[Simple Question] possible to install without .. [SOLVED]

[Xarik]

Hi,

Is that possible to install Gentoo without physical access over an existing distribution ?

And if it's possible how ?


Thanks

[Hypnos]

[Xarik]

sorry for my bad english

here's the thing:

i've access to a server via ssh with debian installed on it
i've no physical access to the server
i want to know if it's possible to remotely (via ssh) install gentoo on this machine

[Hypnos]

In principle yes, if there's a free partition on the disk and you have root access. You can log into the Debian environment via ssh and then do the installation steps on that partition.

However, you have to make sure to do everything correctly, e.g. setting up the bootloader and the ssh server in the Gentoo environment, so that when you reboot into Gentoo you can still log in remotely!

Can I ask what your ultimate purpose is? There may be better solution.
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[Xarik]

And if i've no free partition possible or not ?

[NeddySeagoon]

Xarik,

How big is your swap partition and how much RAM do you have?

If swap is big enough, you can nuse this for your gentoo root filesystem, do a bare minimal install there and when you can boot into it, wipe out debian so you can do the rest of the install.

There are two risky bits - you only get one go at the install, or you won't have remote access.
Wiping out debian and possibly redoing the boot loader. Again, this has to be right first time.

You might want to look at Gentoo PREFIX, which allows you to install Gentoo in say, /home/xarik and you don't even need root access.
However, you cannot boot into a prefix install, as far as I know.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

[Hypnos]

[Xarik]

@NeddySeagoon:
the server as 3GB DDR2 of RAM and 1024KB of Swap, but i've 1To of spacedisk maybe i can resize some paritions for increase the swap size ?

[Xarik]

@Hypnos: The Debian installed is Debian 6.0.0 and no LVM and no KVM support

[Hypnos]

Could you post the output of "df" on the machine? If there are separate partitions for things like /home maybe you could move those files to the root partition, and then use that space for Gentoo.

Like NeddySeagoon and I have said, you have to get the bootloader configuration right otherwise you won't be able to boot into Debian, and the ssh configuration so you can log into Gentoo remotely once it's booted.
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[Xarik]

[NeddySeagoon]

Xarik,

Loads of room!

Fail one half of the raid1 array, so Debian runs on the degraded array.
Remove the failed drive from the array and install Gentoo to the 'failed' drive.

You will now have Debian on a degraded raid1 and a single drive install of Gentoo.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

[Xarik]

ok so if i understand well for the installation, i just need to follow the handbook but from the #4 chapter (Preparing the Disks) ?

[Naib]

Yes it is possible, I have actually got someone to a bootable system when they are on Oz but they had booted the CD and didn't mind scrubbing the entire HDD.
1ft away or 10,000 miles doesn't make that much difference.

From an already booted system... sure why not EXCEPT partitioning... you need a blank partition or means to make a partition LVM would allow that but anything else it might not be possible


although if they are using grub2 or anything else that can boot off an iso you may stand a chance
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[Xarik]

Ok I understand.

So if I reinstall debian and keeping free disk space, from debian I can make new partition "/" "/boo"t and "swap" for gentoo and install gentoo from debian in following the handbook ?

[Hypnos]

You shouldn't have to do anything to the Debian install.

Just take one of the two disks out of the RAID array, and install Gentoo on that.

Yes, you can do all the installation steps from inside Debian.
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[Xarik]

[Hypnos]

That disk never leaves the RAID array.

I think what NeddySeagoon has in mind is:

Right now you have a two-disk RAID array. You just remove one disk using mdadm, and use that one for Gentoo. Debian continues to live on the RAID array, it's just that when you're done the RAID array will only have one disk.
_________________
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[Xarik]

To be sure I remove all partition from the first (for example) disk and install gentoo on it ? Ok but after the second disk (with debian partition) I do what with ?


My purpose is to have only gentoo on the machine and no need debian, debian is here only because my provider don't provide gentoo install

[Naib]

if you have no plan on using it then format it post-boot.
just make sure you don't boot to debian and ask it to repair the array
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[Xarik]

[Xarik]

I ponder another question: if I don't format the debian partition, it's possible to keep one raid for gentoo and one for debian ?

That is just by curiosity

[NeddySeagoon]

Xarik,

Not quite.

Before you do any formatting for gentoo, you must take one of the drives away from debian.
Exactly how you do that depends on who the raid1 is made up. It may be two or more rais sets.

Whay does

[Xarik]

cat /proc/mdstat of my server:

[NeddySeagoon]

Xarik,

Thats most of the information. Now, where is swap. Its a really bad idea to destroy an inuse swap.