What is Opt-Get

icon opt-get is a method to add extra applications (called plugin, .opt) under the Live CD environment. Just by one click, you can execute varied applications that not included in the CD, it's also easy to make these plugins.

Why Opt-Get

icon The original Live CD can use apt-get to install packages, and there are some projects like klik to reduce the difficulty getting extra application. Why use a new system?

Because opt-get got these advantages:

  • One command or one click, the applications is ready
  • You can have many packages in a single plugin, and it's small
  • Doesn't need lots of free memory, only copy the files that is read-write
  • Make from .deb packages, compiling free
  • Structure is simple, easy to hack
  • Integrad UnionFS
  • Support opt-get:// protocol, can install online

Get the plugins

icon Here are some plugins can be downloaded:

  • printer.opt (14MB)
    Printer setting program, including cups and foomatic
  • openoffice.opt (75MB)
    OpenOffice.org with Chinese support

Opt-Get source code can be download from: http://download.penkia.org/plugin/opt-get

How to use

icon

Take the printer plugin for example (assume the file save under /media/usbdisk/printer.opt):

  • sudo opt-get install /media/usbdisk/printer.opt

It's also easy to make a plugin (For example make a "build environment" plugin):

  • sudo opt-get make build-essential make gcc

    • After download, install and compressed, your plugin /tmp/build-essential.opt is ready to go!

The plugin making by take a "snapshot", the system should be clean (reboot recommanded).

Author

icon Pin-Shiun Chen (penkia) <penkia@gmail.com>

Opt-Get has its limits and drawbacks, and is still under development.
Welcome to our development forum ( http://groups.google.com/group/pud-linux )!

Last Update: Sat Sep 2 05:34:49 UTC 2006.