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FlickOS

Reference

Command cheat sheet

Section titled “Command cheat sheet”

Everyday

Section titled “Everyday”
Terminal window
tools/build-iso.sh                  # clean + packages + ISO   (--purge: also drop cache)
tools/boot-test.py                  # headless boot test       (-v: show console, --strict)
tools/test-iso.sh                   # live session, UEFI       (--bios for BIOS)
tools/test-iso.sh --install         # live + test disk, run Calamares   (--reset: new disk)
tools/test-iso.sh --disk            # boot the installed test disk

Packages

Section titled “Packages”
Terminal window
cd packages/NAME && dch -i -D trixie "What changed."   # bump version
sh packages/build.sh                                    # build all
dpkg-deb -c config/packages.chroot/NAME_*_all.deb       # list contents
dpkg-deb -I config/packages.chroot/NAME_*_all.deb       # show metadata
lintian config/packages.chroot/NAME_*_all.deb           # check quality
dpkg-parsechangelog -l packages/NAME/debian/changelog -S Version

Apt repository

Section titled “Apt repository”
Terminal window
repo/new-key.sh                               # once, ever
repo/publish.sh                               # build + add to repo
reprepro -b repo list trixie                  # show contents
reprepro -b repo remove trixie NAME           # remove a package
reprepro -b repo export                       # re-sign indexes
repo/upload.sh                                # push to dvbondoy.github.io/flickos-apt
curl -fsSI https://dvbondoy.github.io/flickos-apt/dists/trixie/InRelease   # check it's online

live-build

Section titled “live-build”
Terminal window
lb config                        # generate config from auto/config
sudo lb build                    # build
sudo lb clean                    # clean build + generated config, keep download cache
sudo lb clean --purge            # clean everything including cache

Release

Section titled “Release”
Terminal window
grep FLICKOS_VERSION packages/flickos-branding/usr/lib/flickos-release   # current version
tools/upload-release.sh                       # ISO + SHA256SUMS → SourceForge files/vX.Y/
git tag -a v2.0 -m "FlickOS 2.0" && git push origin v2.0
Section titled “Links”
What URL
Downloads (SourceForge Files) https://sourceforge.net/projects/flickos/files/
Apt repository https://dvbondoy.github.io/flickos-apt/ (GitHub repo dvbondoy/flickos-apt, branch gh-pages)
Code, CI, issues https://github.com/dvbondoy/FlickOS
Community https://www.reddit.com/r/flickos/
SourceForge SSH keys https://sourceforge.net/auth/shell_services
Website (planned) https://flickos.net

File index

Section titled “File index”
Path Edit? Purpose
auto/config ✏️ All live-build options
auto/clean rarely lb clean plus removal of generated config
config/package-lists/*.list.chroot ✏️ Packages in the image
config/hooks/normal/0NNN-*.hook.chroot ✏️ Build-time scripts inside the image
config/packages.chroot/ ❌ generated Built FlickOS .debs
config/common, config/binary, config/bootstrap, config/chroot, config/source ❌ generated Output of lb config
config/hooks/live/, config/hooks/normal/[1-9]NNN-* ❌ generated Symlinks to live-build’s standard hooks
packages/build.sh rarely Builds all packages
tools/build-iso.sh rarely Full clean ISO build
tools/test-iso.sh rarely QEMU window: live / install / installed disk
tools/boot-test.py ✏️ CHECKS list Headless boot test (local + CI)
tools/upload-release.sh rarely Upload ISO + SHA256SUMS to SourceForge Files
LICENSE no GPL-3.0
.test-vm/ ❌ generated Test disk and UEFI variables
boot-test/ ❌ generated Boot test serial log and screenshot
SHA256SUMS, build.log ❌ generated Build outputs
packages/flickos-desktop/debian/control ✏️ Desktop package selection
packages/flickos-settings/ ✏️ Desktop config: session, keybindings, menu, startup programs, panel, theme, wallpaper
packages/flickos-greeter/ ✏️ Login screen of installed systems (greetd + gtkgreet)
packages/flickos-installer/ ✏️ Calamares config + branding, launcher, live menu
tools/make-placeholder-art.sh rarely Regenerates wallpaper, installer, boot menu and boot splash images (Arc-Dark palette; logo rendered from flickos-branding’s flickos.svg, needs librsvg2-bin)
tools/make-layout-previews.sh when a layout changes Regenerates the chooser’s preview.png per layout (schematic, or from boot-test screenshots)
tools/check-menus.py no Checks the live menu equals the installed menu plus Install FlickOS; run by build-iso.sh
tools/check-palette.py ✏️ when adding a color Checks all color-bearing files use the Arc-Dark palette and the labwc theme uses valid keys; run by build-iso.sh
packages/flickos-branding/ ✏️ usr/lib/flickos-release each release FlickOS version, boot splash, OS name, login banner
config/bootloaders/ ✏️ ISO boot menu (syslinux + GRUB)
config/hooks/normal/0200-firewall.hook.chroot rarely Turns on ufw
config/hooks/normal/0060-trim-firmware.hook.chroot ✏️ TRIM list Removes firmware for hardware FlickOS can’t run on
config/hooks/normal/0150-flathub.hook.chroot rarely Adds Flathub
packages/flickos-archive-keyring/keyrings/*.asc only on key rotation Repo public key
packages/flickos-archive-keyring/etc/apt/sources.list.d/flickos.sources when the repo moves FlickOS apt source (repo URL)
packages/*/debian/changelog via dch Package versions
repo/conf/distributions rarely Repo definition + signing key
repo/conf/options no reprepro paths
repo/new-key.sh, repo/publish.sh, repo/upload.sh rarely Repo scripts
repo/db/, repo/public/ ❌ generated Repo database / output
.github/workflows/iso.yml ✏️ CI
chroot/, binary/, cache/, .build/, FlickOS-64bit-v*.iso, build.log ❌ generated Build output

Glossary

Section titled “Glossary”
Term Meaning
apt repository Web folder with dists/ (signed indexes) and pool/ (.deb files) that apt downloads from
binary stage live-build step that turns chroot/ into the ISO
bootstrap stage live-build step that creates a minimal Debian in chroot/ with debootstrap
Calamares Graphical installer. Copies the live system to disk and configures it
chroot Running programs with a folder (e.g. chroot/) as their /. Here, the image being built
chroot stage live-build step that installs packages and runs hooks inside chroot/
component Section of a repo (main, contrib, …). FlickOS uses main
conffile A package file under /etc. dpkg preserves user edits on upgrade
codename Release name used in apt lines: trixie = Debian 13
debhelper / dh Tools that do the standard packaging steps automatically
Depends / Recommends Hard vs soft dependency. Removing a Depends removes the package that needs it
dpkg-divert Tells dpkg to install another package’s file under a different name, so a package can replace it safely
file trigger dpkg runs a package’s postinst (triggered) when files it is interested in change
fingerprint 40-hex-character ID of a GPG key
greetd Display manager of installed systems. Runs the greeter (gtkgreet in cage) and starts the session after login
hook Script live-build runs during the build
hybrid ISO ISO that boots both from optical media and when written raw to USB
InRelease Signed index file at dists/trixie/InRelease. apt checks its signature
keyring package Package that installs a repo’s public key so apt can verify it
live-boot initramfs code that boots from the ISO’s squashfs
live-config Boot-time scripts that set up the live user, hostname, autologin
meta-package Package with no files, only dependencies
native package Debian package with no separate upstream source. Version has no -N suffix
OVMF UEFI firmware for QEMU
QMP QEMU’s JSON control socket. The boot test uses it for screenshots
serial console Text console on the (virtual) serial port ttyS0. The boot test reads and types on it
reprepro Tool that maintains a signed apt repository
signed-by apt source option limiting which key may sign that repo
Plymouth Program that shows the graphical boot splash and disk password prompt
squashfs Compressed read-only filesystem holding the live system
syslinux / GRUB EFI Bootloaders for BIOS / UEFI boot
tty1 First text console. The live session logs in there automatically; on installed systems it’s the text login fallback. Either way flickos-session starts labwc

External documentation

Section titled “External documentation”
Topic Where
live-build Debian Live Manual: https://live-team.pages.debian.net/live-manual/, man lb_config
live-boot / live-config boot options man live-boot, man live-config
Debian packaging Debian New Maintainers’ Guide / Guide for Debian Maintainers: https://www.debian.org/doc/devel-manuals, man dh
debian/control fields Debian Policy ch. 5: https://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-controlfields.html
reprepro man reprepro, /usr/share/doc/reprepro/
apt sources format man sources.list
labwc config man labwc-config, man labwc-menu, man labwc-actions, https://labwc.github.io/
Calamares https://calamares.io/docs/, FlickOS config in packages/flickos-installer/etc/calamares/
GitHub Actions https://docs.github.com/actions
Debian package search https://packages.debian.org/trixie/