HD install?

[phaedrus351]

Have a hard drive partitioned with 2 ext3's, any reason I can't copy the files off the install CD to one of them, then put the hard drive into a laptop (with no CD or floppy capability) and boot?

Thanks,
John

[jankushka]

Re: HD install?

you shouldn't have any troubles doing that.
i would go about it as follows:

a) install a minimal working linux in the partition
you will want to deploy the actual linux into

b) from this minimal linux install grub to the same hd's mbr

what you need here is not linux itself
that won't likely boot on your destination laptop (different hw and stuff).
but you'll want the grub files installed, including menu.lst

c) cp -r the files off the installation cd over to the other
partition of your hd

d) look for the linux kernel and initrd files (amongst those you've just copied)

e) edit grub's menu.lst from the installation at point a
and add an entry for booting your installation stuff
it will be something like the following (you'll have to get all the paths and stuff right):

title linux installation
root (hd0,0)
kernel /casper/vmlinuz
initrd /casper/initrd.gz

f) move the hd over

g) boot and...fingers crossed


hth

[phaedrus351]

Re: HD install?

Thanks, that makes sense. I really appreciate it.

Best, John

[jankushka]

Re: HD install?

it should, yeah.

and, on second thoughts, ...

you can probably install the grub files in a directory
together with the installation files.

i.e. you can likely skip point a

whatever...

let me know how things work out.

cheers.

[phaedrus351]

Re: HD install?

Got called out of town, will hit it over the weekend and let you know how it runs. Thanks, John

[jankushka]

Re: HD install?

fyi...

tested with the desktop cd: no good.
tested with the minimal cd: success!

guess it's all the drivers and stuff.
with the minimal cd, all you need is frame buffer and eth.

oh...and i just unpacked the .iso into an existing directory.
then rebooted and added a grub entry on the fly.
the minimal cd install procedure started no problems.
went through it as far as the network configuration...

so...good enough to me...