Re: Help with floppy-less laptop, NON-trivial problem!!!
Paul
If you have done a Debian install before, it is not that bad.
Also if you can before hand prepare a 2.2.19 boot kernel floppy with
nfts compiled in, call it say, linux.nft
there is a considerable simplification.
1) Read the files on the Rescue floppy for instructions. On some other
Linux system, mount the boot Rescue floppy
a. mount /dev/fd0 -t msdos /mnt
b. cp linux.nft /mnt/linux
c. cd /mnt
d. ./rdev.sh
e. cd (off the floppy)
f. umount /mnt
The modified Rescue floppy is now ntfs ReadOnly competent
2) A C:\debian\ local repository, rather than needing a D: vfat
partition for the install files
3) Then proceed with the usual floppy initiated installation.
4) Even if you can't immediately boot from the hard disk, the
installation can be enriched either through modem or ethernet
conncections.
Also if the laptop has a Win95/98/Me partition its even easier because
the ntfs capability is not needed.
There being only a single Win2000 partition is what made it extra
onerous.
MarvS
>Paul Thurrott wrote:
>
> Marv,
>
> Thank you so much for this detail answer. I'm amazed at the "RTFM"-type
> responses I've gotten to this, given the amount of time I *have*
> researched it, and it now seems that this sort of workaround is the only
> feasible way to make this work. It's too bad, because I'd really wanted
> to just have Linux on the laptop with nothing else--it's only got a 10
> GB hard drive--but I'll have to figure it out. I think my partitioning
> schemes have been overly simplistic as well, but I guess that's another
> story. Anyway, again, thanks so much.
>
> Paul
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: marv [mailto:marv] On Behalf Of Marvin Stodolsky
> > Sent: Sunday, September 30, 2001 6:45 AM
> > To: debian-boot@lists.debian.org; paul@thurrott.com
> > Subject: RE:Help with floppy-less laptop, NON-trivial problem!!!
> >
> >
> > RE: I'm trying to install Debian 2.2R3 on a Dell Latitude
> > L400, which
> > can
> > only have one removable storage device attached at any one
> > time. That is, it cannot have a CD-ROM and floppy attached
> > simultaneously. I downloaded the three CD ISOs, and the
> > system boots fine with them (I've tried one and two).
> > However, when I get to the section titled "Install Operating
> > System Kernel and Modules", I select "cdrom" as the install
> > medium, insert the first CD as requested, and get the following error:
> >
> > Mount Failed.
> > Unable to mount the Rescue Floppy. You may have inserted the
> > wrong floppy. Please try again. <Continue>
> >
> > And that's it. Wont' install. I don't have a floppy, let
> > alone a rescue floppy. My understanding is that Debian will
> > install "floppy-less" (Based on your documentation) but I
> > don't see anything about this or a workaround. How do you
> > really make this work? It's driving me crazy.
> >
> > Note that I've read and re-read your installation help, and
> > have searched the newsgroups and Google for help.
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > Paul
> > ====================================================================
> >
> > Folks,
> >
> > This problem is Non-Trivial and solvable, but clear
> > directions are needed. On my new company laptop, that came
> > with a single 8 Gig Win2000 partition, I had to work it
> > through. The root issue is that whereas # mount /dev/fd0 -t
> > msdos /instmnt succeeds even if the auxilllary floppy drive
> > is not attached to its laptop during boot,
> > a subsequent
> > # mount /dev/hdc -t iso9660 /instmnt
> > fails, because the /dev/hdc was not mounted during bootup
> > BECAUSE the single attachment point (on these floppyless
> > laptops) was used by the bootup floppy drive. Linux does not
> > (yet) recognize the hard drive which was not resident during boot up.
> >
> > Since an increasing number of ultralight notebooks have this
> > NO-FLOPPY, with one port for FLOPPY or CDROM but not both
> > simultaneously, this issue SHOULD be adequately dealt with!!!
> >
> > This was my work around, which is clearly not ready for BIG TIME!
> > 0) Partition commander on a floppy was used to split the
> > Win2000 partition ($30 buy), because FIPS doesn't work on
> > Win2000 ntfs partitions. Does anyone know of a free alternative??
> > 1) Partitions created were:
> >
> > Name Flags Part Type FS Type [Label]
> > Size
> > (MB)
> >
> > --------------------------------------------------------------
> > ----------------
> > hda1 Boot Primary NTFS
> > 5033.88 Win2000
> > hda3 Primary Win95 FAT32
> > 732.05 Win98
> > Extended parition
> > hda5 Logical FAT16 [
> > ]
> > 1793.12
> > hda6 Logical Linux
> > swap 131.61
> > hda7 Logical Linux
> > ext2 526.42 /
> > hda8 Logical Linux
> > ext2 756.73 for compiling kernels, etc.
> > hda2 Primary Linux ext2
> > 1077.52 /usr
> > ==============================================================
> > ===============
> > of which the hda3 is not relevant to this issue (neither
> > Win2000 nor Linux yet support a driver for my e-camera, so a
> > minimal Win98 installation was necessary only for that, GRRRRR!!)
> >
> > 2) To the hda5 DOSsy D: partition, I copied the files needed
> > for the base install, into an image of the Debian disks folders:
> >
> > $ tree debian
> > debian
> > |-- README.txt
> > |-- base2_2.tgz
> > |-- idepci
> > | |-- drivers.tgz
> > | `-- linux
> > |-- images-1.44
> > | `-- idepci
> > | |-- driver-1.bin
> > | |-- rescue.bin
> > | `-- root.bin
> > `-- install.bat
> >
> >
> > This was done via ethernet from ftp.deian.org, but could have
> > alternatively been done be copying from a CDROM under some MS Windows
> >
> > 3a) The Rescue, Root and Driver-1 floppies were prepared with
> > RawWrite2
> > b) As a substitute for a CDROM, the above debian directory
> > was used for the base install repository
> > c) The floppies were used to start the install, specifying for the 2nd
> > boot:
> > rescue root=/dev/hda7 , the / install partition.
> >
> > Alternatively, I could have tried using the
> > D:\Debian\nstall.bat after a bootup with some DOSsy boot
> > floppy, but I haven't played with that.
> >
> > 4) Next booting from the hard disk had to be arranged, so
> > that CDROM access would be feasible. Again the external CDROM
> > drive MUST be attached during a Linux bootup, to be later
> > recognized!!!
> > a) For reasons still obscure, the System Commander coming
> > with Partition Commander would not install on the hard drive.
> > b) For reasons still obscure, the procedures of the NT+LINUX
> > HOWTO failed, however the BOOTPART.EXE utlity mentioned
> > therein worked fine, thus now:
> > c) a boot through to lilo installed in /dev/hda7 is called by
> > a WIN2000 C:\BOOT.INI and the CDROM is useful PROVIDED it is
> > attached during bootup. When/if I buy a USB cdrom driver,
> > this nuisance will be obviated.
> > d) The final stallation could then be enriched off of the CDROM.
> > Actually, I don't have a Linux CD. Rather enrichment used:
> > ethernet to LAN to Internet to ftp.debian.org
> >
> > NEEDLESS to say, 99% of Linux Newbies would give up on the
> > above procedures, so I hope YOU FOLK can work up something
> > simpler!!!. My Linux discretionary time is spent as one of
> > the three co-maintainers of the Lucent Winmodem driver
> > package http://www.heby.de/ltmodem and associated on-line
> > help, so I can't help further with this problem.
> >
> > A few auxilary points:
> >
> > 5) Generally having the Linux swap partition BETWEEN the
> > DOSsy and Linux partitions is beneficial. If makes the whole
> > Linux section invisible under MS DOS/WINDOWS, thus obviating
> > Windows queries: "Should the partition be formated?" Which a
> > visiting young relative once did for me, thus wiping out my Linux!!
> >
> > 6) My /etc/lilo.conf includes:
> > =============================
> > Usual common stuff plus
> >
> > image=/vmlinuz
> > # vmlinuz -> boot/vmlinuz-2.4.9-crm
> > label=1
> >
> > image=/vmlinuz.old
> > # vmlinuz.old -> /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.9-rf1
> > label=2
> >
> > image=/vmlinuz.new
> > # vmlinuz.new --> /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.9-crm
> > initrd=/boot/root.bin
> > label=3
> > -------------------------
> >
> > Where the label=3 root.bin is just the image of the 2nd
> > install floppy, with its nice collection of rescue utilities.
> > Thus when there is an occassional BAD crash during
> > development work, one can boot into ram disk image of
> > root.bin and run therefrom, # e2fsck /dev/hda7 (or whatever)
> > and be back to work quickly.
> > This should I thing be recommended as a followup to the base
> > installation, if not included therein as a default of the
> > install. Most Newbies remain clueless on Rescue floppy procedures!
> >
> > MarvS
> >
> >
> > W
> >
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