dsl and reiserfs

Forum: HD Install
Topic: dsl and reiserfs
started by: jamesgecko

Posted by jamesgecko on Aug. 06 2005,22:14

'Ello.
I'm sick and tired of how slow my current Linux distribution has been running, and I discovered that DSL is about twice as fast, running from the cd as my fluxbox desktop is running from disk.
I already have my partitions set up how I want them, and I was wondering if I could install DSL onto my existing ReiserFS partition.

I can acess my files and manipulate the filesystem from the livecd, I'm just wondering if it would freak out if I installed and booted from a ReiserFS partition on disk.

I searched the forums and found < this >, but I'm not sure if this refers to installation compatability or simply manipulating a Reiser filesystem.

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,

-James

Posted by cbagger01 on Aug. 07 2005,03:35

DSL should install just fine to a ReiserFS version 3.x partition.

You will probably want to install the Reiserfs tools after you have performed your installation.

In my opinion, ReiserFS version 3.x is the ideal choice for a journaling filesystem.

It is faster than EXT3 and it is more stable than either EXT3 or Reiserfs version 4.x

I would avoid Reiserfs version 4.x entirely until they get all of the bugs worked out.

Posted by jamesgecko on Aug. 08 2005,18:10

Keyword: should.

I decided to do a small test of dsl from hard disk before wiping everything.
So, I made a directory on my main Linux partition, hda4, called "debian".
(from the cd)
I mounted /dev/hda4. I could manipulate things on the disk fine.
Then, I executed "umask 000", to preserve user permissions.
Then,
cp -a /KNOPPIX/bin /mnt/hda4/debian/bin

I repeated this command for everything in the /KNOPPIX directory. I now had a copy of the DSL filesystem on disk under /debian.

Next, I mounted the cdrom and copied the kernel, "linux24", and everything else in the cd's boot directory, to hda1, my grub partition. I copied the entry for my current linux distro in my grub menu.lst file and changed the name of the kernel to match.
The idea was, I'd boot normally using the DSL kernel, then chroot into the debian folder. I was not quite sure if this would work or not, but I never got the chance to find out. I get a kernel panic every time I try to use my reiserfs partition as the root filesystem. It says the partition cannot be found.

So, apparently the kernel does not support booting off a reiserfs partiton.
Anyone want to prove me wrong? Please? :-(

Posted by cbagger01 on Aug. 08 2005,22:21

The DSL kernel is the exact same kernel that is used in the KNOPPIX version 3.4 dated 5-17-2004 livecd.

I have done a KNOPPIX hard drive install using this disk and using ReiserFS as my filesystem type.

I use the KNOPPIX default bootloader LILO, but I do not boot it from the MBR. Instead, I use Smart Boot Manager to launch LILO from /dev/hda3 (my Linux partition).

My hda3 partition is near the back end of my hard drive and must be well past the 1024th cylinder yet lilo loads just fine. I do need to use the extended interrupt handling (?) in my Smart Boot Manager in order to see LILO on the boot menu, though.

It works fine.

No special boot partitions and no special kernel compile.

I have not tried the same thing with DSL because I use DSL as a frugal USB pendrive install as my method of choice.

If you like, I will post my lilo config when I get home.

Posted by cbagger01 on Aug. 09 2005,03:45

OK,

Here is my lilo.conf

ReiserFS partition is located at /dev/hda3

This is a long document.

Code Sample

# /etc/lilo.conf - See: 'lilo(8)' and 'lilo.conf(5)',
# --------------- 'install-mbr(8)', '/usr/share/doc/lilo/',
# and '/usr/share/doc/mbr/'.

# +---------------------------------------------------------------+
# | !! Reminder !! |
# | |
# | Don't forget to run 'lilo' after you make changes to this |
# | conffile, '/boot/bootmess.txt', or install a new kernel. The |
# | computer will most likely fail to boot if a kernel-image |
# | post-install script or you don't remember to run 'lilo'. |
# | |
# +---------------------------------------------------------------+

# Support LBA for large hard disks.
#
lba32

# Overrides the default mapping between harddisk names and the BIOS'
# harddisk order. Use with caution.
#disk=/dev/hde
# bios=0x81

#disk=/dev/sda
# bios=0x80

# Specifies the boot device. This is where Lilo installs its boot
# block. It can be either a partition, or the raw device, in which
# case it installs in the MBR, and will overwrite the current MBR.
#
boot=/dev/hda3

# Specifies the device that should be mounted as root. ('/')
#
root=/dev/hda3

# Enable map compaction:
# Tries to merge read requests for adjacent sectors into a single
# read request. This drastically reduces load time and keeps the
# map smaller. Using 'compact' is especially recommended when
# booting from a floppy disk. It is disabled here by default
# because it doesn't always work.
#
# compact

# Default menu for Debian. (Using the images from debian-bootscreen)
# from Philipp Wolfer <phil@newswriter.org>.
bitmap=/usr/share/lilo/contrib/debian.bmp
bmp-colors=1,,0,2,,0
bmp-table=120p,173p,1,15,17
bmp-timer=254p,432p,1,0,0

# Install the specified file as the new boot sector.
# LILO supports built in boot sectory, you only need
# to specify the type, choose one from 'text', 'menu' or 'bitmap'.
# new: install=bmp old: install=/boot/boot-bmp.b
# new: install=text old: install=/boot/boot-text.b
# new: install=menu old: install=/boot/boot-menu.b or boot.b
# default: 'menu' is default, unless you have a bitmap= line
# Note: install=bmp must be used to see the bitmap menu.
# install=menu
# install=bmp
install=bmp

# Specifies the number of _tenths_ of a second LILO should
# wait before booting the first image. LILO
# doesn't wait if DELAY is omitted or if DELAY is set to zero.

delay=20

# Prompt to use certaing image. If prompt is specified without timeout,
# boot will not take place unless you hit RETURN
prompt
timeout=50

# Specifies the location of the map file. If MAP is
# omitted, a file /boot/map is used.
map=/boot/map

# Specifies the VGA text mode that should be selected when
# booting. The following values are recognized (case is ignored):
# NORMAL select normal 80x25 text mode.
# EXTENDED select 80x50 text mode. The word EXTENDED can be
# abbreviated to EXT.
# ASK stop and ask for user input (at boot time).
# <number> use the corresponding text mode. A list of available modes
# can be obtained by booting with vga=ask and pressing [Enter].
vga=791

# You can set a password here, and uncomment the 'restricted' lines
# in the image definitions below to make it so that a password must
# be typed to boot anything but a default configuration. If a
# command line is given, other than one specified by an 'append'
# statement in 'lilo.conf', the password will be required, but a
# standard default boot will not require one.
#
# This will, for instance, prevent anyone with access to the
# console from booting with something like 'Linux init=/bin/sh',
# and thus becoming 'root' without proper authorization.
#
# Note that if you really need this type of security, you will
# likely also want to use 'install-mbr' to reconfigure the MBR
# program, as well as set up your BIOS to disallow booting from
# removable disk or CD-ROM, then put a password on getting into the
# BIOS configuration as well. Please RTFM 'install-mbr(8)'.
#
# password=tatercounter2000

# You can put a customized boot message up if you like. If you use
# 'prompt', and this computer may need to reboot unattended, you
# must specify a 'timeout', or it will sit there forever waiting
# for a keypress. 'single-key' goes with the 'alias' lines in the
# 'image' configurations below. eg: You can press '1' to boot
# 'Linux', '2' to boot 'LinuxOLD', if you uncomment the 'alias'.
#
# message=/boot/bootmess.txt
# prompt
# single-key
# delay=100
# timeout=100

# Kernel command line options that apply to all installed images go
# here. See: The 'boot-prompt-HOWO' and 'kernel-parameters.txt' in
# the Linux kernel 'Documentation' directory.
#
# append=""
# Boot up Linux by default.
#
default="Linux(2.6)-2"

image=/boot/vmlinuz
label="Linux"
initrd=/boot/initrd.img
append="ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init lang=us apm=power-off nomce alsa"
read-only
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.26
label="Linux(2.4)-1"
initrd=/boot/initrd.img-2.4.26
append="ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init lang=us apm=power-off nomce alsa"
read-only

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.6
label="Linux(2.6)-2"
initrd=/boot/initrd.img-2.6.6
append="ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init lang=us apm=power-off nomce alsa"
read-only

# If you have another OS on this machine to boot, you can uncomment the
# following lines, changing the device name on the 'other' line to
# where your other OS' partition is.
#
# other=/dev/hda4
# label=HURD
# restricted
# alias=3
other=/dev/hda1
label="Windows(hda1)"
other=/dev/hda2
label="WinXP/2K(hda2)"

Posted by James (forgot to log in) on Aug. 09 2005,04:16

[quote=cbagger01,Aug. 08 2005,18:21][/quote]
"The DSL kernel is the exact same kernel that is used in the KNOPPIX version 3.4 dated 5-17-2004 livecd.

I have done a KNOPPIX hard drive install using this disk and using ReiserFS as my filesystem type."
So have I! That exact same Knoppix version, in fact. But It does not seem to work using DSL. Are you sure that it's still the exact same kernel? The DSL 1.4 kernel only chokes out when accessing the reiserfs partition, which makes me suspicious. Theres still a few more things I can try, so I'll test them and get back to you.

"No special boot partitions[...]"
I already have a boot partition. I do this so that if something happens to my Linux partition, I can still get to Windows and everything else. Also, I can't really use the Lilo config because I use GRUB. (I had one too many "L 99 99 99" experiances with Lilo)

What is this Smart Boot Manager thing? I've never heard of it.

Posted by jamesgecko on Aug. 09 2005,04:37

Ok, here is what the DSL entry in grub looks like when I hit 'e' to edit it at boot.

root (hd0,0)
kernel /linux24 root=/dev/hda4 ro

My first partition is the boot partition. I've copied the dsl kernel there. Line one is good.
As my main Linux partition (using reiserfs) is on hda4, the second line looks good, too.

These are the errors I get when I boot. Everything leading up to them is normal.
FAT: bogus logical sector size 0
kernal panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on 03:04

It looks as though the DSL kernel is identifying my partition as FAT? Where is it getting this from?

Posted by cbagger01 on Aug. 09 2005,22:29

If you boot via livecd, can does your RieserFS partition get detected OK and can you mount it and read the files?

If not, you may need to boot knoppix and do a rieserfsck on the partition.

Smart Boot Manager is a tiny program that can either be installed inside your MBR or run as a boot floppy disk and it can detect all of your OS partitions and let you boot each OS assuming that the bootloader is properly installed on that partition.

I use it as a way of booting different OS without touching my MBR.

For example, I have a PC with Win98/WinXP/PeanutLinux installed on multiple hard drives and I can boot any of them via the Smart Boot Manager and not touch either MBR.

But Smart Boot Manager will not work unless your target OS has a properly setup bootloader on the target partition, so you still need msdos.sys, syslinux.sys, ntloader?, lilo, etc to exist on this partition.