How to boot DSL using Grub !!

Forum: DSL Tips and Tricks
Topic: How to boot DSL using Grub !!
started by: hamada

Posted by hamada on Mar. 26 2006,15:05

How to boot DSL using Grub !!

If you are doing a remastering and want to check that everything si working you have 2 choices:
- Using a BIOS emulator, like qemu that you can find in DSL Embedded, infortunately its rather slow.
- Running the compressed image from Hard Drive or USB key wich is event faster than CD-ROM.
1- you need to creat a subdirectory in the /boot directory named /boot/boot.dsl/isolinux/
and copy there the files linux24 and minirt24.gz from /isolinux/linux24 of the DSL.
2-Copy the /KNOPPIX directory to your root directory of any hard disk.(ext2/3, reiserfs, vfat are supported).
3- edit the file /boot/grub/menu.lst wich contain the boot settings, you must have root previlege to do so.
Here is a copy of my boot setting :

# grub.conf generated by anaconda
#
# Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file
# NOTICE: You do not have a /boot partition. This means that
# all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /, eg.
# root (hd0,4)
# kernel /boot/vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/hda5
# initrd /boot/initrd-version.img
#boot=/dev/hda
default=0
timeout=10
splashimage=(hd0,4)/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz
title Fedora Linux-Plus Core 1
root (hd0,4)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.22-1.2115.nptl ro root=LABEL=/ hdb=ide-scsi rhgb
initrd /boot/initrd-2.4.22-1.2115.nptl.img
title Damn Small Linux #The name that appear in the Grub menu (you can change it if you want)
root (hd0,4)
kernel /boot/boot.knoppix/isolinux/linux24 5 fromhd=/dev/hda1
#number 5 mean the boot runlevel(2=boot in text only mode,5= start X window)
# fromhd mean the device or partition that contain the /KNOPPIX directory(hda for hard drive,sda for USB key)
initrd /boot/boot.knoppix/isolinux/minirt24.gz

Posted by green on Mar. 26 2006,15:17

...bookmark.

Posted by PeterRosenberg on April 05 2006,06:45

Hi,
Being a newbie to Linux and especially DSL, I'm trying to figure out your grub settings and your description given. You note that one must create a directory:
" /boot/boot.dsl/isolinux/"
yet you later refer to something that resemble it in grub settings (my bolded text):
" kernel /boot/boot.knoppix/isolinux/linux24 5 fromhd=/dev/hda1"
Is this correct what I see, or am I overlooking something wiser than me

Peter

Posted by hamada on April 09 2006,17:25

Ooooops!
I made a mistake, your right man
you can use boot.knoppix or any other name of directory you wanna, me I have this file in my boot directory of the Linux distribution(fedora)
thanks for your post:D

Posted by Goweropolis on April 22 2006,17:44

Thanks for this. Works perfectly. I had no idea that it would be this easy to have DSL available from my Debian machine!

So when a new version of DSL is released, do I simply need to replace the /Knoppix/ folder and linux24 and minirt24.gz in /boot/boot.dsl/isolinux/ with the new release's version?

Posted by hamada on May 04 2006,16:22

When you install DSL into harddrive(either Frugal or Debian)it overwrite
and replace the already installed GRUB boot loader setting
so my advice is to backup your menu.lst file wich contain the boot setting.

Posted by jimihieu on June 01 2006,06:25

Quote (hamada @ Mar. 26 2006,10:05)

hmm i do like what is told but then still got this error when boot up using Remastered LiveCD:
VFS: cannot open root device "<NULL>" or unknown-block (3,12)
Please append a correct "root=" boot option
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block (3,12)

I did some google and seem to cant solve the problems.
Note that u remaster the LiveCD from the source that is from /dev/hda12

Anyone know more hints please help!
thanx