Updates

customize-inner.sh

@@ -8,6 +8,13 @@ fi
 set -e
 set -x
 
+try_install() {
+    # try to install packages, but ignore failure
+    for pkg in "$@"; do
+        apt-get -y install "$pkg" || true
+    done
+}
+
 # Set up live username and hostname
 cat >/etc/casper.conf <<"EOF"
 export USERNAME="ubuntu"
@@ -19,7 +26,11 @@ EOF
 
 # Upgrade packages, remove old kernels
 apt-get update
-apt-get -y dist-upgrade
+# in 13.04, doing upgrade & dist-upgrade together tries to install 2 kernels
+# at the same time, which breaks for some reason.  Also, try the upgrade
+# multiple times since that can help
+apt-get -y upgrade || apt-get -y upgrade || true
+apt-get -y dist-upgrade || apt-get -y dist-upgrade || true
 apt-get -y --purge autoremove
 for VER in $(ls --sort=version /lib/modules/ | head -n -1) ; do
     apt-get -y --purge remove ".*$VER.*"
@@ -27,10 +38,10 @@ done
 
 # Disable upgrade popups
 sed -i -s -e 's/Prompt=normal/Prompt=never/g' \
-    /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades
+    /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades || true
 
 # some stuff we need from Ubuntu
-apt-get -y install \
+try_install \
     wbritish \
     thunderbird-locale-en-us
 
@@ -66,8 +77,8 @@ apt-get -y install \
     python-scipy \
     python-daemon
 
-# install other useful utilities
-apt-get -y install \
+# install other useful but optional utilities
+try_install \
     emacs-goodies-el \
     emacs23-nox \
     octave \
@@ -84,7 +95,10 @@ apt-get -y install \
     subversion \
     dlocate \
     ack-grep \
-    mutt \
+    mutt
+
+# required
+apt-get -y install \
     openssh-server
 
 # Set up timezone to America/New_York for the live CD
@@ -240,6 +254,7 @@ trap "" 0
 mkdir -p /etc/skel/Desktop
 cp /usr/share/applications/exo-terminal-emulator.desktop /etc/skel/Desktop
 cp /usr/share/applications/exo-web-browser.desktop /etc/skel/Desktop
+chmod +x /etc/skel/Desktop/*  # needs to be executable for 13.04+
 
 # XFCE customizations
 cat > /usr/share/gconf/defaults/88_nilmdbuntu-settings <<"EOF"