Is there any way to make a live CD from my current installation?

Question

Remastersys is no longer maintained and UCK as well as Live-Magic aren't exactly what I'm looking for as they remaster a livecd. What I'm aiming for is something like PCLOS's makelivecd so I can have a livecd backup of my Ubuntu 11.10 install.

I'm not really looking for a solution that makes incremental backups either. If anyone is familiar with the Alienware image / respawn DVD's, it is something like that even that I have in mind.

Solution 1

I understand Remastersys is, after a brief inturuption, still being maintained by the creator.

http://geekconnection.org/remastersys/ubuntu.html

http://www.geekconnection.org/remastersys/repository/

Solution 2

UPDATE November 2015

The new Remastersys is Pinguy Builder and there is also an app called Systemback which I prefer personally. Here is how you can install it:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:nemh/systemback

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install systemback

UPDATE 05.01.2015

The link I provide in this and other instructions in step 2 does not work anymore. However, I had downloaded the Remastersys files before the website shut down and they can be installed perfectly through Ubuntu Software Center. !! I am not sure if the files are available in Ubuntu Software Center, but if you have them on your computer, they can be installed through it.

This set of instructions helped me install and run successfully remastersys on Ubuntu 14.04.1 32-bit

1. Press Ctrl+Alt+T and run

   sudo apt-get install plymouth-x11  
   

2. Go to this link and download remastersys version for 32bit or 64bit system

   http://www.remastersys.com/ubuntu/pool/main/r/remastersys-gui/

3. Open Software&Updates (search in Dash or in the System's parametres)

4. In Software&Updates, go to Other tab and press Add...

5. Copy/paste this

   deb http://www.remastersys.com/ubuntu precise main
   

   and press OK

6. Now look for two lines with "www.remastersys.com/" in the list you can find on the Other tab and make sure you check both boxes. Enter a password if you are asked to.

7. Press Ctrl+Alt+T and run

   sudo -i 
   
   apt-get install remastersys-gui 
   

8. To open remastersys-gui, you always need root priveleges. So do it in the terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T)

   sudo -i 
   
   remastersys-gui
   

Solution 3

Relinux is a fork of Remastersys that seems to be actively developed.

Comments

[wisemonkey]

I was aware of Remastersys but as its not maintained currently you can look at clonezilla -- dedoimedo.com/computers/clonezilla.html it makes copy of an entire HDD as it is, make a virtual disk of 2GB install OS and all required packages then create clonezilla DVD out of it (hopefully will be bootable). Alternative to clonezilla is simple dd command.

[wisemonkey]

However if u want to create one from larger HDD, Use cp -a. fdisk will be quite helpful while using cp -a especially for copying boot required files or somehow include boot loader connected to ur current root filesystem (I never tried this method but only have discussed with friend)

[Uri Herrera]

askubuntu.com/questions/56187/built-an-iso-with-remastersys-‌​but-it-doesnt-boot/5‌​6871#56871

[wisemonkey]

@Shogun: glad it helped :)

[RobotHumans]

You should checkout the turnkey linux tools. It's all ubuntu derived.

[Gpunkt]

all UBUNTU files on the above given link are from 2010!! remastersys still seeming unusable for Ubuntu 12.04 (precise)

[Edward Torvalds]

you might wanna update the first link

[user3757405]

Unfortunately, work has officially stopped on it now since 2014.