Custom CuBox Image
Table of Contents
The following document describes our own method of creating a custom Kali Linux CuBox ARM image and is targeted at developers. If you would like to install a pre-made Kali image, check out our Install Kali on CuBox article.
You’ll need to have root privileges to do this procedure, or the ability to escalate your privileges with the command “sudo su”.
01. Create a Kali rootfs
Build a Kali rootfs as described in our Kali documentation, using an armhf architecture. By the end of this process, you should have a populated rootfs directory in ~/arm-stuff/rootfs/kali-armhf
.
02. Create the Image File
Next, we create the physical image file, which will hold our CuBox rootfs and boot images:
[email protected]:~$ sudo apt install -y kpartx xz-utils sharutils
[email protected]:~$ mkdir -p ~/arm-stuff/images/
[email protected]:~$ cd ~/arm-stuff/images/
[email protected]:~$ dd if=/dev/zero of=kali-custom-cubox.img conv=fsync bs=4M count=7000
03. Partition and Mount the Image File
[email protected]:~$ parted kali-custom-cubox.img --script -- mklabel msdos
[email protected]:~$ parted kali-custom-cubox.img --script -- mkpart primary ext4 0 -1
[email protected]:~$ loopdevice=$(losetup -f --show kali-custom-cubox.img)
[email protected]:~$ device=`kpartx -va $loopdevice| sed -E 's/.*(loop[0-9])p.*/\1/g' | head -1`
[email protected]:~$ device="/dev/mapper/${device}"
[email protected]:~$ rootp=${device}p1
[email protected]:~$
[email protected]:~$ mkfs.ext4 $rootp
[email protected]:~$ mkdir -p root
[email protected]:~$ mount $rootp root
04. Copy and Modify the Kali rootfs
[email protected]:~$ rsync -HPavz /root/arm-stuff/rootfs/kali-armhf/ root
[email protected]:~$ echo nameserver 8.8.8.8 > root/etc/resolv.conf
05. Compile the CuBox Kernel and Modules
If you’re not using ARM hardware as the development environment, you will need to set up an ARM cross-compilation environment to build an ARM kernel and modules. Once that’s done, proceed with the following instructions:
[email protected]:~$ mkdir -p ~/arm-stuff/kernel/
[email protected]:~$ cd ~/arm-stuff/kernel/
[email protected]:~$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/rabeeh/linux.git
[email protected]:~$ cd linux/
[email protected]:~$ touch .scmversion
[email protected]:~$ mkdir -p ../patches/
[email protected]:~$ wget http://patches.aircrack-ng.org/mac80211.compat08082009.wl_frag+ack_v1.patch -O ../patches/mac80211.patch
[email protected]:~$ patch -p1 --no-backup-if-mismatch < ../patches/mac80211.patch
[email protected]:~$ export ARCH=arm
[email protected]:~$ export CROSS_COMPILE=~/arm-stuff/kernel/toolchains/arm-eabi-linaro-4.6.2/bin/arm-eabi-
[email protected]:~$ make cubox_defconfig
# configure your kernel !
[email protected]:~$ make menuconfig
[email protected]:~$ make -j$( cat /proc/cpuinfo|grep processor | wc -l )
[email protected]:~$ make modules_install INSTALL_MOD_PATH=~/arm-stuff/images/root
[email protected]:~$ make uImage
[email protected]:~$ cp arch/arm/boot/uImage ~/arm-stuff/images/root/boot
[email protected]:~$
[email protected]:~$ cat <<EOF > ~/arm-stuff/images/root/boot/boot.txt
echo "== Executing ${directory}${bootscript} on ${device_name} partition ${partition} =="
setenv unit_no 0
setenv root_device ?
if itest.s ${device_name} -eq usb; then
itest.s $root_device -eq ? && ext4ls usb 0:1 /dev && setenv root_device /dev/sda1 && setenv unit_no 0
itest.s $root_device -eq ? && ext4ls usb 1:1 /dev && setenv root_device /dev/sda1 && setenv unit_no 1
fi
if itest.s ${device_name} -eq mmc; then
itest.s $root_device -eq ? && ext4ls mmc 0:2 /dev && setenv root_device /dev/mmcblk0p2
itest.s $root_device -eq ? && ext4ls mmc 0:1 /dev && setenv root_device /dev/mmcblk0p1
fi
if itest.s ${device_name} -eq ide; then
itest.s $root_device -eq ? && ext4ls ide 0:1 /dev && setenv root_device /dev/sda1
fi
if itest.s $root_device -ne ?; then
setenv bootargs "console=ttyS0,115200n8 vmalloc=448M video=dovefb:lcd0:[email protected] clcd.lcd0_enable=1 clcd.lcd1_enable=0 root=${root_device} rootfstype=ext4"
setenv loadimage "${fstype}load ${device_name} ${unit_no}:${partition} 0x00200000 ${directory}${image_name}"
$loadimage && bootm 0x00200000
echo "!! Unable to load ${directory}${image_name} from ${device_name} ${unit_no}:${partition} !!"
exit
fi
echo "!! Unable to locate root partition on ${device_name} !!"
EOF
[email protected]:~$
[email protected]:~$ mkimage -A arm -T script -C none -n "Boot.scr for CuBox" -d ~/arm-stuff/images/root/boot/boot.txt ~/arm-stuff/images/root/boot/boot.scr
[email protected]:~$ umount $rootp
[email protected]:~$ kpartx -dv $loopdevice
[email protected]:~$ losetup -d $loopdevice
Use the dd command to image this file to your SD card. In our example, we assume the storage device is located at /dev/sdb
. Change this as needed:
[email protected]:~$ dd if=kali-linux-cubox.img of=/dev/sdb conv=fsync bs=4M
Once the dd operation is complete, unmount and eject the SD card and boot your CuBox into Kali Linux
Updated on: 2023-May-28
Author:
steev