Re: Debian into an existing Loopback file system
On Thu, Aug 02, 2001 at 10:20:16AM +0200, A. Demarteau (linux rules!) wrote:
> on my laptop I use a loopback-file for the /usr partitions.
> This is however, very slow.
> I think you would be better off using the umsdos filesystem (which hapily
> co-exsists with windows on the same disk-partition without troubles).
I don't think loopback adds that much overhead. I would stay away
from umsdos.
I think using an initrd would let you boot with the root fs on a
loopback device, which is good because kernel-image-2.4.7, etc.
packages use an initrd anyway. Loadlin knows how to load an initrd
for a kernel, as does lilo. I would use chroot to get the install
done.
There are distros that are designed for people who want to give linux
a try without repartitioning. I tried one a couple years ago, and it
had a windoze-based installer that created the image file, and set up
loadlin with an initrd thing. If you get stuck, just look at how they
do it, or just use one of those and morph it into Debian once you've
installed :)
--
#define X(x,y) x##y
Peter Cordes ; e-mail: X(peter@llama.nslug. , ns.ca)
"The gods confound the man who first found out how to distinguish the hours!
Confound him, too, who in this place set up a sundial, to cut and hack
my day so wretchedly into small pieces!" -- Plautus, 200 BCE
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