Difference between revisions of "Create a SD Card Installation Tool"

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== Project Description ==
 
== Project Description ==
  
Trying to build something similar to Fedora's USB installer, but instead this time we are creating a SD card installation tool, with GUI for both LINUX and Windows. Basically trying to create a user friendly GUI environment that allows the user to install a bootable ISO to their SD card.
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This is a first attempt at a basic Fedora ARM Image Installer ( Downloader / Creator / Updater ). All one has to do is first select a source image file or download option (click the refresh button first). Then select the destination (target) device drive to write to. Then just click install!
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This script is written in Python (version 2 & 3 compatible) and makes use of the PyQt4 GUI module allowing it to run graphically (both Linux & Windows). The files written are block device image files containing: [MBR + Partitions + File Systems + Data]. Distributors should make sure to package some sort of first-boot setup-script to customize the root file system as there is no official installer for ARM devices yet. Hopefully this application will be able to create bootable media for almost any generalized Guruplug , Raspberry Pi , Efika , Pandaboard and Trimslice. Devices that boot off of hard drives may have to wait a bit as there is a line of code that ignores block devices that are greater than 32 Gigabytes in size (temporarily trying to protect users).
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Note: The Windows version makes use of a pre-packaged dd.exe binary file to help write to device files
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<!-- Description should be no longer than a paragraph.  Include links to any relevant on-line resources.  For example, [http://fedoraproject.org/wiki] or [http://developer.mozilla.org MDC]. -->
 
<!-- Description should be no longer than a paragraph.  Include links to any relevant on-line resources.  For example, [http://fedoraproject.org/wiki] or [http://developer.mozilla.org MDC]. -->

Revision as of 13:35, 9 March 2012

Project Name

Project Description

This is a first attempt at a basic Fedora ARM Image Installer ( Downloader / Creator / Updater ). All one has to do is first select a source image file or download option (click the refresh button first). Then select the destination (target) device drive to write to. Then just click install!

This script is written in Python (version 2 & 3 compatible) and makes use of the PyQt4 GUI module allowing it to run graphically (both Linux & Windows). The files written are block device image files containing: [MBR + Partitions + File Systems + Data]. Distributors should make sure to package some sort of first-boot setup-script to customize the root file system as there is no official installer for ARM devices yet. Hopefully this application will be able to create bootable media for almost any generalized Guruplug , Raspberry Pi , Efika , Pandaboard and Trimslice. Devices that boot off of hard drives may have to wait a bit as there is a line of code that ignores block devices that are greater than 32 Gigabytes in size (temporarily trying to protect users).

Note: The Windows version makes use of a pre-packaged dd.exe binary file to help write to device files


Project Leader(s)

Dong Sun and Chi Hsun Lai

Project Contributor(s)

  Dong Sun Contact with Fossjon in #seneca dot to get current installation tool Python code.  3/8/2012

Project Details

Project Plan

Tracking mechanism (bugzilla, trac, github, ...):

Key contacts:

Jon Chiappetta (fossjon in #seneca).


Goals for each release and plans for reaching those goals:

  • 0.1 - Learn and understand what needs to be done, how the project should be implemented. Learn python as well as read through the source code of Fedora Live-USB installer. I plan on also reading through the sources of the UNETbootin opensource project to see how they create a bootable usb from a ISO
  • 0.2 - Create a working windows shell/linux script that will write a ISO on to a bootable SD card.
  • 0.3 - Finalizing, and debugging the project.

Communication

Mailing Lists

dsun20@learn.senecac.on.ca

Upsteam Wiki and Web

https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Fedora_ARM_Installer

Links/Bugs/Tracking

https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Fedora_ARM_Installer#Comments_.2F_Questions_.2F_Feedback_.2F_Suggestions_.3F

Source Code Control

This is Link to the SD Card Installation Python source Code


http://git.fedorahosted.org/git/?p=arm.git;a=blob_plain;f=faii/source/fedora-arm-installer;hb=HEAD

Blogs

http://dsun20.wordpress.com/

Seneca Particpants

Non-Seneca Participants

Jon Chiappetta (fossjon in RIC #seneca).who was one of the main developers.(Suggestion by Chris Tyler to contact him.)


Planets

Project News