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Core Linux Installation Guide

Preparation

  1. Download the core_iur_disk-1.iso.gz file.
    • Visit the Core Linux Website and scroll down the page to the "Download" section.
    • Click on Core IUR [install upgrade repair] ISO to download the file via HTTP.
    • You will be asked to choose a mirror site to use. Choose one close to you. N.B. If you have visited SourceForge before and chosen a preferred mirror site, then this will automatically be selected for you.
    • You will be asked where you wish to save the file to. Chose a safe place and make a note of it.
    • The download is a about 80Mb and will take at good few hours over a modem, but a lot less over a broadband connection.
    • If you are using a download manager, it will save the file to your default download directory.
  2. Download any other applications you plan to install (eg Apache).
    • If you know you want to install certain pieces of software on your Core Linux distribution, download the source code from the appropriate website.
    • Be sure to read the documentation included with the source code or on the website and download any pre-requisite programs.
  3. Extract the ISO image from the .gz file.
    • On a Linux platform, use gunzip to decompress the file.
    • From the directory containing the .gz file, enter:
      gunzip core_iur_disk-1.iso.gz
    • Under a Windows environment, use WinZip or FreeZip to extract the ISO image.
  4. Burn the core_iur_disk-1.iso image to a CD.
    • The Core Linux ISO includes the source for the 2.4.18 kernel. However, this kernel version contains the ptrace exploit, and should be upgraded to version 2.4.20 as soon as possible.
    • If you are feeling clever, you could insert the .tar.gz containing the latest Linux kernel source code into the Core Linux ISO image before burning it onto the CD.
    • Remember to burn the Core Linux ISO as a "raw" image, not as a file on a filesystem.
    • The Linux kernel source code should be burnt onto a CD using the ISO9660 filesystem.
    • Burn any additional applications to a subdirectory (perhaps called /apps) on the Linux kernel source CD-ROM. The CD-ROM can be a multi-session disk, allowing you to add any files you have forgotten at a later point.
    • Burn the CD image to disk and verify the data stored on it.
  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.
    • Check the available boot settings in the BIOS or the motherboard documentation if you are not sure whether your computer is capable of booting from a CD.
    • Generally, any computer less than 6 years old should be able to boot from a CD.
    • If you need to create the boot disk, clearly label a new floppy disk "Core Linux Boot Disk".
    • On a Linux platform:
      • Insert the Core Linux CD into the CD-ROM drive.
      • Mount the Core Linux CD using:
        mount -t iso9660 /dev/hdb /mnt/cdrom
        where /dev/hdb is the device node of your CD-ROM drive and /mnt/cdrom is the mount point for the drive.
      • Insert the blank floppy disk in the drive.
      • Change to the boot directory of the mounted CD-ROM:
        cd /mnt/cdrom/boot
      • Write the boot.i disk image to the floppy disk:
        dd if=boot.i of=/dev/fd0
        where /dev/fd0 is the device node of the floppy disk drive.
      • Wait for the disk write to complete.
      • Remove the disk from the drive.
    • Under a Windows environment:
      • Insert the Core Linux CD into the CD-ROM drive.
      • You will need to use RawWrite, available from here.
      • If you don't have it, download and install the RawWrite software before continuing.
      • Insert the blank floppy disk in the drive.
      • Run RawWrite.
      • Click on the "Write" tab.
      • In the "Image File" box type the full path of the boot.i disk image, for example:
        d:\boot\boot.i
      • Alternatively, navigate to the image file using the "browse" button to the right of the "Image File" box.
      • Click on the "Write" button and wait for the process to complete.
      • Remove the disk from the drive.
      • Close RawWrite.
  6. Label a spare floppy disk ready for backing up your settings as you go along. Label the disk label "Core Linux Backup Disk".
    • If you will be backing up to a MS-DOS/Windows system, ensure that the backup disk is formatted with FAT.

Back to simple version

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
      • If your Core Linux system does support booting from the CD-ROM drive, ensure that the system's BIOS is set to boot from the CD-ROM drive before any other device.
      • If your Core Linux system does not support booting from the CD-ROM drive, ensure that the system's BIOS is set to boot from the floppy disk drive before any other device.
      • Read your motherboard manufacturer's manual for advice on how to check and adjust BIOS settings.
    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.
      • At the boot prompt enter:
        vmlinuz root=/dev/hdb
    6. Press Enter to start booting the system.
      • The screen will show:
        Loading vmlinuz........
        followed by the usual kernel boot messages.
    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
      • This could be due to one or more of the following problems:
        • The CD-ROM drive is not connected the device node specified at the boot prompt. If you did not specify a root device at the boot prompt, your CD-ROM drive is not connected to /dev/hdc.
        • You have burnt the ISO file as a file on a filesystem, rather than as a raw image.
        • You have not inserted the CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive.
        • The CD-ROM drive is faulty and is not registering the CD-ROM properly.
        • The CD-ROM drive is not capable to reading CD-R or CD-RW discs.
      • Ensure that you check all the above points, and resolve any problems that you discover.
      • Reboot the system and try again.
    8. Login as root. You are not prompted to enter a password.
      • Wait for the following text to appear:
        localhost login:
      • Type root and press Enter.
      • You will be shown a prompt that looks like this:
        Unable to change tty /dev/tty1: Read-only file system
        [~]#

    Back to simple version

    Configuring Hard Disks

    1. Use fdisk to create hard disk partitions as required.
      • Write out a quick list of how you want your hard disk setup.
        • At the very least you will require two partitions, a main "root" partition and a swap partition.
        • Many people suggest that the swap partition should be twice the size of the installed RAM on your machine, although this is not "the law".
        • You may wish to have separate partitions for some directories, such as /usr which holds a lot of programs and source code and /home which may be a busy directory if you are building a system for a lot of users.
        • This example will use separate partitions for both /usr and /home directories.
        • Remember to include partition sizes in your list.
      • The desired partitions can be listed as:
        /dev/hda1   /     300Mb
        /dev/hda2   swap  128Mb
        /dev/hda3   /usr  1200Mb
        /dev/hda4   /home 1200Mb
      • As there are only four partitions, they can all be primary partitions on the hard disk. However, users with a more complex partitioning scheme in mind should remember that Core Linux only has device nodes for up to 5 partitions on each hard disk. You can create more later in the installation process, or even after Core Linux has been installed and configured.
      • Run fdisk on the hard disk using the command:
        fdisk /dev/hda
        N.B.This example assumes that there are no partitions already present on the hard disk. If you have partitions already on your hard disk, you will need to use the d command under fdisk to delete them, unless you wish to use them as part of your Core Linux installation.
      • The screen will show the prompt:
        Command (m for help):
      • Creating a Partition
        Type n to create a new partition.
      • You will then see the prompt:
        Command action
        e extended
        p primary partition (1-4)
      • Type p to create a primary partition.
      • You will then see the prompt:
        Partition number (1-4):
      • Type 1 to create a primary partition.
      • You will then see the prompt:
        First cylinder (1-780, default 1)
        The second number in the prompt depends on the number of cylinders on your hard disk, and is unlikely to be 780 on your system.
      • Press enter to accept the default.
      • You will then see the prompt:
        Last cylinder or +size or +sizeM or +sizeK (1-780, default 780)
      • As you want /dev/hda1 to be 300Mb in size, enter:>
        +300M
      • You will then see the prompt:
        Command (m for help):
      • Additional Partitions
        Repeat the steps above until you have created all the partitions you need.
      • Nominating your swap partition
        Once you have created the partitions for your Core Linux system, you should set the filesystem identifier for the swap partition. By default the partitions you have created have the filesystem identifier set to 83, Linux.
        • At the fdisk prompt, enter:
          t
        • The screen will show the following prompt:
          Partition number (1-4):
        • Enter the number of the swap partition. In this example, it is 2.
        • The screen will show the following prompt:
          Hex code (type L to list codes): 82
        • Enter the code 82 at the prompt.
        • The screen will show the following message:
          Changed system type of partition 2 to 82 (Linux swap)
          Thanks to Geir Hauge for contributing the above tip on filesystem identifiers.
      • Writing the changes
        Type w to save your new configuration and exit fdisk.
      • You will see text similar to the following appear on the screen as fdisk processes the changes to your hard disk:
        The partition table has been altered!

        Calling ioctl() to re-read partition table.
         hda: hda1 hda2 hda3 hda4
         hda: hda1 hda2 hda3 hda4
        Syncing disks.
    2. Use mke2fs to format new ext2 partitions.
      • Three of the four example partitions need to be formatted with the ext2 filesystem:
        /dev/hda1 /dev/hda3 /dev/hda4
      • Use the mke2fs program to format all three of the partitions, one after the other.
        mke2fs /dev/hda1 && mke2fs /dev/hda3 && mke2fs /dev/hda4
      • The program will run, finishing by printing a line saying:
        This filesystem will be automatically checked every 31 mounts or 180 days, whichever comes first. Use tune2fs -c or -i to override.
    3. Use mkswap to format the swap partition.
      • The last remaining partition, /dev/hda2 needs to be formatted as a swap partition using mkswap. Run the mkswap program by entering:
        mkswap /dev/hda2
      • The program will run, finishing by printing a line saying:
        Setting up swapspace version 1, size = 136456248 bytes
        The exact size of your swap partition will vary from that shown here.
    4. Mount the partition you will use as the root partition for your installation under /mnt/root.
      • At the system prompt type:
        mount /dev/hda1 /mnt/root
      • The system will not display a message if everything is OK.
    5. Use mkdir to create empty directories under /mnt/root where you will mount other hard disk partitions (eg /usr or /home).
      • Change to the /mnt/root directory:
        cd /mnt/root
      • The prompt will change to:
        [/mnt/root]#
      • Make the directory under which you will mount /dev/hda3:
        mkdir usr
      • Make the directory under which you will mount /dev/hda4:
        mkdir home
    6. Mount the other partitions at the directories you have just created.
      • For example, to mount /dev/hda3 as the /usr directory on your Core Linux system, at the system prompt enter:
        mount /dev/hda3 /mnt/root/usr
      • The system will not display a message if everything is OK.
      • To mount /dev/hda4 as the /home directory on your Core Linux system, at the system prompt enter:
        mount /dev/hda4 /mnt/root/home
      • The system will not display a message if everything is OK.

    Back to simple version

    Installing the "Core"

    1. Mount the CD with the Core source files at /mnt/cdrom.
      • Insert the CD that you made in the "Preparation" section into the CD-ROM drive.
      • Mount the CD-ROM drive at /mnt/cdrom using the command:
        mount /dev/hdb /mnt/cdrom
        remembering to replace /dev/hdb with the correct device for the CD-ROM drive in your system.
      • The system will display a prompt telling you that the device is read-only:
        mount: block device /dev/hdb is write-protected, mounting read-only
    2. Run the install_core script with the argument:
      install_core /mnt/root
      • Run the install script with an argument giving the location of the destination directory (your new root filesystem):
        install_core /mnt/root
      • The script may take a minute or two to complete depending on the speed of your system.
      • The system will not display a message if everything is OK.
    3. Copy the Linux kernel .tar.gz file to the directory /mnt/root/usr/src.
      • Using the example of the kernel source that is bundled with Core Linux, linux-2.4.18.tar.gz file:
        cp /pkgs/kernel/linux-2.4.18.tar.gz /mnt/root/usr/src
      • This will take a few seconds to complete and the system will not display a message if everything is OK.
    4. Unmount the CD-ROM drive.
      • Move out of the mounted directory:
        cd /
      • At the system prompt enter:
        umount /dev/hdb
      • The system will not display a message if everything is OK.
    5. If you used a boot disk, unmount the floppy disk drive.
      • Unmount the floppy drive:
        umount /dev/fd0
      • The system will not display a message if everything is OK. You may remove the floppy disk from the drive.
    6. Change to the new root directory, using the command:
      chroot /mnt/root /bin/env HOME=/root /bin/bash --login
    7. The system will not display a message if everything is OK. You are now working within your new root filesystem.

    Back to simple version

    The Kernel

    1. Change to /usr/src. Unzip and untar the kernel source.
      • Change to the /usr/src directory, which is where we copied the Linux kernel source files, by entering at the system prompt:
        cd /usr/src
      • The prompt will change to:
        [/usr/src]#
      • Unzip and untar the kernel source code, by entering at the system prompt:
        tar zxvf linux-2.4.18.tar.gz
      • A long stream of unzipping files and directories should scroll up the screen for a minute or two.
    2. Change to the Linux kernel source directory.
      • At the system prompt enter:
        cd linux
      • The system prompt will change to:
        [/usr/src/linux]#
    3. At the system prompt enter:
      make mrproper && make menuconfig
      • This command cleans up the source tree and then starts the semi-graphical configuration interface for the kernel.
    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.
      • Use the arrow keys, space bar and enter button to navigate round the menu.
      • If you have questions about how to configure your kernel, help is available on each option by selecting "Help" from the bottom of the menu screen.
      • Alternatively, try the Kernel HOWTO at The Linux Documentation Project
      • Try configuring the kernel without loadable module support to help keep things simple at first. Once the system is up and running, you can always recompile your kernel to include other features or to integrate loadable module support.
    5. Save the configuration file with a memorable name (eg myconfig1).
      • From the Main Menu, select the last option:
        Save Configuration to an Alternate File
      • Enter a memorable name, for example:
        myconfig1
      • Select Ok.
      • The program then saves the configuration and returns you to the main configuration menu.
      • Select Exit
      • You are prompted to save your configuration:
        Do you wish to save your new kernel configuration?
      • Select Yes.
      • The program then saves your configuration and exits with a short message. The last line of the message is:
        *** Next, you must run 'make dep'.
    6. At the system prompt enter:
      make dep && make bzImage
      • The system will then generate the dependencies for your kernel configuration, and then the kernel itself, in the form of a kernel image file called bzImage. This may take anything from 5 minutes to a several of hours depending on the speed of your system.
      • If the keyboard isn't touched for five minutes the screen goes black. This is a screen-protection measure rather than a problem with the compiling process. Press one of the arrow keys or "Alt" to bring the display back.
      • The program finishes with the line:
        make[1]: Leaving directory '/usr/src/linux-2.4.19/arch/i386/boot'
    7. If you configured your kernel with module support, enter:
      make modules && make modules_install
      • The system will then generate the modules for your kernel configuration and then install them in the /lib/modules directory. This may take anything from 5 minutes to a several of hours depending on the speed of your system.
      • If the keyboard isn't touched for five minutes the screen goes black. This is a screen-protection measure rather than a problem with the compiling process. Press one of the arrow keys or "Alt" to bring the display back.
      • The program finishes with the line:
        if [ -r System.map ]; then /sbin/depmod -ae -F System.map 2.4.19; fi
    8. Copy the file System.map to /boot.
      • At the system prompt enter:
        cp System.map /boot
      • The system will not display a message if everything is OK.
    9. Copy the file arch/i386/boot/bzImage to /boot.
      • At the system prompt enter:
        cp arch/i386/boot/bzImage /boot
      • The system will not display a message if everything is OK.

    Back to simple version

    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.
      • At the system prompt enter:
        mount /dev/fd0 -t msdos /mnt/floppy
      • The system will not display a message if everything is OK.
    3. Copy the file /boot/System.map to /mnt/floppy.
      • At the system prompt enter:
        cp /boot/System.map /mnt/floppy
      • The system will not display a message if everything is OK.
    4. Copy the file /boot/bzImage to /mnt/floppy.
      • At the system prompt enter:
        cp /boot/bzImage /mnt/floppy
      • The system will not display a message if everything is OK.
      • If you have a "heavy" kernel, with many features compiled in, then it may not fit on a floppy disk! In which case, backup the config file so you can compile the kernel again if you need to.
    5. You could also backup your kernel config settings if you wish to use them again.
      • At the system prompt enter:
        cp /usr/src/linux-2.4.18/myconfig1 /mnt/floppy
      • The system will not display a message if everything is OK.

    Back to simple version

    Configure LILO

    1. Edit the file /etc/lilo.conf.
      • Run the nano editor on the /etc/lilo.conf file by entering:
        nano /etc/lilo.conf
      • The screen will show the contents of /etc/lilo.conf with information about the file at the top and bottom of the screen.
    2. Change the line
      image = /boot/vmlinuz
      to read
      image = /boot/bzImage
      • Navigate the file using the arrow keys. Use the backspace key to erase the existing line, and type in the new line.
    3. Add the line
      label = Core
      after the image = /boot/bzImage line.
    4. Save the file and exit the text editor.
      • Press Ctrl+x on the keyboard.
      • The contents of the white line at the bottom of the screen will change to read:
        Save modified buffer (ANSWERING "No" WILL DESTROY CHANGES) ?
      • Type y.
      • The contents of the white line at the bottom of the screen will change to read:
        File Name to write: lilo.conf
      • Press Enter.
      • You will be returned to the system prompt.
    5. At the system prompt enter:
      lilo
      • The system will display the message:
        Added Core *
    6. 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.
      • For example, to add a device node for a partiton hda6, at the system prompt enter:
        mknod hda6 b 3 6
      • Repeat the above command for all the partitions above hda5 that you need, for example:
        mknod hda7 b 3 7

    Back to simple version

    Configure boot settings

    1. Edit /etc/fstab.
      • At the system prompt enter:
        nano /etc/fstab
    2. Add lines for the swap partition and any other partitions you want mounted on startup.
      • Navigate the file using the arrow keys.
      • Underneath the two existing lines in the file, you need to add lines for the additional partitions on your hard disk.
      • For the swap partition add the following line:
        /dev/hda2  swap  swap  defaults  0  0
      • For the partitions used in this example, you would add the following lines:
        /dev/hda3  /usr  ext2  defaults  1  1
        /dev/hda4  /home ext2  defaults  1  1
    3. Save the file and exit the text editor.
      • Press Ctrl+x on the keyboard.
      • The contents of the white line at the bottom of the screen will change to read:
        Save modified buffer (ANSWERING "No" WILL DESTROY CHANGES) ?
      • Type y.
      • The contents of the white line at the bottom of the screen will change to read:
        File Name to write: fstab
      • Press Enter.
      • You will be returned to the system prompt.
    4. Change to the /etc/rc.d directory.
      • At the system prompt enter:
        cd /etc/rc.d
      • The system prompt will change to:
        [/etc/rc.d]#
    5. Locally backup the files: rc.si rc.ha rc.su rc.mu
      • At the system prompt enter:
        cp rc.si rc.si.bak && cp rc.ha rc.ha.bak && cp rc.su rc.su.bak && cp rc.mu rc.mu.bak
      • The system will not display a message if everything is OK.
    6. Edit rc.si, the system initialisation script.
      • At the system prompt enter:
        nano rc.si
    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.
      • Navigate the file using the arrow keys.
    8. Save the file and exit the text editor.
      • Press Ctrl+x on the keyboard.
      • The contents of the white line at the bottom of the screen will change to read:
        Save modified buffer (ANSWERING "No" WILL DESTROY CHANGES) ?
      • Type y.
      • The contents of the white line at the bottom of the screen will change to read:
        File Name to write: rc.si
      • Press Enter.
      • You will be returned to the system prompt.
    9. Edit /etc/hosts, the hostname resolution file.
      • At the system prompt enter:
        nano /etc/hosts
    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.
      • Navigate the file using the arrow keys.
    11. Save the file and exit the text editor.
      • Press Ctrl+x on the keyboard.
      • The contents of the white line at the bottom of the screen will change to read:
        Save modified buffer (ANSWERING "No" WILL DESTROY CHANGES) ?
      • Type y.
      • The contents of the white line at the bottom of the screen will change to read:
        File Name to write: /etc/hosts
      • Press Enter.
      • You will be returned to the system prompt.

    Back to simple version

    Configure basic networking - optional

    1. You should already be in the /etc/rc.d directory. If not, change to it.
      • At the system prompt enter:
        cd /etc/rc.d
      • The system prompt will change to:
        [/etc/rc.d]#
    2. Edit the file rc.mu, the initialisation script for runlevel 3.
      • At the system prompt enter:
        nano rc.mu
    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!
      • Navigate the file using the arrow keys.
      • Add additional lines in a similar way for any other ethernet cards on your system.
      • You may wish to add comments or echoes to the file for your own information.
    4. Save the file and exit the text editor.
      • Press Ctrl+x on the keyboard.
      • The contents of the white line at the bottom of the screen will change to read:
        Save modified buffer (ANSWERING "No" WILL DESTROY CHANGES) ?
      • Type y.
      • The contents of the white line at the bottom of the screen will change to read:
        File Name to write: rc.mu
      • Press Enter.
      • You will be returned to the system prompt.
    5. Add the following line to the file rc.ha:
      ifconfig eth0 down
      • At the system prompt enter:
        nano rc.ha
      • Locate the following line:
        echo "-- /etc/rc.d/rc.ha $1 --"
      • Following that line add the line:
        ifconfig eth0 down
      • Navigate the file using the arrow keys.
      • Add similar lines for any other ethernet cards on your system, adapting the above example as necessary.
      • You may wish to add comments of echoes to the file for your own information.
    6. Save the file and exit the text editor.
      • Press Ctrl+x on the keyboard.
      • The contents of the white line at the bottom of the screen will change to read:
        Save modified buffer (ANSWERING "No" WILL DESTROY CHANGES) ?
      • Type y.
      • The contents of the white line at the bottom of the screen will change to read:
        File Name to write: rc.ha
      • Press Enter.
      • You will be returned to the system prompt.
    7. Edit /etc/resolv.conf to reflect the DNS settings for your network.
      • At the system prompt enter:
        nano /etc/resolv.conf
    8. This example uses DNS servers at 192.168.0.1 and 192.168.1.1, one local DNS server, and one on a different subnet. Add the following lines to the file:
      domain localhost
      search
      nameserver 192.168.0.1
      nameserver 192.168.1.1
      • If you have a FQDN for your machine, then you may substitute it into the domain line instead of localhost.
      • Save the file and exit the text editor.
        • Press Ctrl+x on the keyboard.
        • The contents of the white line at the bottom of the screen will change to read:
          Save modified buffer (ANSWERING "No" WILL DESTROY CHANGES) ?
      • Type y.
      • The contents of the white line at the bottom of the screen will change to read:
        File Name to write: /etc/resolv.conf
      • Press Enter.
      • You will be returned to the system prompt.

    Back to simple version

    Another Backup point

    1. Copy /etc/lilo.conf to /mnt/floppy
      • At the system prompt enter:
        cp /etc/lilo.conf /mnt/floppy
      • The system will not display a message if everything is OK.
    2. Copy /etc/fstab to /mnt/floppy
      • At the system prompt enter:
        cp /etc/fstab /mnt/floppy
      • The system will not display a message if everything is OK.
    3. Copy /etc/rc.d/* to /mnt/floppy
      • At the system prompt enter:
        cp /etc/rc.d/* /mnt/floppy
      • The system will not display a message if everything is OK.
    4. Copy /etc/resolv.conf to /mnt/floppy
      • At the system prompt enter:
        cp /etc/resolv.conf /mnt/floppy
      • The system will not display a message if everything is OK.

    Back to simple version

    Rebooting to your new Core Linux system

    1. Unmount the floppy drive and remove the disk.
      • At the system prompt enter:
        umount /dev/fd0
      • The system will not display a message if everything is OK.
      • Remove the floppy from the disk drive.
    2. Remove the CD from the CD-ROM drive. This is to prevent the system from booting from the CD-ROM drive when it restarts. Thanks to Haowen Zhang for pointing out this potential cause of problems!
    3. Reboot the system using:
      shutdown -rn now
      • This causes a file system check when the system is restarted, but subsequently, rc.ha controls the unmouting of the drives.
    4. When the system has rebooted log in as root.
      • Wait for the following text to appear:
        localhost login:
      • Type root and press Enter.
      • You will be shown a prompt that looks like this:
        [~]#
    5. At the system prompt enter:
      passwd
    6. Type and confirm a new password.
      • The screen displays the following message:
        Changing the password for root
        Enter the new password (minimum of 5, maximum of 8 characters) Please use a combination of upper and lower case letters and numbers. 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

    1. Convert your ext2 partitions to ext3 using the tune2fs command.
      • At the system prompt enter:
        tune2fs -j /dev/hdaX
        where hdaX is the partition you wish to convert.
      • The system will display the following message:
        Creating journal inode:done
        followed by two lines of help information.
      • Repeat the operation for the other partitions you wish to convert.
    2. Edit /etc/fstab.
      • At the system prompt enter:
        nano /etc/fstab
    3. Change the lines listing ext2 to read ext3. For example:
      /dev/hda1 / ext3 defaults 1 1
      • Save the file and exit the text editor.
        • Press Ctrl+x on the keyboard.
        • The contents of the white line at the bottom of the screen will change to read:
          Save modified buffer (ANSWERING "No" WILL DESTROY CHANGES) ?
        • Type y.
        • The contents of the white line at the bottom of the screen will change to read:
          File Name to write: /etc/fstab
        • Press Enter.
        • You will be returned to the system prompt.
    4. Reboot the system using:
      shutdown -r now

    Back to simple version

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