Re: Zero disk install
On Wed, 5 Mar 1997, Giuliano Procida wrote:
> On Tue, 4 Mar 1997, Dale Scheetz wrote:
>
> > I have been trying to wade through my mail from last week (2155
> > messages) and get back to speed on my own tasks. I saw (and saved) a
> > posting by someone who has actually almost succeeded in a no-floppy
> > install. [snip]
>
> Most (if not all) of the functionality for this is in the current
> (1.2.6) boot-floppies package. I'm not sure which version was used to
> create the current install disk set but the installation files I've
> made up myself from a patched version of boot-floppies certainly allow
> a zero floppy installation from DOS. [1]
I just did a complete zero floppy install this afternoon with the latest
disk set and the 1.2.7 archive. I had to do some things "by hand", but
with only minor modification the install script can be made to do them
"right". To access the base1_2.tgz file I had to mount the dos partition
containing it from and alternate VC and choose "manual declare path" in
order to get it to work. I got a repetative Segment Fault when I tried to
let the script mount the partition. But after that it worked fine. I also
skipped the "install operating system kernel" and coppied it from the dos
partitions to the new installation from the same alternate VC. I also
skipped the modules installation and configuration section. If they are
necessary it seems pretty clear that they can be installed after the
system is complete (maybe). I got by without them. With the kernel coppied
to the root file system, I was able to build a boot floppy and reboot the
system (I was also able to boot it from the dos partition with loadlin and
suppose that I could as easily have installed lilo). Dselect was able to
mount my CD and did a pretty close approach on a "standard" installation.
This is clearly doable.
>
> > If we can get the CD mounting to work solidly from the installation
> > kernel, I see no reason that this could not be done entirely off the
> > CD without resorting to copying stuff to a dos partition, but this
> > is still rather problematic for some hardware configurations.
>
> I assume the problem is actually booting the kernel with a modifiable
> command-line. Or are there problems with drivers for some CD ROM
> drives?
>
My call is the latter. The default kernel doesn't mount CDs for every
hardware configuration...yet ;-)
Luck,
Dwarf
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aka Dale Scheetz Phone: 1 (904) 656-9769
Flexible Software 11000 McCrackin Road
e-mail: dwarf@polaris.net Tallahassee, FL 32308
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