bdisk/docs/FAQ

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BDisk Frequently Asked(/Unasked) Questions
0.) Why does it take so long to build?
1.) Why is the generated ISO file so big?
2.) How do I find the version/release/etc. number of an ISO?
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0.) WHY DOES IT TAKE SO LONG TO BUILD?
A: This typically occurs when you're building from within a LiveCD/LiveUSB situation, in a VM/container/etc., or on a headless server.
If this is the case, you may run into what appears to be "stalling", especially while keys are generating for the chroots.
Thankfully, there is an easy fix. You can install the "haveged"(http://www.issihosts.com/haveged/) software and run it. This will
show an immediate and non-negligible improvement for the above contexts. If you have extra power to throw at it (or are using a dedicated build box)
as well, I recommend enabling I_AM_A_RACECAR in your build.conf. BDisk will then be more aggressive with its resource consumption.
1.) WHY IS THE GENERATED ISO FILE SO BIG?
A: You may have enabled a LOT of packages in extra/packages.(32|64|both). Or you're using the default set of packages, which tries to include a LOT
of different (and in some cases, redundant) packages for widespread utilization and usage. In addition, keep in mind that BDisk builds a single ISO
that can be used on both i686 architectures AND full x86_64 architectures ("AMD64" as you may sometimes see it referenced). Because it doesn't cheat
and just use a 64-bit kernel with a 32-bit userland, it needs two different squash images on each ISO- one for 32-bit userland and one for 64-bit
userland.
2.) HOW DO I FIND THE VERSION/RELEASE/ETC. NUMBER OF AN ISO?
A: This can be found in a multitude of places. The full-size ISO file (iso/<distname>-<git tag>-<git rev number>-(32|64|any).iso) should have the
version right in the file name. If you want more detailed information (or perhaps you renamed the file), you can mount the ISO as loopback in GNU/Linux,
*BSD, or Mac OS X and check /path/to/mounted/iso/VERSION_INTO.txt. Lastly, within the runtime itself (especially handy if booting via iPXE), you can
check /root/VERSION_INFO.txt within the running live environment.