an iso for 'all' intel/amd computers

[Jonathan Marsden]

On 05/25/2013 08:59 AM, Nio Wiklund wrote:

> I suggest that we try to make a Lubuntu iso file, that can boot in
> 'all' computers with intel/amd CPUs.

Let's avoid copying threads to "every imaginable Lubuntu mailing
list"... pick the one list that is appropriate for your topic.

The closest thing I am aware of to this is the Debian default install
image, which is currently multi-arch i386/amd64.  See


http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/7.0.0/multi-arch/iso-cd/debian-7.0.0-amd64-i386-netinst.iso

If this is a capability you really need (as Yorvk said, why anyone would
need this in Lubuntu is unclear), I would suggest looking at the Debian
approach as a starting point.  There is an LXDE desktop environment in
Debian, so, while it isn't Lubuntu, it can be made somewhat close in
basic feel.  You could probably create an LXDE-based Debian image that
is multi-arch, and then test on several i386 and amd64 machines.

Please try to be clearer - state your goals accurately.  I take it that
something more like "all computers with Intel i386 CPUs" is intended --
hopefully you are not seriously thinking of also booting this image to
install Lubuntu on i960, or ia64, for example, as both of those are
Intel CPU architectures.

Even restricting to i386, I think the "all Intel (i386) CPUs" concept is
not going to be feasible.  At least, not without a *ton* of work.  This
is because Linux 3.8.x kernels do not even support 386 CPUs at all, and
current Debian default kernels expect PAE support.  See


http://www.zdnet.com/good-bye-386-linux-to-drop-support-for-i386-chips-with-next-major-release-7000008772/

So even just a modern Debian or Ubuntu-based image that boots on "all"
Intel i386 machines would require a huge amount of work.  Doing that as
well as the multi-arch stuff for amd64 in one image ... wow, that's a
big project.  If you really want to take that on, good luck :)

Jonathan