INstalling from a Boot disk?

Arakon · n00b Joined: 01 Jul 2002 Posts: 16

Okay does anyone have a how-to to install gentoo from a boot disk, especially for ppl like me who have "NEVER" used a linux boot disk?
(i've always had a bootable CD drive..)

Also please do not tell me to get tomsrtbt. I had a nightmare of a time trying to put that on a disk, seems our good buddy tom seems to have made it impossible to install onto a floppy from any windows machine newer than win95 (I'm running XP & 2K).

So what I'd really REALLY like, is for a good suggestion on an IMG that can be written to floppy with rawrite, have everything i need to start installation.

And possibly some good hints about how to do that, I'm a redhat gimp and I've been more than a little spoiled by their installation.

PS I'm sure this topic has been posted before and I wouldn't be posting it again if someone would a add a *hint*SEARCH TOPICS function*hint*...

Nothing like scanning for hours down an overly active msg board to find a single topic.

pjp · Administrator Joined: 16 Apr 2002 Posts: 20067

Do you mean this?
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Arakon · n00b Joined: 01 Jul 2002 Posts: 16

Yeah where is the button that goes to that? or is it just for "l33t"s ?

hmmm I must be special, cause when I click on a link to view the thread it sends me back to the search page.

wow this is just not my day.

pjp · Administrator Joined: 16 Apr 2002 Posts: 20067

Look at the top of the page... you'll see FAQ Search Memberlist etc.
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Arakon · n00b Joined: 01 Jul 2002 Posts: 16

I think the search is broken, unless there are supposed to be a lot of broken graphics everywhere and everylink lead right back to the search page...

any other ideas?

rac · Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2002 5:49 pm Post subject:

Arakon · n00b Joined: 01 Jul 2002 Posts: 16

I'm using good ol Win2K, with an unhealthy splash of monopolizing IE.

The search turned up the articles, its just when I clicked on them to read them it sent me back to the search page.

pjp · Administrator Joined: 16 Apr 2002 Posts: 20067

Be sure you are selecting the links under the 'Topic' column.
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Arakon · n00b Joined: 01 Jul 2002 Posts: 16

I've clicked everything, even the user profile sends me back to the search page.

But this is getting way off topic. DOes anyone have "THE' definitive way to install from a floppy for those of us poor bastards who's CDROMS refuse to see the Gentoo CD as bootable (but work with red hat fine...). Give me the methodology and I'll write the damn FAQ myself so they can post it to the webpage and not have to worrry about this topic EVER again.

//DOCUMENTATION
>The Gentoo Linux CD Installation Guide explains how to install Gentoo >Linux/x86 using our installation CD.

Insert Floppy Install Documentation here. One can only dream.

>The Gentoo Linux/PPC QuickStart Guide explains how to set up Gentoo >Linux/PPC.

delta407 · Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2002 6:17 pm Post subject:

Make sure you burned the Gentoo CD correctly. IIRC, it uses the same bootloader that RedHat does. See this page, it might give you some tips.

Installing from a floppy is quite non-trivial, I might add.
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Arakon · n00b Joined: 01 Jul 2002 Posts: 16

CD works fine, just not on the machine I want to install it in. Always returns a failed to boot error after asuming sector size is 0800.

Swapping the CD drives out did nothing, while keeping the CD in the same CD ROM on a different computer, it boots fine. Probably late on my blood sacrifices to the technology gods and shit wouldn't you know it? I'm all out of Goats.

Meanwhile the RedHAt CD still boots in both machines (win2k strangely will not boot on the same machine...) but that is a whole nother can of worms I care nothing about delving into. If its trivial to boot from a boot disk then please share with me the secret Boot disk img and the magical command words to make it go. I'm fairly confident I can follow instructions , once I make it to a point that has instructions.

Now me go hang out under big black obelisk and pound on drums while screeching at computer.

delta407 · Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2002 6:30 pm Post subject:

rac · Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2002 6:33 pm Post subject:

How about doing the install on the computer that can boot from the CD, and then moving the hard disk to the computer that can't boot from the CD after you're able to boot Gentoo from the HDD?
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Arakon · n00b Joined: 01 Jul 2002 Posts: 16

The other machine is an AMD 1.4 Ghz system, the one I am on is a Dual p3 933, and the target system is a p2 400. Very different architectures I think, would kind of defeat the purpose of compiling my own binaries.

But anyway I just got the CD to boot using a VERY odd method described to me in IRC. turn the unit on its left side. Don't ask me why, but it boots now. Yes we now know where the truely hardcore gimps hang out.

These men are the witchdoctors of computers.

delta407 · Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2002 7:39 pm Post subject:

You can take the disk out of your Pentium 2, stick it in your Athlon, and tell your Athlon to build binaries for a Pentium 2. Architecture doesn't matter when you're going upwards; your Athlon will run P2 binaries, but not vice versa. Just rip the disk out, install, and move it back. Gentoo is quite happy doing that.
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