Creating a piCore Linux Extension

When you have a set of unchanging data that needs to be stored outside your home directory, it’s recommended to create an extension out of it rather than add it to the backup (where it would add to your boot and shutdown times).

The extension completely mirrors the resulting file system tree, so that if we want to see /usr/share/mydir, our extension should contain usr/share/mydir.

For an example, say you downloaded an icon theme from gnomelook.org. Icon themes should be installed to /usr/share/icons/name for a system-wide installation. It’s a great example of this type of data: unchanging, and needs to be outside the home directory.

Steps

Step 1 - Prepare directories

First, we’ll create the tree we want to see inside the extension, in a temporary directory. We’ll do this as root, so that system directories get the proper permissions and ownership.

$ sudo su
$ cd /tmp
$ mkdir myextension
$ cd myextension
$ mkdir -p usr/share/icons

Step 2 - Add content to directories

Then, assuming the icon theme was unpacked to /tmp/gold (containing /tmp/gold/16x16 and other icon directories), move it to the proper place:

$ sudo su # Still as root
$ mv /tmp/gold /tmp/myextension/usr/share/icons

Step 3 - Create extension

Now we’re ready to create an extension out of this directory tree. If you haven’t already loaded the squashfs-tools.tcz extension, do so now.

$ cd /tmp
$ mksquashfs myextension myicons.tcz

Our mksquashfs has been changed to use custom defaults. If using a mksquashfs binary from elsewhere, you need to add the options -b 4k -no-xattrs for the same result.

Step 4 - Move extension into extension directory

Your personal extension is now ready. All it takes now is to move it to your tce directory, and to set it as OnBoot (if you need it every boot).

$ cd /tmp
$ mv -v myicons.tcz /etc/sysconfig/tcedir/optional
# Adding it to onboot.lst. Skip if you want it
# OnDemand or not in any list at all
# (manual loading only)
$ cd /etc/sysconfig/tcedir
$ echo myicons.tcz >> onboot.lst
$ pcp bu

Step 5 - Install extension

You can install it right now with tce-load -i myicons, or you can reboot to test whether it gets properly loaded on boot. Once the extension is loaded, you should see the icons in /usr/share/icons, and be able to use them in apps.

More information

• Tiny Core Linux
• Into the Core