When you build an image with ImageBuilder, the image filename is derived from the name and version of the Image Description Tree used to generate the image, plus the creation date. ImageBuilder names the file as follows:
image_name-version-date
When you want to create a new image, the first step is to clone an existing Image Description Tree using either scr or xscr. When you type these commands, you provide the name and version of the existing tree and the name and version of the tree you are creating.
The basic syntax to clone an Image Description Tree in scr is as follows:
scr --create image_name-version --image image_name-version
For example, the following scr command clones the Minimal-2.0.21 Image Description Tree to create a new Image Description Tree named myImage-1.1.1:
scr --create myImage-1.1.1 --image minimal-2.0.21
The new Image Description Tree is located at /opt/SLES/POS/system/myImage-1.1.1. When you build an image from this tree, it will be named myImage-1.1.1-date.
Similarly, the basic syntax to clone an Image Description Tree in xscr is as follows:
xscr --create image_name-version --image image_name-version --dist nld|sles
The following xscr command clones the Desktop-2.0.21 Image Description Tree to create a new SLES-based Image Description Tree named myImage-2.1.1:
xscr --create myImage-2.1.1 --image desktop-2.0.21 --dist sles
The new Image Description Tree is located at /opt/SLES/POS/system/myImage-2.1.1. When you build an image from this tree, it is named myImage-2.1.1-date.
You cannot use the word “boot” in any image name other than the CDboot and DiskNetboot images.
When you clone an Image Description Tree, scr writes the image name to /opt/SLES/POS/system/image_name-version/config and the version to /opt/SLES/POS/system/image_name-version/VERSION. xscr writes the image name to the ImageSpecification element’s ImageName attribute and the version to the ImageSpecification element’s ImageVersion attribute within ImageSpecification.xml.
In both cases, the image name must correspond to the scImageName attribute and the version must correspond to the scPosImageVersion attribute within the Image Reference object (scPosImage) in the LDAP tree.
ImageBuilder maintains up to five builds of a single image in the same directory. When you generate the sixth build of an image, the oldest image version is deleted. (The utility determines the oldest image version by the image date.) If you want to maintain more than five versions of a single image, you must maintain them in separate directories.
If you plan to create an .iso file of an image that is larger than 650 MB in size, use the compression option so that it will fit on a standard CD.