Failing to install Slackware 12.0 from memory stick.

stf92 · 02-03-2017, 10:14 AM

Hi: I dd'ed into a pen drive, aka flash-memory stick (not a hard drive) usbboot.img, which is from the slack 12 distro, then booted from the stick, and when it asked for the sources, I mounted the .iso, slackware-12.0-install-d1.iso, I gave it the path and I went through the installation steps (setup) and finally the installer began writing the packages to disk. It only had the base series, alright. But when it finished, I saw there was nothing on the selected partition!

So I rewrote the stick with Rufus, a windows program. That is, it transfered the iso image to the stick after doing it bootable. When I booted from the stick exactly the same happened, save I had there onn the screen the full package series!

However, I installed 12.0 in the past on this machine, Only thing is I didn't document the procedure. So, what is a possible procedure? I know, there's Slackware 14. I'm only making a experiment.

slackware-12.0-install-d1.iso

Didier Spaier · 02-03-2017, 10:45 AM

Write the full slackware-12.0-install-d1.iso on an USB stick using Rufus.

stf92 · 02-03-2017, 04:15 PM

It's what I did!

Didier Spaier · 02-03-2017, 04:44 PM

That's not that you said. You said hat you dd'ed usbboot.img, not slackware-12.0-install-d1.iso

stf92 · 02-03-2017, 05:00 PM

That was the first time. For the second try I ran rufus who wrote the whole iso image.

Skaendo · 02-03-2017, 05:03 PM

Did you isohybrid it first?

stf92 · 02-03-2017, 05:05 PM

No, I didn't. How is it done?

Didier Spaier · 02-03-2017, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skaendo

Did you isohybrid it first?

That's not the issue in this case as Rufus did it and booting the installer on the stick was successful.

@stf92: I have an idea but let me have a look at the installer of Slackware 12.0 to check it.

Didier Spaier · 02-03-2017, 05:50 PM

I just installed Slackware 12.2 in a VM with no hiccup.

The reason why you see all packages is that all series of packages are always listed as otherwise the installer should ask you to install the next disk before asking you which packages you want.

I just chose as SOURCE CD/DVD and let the installer find the disc automatically (I didn't mount it myself. Why would you do that?).

After having installed all packages from d1 it asked if I wanted to continue with the next disc (as all selected packages were not yet installed). I selected No, terminate installation" and all wen well, I could reboot on the new system.

Long story short, everything worked as expected.

I assume that you made a mistake at the SOURCE step that the installer didn't detect.

PS I did the same with Slackware 12.0. Works well. See attached pics.

Skaendo · 02-03-2017, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Didier Spaier

That's not the issue in this case as Rufus did it and booting the installer on the stick was successful.

@stf92: I have an idea but let me have a look at the installer of Slackware 12.0 to check it.

Eh, I never use Rufus to write Linux ISOs. Takes to long. I always use a Linux box, and for Slackware 12 you would need to isohybrid the ISO (if I remember correctly) in order to dd it to a USB stick like he said he did try.

stf92 · 02-03-2017, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Didier Spaier

I just installed Slackware 12.2 in a VM with no hiccup.

Well, the installer gives several options for the sources, the first being "CD-DVD" but, I have (ooops...) NO optical drive. And he doesn't list USB stick as an option. But he does allow installation from a mounted partition on the hard. So, I open a 2nd console and mounted the ISO image and gave the installer the path. He accepted it and "began" installation". However no files were written, AFAIK.

Didier Spaier · 02-04-2017, 01:02 AM

I am mot sure you can install if the packages are on a read-only partition (which is the case if you just mounted the ISO) and will try later. But I already did this, which succeeded:

Reboot.
Log in as "root".
Use cfdisk to make two primary partitions on the hard disk: one that will become the root partition of Slackware 12.0, will be called /dev/hda1, of type Linux, and a small one where I will copy the content of the hard disk, will be called /dev/hda2, also of type Linux.
Format /dev/hda2:
Code:
```
mkfs.ext2 /dev/hda2
```
Make a directory in RAM to mount /dev/hda2:
Code:
```
mkdir /hd
```
Mount /dev/hda2 on /hd:
Code:
```
mount -t ext2 /dev/hda2 /hd
```
Mount the ISO on /floppy:
Code:
```
mount /dev/hdc /floppy
```
Copy the content of the ISO to the hard disk:
Code:
```
cp -r /floppy/* /hd
```
Type
Code:
```
setup
```
Choose the partition /dev/hda1 to use for the root (/) partition
When asked for the SOURCE, choose "Install from a pre-mounted directory"
When asked "Which directory would you like to install from" answer:
Code:
```
/hd/slackware
```
Select a Full installation.

This worked, see attached pics.

PS In your case as you have no optical drive you could loop mount the ISO on /floppy instead of mounting /dev/hdc, like indicated in the FAQ. Not sure if you still need to make the node yourself in Slackware 12.0. By the way why didn't you use that method? Did you read the FAQ?

Didier Spaier · 02-04-2017, 04:46 AM

Another way, allowing to get back after installation the space on disk used to store the files copied from the ISO:

Code:

root # to log in
cfdisk /dev/sda # create one Linux primary partition
mkfs.ext2 /dev/sda1
mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
mkdir /mnt/hd
mount /dev/hdc /floppy # In your case, loop mount the ISO instead
cp -r /floppy/* /mnt/hd
umount /floppy
setup

Of course, choose /dev/sda1 as target for the root partition, and the already mounted directory /mnt/hd/slackware as SOURCE.

As you see in the pic, after installation you can free 634M on the hard disk removing or emptying /hd.

Didier Spaier · 02-04-2017, 05:23 AM

I confirm that the method indicated in the FAQ works.

As we don't need the directory /floppy for floppies and do not need to create our self the device node in Slackware 12.0, this becomes

Code:

root
cfdisk /dev/sda
mount -o loop /dev/hdc /floppy # In your case: mount -o loop /path/to/the/iso /floppy
setup

And choose /floppy/slackware as SOURCE.

This is of course simpler

stf92 · 02-04-2017, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Didier Spaier

By the way why didn't you use that method? Did you read the FAQ?

Let's go step by step. I did mount the iso using -o loop. I told that on the first post. I'll repeat the whole procedure to make sure I did not make mistake. That is to say, I'll follow your procedure in the above post save that instead of copying the files from the ISO to /hd, I'll mount the ISO on /hd. Still better: I will post the procedure followed by me step by step. Thanks for your kindness.

PS: can you tell me where in FAQ.TXT is the tip?