Using "latesht" software

Kapil Hari Paranjape [kapil at imsc.res.in]

Tue, 4 Mar 2008 10:01:31 +0530

Hello,

Here is a short write-up on a neat trick that I came across yesterday. I would like some feedback on whether it works for others before I try to turn it into an article.

Regards,

Kapil.

-- 
==================Using fakechroot================================
"Testing testing or breaking toys"
the "latesht" software out there.
 
Sometimes this is necessiated by the hardware being "latesht"
as well, but more often then not it is out of a fear of being
labelled "obsolete".
 
Here is one way to use newer software if any of the following applies
to you:
 
	1. You do not have root access.
 
	2. You do not want your changes to tamper with system files.
 
	3. You want to ensure that you can recover your system
	   exactly as it was before --- just in case. 
 
	4. You are too busy^Wlazy to compile everything for yourself.
 
	5. You want software to run at "real" speeds, not slow^Wemulator
	   speeds.
 
The following conditions apply to the solution presented:
 
	A. The software you want has been packaged for your hardware.
 
	B. You are not afraid that this software will damage 
	   files owned by you (as user). Alternatively, you do
	   have root access to create a different user to run
	   this software as.
 
	C. The software you want to use/test is not something "core"
	   like the "kernel" and does not depend on a new feature of
	   the kernel.
 
	D. You are using Debian or a derivative. (Similar solutions
	   are available for Fedora etc. but I haven't worked them out)
 
	C. You have enough disk space (at least 1GB or so depending
	   on the size of the package you want).
 
By hook or by crook, you need to ensure that your system has the
following (rather small) packages installed: fakeroot, fakechroot, 
debootstrap.
 
In the following, I will assume that the software you want to use is
"iceweasel" with the "gcjwebplugin" from the "sid" distribution because
that is what I needed!
 
Step 0: Decide on some locations:
 
	TOP=$HOME/testing2
	STATE=$TOP/files.state
	ROOT=$TOP/testing
	mkdir $TOP
 
 
Step 1:	Install the system.
 
	PATH=/sbin:/usr/sbin:/bin:/usr/bin; export PATH
	fakeroot -s $STATE fakechroot \ 
		debootstrap --variant=fakechroot lenny $ROOT 
 
Step 2: Perform some fixes inside $ROOT
 
	myid=$UID
 
	fakeroot -i $STATE -s $STATE fakechroot chroot $ROOT /bin/bash
 
	This will give you a "root" prompt which is not "real".
 
	We first setup to install some packages from sid.
		echo deb http://your.debian.mirror/debian testing main > /etc/apt/sources.list
		echo deb http://your.debian.mirror/debian unstable main >> /etc/apt/sources.list
		echo 'APT::Default-Release "testing";' >> /etc/apt/apt.conf
	Install the packages we want.
		apt-get -y install iceweasel gcjwebplugin
	Create a user account to use these packages.
		adduser --uid=$myid $LOGNAME
	Exit from this prompt
		exit
 
	Back at the original prompt. We need to give X access to the
	sub-user.
 
	rm $ROOT/tmp/.X11-unix
	ln -s /tmp/.X11-unix $ROOT/tmp/
	ln -s $HOME/.Xauthority $ROOT/$HOME/
 
Step 3: Use the program!
 
	fakechroot chroot $ROOT iceweasel
 
Step 4: Update your software (required as soon as you hear of
        exploits!)
 
	fakeroot -i $STATE -s $STATE fakechroot chroot $ROOT /bin/bash
 
		apt-get update
		apt-get upgrade
		exit
 
==================End of instructions=============================

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