Re: Install base system from frozen (bo)
On Sat, 12 Apr 1997, Alexander Koch wrote:
> Quoting Syrus Nemat-Nasser (syrus@ucsd.edu):
> [...]
> > These disks are obsolete. There is a newer set (1997-04-04?). There
> > were many problems with those disks. The newest disk set allows for a
> > floppyless install from a dos system. I don't know how to do this with
> > lilo.
>
> Aehmmm, how?
>
> having Loadlin load the file linux, root to be root.bin on the same DOS
> dir? Help appreciated (see other thread, sigh).
Yes. See the included message writted by Dale. It has instructions.
Syrus.
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Syrus Nemat-Nasser <syrus@ucsd.edu> UCSD Physics Dept.
From dwarf@polaris.netSat Apr 12 13:40:55 1997
Date: Wed, 2 Apr 1997 09:23:22 -0500 (EST)
From: Dale Scheetz <dwarf@polaris.net>
To: Syrus Nemat-Nasser <syrus@ucsd.edu>
Cc: Debian Testers <debian-testing@lists.debian.org>
Subject: Re: New Install Floppies [Was: Re: Desding List is open for business]
Resent-Date: 2 Apr 1997 14:23:36 -0000
Resent-cc: recipient.list.not.shown:;@lists.debian.org
Resent-From: debian-testing@lists.debian.org
On Tue, 1 Apr 1997, Syrus Nemat-Nasser wrote:
>
> Does anyone know the method to try the floppyless install? I assume it's
> a question of executing loadlin.exe with the correct command line. Going
> without floppies could really speed up this initial testing which
> requires many reboots.
>
Here is what I have on the floppyless install. It requires a kernel with
loop device support (should be in the "current" disk set) or you need to
load modules with a drvxxx.bin floppy. Hope this helps.
Zero Floppy Installation Procedure
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
All the files you will need are found in a recent disk set. You will find
this set in the directory disks-i386, at any of the Debian archive mirror
sites. You can download via FTP or purchase a CD from a variety of vendors.
Once you decide where to get them, you will need the following:
linux - The kernel image used on the boot disk
root.bin - The root file system from the boot disk
base1_x.tgz - Base file system found on 4 base disks
drv1440.bin - Image file containing kernel modules
You will need one other file, not found in the standard disk set. This is
loadlin.exe and is usually found in the tools directory of a Debian archive.
You will also find this program at most internet sites, like sunsite. For
best results, get version 1.6 or better.
In order to do the install without floppies, you will need a bootable DOS
partition with at least 10 meg of disk space.
GETTING STARTED
Put the required files on the root directory of the DOS partition. Change
directory to the root and enter the following line:
loadlin linux root=/dev/ram initrd=root.bin
After the usual, long list of boot messages, you will find yourself at the
first screen of the installation script. If you have a color monitor, press
the down arrow once (to move to the next selection) and press enter. You
will then see the same screen in color.
INSTALLATION
Choose "Next - Continue with Installation", and after an introduction screen
you are presented with a menu of choices. The choice that the installer
thinks you should take next is already highlighted. You should work through
the following steps as you would in any "normal" installation:
1 - Configure the keyboard
2 - Initialize and Activate the Swap partition
3 - Initialize and Mount Disk Partition
Before you go on to "Install the Base System" you will need to do some
"setup". First, either move to the bottom of the menu and choose "Execute a
Shell", or, more simply, press Alt F2 to get to the second Virtual Console.
Once at the prompt, mount the DOS partition (preferably on /mnt) and return
to the installer.
Now continue with "Install the Base System". Be sure to choose "already
mounted file system" from the choices available and give the path to the
archive as /mnt rather than letting the installer search. The installer will
find and install base1_x.tgz from the dos partition.
The next sections, Install OS Kernel and Modules, will need to be done "by
hand", so, Alt F2 or shell out from the menu and do the following:
cp /mnt/disk1440.bin /target
cp /mnt/linux /target/vmlinuz
Return to the installer and "Configure the Base System" and "Configure the
Network" and you are ready to reboot.
CLEANUP
Once you reboot back to DOS, if you installed your base system on partition
/dev/hda2, then you can boot your new system with:
loadlin linux root=/dev/hda2
When the system boots for the first time, you must give a password for root
and declare a user account as well. After this, the installer brings up
dselect. However, the system is not yet ready to continue with the
installation, so exit dselect and do the following clean up.
You will need a loop device to unpack the modules image file. The base
system doesn't usually have any loop devices built, so you will need to
build your own. To do this, cd to /dev and run 'MAKEDEV loop', which will
make the 8 standard loop devices.
Now you can mount the drv1440.bin with:
mount -t dos -o loop /drv1440.bin /mnt
You will now find a file called modules.tgz in the /mnt directory. Copy this
to the root directory (/) and it will untar into /lib/modules.
You can now edit /etc/modules to reflect the modules you need to have
installed on your system when it boots. This part is probably critical to
the rest of the install, as it will give you access to devices you probably
couldn't get to during the earlier installation process.
You should now be able to mount your CD or whatever other installation
source you may be using, although you may need to reboot the machine once
more to get all modules loaded properly.
At this point you are ready to run dselect and complete the installation as
you would have had you done the installation in the "standard" fashion.
Note: Although this procedure is described using loadlin and a DOS
partition in place of a floppy drive, it is quite clear that lilo could just
as easily be used from an existing, non-Debian, Linux system. So,
installation of a Debian system on another Linux machine could be done
without floppies as well.
Luck,
Dwarf
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e-mail: dwarf@polaris.net Tallahassee, FL 32308
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