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No real need for a manual.
Install Slack without Lilo.
Boot from dvd.
Install grub leg from 32bit /extra to a separate (very small) ext2 partition.
Run:
grubconfig
Thanks! do you think it will work? Sorry for my lack of explanation.
I want to make the Slackware installer use grub instead of lilo from the start up (before I install my distro), or if not possible, how I could make it configurable at the installation process, i don't know where to look for it...
for example: when you boot backtrack 5, grub starts, and then you can choose whatever kernel you want. this is more my idea, i just don't know where to start working on it, and where i could get more information about this possibility, tried Google but they give a bunch of links showing how to configure and install grub after the system is installed.
Then have look at /tmp/initrd/usr/lib/setup/SeTconfig, lines #94 - 110. You will see that in fact this script executes (freshly installed) scripts in the new Slackware installation in /var/log/setup.
So actually there is nothing to change in the installer itself. You would just(!) modify grub's package so it spits an appropriate script in that directory at time of installation (you could look how lilo's package does that to get a clue there, see what's inside /source/a/lilo for that). Of course that will work only if grub is installed.
Good luck.
PS Kudos to Pat for this smart design of the installer, which makes such changes possible without having to modify it
PS2 of course what slackass proposed you is *a lot* simpler...
Last edited by Didier Spaier; 03-22-2013 at 05:03 AM.
Reason: PS2 added
Then have look at /tmp/initrd/usr/lib/setup/SeTconfig, lines #94 - 110. You will see that in fact this script executes (freshly installed) scripts in the new Slackware installation in /var/log/setup.
So actually there is nothing to change in the installer itself. You would just(!) modify grub's package so it spits an appropriate script in that directory at time of installation (you could look how lilo's package does that to get a clue there, see what's inside /source/a/lilo for that). Of course that will work only if grub is installed.
Good luck.
PS Kudos to Pat for this smart design of the installer, which makes such changes possible without having to modify it
PS2 of course what slackass proposed you is *a lot* simpler...
Thanks!! this information was a pretty good start for what I was looking for
If you boot a Slackware setup DVD, what starts the Slackware installer (kernel and initrd) is ISOLINUX not LILO. You should be able to boot the same kernel and initrd files using GRUB.
The kernels are on the DVD in "kernels/huge.s/bzImage" and "kernels/hugesmp.s/bzImage". The initrd (RAM file-system) is in "isolinux/initrd.img".
Look at the file "isolinux/isolinux.cfg" for the exact boot menu entries. You will have to translate those menu entries to the correct information for the GRUB menu.
If you are actually going to install Slackware, you also need the rest of the Slackware files from the DVD.
Changing what boot loader is installed during setup is more complicated. To do that you have to change the file "/usr/lib/setup/setup" in the "initrd.img". It will be necessary to extract the files from "initrd.img" and then re-create "initrd.img". You have to add the boot loader's files to the Slackware installation files if they aren't already there. GRUB Legacy is already a Slackware package included with the installation files.
Edit: It looks like you don't have to change the "initrd.img". Thanks for the great explanation, Didier!
In my case I already had Grub on the MBR from another distro on another partition. In that case all you have to do is load up the other partition, add a slack entry to /etc/grub.d and update grub. I'd personally prefer lilo over grub just because the syntax is much more simple. Eventually I'll switch back.
In my case I already had Grub on the MBR from another distro on another partition. In that case all you have to do is load up the other partition, add a slack entry to /etc/grub.d and update grub. I'd personally prefer lilo over grub just because the syntax is much more simple. Eventually I'll switch back.
But suppose I wanted the user to be able to choose what to do during the installation, like it happens when you get to the boot loader screen on installer. then I have to find out where it is among these scripts, consequently edit it to grub syntaxes.
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