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Core Linux Installation Guide

Preparation

• Perform this stage using your functioning PC.

1. Download the core_iur_disk-1.iso.gz file.
2. Download any other applications you plan to install (eg Apache).
3. Extract the ISO image from the .gz file.
4. Burn the core_iur_disk-1.iso image to a CD.
5. If the system you wish to use Core Linux on is not capable of booting from a CD-ROM drive, you will need to create the boot disk.
6. Label a spare floppy disk ready for backing up your settings as you go along. Label the disk label "Core Linux Backup Disk".

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Booting

• Perform this stage and the subsequent stages using your "Core Linux" PC.

1. Insert the Core Linux CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive.
2. If your Core Linux system does not support booting from the CD-ROM drive, insert the Core Linux boot disk.
3. Power on the computer.
4. Once the system passes the Power-On Self Test (POST), the following prompt will appear:
   LILO 22.3.3
------- Core Linux Distribution Install/Upgrade/Repair Disk -------
use root=/dev/[disk] to change the root disk [defaults to /dev/hdc]
boot: _
5. If your CD-ROM drive is not /dev/hdc then you will need to boot the system with an adjusted root parameter. This site uses the example of the CD-ROM drive being attached as /dev/hdb.
6. Press Enter to start booting the system.
7. If you see the following lines appear, then the kernel was not able to read the root filesystem from the CD-ROM drive:
   VFS: Cannot open root device "1600" or 16:00
Please append a correct "root=" boot option
Kernel panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on 16:00
8. Login as root. You are not prompted to enter a password.

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Configuring Hard Disks

1. Use fdisk to create hard disk partitions as required.
2. Use mke2fs to format new ext2 partitions.
3. Use mkswap to format the swap partition.
4. Mount the partition you will use as the root partition for your installation under /mnt/root.
5. Use mkdir to create empty directories under /mnt/root where you will mount other hard disk partitions (eg /usr or /home).
6. Mount the other partitions at the directories you have just created.

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Installing the "Core"

1. Mount the CD with the Core source files at /mnt/cdrom.
2. Run the install_core script with the argument:
   install_core /mnt/root
3. Copy the Linux kernel .tar.gz file to the directory /mnt/root/usr/src.
4. Unmount the CD-ROM drive.
5. If you used a boot disk, unmount the floppy disk drive.
6. Change to the new root directory, using the command:
   chroot /mnt/root /bin/env HOME=/root /bin/bash --login

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The Kernel

1. Change to /usr/src. Unzip and untar the kernel source.
2. Change to the Linux kernel source directory.
3. At the system prompt enter:
   make mrproper && make menuconfig
4. Configure your kernel with the features you predict will be necessary for your machine, given its planned purpose. If you have a network card fitted in your system, or will fit one in the near future, remember to select the correct drivers in the Network Configuration section of the kernel configuration interface.
5. Save the configuration file with a memorable name (eg myconfig1).
6. At the system prompt enter:
   make dep && make bzImage
7. If you configured your kernel with module support, enter:
   make modules && make modules_install
8. Copy the file System.map to /boot.
9. Copy the file arch/i386/boot/bzImage to /boot.

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Take time to backup

1. Insert your backup floppy into the drive.
2. Mount the floppy, remembering to use the -t msdos switch if necessary.
3. Copy the file /boot/System.map to /mnt/floppy.
4. Copy the file /boot/bzImage to /mnt/floppy.
5. You could also backup your kernel config settings if you wish to use them again.

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Configure LILO

1. Edit the file /etc/lilo.conf.
2. Change the line
   image = /boot/vmlinuz
   to read
   image = /boot/bzImage
3. Add the line
   label = Core
   after the image = /boot/bzImage line.
4. Save the file and exit the text editor.
5. If you have created more than 5 partitions on your hard disk drive, then you will need to create device nodes for them using the mknod program.

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Configure boot settings

1. Edit /etc/fstab.
2. Add lines for the swap partition and any other partitions you want mounted on startup.
3. Save the file and exit the text editor.
4. Change to the /etc/rc.d directory.
5. Locally backup the files: rc.si rc.ha rc.su rc.mu
6. Edit rc.si, the system initialisation script.
7. Change the line
   hostname localhost
   to read
   hostname corebox
   where corebox is the name you want to give your system. This is name that appears at the login prompt.
8. Save the file and exit the text editor.
9. Edit /etc/hosts, the hostname resolution file.
10. Add the line
    127.0.0.1 corebox
    where corebox is the name you want to give your system. If you plan to use this Core Linux system as a DNS server or relay, you should replace 127.0.0.1 with the IP address of the interface to which you want the hostname to resolve from an external system.
11. Save the file and exit the text editor.

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Configure basic networking - optional

1. You should already be in the /etc/rc.d directory. If not, change to it.
2. Edit the file rc.mu, the initialistaion script for runlevel 3.
3. Locate the comment # setup network and edit the two following lines to read:
   ifconfig eth0 192.168.0.10 netmask 255.255.255.0 up
route add -net 192.168.0.0/24 dev eth0
   The above example assumes that the IP address of the Core Linux system should be 192.168.0.10 on a Class C subnet. Remember to remove the # symbols from the beginning of the line to "uncomment" them. Thanks to DJ Ruden for the correction on this section!
4. Save the file and exit the text editor.
5. Add the following line to the file rc.ha:
   ifconfig eth0 down
6. Save the file and exit the text editor.
7. Edit /etc/resolv.conf to reflect the DNS settings for your network.
8. Save the file and exit the text editor.

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Another Backup point

• Your backup floppy should still be in the drive and mounted.
• If it isn't, mount the floppy, remembering to use the -t msdos switch if necessary.

1. Copy /etc/lilo.conf to /mnt/floppy
2. Copy /etc/fstab to /mnt/floppy
3. Copy /etc/rc.d/* to /mnt/floppy
4. Copy /etc/resolv.conf to /mnt/floppy

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Rebooting to your new Core Linux system

1. Unmount the floppy drive and remove the disk.
2. Remove the CD from the CD-ROM drive.
3. Reboot the system using:
   shutdown -rn now
4. When the system has rebooted log in as root.
5. At the system prompt enter:
   passwd
6. Type and confirm a new password.
7. Enter your new password and press enter.
8. The screen displays the message:
   Re-enter new password:
9. Re-enter your password and press enter.
10. The screen displays the message:
    Password changed.

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Converting to ext3

• If you wish to use ext3, the journalling version of the ext2 file system, you can convert ext2 partitions to ext3 partitions. Kernel support for ext3 should be included in the kernel rather than as a module for stability.
• Hard disk partitions cannot be formatted in ext3 earlier in the installation process because the Linux kernel on the Core Linux boot disks does not support ext3. You could use an alternative boot disk to get around this.

1. Convert your ext2 partitions to ext3 using the tune2fs command.
2. Edit /etc/fstab.
3. Change the lines listing ext2 to read ext3. For example:
   /dev/hda1 / ext3 defaults 1 1
4. Reboot the system using:
   shutdown -r now

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