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Bug#1033524: Simplify the instructions for making bootable media

Hi,

Steve McIntyre <steve@einval.com> wrote (Sun, 26 Mar 2023 23:54:37 +0100):
> On Mon, Mar 27, 2023 at 12:52:41AM +0200, Chris Hofstaedtler wrote:
> >* Steve McIntyre <steve@einval.com>:
> >> We should definitely also kill section 4.4.2: Loadlin is *dead* -
> >> *nobody* has DOS any more.
> >
> >Section 5.1.4. "Booting from DOS using loadlin" should also go, I
> >guess.
> 
> Yup, good call.

A patch is attached to:
- simplify instructions for making bootable USB media
- remove mentions of mini.iso
- remove mentions of loadlin


Holger


-- 
Holger Wansing <hwansing@mailbox.org>
PGP-Fingerprint: 496A C6E8 1442 4B34 8508  3529 59F1 87CA 156E B076

diff --git a/build/entities/installation-images.ent b/build/entities/installation-images.ent
index 02c102845..b23590d4f 100644
--- a/build/entities/installation-images.ent
+++ b/build/entities/installation-images.ent
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ url="&url-debian-installer;images/hd-media/initrd.gz">hd-media/initrd.gz</ulink>
   <!ENTITY x86-hdmedia-vmlinuz '<ulink
 url="&url-debian-installer;images/hd-media/vmlinuz">hd-media/vmlinuz</ulink>'>
 
+<!-- Remove, if no longer used by translations -->
   <!ENTITY netboot-mini-iso '<ulink
 url="&url-debian-installer;images/netboot/mini.iso">mini.iso</ulink>'>
 
diff --git a/build/templates/docstruct.ent b/build/templates/docstruct.ent
index 8ef8fb2af..1a434e588 100644
--- a/build/templates/docstruct.ent
+++ b/build/templates/docstruct.ent
@@ -55,8 +55,6 @@
   <!ENTITY ipl-tape.xml             SYSTEM "##SRCPATH##/install-methods/ipl-tape.xml">  
 
   <!ENTITY boot-usb-files.xml       SYSTEM "##SRCPATH##/install-methods/boot-usb-files.xml">
-   <!ENTITY usb-setup-x86.xml           SYSTEM "##SRCPATH##/install-methods/usb-setup/x86.xml">
-   <!ENTITY usb-setup-powerpc.xml       SYSTEM "##SRCPATH##/install-methods/usb-setup/powerpc.xml">
 
   <!ENTITY boot-drive-files.xml     SYSTEM "##SRCPATH##/install-methods/boot-drive-files.xml">
 
diff --git a/en/boot-installer/graphical.xml b/en/boot-installer/graphical.xml
index 2d0987c42..d71cd6185 100644
--- a/en/boot-installer/graphical.xml
+++ b/en/boot-installer/graphical.xml
@@ -33,16 +33,7 @@ still be used from the boot prompt which is shown after selecting the
 
 </para><para arch="any-x86">
 
-There is also a graphical installer image that can be netbooted. And there
-is a special <quote>mini</quote> ISO image<footnote id="gtk-miniiso-x86">
-
-<para>
-The mini ISO image can be downloaded from a &debian; mirror as described
-in <xref linkend="downloading-files"/>.
-Look for <filename>netboot/gtk/mini.iso</filename>.
-</para>
-
-</footnote>, which is mainly useful for testing.
+There is also a graphical installer image that can be netbooted.
 
 </para>
 
diff --git a/en/boot-installer/x86.xml b/en/boot-installer/x86.xml
index 9761ebbc0..fbc2b0275 100644
--- a/en/boot-installer/x86.xml
+++ b/en/boot-installer/x86.xml
@@ -51,46 +51,6 @@ After the program has been started, a few preliminary questions will be
 asked and the system will be prepared to reboot into the &debian-gnu;
 installer.
 
-</para>
-  </sect2>
-
-  <sect2 arch="x86" id="install-from-dos">
-  <title>Booting from DOS using loadlin</title>
-<para>
-
-Boot into DOS (not Windows).  To do this, you can for instance boot from a
-recovery or diagnostic disk.
-
-</para><para>
-
-If you can access the installation CD, change the current drive to the CD-ROM
-drive, e.g.
-
-<informalexample><screen>
-d:
-</screen></informalexample>
-
-else make sure you have first prepared your hard disk as explained in
-<xref linkend="files-loadlin"/>, and change the current drive to it if needed.
-
-</para><para>
-
-Enter the subdirectory for the flavor you chose, e.g.,
-
-<informalexample><screen>
-cd \&x86-install-dir;
-</screen></informalexample>
-
-If you prefer using the graphical installer, enter the <filename>gtk</filename>
-sub-directory.
-
-<informalexample><screen>
-cd gtk
-</screen></informalexample>
-
-Next, execute <command>install.bat</command>.
-The kernel will load and launch the installer system.
-
 </para>
   </sect2>
 
diff --git a/en/install-methods/boot-drive-files.xml b/en/install-methods/boot-drive-files.xml
index 59741e5a6..8d5242a26 100644
--- a/en/install-methods/boot-drive-files.xml
+++ b/en/install-methods/boot-drive-files.xml
@@ -96,35 +96,6 @@ and install from the installation image, without needing the network.
 Finally, to configure the bootloader proceed to
 <xref linkend="boot-initrd"/>.
 
-</para>
-  </sect2>
-
-
-  <sect2 arch="x86" id="files-loadlin">
-  <title>Hard disk installer booting from DOS using <command>loadlin</command></title>
-<para>
-
-This section explains how to prepare your hard drive for booting the installer
-from DOS using <command>loadlin</command>.
-
-</para><para>
-
-Copy the following directories from a &debian; installation image to <filename>c:\</filename>.
-
-<itemizedlist>
-<listitem><para>
-
-<filename>/&x86-install-dir;</filename> (kernel binary and ramdisk image)
-
-</para></listitem>
-<listitem><para>
-
-<filename>/tools</filename> (loadlin tool)
-
-</para></listitem>
-
-</itemizedlist>
-
 </para>
   </sect2>
 
diff --git a/en/install-methods/boot-usb-files.xml b/en/install-methods/boot-usb-files.xml
index 9815ac2eb..c9bc8e986 100644
--- a/en/install-methods/boot-usb-files.xml
+++ b/en/install-methods/boot-usb-files.xml
@@ -42,13 +42,6 @@ on your USB stick. See
 
 </para><para>
 
-Alternatively, 
-for very small USB sticks, only a few megabytes in size, you can download
-the &netboot-mini-iso; image from the <filename>netboot</filename>
-directory (at the location mentioned in <xref linkend="where-files"/>).
-
-</para><para>
-
 The installation image you choose should be written directly to the USB stick,
 overwriting its current contents. For example, when using an existing
 GNU/Linux system, the image file can be written to a USB stick
@@ -59,6 +52,11 @@ as follows, after having made sure that the stick is unmounted:
 <prompt>#</prompt> <userinput>sync</userinput>
 </screen></informalexample>
 
+Simply writing the installation image to USB like this should work fine
+for most users.
+
+</para><para>
+
 Information about how to do this on other operating systems can be found in
 the <ulink url="&url-debian-cd-faq-write-usb;">Debian CD FAQ</ulink>.
 
@@ -68,145 +66,8 @@ The image must be written to the whole-disk device and not a
 partition, e.g. /dev/sdb and not /dev/sdb1.
 Do not use tools like <command>unetbootin</command> which alter the image.
 
-</para></important><important><para>
-
-Simply writing the installation image to USB like this should work fine
-for most users. The other options below are more complex, mainly for
-people with specialised needs.
-
 </para></important>
 
-<para>
-
-The hybrid image on the stick does not occupy all the storage space, so
-it may be worth considering using the free space to hold firmware files
-or packages or any other files of your choice. This could be useful if
-you have only one stick or just want to keep everything you need on one
-device.
-
-</para><para>
-
-To do so, use cfdisk or any other partitioning tool to create an additional
-partition on the stick. Then create a (FAT) filesystem on the partition,
-mount it and copy or unpack the firmware onto it, for example with:
-
-<informalexample><screen>
-# mkdosfs -n FIRMWARE /dev/sdX3
-# mount /dev/<replaceable>sdX3</replaceable> /mnt
-# cd /mnt
-# tar zxvf <replaceable>/path/to/</replaceable>firmware.tar.gz
-# cd /
-# umount /mnt
-</screen></informalexample>
-
-Take care that you use the correct device name for your USB stick. The
-<command>mkdosfs</command> command is contained in the
-<classname>dosfstools</classname> &debian; package.
-
-</para><note><para arch="not-s390">
-
-If you have chosen the <filename>mini.iso</filename> to be written to the USB
-stick, the second partition doesn't have to be created, as -
-very nicely - it will already be present. Unplugging and replugging the
-USB stick should make the two partitions visible.
-
-</para></note>
-
-
-
-  </sect2>
-
-  <sect2 id="usb-copy-easy" condition="manual-usb-prep-supported">
-  <title>Manually copying files to the USB stick</title>
-<para>
-
-Prior to isohybrid technology being used for &debian; installation images, the
-methods documented in the chapters below were used to prepare media for
-booting from USB devices.
-These have been superseded by the technique in <xref linkend="usb-copy-isohybrid"/>,
-but have been left here for educational and historical purposes and in case they
-are useful to some user.
-
-</para><para>
-
-An alternative to the method described in
-<xref linkend="usb-copy-isohybrid"/> is to manually copy
-the installer files, and also an installation image to the stick.
-Note that the USB stick should be at least 1 GB in size (smaller
-setups are possible using the files from netboot, following
-<xref linkend="usb-copy-flexible"/>).
-
-</para><para>
-
-There is an all-in-one file &hdmedia-boot-img;
-which contains all the installer files (including the
-kernel)<phrase arch="x86"> as well as <classname>syslinux</classname> and its
-configuration file</phrase>.
-
-</para><note><para>
-
-Note that, although convenient, this method does have one major
-disadvantage: the logical size of the device will be limited to 1 GB,
-even if the capacity of the USB stick is larger. You will need to
-repartition the USB stick and create new file systems to get its full
-capacity back if you ever want to use it for some different purpose.
-
-</para></note><para arch="x86">
-
-Simply extract this image directly to your USB stick:
-
-<informalexample><screen>
-# zcat boot.img.gz &gt; /dev/<replaceable>sdX</replaceable>
-</screen></informalexample>
-
-</para>
-
-<!--
-<para arch="powerpc">
-
-Create a partition of type "Apple_Bootstrap" on your USB stick using
-<command>mac-fdisk</command>'s <userinput>C</userinput> command and
-extract the image directly to that:
-
-<informalexample><screen>
-# zcat boot.img.gz &gt; /dev/<replaceable>sdX2</replaceable>
-</screen></informalexample>
-
-</para>
--->
-
-<para>
-
-After that, mount the USB memory stick
-<phrase arch="x86">(<userinput>mount
-/dev/<replaceable>sdX</replaceable> /mnt</userinput>),</phrase>
-<phrase arch="powerpc">(<userinput>mount
-/dev/<replaceable>sdX2</replaceable> /mnt</userinput>),</phrase>
-which will now have
-<phrase arch="x86">a FAT filesystem</phrase>
-<phrase arch="powerpc">an HFS filesystem</phrase>
-on it, and copy a &debian; ISO image (netinst or full CD; see
-<xref linkend="official-cdrom"/>) to it.
-Unmount the stick (<userinput>umount /mnt</userinput>) and you are done.
-
-</para>
-  </sect2>
-
-  <sect2 id="usb-copy-flexible" condition="manual-usb-prep-supported">
-  <title>Manually copying files to the USB stick &mdash; the flexible way</title>
-<para>
-
-If you like more flexibility or just want to know what's going on, you
-should use the following method to put the files on your stick. One
-advantage of using this method is that &mdash; if the capacity of your
-USB stick is large enough &mdash; you have the option of copying any
-ISO image, even a DVD image, to it.
-
-</para>
-
-&usb-setup-x86.xml;
-&usb-setup-powerpc.xml;
-
   </sect2>
 
  </sect1>
diff --git a/en/install-methods/usb-setup/x86.xml b/en/install-methods/usb-setup/x86.xml
index a1448d311..05cbb83fb 100644
--- a/en/install-methods/usb-setup/x86.xml
+++ b/en/install-methods/usb-setup/x86.xml
@@ -140,8 +140,6 @@ ISO file of a &debian; installation image onto the stick. (For the
 
 You can use either a netinst or a full CD/DVD image (see
 <xref linkend="official-cdrom"/>). Be sure to select one that fits on your stick.
-Note that the <quote>netboot <filename>mini.iso</filename></quote> image is
-not usable for this purpose.
 
 </para><para>
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