Notes

branding guide

5 min read

this guide is followed while building distribution

Nanite Distribution Branding Guide

This guide covers all the necessary changes to rebrand your live-build distribution from Debian to Nanite.

Table of Contents

  1. Directory Structure Setup

  2. System Information Files

  3. Boot Loader Branding

  4. Desktop Environment Branding

  5. Login Screen Customization

  6. Plymouth Boot Splash

  7. Calamares Installer Branding

  8. Application Menu Branding

  9. Wallpapers and Themes

  10. Final Steps

Directory Structure Setup

First, create the necessary directory structure:

 
mkdir -p config/includes.chroot/etc
 
mkdir -p config/includes.chroot/usr/share/pixmaps
 
mkdir -p config/includes.chroot/usr/share/backgrounds
 
mkdir -p config/includes.chroot/usr/share/applications
 
mkdir -p config/includes.chroot/etc/lightdm
 
mkdir -p config/includes.chroot/etc/calamares
 
mkdir -p config/includes.binary/isolinux
 
mkdir -p config/bootloaders/isolinux
 
mkdir -p config/hooks/live

System Information Files

1. OS Release Information

Create config/includes.chroot/etc/os-release:

 
PRETTY_NAME="Nanite Linux"
 
NAME="Nanite"
 
VERSION_ID="1.0"
 
VERSION="1.0 (Stable)"
 
ID=nanite
 
ID_LIKE=debian
 
HOME_URL="https://nanite-linux.org/"
 
SUPPORT_URL="https://nanite-linux.org/support"
 
BUG_REPORT_URL="https://nanite-linux.org/bugs"

2. LSB Release Information

Create config/includes.chroot/etc/lsb-release:

 
DISTRIB_ID=Nanite
 
DISTRIB_RELEASE=1.0
 
DISTRIB_CODENAME=stable
 
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Nanite Linux 1.0"

3. Issue Files

Create config/includes.chroot/etc/issue:


Nanite Linux 1.0 \n \l

Create config/includes.chroot/etc/issue.net:


Nanite Linux 1.0

4. MOTD (Message of the Day)

Create config/includes.chroot/etc/motd:


Welcome to Nanite Linux!

  

For support and documentation, visit: https://nanite-linux.org

Boot Loader Branding

1. ISOLINUX Configuration

Create config/bootloaders/isolinux/isolinux.cfg:


UI vesamenu.c32

MENU TITLE Nanite Linux Boot Menu

MENU BACKGROUND splash.png

MENU COLOR border 30;44 #40ffffff #a0000000 std

MENU COLOR title 1;36;44 #9033ccff #a0000000 std

MENU COLOR sel 7;37;40 #e0ffffff #20ffffff all

MENU COLOR unsel 37;44 #50ffffff #a0000000 std

MENU COLOR help 37;40 #c0ffffff #a0000000 std

MENU COLOR timeout_msg 37;40 #80ffffff #00000000 std

MENU COLOR timeout 1;37;40 #c0ffffff #00000000 std

MENU COLOR msg07 37;40 #90ffffff #a0000000 std

MENU COLOR tabmsg 31;40 #30ffffff #00000000 std

  

LABEL live

MENU LABEL Nanite Linux (Live)

MENU DEFAULT

KERNEL /live/vmlinuz

APPEND initrd=/live/initrd.img boot=live components quiet splash

  

LABEL live-safe

MENU LABEL Nanite Linux (Safe Mode)

KERNEL /live/vmlinuz

APPEND initrd=/live/initrd.img boot=live components quiet splash nomodeset

  

TIMEOUT 30

2. GRUB Configuration

Create config/includes.chroot/etc/default/grub.d/nanite.cfg:

 
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR="Nanite"
 
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
 
GRUB_BACKGROUND="/usr/share/backgrounds/nanite-grub.png"

Desktop Environment Branding

1. Desktop Files

Create config/includes.chroot/usr/share/applications/nanite-about.desktop:

 
[Desktop Entry]
 
Version=1.0
 
Type=Application
 
Name=About Nanite
 
Comment=Information about Nanite Linux
 
Exec=zenity --info --title="About Nanite Linux" --text="Nanite Linux 1.0\nA modern, lightweight Linux distribution\n\nWebsite: https://nanite-linux.org"
 
Icon=nanite-logo
 
Terminal=false
 
Categories=System;

2. System Information Script

Create config/includes.chroot/usr/bin/nanite-info:

 
#!/bin/bash
 
echo "Nanite Linux System Information"
 
echo "================================"
 
echo "Distribution: Nanite Linux"
 
echo "Version: 1.0"
 
echo "Kernel: $(uname -r)"
 
echo "Architecture: $(uname -m)"
 
echo "Desktop: XFCE"
 
echo ""
 
echo "Website: https://nanite-linux.org"

Make it executable:

 
chmod +x config/includes.chroot/usr/bin/nanite-info

Login Screen Customization

1. LightDM GTK Greeter Configuration

Create config/includes.chroot/etc/lightdm/lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf:

 
[greeter]
 
background=/usr/share/backgrounds/nanite-login.jpg
 
theme-name=Adwaita
 
icon-theme-name=Adwaita
 
font-name=Sans 11
 
xft-antialias=true
 
xft-dpi=96
 
xft-hintstyle=slight
 
xft-rgba=rgb
 
show-indicators=~host;~spacer;~clock;~spacer;~language;~session;~a11y;~power
 
show-clock=true
 
clock-format=%A, %B %d, %Y %H:%M

2. Custom Login Message

Create config/includes.chroot/etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/50-nanite.conf:

 
[Seat:*]
 
greeter-show-manual-login=true
 
greeter-hide-users=false
 
allow-guest=false

Plymouth Boot Splash

1. Plymouth Theme Configuration

Create config/includes.chroot/etc/plymouth/plymouthd.conf:

 
[Daemon]
 
Theme=nanite
 
ShowDelay=0
 
DeviceTimeout=5

2. Custom Plymouth Theme (Advanced)

Create directory structure:

 
mkdir -p config/includes.chroot/usr/share/plymouth/themes/nanite

Create config/includes.chroot/usr/share/plymouth/themes/nanite/nanite.plymouth:

 
[Plymouth Theme]
 
Name=Nanite
 
Description=Nanite Linux boot splash
 
ModuleName=script
 
  
 
[script]
 
ImageDir=/usr/share/plymouth/themes/nanite
 
ScriptFile=/usr/share/plymouth/themes/nanite/nanite.script

Calamares Installer Branding

1. Calamares Branding Configuration

Create config/includes.chroot/etc/calamares/branding/nanite/branding.desc:

 
componentName: nanite
 
  
 
strings:
 
productName: "Nanite Linux"
 
shortProductName: "Nanite"
 
version: "1.0"
 
shortVersion: "1.0"
 
versionedName: "Nanite Linux 1.0"
 
shortVersionedName: "Nanite 1.0"
 
bootloaderEntryName: "Nanite"
 
productUrl: "https://nanite-linux.org/"
 
supportUrl: "https://nanite-linux.org/support"
 
knownIssuesUrl: "https://nanite-linux.org/issues"
 
releaseNotesUrl: "https://nanite-linux.org/releases"
 
  
 
images:
 
productLogo: "nanite-logo.png"
 
productIcon: "nanite-icon.png"
 
productWelcome: "nanite-welcome.png"
 
  
 
style:
 
sidebarBackground: "#2c3e50"
 
sidebarText: "#ffffff"
 
sidebarTextSelect: "#4d7cf4"

2. Calamares Settings

Create config/includes.chroot/etc/calamares/settings.conf:

 
modules-search: [ local, /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/calamares/modules ]
 
  
 
instances:
 
- id: nanite
 
module: packages
 
config: packages.conf
 
  
 
sequence:
 
- show:
 
- welcome
 
- locale
 
- keyboard
 
- partition
 
- users
 
- summary
 
- exec:
 
- partition
 
- mount
 
- unpackfs
 
- packages@nanite
 
- machineid
 
- fstab
 
- locale
 
- keyboard
 
- localecfg
 
- users
 
- displaymanager
 
- networkcfg
 
- hwclock
 
- services-systemd
 
- bootloader
 
- umount
 
- show:
 
- finished
 
  
 
branding: nanite

Application Menu Branding

1. XFCE Panel Configuration

Create config/hooks/live/0030-xfce-branding.hook.chroot:

 
#!/bin/bash
 
  
 
# Create XFCE configuration for branding
 
mkdir -p /etc/skel/.config/xfce4/panel
 
mkdir -p /etc/skel/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml
 
  
 
# Set custom application menu
 
cat > /etc/skel/.config/xfce4/panel/whiskermenu-1.rc << 'EOF'
 
favorites=firefox-esr.desktop,thunar.desktop,xfce4-terminal.desktop,mousepad.desktop
 
button-title=Nanite Menu
 
button-icon=nanite-logo
 
show-button-title=true
 
EOF

Make it executable:

 
chmod +x config/hooks/live/0030-xfce-branding.hook.chroot

Wallpapers and Themes

1. Default Wallpaper Setup

Create config/hooks/live/0040-wallpaper.hook.chroot:

 
#!/bin/bash
 
  
 
# Set default wallpaper for XFCE
 
mkdir -p /etc/skel/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml
 
  
 
cat > /etc/skel/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-desktop.xml << 'EOF'
 
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
 
<channel name="xfce4-desktop" version="1.0">
 
<property name="backdrop" type="empty">
 
<property name="screen0" type="empty">
 
<property name="monitor0" type="empty">
 
<property name="workspace0" type="empty">
 
<property name="last-image" type="string" value="/usr/share/backgrounds/nanite-default.jpg"/>
 
<property name="image-style" type="int" value="5"/>
 
</property>
 
</property>
 
</property>
 
</property>
 
</channel>
 
EOF

Make it executable:

 
chmod +x config/hooks/live/0040-wallpaper.hook.chroot

2. Required Image Files

You’ll need to create/place these image files:

 
# Boot splash (1024x768 or 1920x1080)
 
config/includes.chroot/usr/share/backgrounds/nanite-grub.png
 
  
 
# Login background (1920x1080 recommended)
 
config/includes.chroot/usr/share/backgrounds/nanite-login.jpg
 
  
 
# Desktop wallpaper (1920x1080 or higher)
 
config/includes.chroot/usr/share/backgrounds/nanite-default.jpg
 
  
 
# Logo files
 
config/includes.chroot/usr/share/pixmaps/nanite-logo.png (48x48)
 
config/includes.chroot/usr/share/pixmaps/nanite-icon.png (32x32)
 
  
 
# Calamares branding images
 
config/includes.chroot/etc/calamares/branding/nanite/nanite-logo.png
 
config/includes.chroot/etc/calamares/branding/nanite/nanite-icon.png
 
config/includes.chroot/etc/calamares/branding/nanite/nanite-welcome.png

Final Steps

1. Update Build Configuration

Add this to your config/build file:

 
LB_DISTRIBUTION="bookworm"
 
LB_DEBIAN_INSTALLER="live"
 
LB_BOOTAPPEND_LIVE="boot=live components quiet splash username=nanite hostname=nanite-live"

2. Create Post-Install Hook

Create config/hooks/live/0050-final-branding.hook.chroot:

 
#!/bin/bash
 
  
 
# Update hostname
 
echo "nanite-live" > /etc/hostname
 
  
 
# Update hosts file
 
sed -i 's/127.0.1.1.*/127.0.1.1\tnanite-live/' /etc/hosts
 
  
 
# Set live user
 
useradd -m -s /bin/bash -G sudo,audio,video,plugdev,netdev nanite 2>/dev/null || true
 
echo "nanite:nanite" | chpasswd
 
  
 
# Set default session
 
echo "exec startxfce4" > /home/nanite/.xsession
 
chown nanite:nanite /home/nanite/.xsession

Make it executable:

 
chmod +x config/hooks/live/0050-final-branding.hook.chroot

3. Build Commands

After implementing all changes, rebuild your distribution:

 
sudo lb clean
 
sudo lb config
 
sudo lb build

Testing Your Branding

  1. Boot Test: Check boot loader shows “Nanite Linux”

  2. Login Screen: Verify custom background and branding

  3. Desktop: Check wallpaper, menu, and applications

  4. System Info: Run nanite-info to verify system information

  5. Installer: Test Calamares shows Nanite branding

Troubleshooting

  • If images don’t appear, check file permissions: chmod 644 image-files

  • For hook script issues, check execution permissions: chmod +x hook-files

  • Monitor build logs for any configuration errors

  • Test in QEMU first before burning to physical media

Note: Replace placeholder URLs (nanite-linux.org) with your actual project URLs, and ensure all image files are created with appropriate dimensions and quality.

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