# Create Usb Installation Files

> Package bootable USB installation artifacts (HookOS, host image, deployment scripts) from a standard Docker build, an ICT image, or a previously built image.

- Skill: `open-edge-platform/create-usb-installation-files` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add open-edge-platform/create-usb-installation-files`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/open-edge-platform/create-usb-installation-files/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: DevOps & Infra
- Author: open-edge-platform (https://skillmd.com/u/open-edge-platform)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/open-edge-platform/create-usb-installation-files

---


## Trigger Phrases
- create usb installation files
- build usb-installation-files.tar.gz
- package usb artifacts
- create bootable usb bundle
- build artifacts from ict image
- image from tool
- image composer
- default usb image build
- server image build
- headless usb image build
- server image build
- headless usb image build

## Required Inputs
- enib_home: absolute path to this repository root (default: current workspace root)
- build_mode: `standard-image|server-image|image-from-tool|reuse-image` — infer from user wording; only ask when genuinely ambiguous
- `ict_img`: required only for `image-from-tool` mode when no image was produced in the same session; absolute or repo-relative path to `.raw.gz` or `.raw.img.gz`

All other paths (`target_template`, `os_image_composer_repo`, etc.) use defaults — never prompt for them unless the user explicitly overrides.

## Preconditions
Run all checks silently — report failures only, no prompts:
- [ ] `test -d <enib_home> && test -w <enib_home>`
- [ ] `test -f <enib_home>/Makefile`
- [ ] `test -f <enib_home>/infrastructure/build-artifacts/build-installation-artifacts.sh`
- [ ] `docker ps` — if this fails, tell the user to run `sudo usermod -aG docker $USER && newgrp docker` (or use `sudo make build`), then stop
- [ ] `docker buildx version`
- [ ] `make --version`
- [ ] `proxy.env` present at repo root (auto-created by `make`; user can pass `skip-proxy=true` to bypass)
- [ ] If `ict_img` was given: `test -f <ict_img>` and extension is `.raw.gz` or `.raw.img.gz`
- [ ] **Sudo probe** (before any `sudo` step): `sudo -n true`. If non-zero, stop and tell the user to run `sudo -v`, or add a scoped `NOPASSWD` entry, or fix tty_tickets: `echo 'Defaults timestamp_type=global' | sudo tee /etc/sudoers.d/agent-timestamp && sudo chmod 0440 /etc/sudoers.d/agent-timestamp && sudo visudo -c`. See [AGENTS.md](../../AGENTS.md). 

## Steps
1. Collect required inputs and determine flow:
  - Infer `build_mode` from user wording when possible (`ict`/`image from tool`/`image composer` → `image-from-tool`; `server`/`headless`/`companion`/`uav` → `server-image`; no qualifier or `standard`/`handheld`/`backpack` → `standard-image`).
  - Ask user to choose mode only if no unambiguous inference is possible.
  - Once mode is confirmed, collect only inputs required for that mode (do not ask for unrelated inputs).
  - Flow A (`build_mode=standard-image`): no extra inputs; proceed directly to build.
  - Flow B (`build_mode=server-image`): no extra inputs; proceed directly to build.
  - Flow C (`build_mode=image-from-tool`):
    - If `ict_img` was already provided by the user: use it directly without any reuse or rebuild prompt.
    - If `ict_img` was NOT provided: probe expected ICT output path, show found image(s) with timestamps, ask one question to reuse or rebuild.
    - If rebuilding or no image found, and `create_image_first=yes`: run `create-image` skill, then collect artifact path.
  - Flow D (`build_mode=reuse-image`): no additional inputs; proceed directly to build.
2. If Flow C requires image creation, run `create-image` skill to generate a host image and collect artifact path.
3. Set build command arguments:
  - `build_mode=standard-image`: `make build` (or `make build MODE=standard-image`)
  - `build_mode=server-image`: `make build MODE=server-image`
  - `build_mode=image-from-tool`: `make build MODE=image-from-tool ICT_IMG="<ICT_IMG>"`
  - `build_mode=reuse-image`: `make build MODE=reuse-image`
  - To skip proxy: append `skip-proxy=true` to any command above
4. Build USB installation artifacts from repository root:
   - `cd <enib_home>`
  - execute selected build command from Step 3
5. Capture generated output path:
   - `<enib_home>/infrastructure/build-artifacts/out/usb-installation-files.tar.gz`
6. Ask user whether to try the Virtual Edge Node (VEN) deployment script:
  - `cd <enib_home>/infrastructure/build-artifacts/out`
  - `sudo tar -xzf usb-installation-files.tar.gz`
  - `printf 'y\ny\n' | sudo ./ven-deployment.sh`

## Validation
- Build command exits with code 0.
- Output file exists:
  - `<enib_home>/infrastructure/build-artifacts/out/usb-installation-files.tar.gz`
- Archive contains expected entries:
  - `bootable-usb-prepare.sh`
  - `config-file`
  - `usb-bootable-files.tar.gz`
  - `ven-deployment.sh`
- Validate only top-level archive entries for this skill (do not require inner archive extraction checks).

## Rollback
- Remove packaged output if the user requests a cleanup:
  - `rm -f <enib_home>/infrastructure/build-artifacts/out/usb-installation-files.tar.gz`
- Remove intermediate output directory if the user approves:
  - `rm -rf <enib_home>/infrastructure/build-artifacts/out`
- If the image was created in this run and the user wants a cleanup, apply rollback guidance from the `create-image` skill.

## Safety Rules
- Ask for `sudo` confirmation only before the following destructive operations: disk wipe, partition table changes, and overwriting output directories. Do not prompt for routine `sudo` use such as `apt install` or read-only commands.
- Never infer credentials, certificates, SSH keys, or secrets.
- Stop on precondition or validation failure, and provide next-action guidance.
- Do not overwrite ICT source template; always copy to working template.

## Expected Result Summary
Return:
- whether preconditions passed
- whether `create-image` was executed
- selected build mode and effective command
- discovered older image paths and timestamps
- whether the user approved the reuse of an older image or requested a rebuild
- packaging build status
- artifact file names and absolute paths
- validation results for archive contents
- whether the user opted to run VEN deployment check
- troubleshooting hints when build fails (for example, proxy, sudo, or dependency issues)

## Troubleshooting Notes
- If `/dev/nbd0` is already attached from a previous run, clean up the stale Network Block Device (NBD) connection before retrying VEN deployment.