LFS EXTON Linux live DVD/USB is built using Linux From Scratch 10.1/11.2 and Beyond Linux From Scratch 10.1/11.2 (BLFS) , which has the latest Linux packages and scripts.
NEWS 221103
A new version of LFS EXTON is ready! The first version is from 210706. Most important news re. the new version:
1. LFS EXTON Build 221103 runs on ALL computers. I. e. new and old ones. UEFI or non-UEFI computers. (Build 210706 was not compatible with some newer computers).
2. Build 221103 uses the latest kernel 6.0.6, released 221029.
The kernel is named 6.0.6-amd64-exton-rt14.
3. I have upgraded some essential packages. Most important Firefox.
4. I have installed two new packages: Gnu Emacs (“At its core is an interpreter for Emacs Lisp, a dialect of the Lisp programming language with extensions to support text editing”) and MPlayer (a movie player).
NOTE about MPlayer: To be able to play videos (and not just hear sound) you’ll have to install AAlib. Very easy to install. Just follow the instructions.
5. You can download the kernel-sources for LFS EXTON from SourceForge.net – linux-source-6.0.zip. Can be used if you want to install (for example) NVIDIA Graphics Drivers. Unpack and place the sources in /usr/src.
ABOUT Refracta Installer
I finally made Refracta Installer to work in LFS EXTON! Now you can install LFS EXTON to hard drive like any other Linux distribution. Just start Refracta Installer from the menu and follow the instructions. Watch this screenshot.
NOTE: You should create the install partition in advance. Use GParted for that.
LXDE and LightDM
LFS EXTON uses LXDE as Desktop environment. LXDE is designed to be user friendly and slim, while keeping the resource usage low. LFS EXTON has all the tools needed for you to go on and install other Desktop environments or whatever you like (after a hard drive installation of LFS EXTON).
Build your own Linux system
You can also just use LFS EXTON Live DVD/USB as build environment when building your own Linux system from scratch.
Install LFS EXTON to a USB stick
Install the ISO file to a USB stick with Rufus 3.20 in Windows. It will look like this.
LOGIN to LXDE
Login as root with password root$$ or as the ordinary user lfs with password linux$$. While logged in as lfs you can use Sudo to become root. Example commands: sudo su and sudo pcmanfm. LightDM‘s login screen will look like this.
Install to hard drive using Refracta Installer
1. Start Refracta Installer from the menu and follow the program instructions. Watch this screenshot.
2. Install options – screenshot.
3. Ready to install – screenshot.
4. When asked to chroot and install Grub – screenshot.
5. Keep current user (lfs) and root passwords – screenshot.
6. When the installation is complete you will see this – screenshot.
7. Notice the disk space used after installation to hard drive – screenshot.
8. For user lfs to be able to use Sudo after a hard drive installation you’ll have to edit /etc/sudoers as root with Nano or Mousepad. Add this line to the end:
lfs ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL – screenshot.
NOTE: If you already use Grub as boot loader you shall refrain from installing Grub when installing LFS EXTON to hard drive. Just add the boot lines below to /boot/grub/grub.cfg on the partition where you have Grub installed. You shall (of course) never mess with your current EFI Grub installation. LFS EXTON can run on EFI computers, but you can’t make an EFI Grub installation using LFS EXTON.
NOTE: You can install LFS EXTON on any normal computer. If you want to do that you should at first read my instruction How To dual boot, triple boot or multi boot Linux with Windows in a simple way and be happy. The Grub boot lines for LFS EXTON in /boot/grub/grub.cfg can look like this:
#################################################
menuentry ‘LFS EXTON 221103 (/dev/sda6)’ –class lfs –class gnu-linux –class gnu –class os $menuentry_id_option ‘gnulinux-simple-191fccec-4ecc-48b2-879d-504f9a2ad365’ {
recordfail
load_video
insmod gzio
if [ x$grub_platform = xxen ]; then insmod xzio; insmod lzopio; fi
insmod part_gpt
insmod ext2
if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
search –no-floppy –fs-uuid –set=root 191fccec-4ecc-48b2-879d-504f9a2ad365
else
search –no-floppy –fs-uuid –set=root 191fccec-4ecc-48b2-879d-504f9a2ad365
fi
linux /boot/vmlinuz-6.0.3-amd64-exton-rt14 root=/dev/sda6 ro
initrd /boot/initrd.img-6.0.3-amd64-exton-rt14
}
###############################################
Kernel
LFS EXTON uses my “special” kernel 6.0.3-amd64-exton-rt14. You can of course compile you own LFS kernel if you want.
“Normal” use of the system
You can also use LFS EXTON as any other “normal” Linux system. You can for example run Netflix in Firefox.
Running in VirtualBox/VMware
Form some unknown reason LFS EXTON doesn’t work so well in VirtualBox. You can, however, run it in VirtualBox if you add nomodeset to the boot line when booting up LFS from the ISO file in VirtualBox. Just press TAB before the boot process starts. You can, however, run LFS EXTON without any problems in QEMU in Linux and in VMware in Windows. Watch this screenshot (running in QEMU in Linux) and this screenshot (running in VMware in Windows 11). I even managed to install LFS EXTON in VirtualBox in Linux. Not easy, but it can be done. With the help of the provided kernel sources (SourceForge.net – linux-source-6.0.zip) I also could install VirtualBox Guest Additions so that LFS EXTON can run in full screen. Watch this screenshot…
Error during the boot process
During the boot process you will see a error message about ssh. Just press ENTER and the boot process will continue. After a hard drive installation you can get rid of the error message by running the following commands as root.
1. cd /etc/ssh
2. ssh-keygen -A
3. /etc/init.d/sshd start
Sound in LFS EXTON
You will only have sound when logged in to LXDE as the normal user lfs. Use Pavucontrol (PulseAudio Volume Control).
How to mount NTFS partitions read and write
Just run two commands as root (example)
1. mkdir /dev/sdd1
2. ntfs-3g /dev/sdd1 /mnt/sdd1
Run it fast!
The system is quite fast and responsive. You can run LFS EXTON live super fast from RAM. When the boot process is ready you can eject the DVD or USB stick – screenshot. Use Boot alternative 2 or Advanced options… >> load to RAM. Watch the live boot screen below.)
DOWNLOAD
This version has been replaced by version 250315 (my last).
IMPORTANT NOTE 250315
I’ve decided to abandon the LFS EXTON project. Version 250315 and 221103 of LFS EXTON is based on Linux From Scratch 10.1/11.2. The newest version of Linux From Scratch is version 12.3. It is therefore not possible to upgrade LFS EXTON anymore. Not without a lot of struggle anyhow. And I don’t feel like starting from scratch (again). Too time consuming. Anyone is welcome to take over my project though. You can change everything to your liking and the create a new ISO using Refracta Snapshot, which is working very well in Build 250315. See above and download a HOWTO about Refracta Snapshot. You’ll find the just mentioned instruction also in /root in Build 250315.
/exton
Read about my Android-x86 Systems – 11, 10, Pie, Oreo, Nougat, Marshmallow, Lollipop and KitKat at andex.exton.net – latest is AndEX 11 (with GAPPS), AndEX 10 (with GAPPS) and AndEX Pie 9.0 (also with GAPPS)!
and
about my Android 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, Pie, Oreo, Nougat, Marshmallow and Lollipop versions for Raspberry Pi 5, Pi 4 and Pi 3/2 at raspex.exton.se – latest is RaspAnd 15 (with GAPPS), RaspAnd 14 (also with GAPPS), 13 and 12 (without GAPPS), RaspAnd 11 (with GAPPS) and RaspAnd Oreo 8.1 (also with GAPPS)! 
About the Author
Hello . How can i install new software on it ? There is no package manager . For example i want use a archiver program with a gui .
Must i compile it from source? How can i do that ? Can you tell what for steps i must taken? . The distro is very lightweight and is superfast . Keep up the good work .
Yes, you have to install new programs from source. Read the install instructions for each program. Basically it is just three commands: ./configure make make install.
I’m working on a new version of LFS EXTON right now. It will be based on LFS 12 (latest version). Kernel 6.5 is used. Package manager: It is possible to fix a Package Manager for LFS EXTON, but is is very time consuming to do so.
I created my own package manager, the repository is not that big but it works well. I used it on Exton to create my own distro, access it at quieux.github.io