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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/damianiglesias/amnesiaOS/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Building AmnesiaOS from source uses the Linux From Scratch (LFS) methodology — the entire toolchain, C library, compiler, and kernel are compiled from source rather than pulled from a package manager. This gives AmnesiaOS a fully auditable, minimal software stack with no distribution cruft. It is a significant undertaking, so before you begin make sure your build host meets the requirements below.

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Host requirements

ComponentRequirement
OSLinux — Debian/Ubuntu recommended
Disk space30 GB free minimum
RAM4 GB+
NetworkInternet connection required for source downloads

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Install build dependencies

Install all required build tools with a single apt command: 
sudo apt install -y build-essential gcc g++ make bison flex \
    libncurses-dev libssl-dev libelf-dev bc xorriso grub-pc-bin \
    grub-efi-amd64-bin mtools wget

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LFS build overview

The AmnesiaOS build proceeds in three sequential phases:
  1. Toolchain (LFS chapters 5–7): Build a cross-compilation toolchain from scratch targeting x86_64-pc-linux-gnu. This temporary toolchain is used exclusively to compile the final system packages and is never shipped in the OS image.
  2. Core packages (LFS chapter 8): Use the toolchain to compile the core userspace from source. Key packages and their versions are:
    • glibc 2.42 — the C library
    • GCC 15.2.0 — the compiler collection
    • binutils 2.45 — assembler, linker, and binary utilities
    • Linux kernel 6.16.1 — the OS kernel
  3. AmnesiaOS components: Assemble the initramfs and create the bootable ISO image. These steps are fully automated by the build scripts and are covered in detail on the following pages.
The official Linux From Scratch book at https://www.linuxfromscratch.org provides comprehensive step-by-step instructions for the toolchain and core package phases. Follow chapters 5 through 8 before proceeding to the AmnesiaOS-specific build steps.

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Build scripts

Once the LFS toolchain and core packages are in place, two scripts automate the remaining AmnesiaOS-specific build steps:
  • scripts/build-initramfs.sh — downloads BusyBox, assembles the initramfs directory tree, writes the /init script, creates device nodes, and packs everything into a gzip-compressed CPIO archive at /boot/initramfs-6.16.1.img.
  • scripts/build-iso.sh — takes the compiled kernel and initramfs, writes the GRUB configuration, and produces a bootable hybrid ISO at ~/amnesia-os.iso using grub-mkrescue.
Both scripts are covered in full on the Initramfs and ISO Creation pages.

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