Re: Building Your own Boot Disks

[Craig Sanders <cas@taz.net.au>]

On Thu, 21 Aug 1997, Timm Gleason wrote:

> We build many, many Linux boxes (on order of 15 to 20 a month). We
> just received some new disk sets for Debian 1.3.1. We have been using
> 1.2 and kernel 2.0.30. The new disk set comes with the disk images
> having 2.0.29. Now not wanting to go backward, especially due to the
> major modifications done to the kernel we are using, I cannot build a
> boot disk and drivers disk that will do a good install.

up until a month or two ago, i was building about 5 debian boxes
per month.  I just used the boot disks to do the basic install, and
then used dpkg to install my custom compiled kernel (made using
kernel-package's make-kpkg command).

the procedure went something like this:

    1. boot install floppy.  install base system, reboot, run dselect, etc.
    2. ftp kernel-image-XXX_XXX.deb from another machine on my network.
    3. if kernel image is same version as on the install boot/rescue disk 
       then "rm -rf /lib/modules/X.X.X"
    4. dpkg -i kernel-image-XXX_XXX.deb

    if my custom kernel is a different version to the one on the boot
    floppy (usually is), then i do the following as well:

    5. make a /vmlinuz.old symlink pointing to the old kernel.
    6. edit lilo.conf.
    7. run "lilo -t && lilo".

do this and you shouldn't need to mess about with making your own
boot/rescue and drivers disks.


imo, everyone should compile their own kernel - the boot/rescue floppy
is good to install a system with, but a linux box really should have a
kernel compiled especially for it....with only the drivers that it needs
compiled in (or as modules), no more and no less.



> The kernel, drivers and base all install fine, however, I cannot
> specify which modules I wish to use. The installation of them fails. I
> receive an error message as follows:
> 
> "modprobe: error reading ELF header: no such file or directory"

your modules.tgz may have the old (and now incompatible) *_MODULES text
files in the /lib/modules/X.X.X directory. try:

    find /lib/modules -name "*_MODULES" 

if they are there, then delete them by typing:

    find /lib/modules -name "*_MODULES" | xargs rm

if this solves the problem, then create a new modules.tgz based on this.


craig


--
craig sanders
networking consultant                  Available for casual or contract
temporary autonomous zone              system administration tasks.


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