installing without CD-ROM over existing Linux install-SOLVED

[Walt H]

I tried VL-SOHO many moons ago and am back for another try. I left at the time because I could not make printing and an old Zip drive co-exist, but that's another story. Now to the current chapter:

I have an old laptop currently running an out of date Feather Linux, and I would like to install VL 5.8 standard. I downloaded the ISO and the vinstall script (by the way, it should be made more explicit somewhere that the script needs to be made executable), but the script does not allow installation over an existing Linux install (since that partition is mounted and cannot be unmounted as it is in use in order to actually log into the machine).

My question is: can I use the install floppies (I think I saw such a beast, anyway) to install the ISO? If so, how would that be done? I apologize if this information is out there somewhere. I looked but did not find it. Thanks in advance.

[hata_ph]

try this

http://vectorlinux.osuosl.org/docs/vl58/manuals/vl5_installation_guide_en.html#floppy_install
http://vectorlinux.osuosl.org/docs/vl58/manuals/vl5_installation_guide_en.html#iso_linux

[Walt H]

try this

http://vectorlinux.osuosl.org/docs/vl58/manuals/vl5_installation_guide_en.html#floppy_install
http://vectorlinux.osuosl.org/docs/vl58/manuals/vl5_installation_guide_en.html#iso_linux

I've seen these, but the ISO_Linux method does not install over an existing Linux installation as that partition is mounted in order to log in as root and drop out of X. I want to install to hda1, which is where the original installation is but the machine boots into that partition, so I cannot umount it in order to do the install.

It's also not clear from the guide whether the floppy_install will work with the downloaded ISO instead of the CD-ROM. Can anyone clarify whether this method works with the ISO if it is saved onto a different parition of a hard drive rather than burned to a CD-ROM? Also, can I get the necessary files from the ISO or from the repository somewhere?Thanks.

[Walt H]

A related question: Can I use something like Tomsrtbt to boot the system and mount only the partition that has the ISO and install script on it without the partition where I want to install VL being mounted? I want it on hda1, the main partition, as the only OS installed on this machine. Having never used anything like Tomsrtbt (is there something more current?), I wasn't sure whether I could use it in the manner that I am describing (not so much as a rescue disk but as the boot disk to allow me to install the OS without benefit of a working CD-ROM).

Thanks to anyone and everyone who has a suggestion.

Walt

[uelsk8s]

how big are your partitions?
as long as the linux floppy you are booting from can run the vinstall-iso script you can install that way.

[Walt H]

how big are your partitions?

Good question. Here is what I have:

Code:

Filesystem        Size    Used    Avail    Use%   Mounted on
/dev/hda1          3.2G    1.7G    1.4G     55%      /              <-- where I want to install VL
/dev/root.old     2.3M   383k    1.9M    18%      /initrd
/dev/hda5          6.5G    2.3G    3.9G     38%      /mnt/hda5  <-- where I have ISO downloaded

as long as the linux floppy you are booting from can run the vinstall-iso script you can install that way.

Do you know if tomsrtbt can be used to mount a partition such as my /dev/hda5 - where I have both the iso and the script saved? Or will the floppy img file on the repositories do this? I'm sorry to be a pest, but this is the only way I know to go about installing as the cable to the CD-ROM is shot, and I have not been able to find a replacement. That means simply replacing the CD drive is not option. Thanks for your help.

[saulgoode]

Could you post the contents of /etc/fstab ?

[Walt H]

Could you post the contents of /etc/fstab ?

Here it is:

Code:

# /etc/fstab: filesystem table.
#
# filesystem  mountpoint  type  options  dump  pass
/dev/hda1  /  ext3  defaults,errors=remount-ro  0  1
/dev/hda5 /mnt/hda5 ext3 defaults 0  1
/dev/hda6  none  swap  sw  0  0
proc  /proc  proc  defaults  0  0
/dev/fd0  /floppy  vfat  defaults,user,noauto,showexec,umask=022  0  0
/dev/cdrom /cdrom  iso9660  defaults,ro,user,noexec,noauto  0  0
/dev/dvd /dvd  iso9660  defaults,ro,user,noexec,noauto  0  0
/dev/cdaudio /cdaudio  iso9660  defaults,ro,user,noexec,noauto  0  0
/dev/sda4  /mnt/zip  vfat  defaults,noauto,user  0  0
/dev/usb1  /mnt/canon  vfat  defaults,noauto,user  0  0
none /proc/bus/usb usbdevfs defaults 0 0

Note that I am no longer able to use the CD-ROM (I think the drive still works but the controller cable is apparently shot and I don't know where/how to find a replacement despite endless searching). The Zip drive (sda4) is no longer used, and the usb1 entry is for a digital camera.

Am I right in thinking that, if I could find the right distro to fit on a 512mb USB stick, I could boot from a floppy and install from the USB stick?

Thanks.

[saulgoode]

This is one of those problems which would be easily solved if I had access to your computer but is difficult to decide which approach to suggest be taken. I have not had much luck with using Tom's Rtbt for installing distributions; the kernel is usually too outdated for the target distro's installer programs to run on (you can, of course, give it a try).

Personally, if you are going to go the boot floppy method -- and Vector's floppies can't be used -- I would recommend using the install floppies Tukaani. Tukaani is no longer maintaining a distro, but since their installer was designed to work with Slackware, you may have better success with the console provided with their floppies (just use ALT-F2 to activate a console after booting).

Before going through the steps necessary to bootstrap your system, I should like to ask a couple of more questions.

What is the output of 'fdisk -l'?

How much RAM does the system have?

Does the system have Internet access? Is it wireless or Ethernet?

Is the system on a home network?

Out of curiosity, is the CD-ROM external? If so, is it using a parallel port? USB?

Thanks for your patience.

[Walt H]

This is one of those problems which would be easily solved if I had access to your computer but is difficult to decide which approach to suggest be taken. I have not had much luck with using Tom's Rtbt for installing distributions; the kernel is usually too outdated for the target distro's installer programs to run on (you can, of course, give it a try).

I wondered about that. It looked like the kernel was a bit long in the tooth, as they say.

Personally, if you are going to go the boot floppy method -- and Vector's floppies can't be used -- I would recommend using the install floppies Tukaani. Tukaani is no longer maintaining a distro, but since their installer was designed to work with Slackware, you may have better success with the console provided with their floppies (just use ALT-F2 to activate a console after booting).

If we get to that point, I'll give that a try. Thanks for the heads up on that.

Before going through the steps necessary to bootstrap your system, I should like to ask a couple of more questions.

What is the output of 'fdisk -l'?

Here it is. I hope it helps.

Code:

Device        Boot    Start     End     Blocks      Id     System
/dev/hda1       *       1      389     3124611     83    Linux
/dev/hda2             390     1222     6691072+    5     Extended
/dev/hda5             390     1188     6417936     83    Linux
/dev/hda6            1188     1222      273073+    82    Linux swap

How much RAM does the system have?

It is maxxed out at 256meg.

Does the system have Internet access? Is it wireless or Ethernet?

Right now it does. In fact, I'm typing this response from that machine. The access is wireless using a Linksys card with the Realtek driver (WPC11, can't remember which version of the card it is) and ndiswrapper. I don't think this machine has an Ethernet adapter in it. At least there is no actual jack.

Is the system on a home network?

The answer to this question is both yes and no. There is a network of sorts set up for internet access purposes, but I've never gotten around to setting things up so the different machines can access each other. (My wife has a Vista notebook and an XP notebook that I hope to inherit, and we have a Windows and a Linux desktop and this old notebook.) I know others have done so with no trouble, but it seemed a bit complicated, especially since I also wanted to make the printer connected to my Linux desktop accessible to the Windows machines as well.

Out of curiosity, is the CD-ROM external? If so, is it using a parallel port? USB?

Unfortunately, the CD-ROM is internal. A replacement did not work, and I don't know whether controller cables for those drives are interchangeable (my wife has a Dell whose drive and cable I would try in that case), so I have no idea what else to try in that regard.

Thanks for your patience.

It seems I should be thanking you for your patience. I appreciate the help.

Walt

[uelsk8s]

another thing you can try is to add the kernel and initrd from the iso to lilo and boot it that way

Code:

mkdir /mnt/hda5/boot
mount -o loop VL-5.8????.iso /mnt/loop
cp -ax /mnt/loop/isolinux/initrd.img /boot
cp -ax /mnt/loop/isolinux/kernel/sata /boot/

then you would add the kernel to lilo.conf

Code:

image = /boot/sata
    root = /dev/ram
    label = installer
    initrd = /boot/initrd.img

then run lilo and reboot

[Walt H]

And that would/should launch the installer. Is that correct? If so, I can give that a try. I don't need to do anything else like extract files, or do the commands you list do that very thing?

I will take another look at the forum tomorrow (it's getting late here) for last-minute suggestions/questions and give what I find here a try. Thanks to everyone for their help.

Walt

[saulgoode]

And that would/should launch the installer. Is that correct? If so, I can give that a try. I don't need to do anything else like extract files, or do the commands you list do that very thing?

I think after you reboot (using Uelsk8s method), it would be necessary to log in, mount your hda5 partition, mount your VL ISO, and execute /usr/sbin/setup.

mkdir /hda5
mount /dev/hda5 /hda5
mkdir /hda5/mnt/source -p
mount /hda5/VL5.8-SOHO-final.iso /hda5/mnt/source/ -o loop -v
/usr/sbin/setup

[uelsk8s]

when I made the suggestion above I didnt have time to try it.
After trying it here i had to make some changes to make it work.
add the code below to /etc/lilo.conf

Code:

image = /boot/sata
    root = /dev/ram0
    label = installer
    read-write
    initrd = /boot/initrd.img

run lilo and ignore the warning message.
when you reboot and choose installer It will boot you straight into the VL Installer where it will search your HD for the ISO with no additional work.

Have fun,
Uelsk8s

[Walt H]

when I made the suggestion above I didnt have time to try it.
After trying it here i had to make some changes to make it work.
add the code below to /etc/lilo.conf

Code:

image = /boot/sata
    root = /dev/ram0
    label = installer
    read-write
    initrd = /boot/initrd.img

run lilo and ignore the warning message.
when you reboot and choose installer It will boot you straight into the VL Installer where it will search your HD for the ISO with no additional work.

Have fun,
Uelsk8s

This didn't work, I'm afraid. It would not copy the initrd or kernel to /boot. It had to be /mnt/hda5/boot on all the commands (like where it said /mnt/loop. Also, lilo did not recognize /boot/sata but did recognize /mnt/hda5/boot/sata. However, upon rebooting, there was not choice of what to boot; the system simply booted me into my existing Linux installation. I was not given the option of booting into the installer.

My hda5 partition mounts on boot, for what that is worth. The files did copy - into /mnt/hda5/boot, but I'm at a loss as to what went wrong. Any thoughts? Thanks.