# Installing distribution packages during mender-convert

**URL:** <https://hub.mender.io/t/installing-distribution-packages-during-mender-convert/7921>\
**Category:** Mender-Convert\
**Created:** [July 28, 2025, 9:05am UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/installing-distribution-packages-during-mender-convert/7921 "2025-07-28T09:05:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TheYoctoJester](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/theyoctojester/32/1444_2.png) [@TheYoctoJester](https://hub.mender.io/u/TheYoctoJester)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2025, 9:05am UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/installing-distribution-packages-during-mender-convert/7921/1 "2025-07-28T09:05:15Z")

</div>

When converting images with `mender-convert`, you may need to pre-install packages from the distribution’s repositories. This tutorial demonstrates how to install packages during the conversion process using a configuration fragment.

## The Challenge

The `mender-convert` tool operates in a chroot environment when modifying the rootfs. Direct package installation requires proper chroot setup, especially for cross-architecture builds where qemu-static emulation is needed.

## Creating the Configuration Fragment

Create a configuration file that hooks into the platform modification phase:

```bash
cat > input/package_install_config << 'EOF'
# Configuration to install packages from distribution repositories during conversion

# Define packages to install (space-separated list)
MENDER_INSTALL_PACKAGES="vim htop tmux"

function install_distribution_packages_in_chroot() {
    local -r dest_dir="$1"
    
    # Update package lists
    run_in_chroot_and_log_cmd "$dest_dir" "apt-get update"
    
    # Install packages non-interactively
    run_in_chroot_and_log_cmd "$dest_dir" "DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get install -y $MENDER_INSTALL_PACKAGES"
    
    # Clean up package cache to reduce image size
    run_in_chroot_and_log_cmd "$dest_dir" "apt-get clean"
    run_in_chroot_and_log_cmd "$dest_dir" "rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*"
}

function install_distribution_packages() {
    if [-n "$MENDER_INSTALL_PACKAGES"]; then
        log_warn "Installing packages from distribution repository: $MENDER_INSTALL_PACKAGES"
        
        # Run package installation with proper chroot setup
        run_with_chroot_setup work/rootfs install_distribution_packages_in_chroot work/rootfs
        
        log_info "Package installation completed"
    fi
}

# Add to platform modify hooks to run during the modify phase
PLATFORM_MODIFY_HOOKS+=(install_distribution_packages)
EOF

```

## Understanding the Implementation

The configuration uses two functions:

1. `install_distribution_packages_in_chroot` - Runs inside the chroot environment with:

2. `install_distribution_packages` - Sets up the chroot environment using `run_with_chroot_setup`, which handles:

## Running the Conversion

Include the configuration fragment during conversion. This is done through the `--config` flag, of which you can have as many as you want.

An example for the Raspberry Pi 4 might be:

```bash
MENDER_ARTIFACT_NAME=release-1 ./docker-mender-convert \
    --disk-image input/images/2025-05-13-raspios-bookworm-arm64-lite.img \
    --config configs/raspberrypi/uboot/debian/raspberrypi4_bookworm_64bit_config \
    --config input/package_install_config

```

## Advanced Usage

### Installing from Custom Repositories

Add repository configuration before package installation:

```bash
function install_distribution_packages_in_chroot() {
    local -r dest_dir="$1"
    
    # Add custom repository
    echo "deb http://custom.repo/debian bookworm main" >> "$dest_dir/etc/apt/sources.list"
    
    # Update and install
    run_in_chroot_and_log_cmd "$dest_dir" "apt-get update"
    run_in_chroot_and_log_cmd "$dest_dir" "DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get install -y $MENDER_INSTALL_PACKAGES"
    
    # Cleanup
    run_in_chroot_and_log_cmd "$dest_dir" "apt-get clean"
    run_in_chroot_and_log_cmd "$dest_dir" "rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*"
}

```

### Conditional Package Installation

Install packages based on device type or other conditions:

```bash
function install_distribution_packages() {
    case "$MENDER_DEVICE_TYPE" in
        raspberrypi4*)
            MENDER_INSTALL_PACKAGES="vim htop wiringpi"
            ;;
        raspberrypi3*)
            MENDER_INSTALL_PACKAGES="vim nano"
            ;;
    esac
    
    if [-n "$MENDER_INSTALL_PACKAGES"]; then
        log_warn "Installing packages for $MENDER_DEVICE_TYPE: $MENDER_INSTALL_PACKAGES"
        run_with_chroot_setup work/rootfs install_distribution_packages_in_chroot work/rootfs
    fi
}

```

## Troubleshooting

Common issues and solutions:

1. **Package not found** : Ensure the package name matches the distribution’s repository
2. **Network errors** : Docker must have internet access for package downloads
3. **Architecture mismatches** : The chroot setup handles qemu emulation automatically
4. **Dependency conflicts** : Use `apt-get install -f` to fix broken dependencies

## Performance Considerations

- Package installation adds time to the conversion process
- Each `apt-get update` downloads package lists (~50MB for Raspberry Pi OS)
- Consider creating a custom rootfs overlay for frequently used package sets
- The package cache cleanup saves ~100-200MB per conversion