Re: Cross Installation
Hello,
I wrote a message a while ago which reported a more-or-less successful
cross-installation of GNU using the Debian packages and Marcus' 3
scripts. Some of the problems that exist with Marcus' "cross-install"
would exist with any modification of "debootstrap" as well---so I
thought I'll mention them:
1. Debootstrap needs an updated list of packages that it must
install. I don't know how such a list is generated but a possible such
script (using grep-dctrl) was enclosed in my earlier message.
2. Debootstrap cannot run "native" which means that something
analogous to native-install needs to be run after re-booting and
entering the GNU. Many packages can only be configured *after* that.
3. Debootstrap is meant for chroot so it does not create /etc/fstab
entries or entries for grub to boot with.
4. Since the disribution is "sid", there are chances that the
downloaded packages will not mesh. (As happened for me with adduser).
So while I certainly like to build things for myself, I must declare
that the current method of downloading a tar.gz image from
alpha.gnu.org *is* easier than any automated cross-installation
procedure---certainly for those of lesser faith! With a little more
faith and some extra effort Marcus' 3 scripts can be made to work...
One way to test your installation procedure before going through many
boots is to use Bochs.
One way to test your cross-installation procedure without root access
is to use user-mode-linux.
Now, if only there was a user-mode-gnumach... We *could* combine the
two and check these things without disurbing "real" work ;-)
Regards,
Kapil.
P.S. This was written before reading about Robert Millan's debootstrap
patches. I'll read those now.
--
This place just isn't big enough for all of us. We've got to find a way
off this planet.
--
http://www.imsc.res.in/~kapil/gpg.html for my Public Key.
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768D/FED1D08D 2000-02-19 Kapil Hari Paranjape <kapil@imsc.res.in>
1024g/CECEB39B 2000-02-19 Kapil Hari Paranjape <kapil@imsc.res.in>
Key fingerprint = B6D2 F4F2 A37C B887 DFA2 9100 5F22 0D1D FED1 D08D
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