fli4l documentation - optional files and programs

5. Optional files and programs

Since FLI4L version 1.3 there were no optional files included in the rootfs image. The advantages of this are:

- only the necessary drivers will be copied to floppy disk
- user may add own files to the own FLI4L installation or may delete some files, if they will not be used.

Optional files will be written to floppy disk as a compressed archive. Since the file system of this floppy disk is a DOS file system, it is possible to add optional files also under Windows.

The table with files (ex.: kernel modules as drivers) which shall be installed is included in file: `opt/.txt`.

Lines in this file are of the following construction:

    context     name     file name

Actually the following values are defined for use as context values:

    gen     - generic files, which have to be copied each time
    eth     - Ethernet adaptor drivers
    isdn    - ISDN adaptor driver and driver-specific utilities
    dns     - DNS configuration
    masq    - masquerading modules
    opt     - optional tools

Names have different meanings - depending on context:

    context    name
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    gen        irrelevant
    eth        content of configuration variable NET_DRV_x
    isdn       "hisax", "avmb1" or "icn"
    dns        name of DNS server used; "named" oder "dnscache"
    masq       protocol name, ex. ftp, icq or irc.
    opt        program package name, ex.: "tools", "serial" or others which may be selected without restrictions

The most interesting context is "opt". For example: you may define in `config.txt` a variable

    OPT_MP3='yes'

Now all files which are entered with name "mp3" (always lower case characters), will be copied to floppy disk.

Example:

    opt   mp3  usr/local/bin/freeamp
    opt   mp3  usr/local/bin/mixer

Both programs freeamp and mixer will then be copied from opt directory to floppy disk and they will also be installed in folder `usr/local/bin` when FLI4L router boots up.

This mechanism is used for all OPT variables. Those who want to include other program packages into FLI4L should use the above mentioned method. The main advantage of this is the opportunity to include this program package some time into the standard distribution of FLI4L. The end user will be able to decide - via a configuration variable - which package shall be included on the floppy disk.

Some additional info about this (obey as rule):

1. Programs need the "executable bit" under FLI4L, too. If you want to add a program in folder opt, this bit will be missing when you want to create a boot disk under Windows.

Thatīs not really a problem: One of FLI4Līs first actions after boot-up will be the setting of the executable bit for all files in folders:

    /bin
    /sbin
    /usr/bin
    /usr/sbin
    /usr/local/bin
    /usr/local/sbin

That means: If you organize installation of your program in one of the above mentioned folders, you wonīt have any problems when configuring FLI4L under Windows. My recommendation on this would be: install your own programs in `opt/usr/local/bin` (that means for FLI4L: `/usr/local/bin`) . The best position for your administration files would then be: `opt/usr/local/lib` .

2. All file names in opt directory should be written in lower case characters!

This is strictly recommended. If you do not follow these rules, it is not sure that a boot disk which was generated under Windows will work correctly.

Reason: Windows does not care about upper or lower case characters in file names. That means: those file names will not in all cases be same in a Windows environment (ex.: when you use an editor, etc.). If one of these files with an incorrect file name is copied to the opt archive, you will usually have enormous problems on boot-up of FLI4L == will not work!

These problems will not occur when you always use loxer case characters in file names.

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