Installation Problems with Mandrake 9.1

Power User · 08-30-2003, 12:15 PM

Hmmm... Got Linuxcare BBC up, now to get the files off the network...

EDIT: Downloaded Damn Small Linux instead, it's got a file manager, making this a bit easier for a :noobie:...

Power User · 08-30-2003, 01:35 PM

Some help appreciated...

flamesrock · 08-30-2003, 02:38 PM

I don't know much else to tell you. Like I said, I'm a newbie, too. Your hardware seems a bit old, so that could be the problem.

Have you tried using Slackware-live or Knoppix? You might want to try either as a dianostics before starting linux installation. But if you're unable to even use the CD, this might be futile. I prefer Slackware-Live (www.slackware-live.org.)

Power User · 08-30-2003, 02:51 PM

I got Damn Small Linux to work, but it is a matter of trial and error I guess...

As soon as I get it on the Hard Disk, I got to put the Mandrake install files down and try again.

scamp007 · 08-30-2003, 04:27 PM

I don't know if this will work but it might be worth a try. I believe mandrake will install of the harddrive. so why don't you create a partition (it can be fat16 or fat32 I believe) and copy the .iso files you downloaded on to that partition. you could boot using a win98se boot floppy first. use fdisk to create the partition. then copy the .iso files, and then boot using the linux boot floppy and install from harddisk.

Power User · 08-30-2003, 05:59 PM

Unfortunately, I don't have a Windows 98 Startup Disk, just two PC's with XP, and one with Damn Small Linux, so this whole thing just went downhill for me and Mandrake...

Power User · 08-30-2003, 06:05 PM

...and it won't let me write to my 3 GB huge partition, called hda2.

...and I am not going to spend two weeks copying by hand every file using the root account and good old cp...

Power User · 08-30-2003, 06:05 PM

...unless there is a way to automate the process...

quatsch · 08-30-2003, 06:11 PM

what's the file system of your 3GB partition? If it's NTFS, you'll have to reformat it to something linux can write to. There should be tools for that in damn small linux - it might also be just a permission issue (Knoppix won't let one write to a hd either unless one tells it that it's ok).

You can copy the whole thing by cp -Rf ... The -R option is for recursive.

Power User · 08-30-2003, 09:26 PM

e-heh...

now it was ext2 or 3 from my knowledge, not NTFS.

However, I have given up on Mandrake in favor of RedHat 9. It's cookin' the drives as I speak, finishing up the installation...

TACD · 08-30-2003, 11:20 PM

I'm pretty sure there's a way to install just from .ISOs on your hard disk... you'll have to hunt around for more precise instructions though : / 'tis just something I remember from a while back.