Manually Installing RemixOS-Marshmallow [NEW LZ4 System.sfs Extraction] - Remix OS for PC

I'm used to install RemixOS manually on a HardDrive partition and using GRUB for multibooting with Ubuntu, Windows, etc. This time I found some trouble installing new Marshmallow based build. It seems like Jide started using Squashfs+lz4 compression on this build and shipped squashfs-tools with Ubuntu can't manage it.
For the ones who don't know what "manually installing" means:
1- Download RemixOS .zip
2- Extract .zip and mount ISO extracted
3- Copy all ISO contents to a new partition where RemixOS will be installed ~8GB or more
4- Uncompress system.sfs using unsquashfs tool (this will generate system.img)
5- Deleste system.sfs
6- Create "data" folder alongside the files extracted from ISO
7- Make new custom GRUB entry for RemixOS on the correct used partition
8- Boot RemixOS from multiboot GRUB
So the best and easy way to solve the unsquashing problem is to download squashfs-tools source and building it with lz4 support.
Here the steps:
1- We' are going to build squashfs with full support for every available compress method (lzo,lz4,lzma,gzip) so we need dev packages, just run:
Code:
sudo apt-get install liblzo2-dev liblzma-dev liblz4-dev
2- Create a working folder and download squashfs-tools source
3- Open terminal go to working folder and uncompress source:
Code:
tar -zxvf squashfs4.3.tar.gz
NOTE: if they release a new version you need to replace "4.3"
4- Go to source folder and open makefile for editing:
Code:
cd squashfs4.3/squashfs-tools
gedit Makefile
NOTE: if they release a new version you need to replace "4.3"
5- In te Makefile uncomment (erase "#") in the following lines:
#XZ_SUPPORT = 1
#LZO_SUPPORT = 1
#LZ4_SUPPORT = 1
#LZMA_XZ_SUPPORT = 1
6- Compile and Install:
Code:
make
sudo make install
If everything goes right you can now open a new terminal and unsquash every squashfs file you can find and of course new LZ4 compressed from RemixOS. I hope this result helpfull for anyone!
NOTE: If you are not interested in having some un/compress type you can avoid installing xxx-dev corresponding package and DO NOT comment corresponding line on Makefile.

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what about on elementary Os?

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lukss12 said:
I'm used to install RemixOS manually on a HardDrive partition and using GRUB for multibooting with Ubuntu, Windows, etc. This time I found some trouble installing new Marshmallow based build. It seems like Jide started using Squashfs+lz4 compression on this build and shipped squashfs-tools with Ubuntu can't manage it.
For the ones who don't know what "manually installing" means:
1- Download RemixOS .zip
2- Extract .zip and mount ISO extracted
3- Copy all ISO contents to a new partition where RemixOS will be installed ~8GB or more
4- Uncompress system.sfs using unsquashfs tool (this will generate system.img)
5- Deleste system.sfs
6- Create "data" folder alongside the files extracted from ISO
7- Make new custom GRUB entry for RemixOS on the correct used partition
8- Boot RemixOS from multiboot GRUB
So the best and easy way to solve the unsquashing problem is to download squashfs-tools source and building it with lz4 support.
Here the steps:
1- We' are going to build squashfs with full support for every available compress method (lzo,lz4,lzma,gzip) so we need dev packages, just run:
Code:
sudo apt-get install liblzo2-dev liblzma-dev liblz4-dev
2- Create a working folder and download squashfs-tools source
3- Open terminal go to working folder and uncompress source:
Code:
tar -zxvf squashfs4.3.tar.gz
NOTE: if they release a new version you need to replace "4.3"
4- Go to source folder and open makefile for editing:
Code:
cd squashfs4.3/squashfs-tools
gedit Makefile
NOTE: if they release a new version you need to replace "4.3"
5- In te Makefile uncomment (erase "#") in the following lines:
#XZ_SUPPORT = 1
#LZO_SUPPORT = 1
#LZ4_SUPPORT = 1
#LZMA_XZ_SUPPORT = 1
6- Compile and Install:
Code:
make
sudo make install
If everything goes right you can now open a new terminal and unsquash every squashfs file you can find and of course new LZ4 compressed from RemixOS. I hope this result helpfull for anyone!
NOTE: If you are not interested in having some un/compress type you can avoid installing xxx-dev corresponding package and DO NOT comment corresponding line on Makefile.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you upload the system.img?

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kabelon said:
what about on elementary Os?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have never used it, if you're asking if it will work to do the installation steps for RemixOS, well as it is Ubuntu based I think the answer probably is yes.

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Orion116 said:
Could you upload the system.img?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm on a 1Mbit connection and system.img is 2,7GB so I'm not able to upload it. If you are on windows try to find squash-tools for windows with LZ4 support. If you're running Ubuntu do the steps I have mentioned it's easy an it takes no more than 15 minutes.

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lukss12 said:
I'm on a 1Mbit connection and system.img is 2,7GB so I'm not able to upload it. If you are on windows try to find squash-tools for windows with LZ4 support. If you're running Ubuntu do the steps I have mentioned it's easy an it takes no more than 15 minutes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The issue is I am on Manjaro, an arch based OS. I'll try something similar on manjaro

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Orion116 said:
The issue is I am on Manjaro, an arch based OS. I'll try something similar on manjaro
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try the same thing I described but using pacman I think it will work. If you fail (but I doubt) I will upload the image for you. But please try to do it because it is a big effort for me to spend my poor connection a lot of hours uploading the image.
Edit: just focus on lz4 package

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lukss12 said:
Try the same thing I described but using pacman I think it will work. If you fail (but I doubt) I will upload the image for you. But please try to do it because it is a big effort for me to spend my poor connection a lot of hours uploading the image.
Edit: just focus on lz4 package
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems I didn't have to install the packages
---------- Post added at 11:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:17 PM ----------
lukss12 said:
Try the same thing I described but using pacman I think it will work. If you fail (but I doubt) I will upload the image for you. But please try to do it because it is a big effort for me to spend my poor connection a lot of hours uploading the image.
Edit: just focus on lz4 package
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got a system.img :good: Now to remember how to set up the grub for it:cyclops:

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Orion116 said:
Seems I didn't have to install the packages
---------- Post added at 11:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:17 PM ----------
I got a system.img :good: Now to remember how to set up the grub for it:cyclops:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great.
Add this to custom file in /etc/grub.d
Code:
menuentry "Remix-OS" {
set root='(hdx,y)'
linux kernel root=/dev/ram0 androidboot.hardware=remix_x86_64 androidboot.selinux=permissive quiet DATA=/data
initrd /android/initrd.img}
(hdx,y) makes reference to the partition where you are installing RemixOS, Generally it is (hd0,y) where 'y' is the number of the partition
This setup works if RemixOS files are on root folder of partition
Edit: I need to warn you that my PC hang on a black screen after Setup Wizard on first boot if you have this problem ask me for the workaround

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I have it booting but no WiFi, rats. It worked in the last LP build.

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lukss12 said:
I'm used to install RemixOS manually on a HardDrive partition and using GRUB for multibooting with Ubuntu, Windows, etc. This time I found some trouble installing new Marshmallow based build. It seems like Jide started using Squashfs+lz4 compression on this build and shipped squashfs-tools with Ubuntu can't manage it.
For the ones who don't know what "manually installing" means:
1- Download RemixOS .zip
2- Extract .zip and mount ISO extracted
3- Copy all ISO contents to a new partition where RemixOS will be installed ~8GB or more
4- Uncompress system.sfs using unsquashfs tool (this will generate system.img)
5- Deleste system.sfs
6- Create "data" folder alongside the files extracted from ISO
7- Make new custom GRUB entry for RemixOS on the correct used partition
8- Boot RemixOS from multiboot GRUB
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't need to unpack the system.sfs if you want
to manually install this. i.e. you don't need #4 or #5; and can save ~1.5GB of space. On the other hand if you want system rw - then you need the ext4 .img [as well as modified initrd.img]; and they seem to have started using better grub configs by default; i.e. using search instead of setting root to a partition.

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HypoTurtle said:
You don't need to unpack the system.sfs if you want
to manually install this. i.e. you don't need #4 or #5; and can save ~1.5GB of space. On the other hand if you want system rw - then you need the ext4 .img [as well as modified initrd.img]; and they seem to have started using better grub configs by default; i.e. using search instead of setting root to a partition.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actual just copied the grub.cfg for resident mode from the iso proper and used grub customizer to add it to my triple booted laptop. To bad Boardcom wifi is shot though otherwise it is perfect.

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And how to add it to GRUB menu?

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gb_14 said:
And how to add it to GRUB menu?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can copy grub.cfg from original ISO into your /boot directory like Orion16 did. Or just edit /etc/grub.d/custom file as I told him in a previous post and run "sudo update-grub"

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HypoTurtle said:
You don't need to unpack the system.sfs if you want
to manually install this. i.e. you don't need #4 or #5; and can save ~1.5GB of space. On the other hand if you want system rw - then you need the ext4 .img [as well as modified initrd.img]; and they seem to have started using better grub configs by default; i.e. using search instead of setting root to a partition.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes androidx86 first test for system.sfs, then system.img and last for system folder. On androidx86 builds I was able to boot with system folder and it was so in first RemixOS builds but now it is not working anymore (RemixOS loops at boot). I think that having installed an OS means also having RW permission over system files but it's just an opinion.
About modified initrd.img you don't need to unpack system.sfs for this method. But currently there is no modified initrd.img for last RemixOS and I don't have the time to do it.
I NEED TO WARN EVERYONE: if you modify system files mounting system.img as RW future OTAs will refuse to install and you will need to replace your custom system with the original one if you want OTA update.

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lukss12 said:
Yes androidx86 first test for system.sfs, then system.img and last for system folder. On androidx86 builds I was able to boot with system folder and it was so in first RemixOS builds but now it is not working anymore (RemixOS loops at boot). I think that having installed an OS means also having RW permission over system files but it's just an opinion.
About modified initrd.img you don't need to unpack system.sfs for this method. But currently there is no modified initrd.img for last RemixOS and I don't have the time to do it.
I NEED TO WARN EVERYONE: if you modify system files mounting system.img as RW future OTAs will refuse to install and you will need to replace your custom system with the original one if you want OTA update.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have one posted here
But yea if you go the full way [if you're on ext4] and dump the system.img into a system folder; then you don't need to modify the initrd.img for rw.
I used #1 on Bash for Windows; [just wanted to check the uncompressed system file] so kudos for that

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HypoTurtle said:
I have one posted here
But yea if you go the full way [if you're on ext4] and dump the system.img into a system folder; then you don't need to modify the initrd.img for rw.
I used #1 on Bash for Windows; [just wanted to check the uncompressed system file] so kudos for that
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to have an initrd.img but is it RemixOS 3.x based?
About system dump on system folder, it was not working anymore with recent 2.x builds (I haven't tested it on 3.x).
Now RemixOS 3.x build comes with built in SU so I can remount RW system from Terminal or using ESFileExplorer (or similar one) and only need to have system.img for editing files within RemixOS. (I forgot I was using modified initrd.img to achieve this with system.img as you said you need to make system folder dump to edit files within RemixOS and without modified initrd.img)
But as I mentioned it will break OTA... So having an intrd.img is important.
Btw if you see anyone having trouble with new Jide Setup Wizard in 3.x, the fix is to delete /priv-app/JideSetupWizard from system.img or RemixOS will not pass welcome screen
(So no OTA for me until Jide fix this up for my PC)

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lukss12 said:
Good to have an initrd.img but is it RemixOS 3.x based?
About system dump on system folder, it was not working anymore with recent 2.x builds (I haven't tested it on 3.x).
Now RemixOS 3.x build comes with built in SU so I can remount RW system from Terminal or using ESFileExplorer (or similar one) and only need to have system.img for editing files within RemixOS. But as I mentioned it will break OTA... So having an intrd.img is important.
Btw if you see anyone having trouble with new Jide Setup Wizard in 3.x, the fix is to delete /priv-app/JideSetupWizard from system.img or RemixOS will not pass welcome screen
(So no OTA for me until Jide fix this up for my PC)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, that one is 3.x based. I have a simple script somewhere so that you could make your own [its a simple unpack; search for ro; replace with rw and repack].
And JSW - I just disabled the app [with pm disable com.jide.setupwizard] instead of removing it.
Still not sure how you are getting rw without a rw initrd.img; with RemixOS just because you have su doesn't mean you can remount rw afaik.
Code from stock initrd.img:
Code:
check_root()
{
local r
if [ "`dirname $1`" = "/dev" ]; then
[ -e $1 ] || return 1
blk=`basename $1`
[ ! -e /dev/block/$blk ] && ln $1 /dev/block
dev=/dev/block/$blk
r=$(ls /sys/block/$blk/removable /sys/block/*/$blk/../removable 2>/dev/null)
[ -n "$r" ] && r=$(cat $r) || r=0
else
dev=$1
fi
try_mount ro $dev /mnt || return 1
if [ -n "$iso" -a -e /mnt/$iso ]; then
mount --move /mnt /iso
mkdir /mnt/iso
mount -o loop /iso/$iso /mnt/iso
SRC=iso
elif [ ! -e /mnt/$SRC/ramdisk.img ]; then
return 1
fi
removable=$r
zcat /mnt/$SRC/ramdisk.img | cpio -id > /dev/null
[ -n "$SYSTEM" ] && blk=`basename $SYSTEM` || blk=
if [ -b "/dev/$blk" ]; then
[ ! -e /dev/block/$blk ] && ln /dev/$blk /dev/block
mount -o ro /dev/block/$blk system
elif [ -e /mnt/$SRC/system.sfs ]; then
mount -o loop /mnt/$SRC/system.sfs /sfs
mount -o loop,ro /sfs/system.img system
mount_system_dev_img_if_necessary
elif [ -e /mnt/$SRC/system.img ]; then
mount -o loop,ro /mnt/$SRC/system.img system
elif [ -d /mnt/$SRC/system ]; then
mount --bind /mnt/$SRC/system system
else
rm -rf *
return 1
fi
mkdir mnt
if [ -n "$DEBUG" ]; then
echo " found at $1"
fi
rm /sbin/mke2fs
hash -r
}

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HypoTurtle said:
Yea, that one is 3.x based. I have a simple script somewhere so that you could make your own [its a simple unpack; search for ro; replace with rw and repack].
And JSW - I just disabled the app [with pm disable com.jide.setupwizard] instead of removing it.
Still not sure how you are getting rw without a rw initrd.img; with RemixOS just because you have su doesn't mean you can remount rw afaik.
Code from stock initrd.img:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are right!!! I was using a modified initrd for having rw on 2.x and I didn't remember . Will try pm disable thanks :good:

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lukss12 said:
You can copy grub.cfg from original ISO into your /boot directory like Orion16 did. Or just edit /etc/grub.d/custom file as I told him in a previous post and run "sudo update-grub"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks