcher so that IFL can be started by clicking an icon on the desktop. These will result in IFL being started by a normal user (not root).


Creating an application link for IFL in KDE

Right click the desktop and choose Create New/Link to Application. On the General tab, enter a name for the application link (IFL). Click the default icon to the left of the name field if you want to select a different icon.


On the Application tab, enter a description (IFL).



In the Command field, click on the Browse button, and navigate to the IFL directory. In the IFL directory, select the file imagel, and then choose Open.



The Command field should now contain the path to the imagel file. Optionally, the Work path field can be set to directory where you would like IFL to start from when opening an image file to restore from, validate, or backup to. This location would be used when you select File (OS) from  the Backup To, Restore From, or Validate screens.



Click on the Advanced Options button, select Run in terminal, and then choose OK. An icon will appear on the desktop that can now be used to start IFL. You can change settings by right clicking the icon and selecting Properties.




Creating a launcher for IFL in Gnome

Right click the Desktop and choose Create Launcher. Select Application in Terminal from the Type drop down list. In the Name field, enter a name for the launcher. Click on the default icon to the left if you want to select a different icon.


In the Command field, select the Browse button and navigate to the IFL directory. In the IFL directory, select the file imagel, and then select Open.



The Command field should now contain the path to the imagel file. Click on OK to finish. An icon will appear on the desktop that can now be used to start IFL. You can change settings by right clicking the icon and selecting Properties.