Frugal install and update script?
Forum: HD Install
Topic: Frugal install and update script?
started by: larkl
Posted by larkl on Sep. 17 2005,12:11
OK, My frugal install is working great. What a great way to run a PC (166 MHz Dell with 32 M RAM)! I'm not able to get the myDSL to restore (ie - they're not there after reboot). From the forums, I know that I need to add mydsl=hda3 to the APPEND line in lilo.conf. I also know that I can't edit this directly, as it's a sym link and it's read only. I know that I can re-boot from the CD and change this file. But, I've seen posts directing users to run frugal UPDATE. Is this just the normal frugall_install.sh script? If so, that's fine (it's not like it takes a long time). Or is there another script or a flag that I feed to the script to do an update? Thanks in advance.
Posted by adssse on Sep. 17 2005,20:36
Ya you can run the script again to update the append line in lilo.conf if you prefer that over updating lilo.conf directly. Just enter in what you need when it asks for your boot options and just answer 'n' to update and not format the partition.
Posted by SuperLou on Sep. 17 2005,22:44
Larkl, i have had trouble with lilo and putting myDSL off of the partition holding iso image. It works all good and proper for me with the GRUB bootloader though. I've also found GRUB to be easier to handle and configure.
Posted by adssse on Sep. 18 2005,02:45
I have to second SuperLou's recommendation. I just started using grub and I also prefer it over lilo. It seems much easier to modify and I was also able to avoid some problems that I had with lilo by using it, but use whatever your comfortable with.
Posted by larkl on Sep. 18 2005,11:26
Thanks for the feedback. I'm confident that the install script is NOT changing the APPEND line in lilo.conf after trying it. What the heck, let's give grub a try.
Posted by larkl on Sep. 18 2005,17:35
Well,Grub is kicking my butt. I've used the frugal_grub script and booted off the grub floppy and tried to install the MBR. Didn't work, it give me an error. Sorry, don't have it written down. The PC still boots into LILO. The WIKI has me confused as it has a lot of stuff for a system that doesn't boot. Do I need all of that? I've tried the part (starts with enter TITLE DSL..), but the grub command interface doesn't like that. Seems that this noob may be stuck with LILO and no myDSL extensions. I can't seem to get the big picture feel for what I'm doing. I know that the script added a boot folder to /dev/hda1 that contains a grub folder and some files in it. Sorry for the dumb*ss post.
Posted by larkl on Sep. 18 2005,18:17
OK, In case anyone can help. When I'm at the grub prompt, the command
| Code Sample |
| kernel /boot/isolinux/linux24 root=/dev/hda1 |
Booted up on frugal install and used myDSL to run frugal_grub script.
Booted on CD and then ran /usr/sbin/grub-install /dev/hda1 - This is rejected with an error referring to cloop.
Then booted on grub floppy and tried to enter
| Code Sample |
| title DSL root (hd0,0) kernel /boot/isolinux24 root=/dev/hda1 |
Posted by larkl on Sep. 18 2005,18:18
I meant | Code Sample |
| kernel /boot/isolinux/linux24 root=/dev/hda1 |
Posted by victorv on Sep. 18 2005,18:29
Superlou, can you tell me how to use an exsisting grub with frugal install and not install lilo? I don't want to harm my dual boot Win98/MepisLinux/Grub. I know how to change menu.lst but I don't know DSLscript to use. Thanks, for any help!
Posted by adssse on Sep. 19 2005,02:15
When you ran the frugal_grub.sh script and it asked if you wanted to format did you enter yes? When I did it I just booted with a cd, ran /usr/sbin/frugal_grub.sh and entered yes when asked if I wanted to install and format the partition and worked fine for me.
Posted by SuperLou on Sep. 19 2005,02:31
Larkl, I used the mydsl-load with grub.dsl. I haven't had much luck with grub floppies. Inside the boot folder there should a folder "grub" and then a menu.lst file. You can stick stuff in there once you get a successful sequence of commands. Have you seen < http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/talk/node/135? > Or if you have irc, the #grub on irc.freenode.net is good.victory, good point, i forget what is the script that justs sets up dsl without affecting the MBR. I thought that grub setup, lilio setup, and dsl setup are all seperate scripts so you should be able to just install dsl and configure the menu.lst manually to find the dsl install.
Posted by petit982 on Sep. 19 2005,06:31
Hi. I've done a frugal installation: very fast and very good.But I've a problem: I can't modify "lilo.conf" file... (obviously as root user...)
System tells me that the filesystem is not writeable...
Also I can't modify writing permissions with "chmod" command...
--> Anyone know how to solve this problem?? <--
Thank's
Posted by larkl on Sep. 19 2005,12:33
OK, I got grub installed. What I was doing was answering NO to the format HD query when I ran the script. I already had a frugal-lilo installed and I guess I thought I didn't need to. Thanks for the help. Got to get menu.lst modified now.
Posted by SuperLou on Sep. 19 2005,13:17
Petit982, I was in the same situation as you. I think it has something to do with the nature of the frugal and there was some linux witchcraft involved in trying to crack that file open. I never figured it out, it always complained that i hadn't edited it no matter how hard I tried. If you are able to, I would suggest switching to the GRUB bootloader which is worlds easier to use (although some folk say it has greater adaptability or somewhatnot I believe). Check out this < http://damnsmalllinux.org/cgi-bin....1;st=15 > for editing lilo. Haven't tried it myself. Goodluck.
Posted by petit982 on Sep. 19 2005,13:54
thank's!!
Posted by petit982 on Sep. 19 2005,14:19
I've read the topic you suggest me....and I've understand that maibe is better if I use grub instead of lilo....
what do you think about it??
Posted by SuperLou on Sep. 19 2005,18:37
I personally all for grub 
Posted by victorv on Sep. 19 2005,20:46
Thanks to mikshaw, here is what I did.I copied the KNOPPIX and boot directories into hda2 and grub menu.lst enty was,
title DSL
kernel (hd0,1)/boot/isolinux/linux24 root=/dev/hda2 dsl frugal opt=hda3 home=hda3 vga=794 dma
initrd (hd0,1)/boot/isolinux/minirt24.gz
running great!
Posted by petit982 on Sep. 19 2005,22:45
P R O B L E M S O L V E D to modify lilo.conf with a frugal installation.
Follow theese simple steps:
- make a standard frugal installation (that one with lilo...)
- start DSL
- download extension grub.dsl with mydsl
- download the frugal_grub.sh script from the "download" section of DSL site (download the scripd in the same dir of grub.dsl extension)
- run the rugal_grub.sh script (with the live-CD inserted)
As for a magic..... Grub is installed in 2 minuts!! And your files (old backups, home, etc) are saved thank's to the first frugal installation (the first step I supposed....)
Bye and a BIG thanks to the DSL developers for the great job they do for us!!