ghostbsd-build (Greenfield)

Live media creator for GhostBSD distribution

Introduction

The purpose of this tool is to quickly generate live images for GhostBSD.

Features

• Build GhostBSD from packages
• Multiple desktop environments (Mate, XFCE, Gershwin, Plasma, and more)
• Hybrid DVD/USB image
• Configurable ZFS memory management for build optimization
• Gzip compression support for smaller system images
• Enhanced error handling and debugging

Graphics support

• Compatible with VirtualBox, VMware, NVIDIA graphics out of the box
• SCFB support with automatic best resolution for UEFI enabled systems with Intel/AMD graphics

System requirements

• Latest version of GhostBSD
• 20GB of free disk space
• 8GB of free memory minimum (16GB+ recommended for optimal performance)

Note: GhostBSD 25.02-R14.3p2 and later should be used to build ISO.

Initial setup

Install the required packages:

pkg install git transmission-utils rsync

Make sure to have linux64 kernel module loaded

kldload linux64
sysrc -f /etc/rc.conf kld_list="linux64"

Clone the repo:

git clone https://www.github.com/ghostbsd/ghostbsd-build.git

Starting a build

Enter the directory for running the LiveCD build script:

cd ghostbsd-build

To build a GhostBSD with MATE as default desktop

./build.sh -d mate -b release

or for unstable builds:

./build.sh -d mate -b unstable

To build GhostBSD with XFCE as default desktop

./build.sh -d xfce -b release

(Option) To build GhostBSD with KDE Plasma 6 as default desktop

./build.sh -d plasma -b unstable

To build GhostBSD with Gershwin as default desktop

./build.sh -d gershwin -b release

Build options

ZFS Memory Control

The build system includes configurable ZFS ARC memory management to optimize build performance without permanently affecting your host system:

# Safe mode - never modify host ZFS settings (safest)
./build.sh -d mate -b release -z off

# Default mode - smart tuning only when beneficial
./build.sh -d mate -b release

# Conservative mode - only tune if ARC uses >60% of RAM
./build.sh -d mate -b release -z conservative

# Aggressive mode - always optimize for build performance
./build.sh -d mate -b release -z aggressive

ZFS Control Options:

• off - Never modify host ZFS ARC settings (safest)
• auto - Only tune if current ARC significantly exceeds build needs (default)
• conservative - Only tune if ARC is using >60% of system RAM
• aggressive - Always apply build-optimized settings
• restore - Same as aggressive but explicitly shows restore intent

All modes except 'off' automatically restore original ZFS settings after build completion.

Getting help

./build.sh -h

Burn an image to cd:

cdrecord /usr/local/ghostbsd-build/iso/GhostBSD-25.02-R14.3p2.iso

Write an image to usb stick:

dd if=/usr/local/ghostbsd-build/iso/GhostBSD-25.02-R14.3p2.iso of=/dev/da0 bs=4m

Troubleshooting

Build fails with memory errors

Ensure you have at least 8GB of RAM. For systems with exactly 8GB, consider:

# Use conservative ZFS tuning to leave more memory available
./build.sh -d mate -b release -z conservative

Build hangs during image creation

This usually indicates insufficient memory or disk space. Check requirements and consider closing other applications during the build.

ZFS ARC concerns

If you're concerned about the build process affecting your host system's ZFS performance:

# Use safe mode to never modify host ZFS settings
./build.sh -d mate -b release -z off