Re: NFS-root install on Multia ??
Goswin Brederlow wrote:
> > I would like to use it as a diskless X server running Slink, with
> > it's root filesystem nfs-mounted from an i386, also running Slink.
> > I still have a few questions on this setup.
> >
> > - Although most of my installation experience is with Debian i386, I
> > don't think it's possible to use the Debian installer on a system
> > without a harddisk, but I am not sure.
> > If I really have to, I could temporarily install a disk, but I want to
> > avoid that if possible.
> You will need a harddisk, but you don't have to write to it. You will
> need a partition wich has type linux, which you can mount as root. But
> before actually installing you can umount it and remount a nfs
> partition. Its a bit tricky, but it can be done. I did it on an i386
> some time ago. Maybe the installation routin could be changed to allow
> nfs mounts for root with a few lines of code instead of insisting on a
> locally mounted root partition.
Strange, because a harddisk isn't needed to run Debian. Before my
attempts with this Multia, I already tried to install Slink on a
notebook with a broken harddisk. Even using a ramdisk wouldn't help.
I think it's a nice feature to have, a more generic idea of a "disk" in
the Debian installation system. Who knows what other devices users want
to install Debian on. Even /dev/ram? would have helped me.
> If you have a spare disk, and even if its only a zip disk, use that as
> root to install the base filesystem and then transfer it to the nfs
> server. Its faster to unscrew the Multia and stick in a disk than to
> work around the installation routine.
OK, then I'll need to do that. Well, I happen to have a raid5 array that
can miss a disk :)
> > - Because both systems are Debian systems, it may be possible to merge
> > certain architecture independent trees (like /usr/doc), but doesn't that
> > break the Debian package system (what if I dpkg -r a package on one
> > system, but want to keep it on the other ??)
>
> You can merge them, but for installation purposes all systems need
> write permissions to that partition. Removing a package on just one
> maschine means that you have to reinstall it on another maschine to
> get the deleted files back. Maybe you can use libtricks to fake the rm
> calls.
I already thought that would be problematic, but why does the Linux
filesystem standards say that directories like /usr/share can be shared
between different architectures, but using the .deb system breaks that.
Does this mean that the .deb system needs to be modified to be FHS
compliant ??
Tot ziens,
Bart-Jan
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