HD Install :: Remastered live CD how-to

I've read all the remastering posts I could find and have still been unsuccessful in creating a usable bootable CD. All I seem to be able to create are duplicates of the stock live CD without any of my changes.

Specifically, I'm trying to create thin client live CDs. I have changed .xinitrc to start rdesktop instead of dillo. I can reboot within DSL (logout/login) and get the system to come up running rdesktop and connecting to the remote server I want to use.

What I can't seem to do is to burn a live CD with these changes on it. I started out using the MyDSL remastering tool that comes with DSL 4.1. Most recently, I tried meo's remastering instructions posted on 12-dec-2007, also to no avail.

Obviously, I'm missing something that I'm supposed to copy at some critical point to the directory before invoking mkisofs, which will cause it to include my new .xinitrc on the CD rather than the one on the original live CD.

I should have added that I did copy my edited .xinitrc into the home/dsl directory of the KNOPPIX file structure copy I used to build the CD before iinvoking mkisofs.

On a related issue, I have what's really a Knoppix question rather than a DSL question, but it's still part of the same issue...

Is there any way to force a live CD to skip the "Boot:" prompt? These will be going to schools hoping to reuse older computers and what they want is to just pop in a bootable CD-ROM and be taken to a remote desktop login screen. Every step along the way is a distraction and an opportunity for confusion - even if it's only hitting the Enter key.

mkmydsl: you can use your backup.tar.gz that's generated by the backup/restore utilities, which should contain your .xinitrc.

remastering the knoppix image: new user files are in /etc/skel

boot: look in isolinux.cfg (i.e. "prompt")

original here.