HD install from harddisk... how?

Forum: HD Install
Topic: HD install from harddisk... how?
started by: Ivan-NL

Posted by Ivan-NL on Dec. 03 2005,22:06

Anyone ever done a HD install from a harddisk (different partition?)

For some reason it won't work for me

The machine (Dell Latitude P90 laptop, 16MB RAM) where i want to install on has NO CD and NO USB, so the only way to install is to put the files on a separate partition and continue from there.

Instructions in the Wiki say you need a 'boot.img' file that should be in the 'KNOPPIX' folder on the CD... that file doesnt exist.

All the next steps were done from the 'install' option in the first boot screen.

First try was whitout that file... results in an error message about not being able to find the file with the kernel stuff in it, as was expected.

Second try was with minirt24.gz, as the previous install run hinted that it tried looking there.
After the 'install bootloader' question the hd light flashes, and the install menu reappears. Rebooting results in "no operating system found"

Third try was with using the bootfloppy file provided, renamed to boot.ini.
Same happens as with minirt24.gz, and same result.

Furthermore: or some reason the thing refuses to go further into X when there is anything more than the 50mb KNOPPIX file on the drive that is in use as the base drive (in this case, any file that has system parts in it). Instead of taking over 1 hour to boot (flashing disk light, never waited for it to get done), the thing just hangs and nothing happens

OK got one step further...when you answer yes to install bootloader it just quits the installation process

Posted by plakard on Dec. 05 2005,08:55

I'm kinda having the same problem. But your lucky you got a floppy drive. I got no cd, floppy and USB ain't bootable on my machine...
(Check it out under LAPTOPS>Thinkpad 570 (NO CD and NO Floppy)

I removed the HDD and used it as an external HDD.
From there, I installed DSL and was kinda sucessful with it. I'm just having problems with the boot loader. So I get the same message as you did "Missing Operating System".

Anyways, back to your problem. Try partitioning it again. This time don't use the ext3 file system. Maybe that'll help...

Posted by sarah on Dec. 05 2005,15:57

Plakard: I don't think I can quite help you (yet) as I'm learning too.

Ivan:
Some of the Wiki pages need updating - which page have you been referring to?

I've just got DSL 2.0 up and running on a Toshiba 100cs P75/16MB RAM and a dodgy as hell 540MB HD which has been partitioned to keep out the bad end sectors. I use a PCMCIA card for network access, and I don't have a CD -ROM or USB or anything fancy like that! (Although I do have a parallel zip drive...) I have X running, but I need to work on the configuration. Be aware that if you run a graphical interface, it's going to be SLOOOW, even with DSL.

How big is the HD you're using?
With such little RAM, you're going to need a swap partition. Even so, some apps are not going to run.

Do you have a floppy drive? (I'm going to assume the answer is "yes".)

I'm assuming since you're posting you have access to another machine.

This Wiki page has a good set of instructions for a Floppy only install (ie if you have no CD rom):
< http://damnsmalllinux.org/wiki....tall%29 >

You might find that page helps you more than the one you are using now.

When you boot DSL using the floppy, I can fairly well guarantee you'll need at least the following boot options:
(I would start with these)
dsl 2 mem=16M vga=normal base lowram

That will take you into a text version of DSL, and will give you a feeling of success once you can get that bit going. Let me know if you can get that far?

Posted by cbagger01 on Dec. 05 2005,23:26

Actually, "lowram" should always be the first word of the boot command, ie: it replaces the word "dsl".

however, if you want a super low ram console mode, try:

Code Sample

dsl 1 vga=normal atapicd noideraid nosound noapic noacpi acpi=off noscsi noapm nousb nopcmcia nofirewire noagp nomce

you can also add the base and mem=16M cheatcode or others as you see fit.

Posted by Ivan-NL on Dec. 23 2005,15:27

Got the whole thing up and running (whatever you call running, all batteries are dead, even the BIOS one so it doesn't remember any setting unless on 24/7 life support) eventually.

A failed install will result in a messed-up bootsector, that needs to be cleaned. DOS floppy and "fdisk /mbr" does the job.

When i had that sorted a reinstall sorted things out in the right way.

Now the thing is running quite well, with some 100MB swapspace. Install done with around 32MB swap and 70MB FAT32 as install source.

Specs of the fossil:

P90
16MB RAM
850MB Harddisk (around 150MB of that is now swapspace)
No cooling at all (so it gets very hot)
All internals are either ISA or VLB, but it refuses to work with Framebuffer mode.

Necessary addition to the wiki: if your HD install FAILS for some reason, remember to clear the MBR, as the installer will detect the non-functional bootloader and only changes the config file, resulting in the "No operating system" message.

And another thing to correct: you need the minit24.gz file instead of the 'boot' file to get the installer to copy the root files