grml-live-fai(5)

The core concept of organizing configuration by classes remains unchanged. Package lists, scripts, file overlays, and hooks are still organized in the same directory structure under config/.

Scripts in config/scripts/ are executed in the same manner, with the same environment variables and execution order.

Scripts in config/media-scripts/ are similarly executed, but are run to build the media (ISO) contents. They have access to the same environment variables.

Hook scripts in config/hooks/ (updatebase, instsoft) are executed at the same points in the build process.

Class-specific environment variables from config/env/ are loaded and available to scripts.

Debconf configurations in config/debconf/ are applied before package installation.

The ifclass, fcopy, and skiptask commands are available in scripts with the same basic functionality.

minifai only implements the subset of FAI functionality used by grml-live. Advanced FAI features like network booting, partitioning, and complex installation scenarios are not supported.

FAI is no longer required as a system dependency. grml-live now uses mmdebstrap for base system installation instead of FAI’s fai-do-baseinstall.

While package lists in config/package_config/ are parsed similarly, the installation process differs. minifai installs packages class by class, then performs a final installation of all packages together to detect relationship errors. Some advanced package_config features may not be fully supported, such as complex conditional statements or advanced package selection syntax.

Additionally, minifai has stricter error handling for package installation. If a package
listed in the package_config files is not available (e.g., due to a typo or because the
package no longer exists in the repository), minifai will abort the build process. FAI
was more tolerant of such errors and would continue the build despite missing packages.

The fcopy command provides core functionality but with some limitations compared to FAI’s full implementation. Supported features include basic file copying, recursive copying (-r), ignore missing files (-i), and mode setting (-m user,group,mode). However, some advanced fcopy features may not be implemented, and the class precedence order for file selection may differ from FAI in edge cases.

The FAI task system is simplified. minifai supports the core tasks (updatebase, instsoft, configure) but not the full range of FAI tasks.

minifai provides more targeted error messages and simplified error handling compared to FAI’s comprehensive but sometimes complex error reporting.

The build process now produces a comprehensive, unified log output that flows directly to the terminal and build logs. Unlike FAI’s approach of splitting output across multiple log files, minifai provides a single, chronological log stream that makes it easier to follow the build process and debug issues. All build output is captured in one place, making troubleshooting more straightforward.

Existing grml-live configurations should work without modification for standard use cases. The class-based configuration system is preserved, but complex package configurations or advanced fcopy usage may require testing.

Review your package_config files to ensure all listed packages are available and correctly spelled. Unlike FAI, minifai will fail if any package cannot be installed, so obsolete or misnamed packages must be removed from the configuration.

If you have custom build scripts that directly invoke FAI commands, these may need to be updated. The scripts/migrate-to-minifai script can help with this transition.

If your configuration uses advanced package selection syntax beyond basic package names and architecture-specific sections, review the package installation to ensure all expected packages are included.

Test that file overlays work as expected, particularly if you rely on complex class precedence rules or advanced fcopy options.

No longer need to install and configure FAI as a system dependency.

Fewer moving parts mean fewer potential points of failure. Stricter error handling ensures that build issues are caught early rather than producing broken systems.

minifai is designed specifically for grml-live’s use case, resulting in better integration and fewer workarounds.

The focused implementation is easier to maintain and extend for grml-live-specific needs.

Unified log output makes it much easier to understand the build process and troubleshoot issues compared to FAI’s scattered log files.

minifai provides clear error messages that typically indicate the specific issue.

If the build fails due to unavailable packages, review the package_config files and remove or correct any problematic package names.

Ensure your class-based configuration follows the expected structure and syntax.

The unified log output provides comprehensive information about the build process. Look for error messages or unexpected behavior in the chronological log stream.

Review $OUTPUT/grml_chroot/grml-live/log/install_packages.list to verify all expected packages were installed.

Manually verify that files from config/files/ are copied to the expected locations in the target system.

Run scripts/migrate-to-minifai to check for potential compatibility issues.