Introduction

Welcome, brave developer, to the epic quest of installing the Linux OS T2 System Development Environment. If you’ve ever dreamed of forging your own distro from scratch, wielding toolchains like a knight wields a sword, and puzzling over build scripts until your cat walks across your keyboard, this guide is for you. Buckle up, keep a steaming mug of coffee (or tea) at hand, and prepare for a journey through source trees, cross-compilers, and the occasional dependency hell. Don’t worry, there’s humor sprinkled throughout—consider it bug repellant.

What Is the T2 System?

The T2 System (https://www.t2-project.org/) is a distribution-building toolkit. Instead of downloading precompiled binaries, you assemble everything yourself: from the compiler to the libraries, from the kernel to the final ISO. It’s like building a house brick by brick—except the bricks are in C, C , Python and you’ll likely need earplugs for the compiler warnings.

Prerequisites

• Host Machine: A 64-bit Linux host (Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, you name it)
• Disk Space: At least 20 GB free (more if you plan to add extra packages)
• RAM: Minimum 4 GB (8 GB or more recommended for smoother builds)
• Network: Stable internet connection for fetching sources
• Time: Brewing a perfect cup of coffee can take longer than some build stages
• Patience and Humor: The two most critical dependencies

Step 1: Prepare Your Host

First, install essential tools on your host. Commands vary by distribution here’s an example for Debian/Ubuntu:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y git build-essential wget rsync bc bison flex libssl-dev python3
  

If you’re on Fedora:

sudo dnf install -y git gcc gcc-c   make wget rsync bc bison flex openssl-devel python3
  

Tip: Don’t install random stuff like Minecraft or questionable browser extensions—you don’t want more third-party drama than necessary.

Step 2: Clone the T2 Repository

Choose a directory (e.g., ~/t2) and fetch the sources.

mkdir -p ~/t2  cd ~/t2
git clone https://git.t2-project.org/cgit/t2.git t2-sources
cd t2-sources
  

You now have the skeleton of the entire build system. It’s like acquiring all the LEGO bricks before you start building the Millennium Falcon—very exciting!

Step 3: Configure the Build

Inside t2-sources, run the configuration script:

./t2.sh -u
  

This script will prompt you for:

• Target Architecture: x86_64, armv7, aarch64, etc.
• Variant: For instance, minimal, desktop, or server
• Additional Packages: Choose from a list or supply your own package list file

Once configured, your choices are stored in targets/ltyour-targetgt/build.conf. Feel free to edit it if you want more widgets.

Step 4: Bootstrapping the Toolchain

This is the heart of T2: you build stage0, then stage1, then the final stage. Each stage is one level closer to your custom distro.

Stage0

cd targets/x86_64
make deps      # Installs host build-time dependencies
make stage0    # Builds initial binutils, gcc, and glibc
  

If you see ERROR, resist the urge to sacrifice your computer to the compiler gods. Instead, check log files under build/stage0/.

Stage1

make stage1    # Rebuilds toolchain with stage0’s compiler
  

At this point, your toolchain is self-hosted. Give yourself a pat on the back (and maybe a snack break).

Step 5: Building the Final Rootfs

Now that your compiler is happily brewing its own tea, let’s build the actual system:

make stage2    # Compiles all userland packages, kernel, init system, etc.
  

This can take hours. We recommend:

• Turning off the phone
• Starting an audiobook or podcast
• Checking back occasionally to admire your CPU usage

Customizing Your Kernel

The default kernel is serviceable, but you might need custom drivers or patched features:

cd build/stage2/kernel
make menuconfig      # Tweak options interactively
make                # Build the new kernel
make modules_install INSTALL_MOD_PATH=../rootfs
make install INSTALL_PATH=../rootfs/boot
  

Warning: A misconfigured kernel can lead to unbootable images. Backup your configs like a responsible coder.

Step 6: Creating Bootable Media

Once stage2 completes, you’ll find the ISO or tarball in output/. To make a USB stick:

dd if=output/t2-x86_64.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress  sync
  

Replace /dev/sdX with your USB device. Proceed with caution: one wrong sdX and you’ll wipe out your host OS. Oops.

Package Selection at a Glance

Troubleshooting amp Tips

• Log Files: build/stage/logs/ is your friend.
• Disk Space: Clean intermediate files with make clean in a stage directory.
• Incremental Builds: Use make -jN (where N is CPU cores 1) to speed up builds.
• Cross-Compilation: T2 supports cross-targets. Add --cross flags in build.conf.
• Community: Visit the T2 Forum for help and war stories.

Advanced: Adding a Custom Package

1. Create a directory in packages/yourpkg/.
2. Add yourpkg.mk with metadata (VERSION, SRC_URI, DEPENDS).
3. Write do_compile() and do_install() functions.
4. Add yourpkg to package-list in your build.conf.
5. Run make stage2 and cross your fingers.