Installing onto a new HDD

Forum: HD Install
Topic: Installing onto a new HDD
started by: kevirost

Posted by kevirost on Aug. 01 2007,14:06

I am installing DSL 3.3 from a live CD onto a Pentium III with 512MB of RAM. I am trying to do a HD install.

I went to the Wiki, then to the HDD install section. I followed the directions line by line.

I run the live CE and create the following using cfdisk:
/dev/hda1 at 512MB Type 82 for swap
/dev/hda2 at 39GB Type 83 for the install.

I exit cfdisk and issue the following commands:
sudo -s
mkswap /dev/hda1
swapon /dev/hda1

1. Then it states to follow the instructions at < http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/dsl-hd-install.html. > It states to reboot into the live CD and from the terminal mode issue the following commands:
Sudo –u root dsl-install /dev/hda2
Sudo –u root mkliloboot /dev/hda2

I get the following error message:
“sudo: dsl-install: command not found”
Ditto for the mkliloboot command.

Q: What am I doing wrong?

2. So then I go into the GUI, and go to Apps>Tools>Install to Hard Drive. I follow all the prompts. I choose hda2, and Lilo. When I reboot using the HD, I end up with:
GRUB>

Instructions on what to do now are not included. So, I poke around and find the following instructions:

GRUB> root (hd0,1)
GRUB> kernel /boot/linux24 root=/dev/hda2 quiet vga=791 noacpi noapm noma noscsi frugal
GRUB> Initrd /boot/minirt24.gz (not working; file not found)
GRUB> Makeactive
GRUB> Boot

These commands are also found at a file called /boot/grub/menu.lst.

Q: How do I execute the menu.lst file from the GRUB line?

Posted by curaga on Aug. 01 2007,14:32

How did you end up with grub if you chose lilo?
really weird.. also that initrd was missing, maybe you should do everything again..

Your instructions were good for partitioning. But then, when rebooting after it, boot with "install" to get a install menu, choose HD install.. follow the prompts

Posted by kevirost on Aug. 01 2007,15:18

Curaga,

Thank you for your input.

Actually, I did try the "install" option at the boot: prompt. I tried at least three permutations of how to install to the HDD. In each instance, when I would reboot to the HD, I get the GRUB> prompt (even when choosing Lilo!).

Also, what's with the error codes?

I am reading more on GRUB to see if I can direct it to the file burried in the /dev/hda2 location. Any hints?

Kevin

Posted by curaga on Aug. 01 2007,16:03

Try swapping the partitions (ie swap last) and then install "debian" type to hda1..

Posted by curaga on Aug. 01 2007,16:03

*sorry, double post*

Posted by kevirost on Aug. 01 2007,20:23

Update:

I did not take the Debian suggestion, since I am not familiar with Debian and I did not understand what you meant. Thank you for the suggestion.

Also, I did not “swap” the partitions, since the instructions told me to set them up this way.

So what did I do?

I copied the file minirt24.gz from a mirror site: < http://feather.gus.to/mirror/ >
What this file does I do not know. I put it in, but I can run DSL without it as well.

Instead of executing all of the GRUB commands listed in my earlier message, I put them in the menu.lst file and copied it to the /boot directory. Then at the GRUB prompt I execute:

GRUB> bootloader /boot/menu.lst

Now the menu comes up, and I just select the default entry, where all the commands are kept. It then boots just fine.

I am sure you have a more elegant solution, but this works for me so far. I can remember the simple one liner. I haven’t figured out how to get the menu.lst to display automatically. If you know how to do this, then you can let me know.

Posted by kevirost on Aug. 01 2007,21:07

Correction:

The above message, the actual GRUB lines should read:

GRUB> root (hd0,1)
GRUB> configfile /boot/menu.lst # Not bootloader ...

Then the GRUB menu comes up fine.

Sorry for any confusion!
:laugh:

Posted by kevirost on Aug. 03 2007,22:26

Update:

I gave up on DSL-3.3-syslinux.iso. Instead, I took the file DSL-3.4.iso, and burned this. Then I installed this version. It worked perfectly. Now I boot into a GUI version of GRUB, which is much easier to use.

Summary: don’t use DSL-3.3-syslinux.iso for a i686 machine with a Pentium III. Go right to DSL-3.4.iso!

Thank you for all the previous suggestions.

Kevin