Install Slackware from a Ubuntu 10.04 LiveCD?
 

Hi,

I wonder if it's possible to install Slackware on a server that's running a live version of Ubuntu 10.04 LTS. I've never done such a thing, and I wonder if it's even possible. This would be of great help to me, since it would allow me to install it on a remote dedicated server using the rescue console. Any hints and suggestions welcome.

PS: this is part of my "Slackware on a dedicated server" reflections, but I thought this specific idea would have its place in a thread of its own.

I don't see why not.
 

I would think you should be able to with no issue really, it might be easier to install the live disk on a USB stick to free up the cd drive (if you only have one), have the slack install on disk and the live on usb (or vice-versa [I'm tired :)]). You might look at a net-install, the live cd would need to run entirely off ram I would think (USB you could utilize the remaining free space on the USB stick). One time I created a mini-live cd with basically just a shell (busybox) which was less than a meg. sshd would start on bootup, with a pc consoled to their router I could reach the backside for break/fix work. Something like that might be easier for you as well and if you have any scripting knowledge could prob script out a net-install.

ok I am really really tired I will leave that gibberish up there for kicks.

I assume all current running server apps would need to be migrated over to slack on reboot?

In fact I succeeded yesterday. I don't really have access to any optical drive, since this is a dedicated server in a datacenter 800 km from my home. I wrote a detailed documentation on how to install it. Having installed Gentoo before helped a lot.

Take a peek in the 13.37/Linux-HOWTOS directory. The relevant file is "Root-Server-HOWTO".

Cheers.

Thank you for posting that documentation. I suppose your method should also be applicable to other dedicated servers such as Hetzner online, since they also offer a Debian-based rescue mode like you mention.

Do you mind if I translate that document and add it to the Slackwiki? That will be useful if someone else also plans to do a similar thing (I know I was also thinking of doing the same Ubuntu > Slackware conversion a few days back, but finally bit the bullet and ordered a FreeBSD server instead).

Not only do I not mind, but I'd say you're welcome to do so! I'm currently busy migrating all the services I had on the previous root server on the new Slackware machine, which should take a few days. I wonder if this sort of quite specialized documentation wouldn't have a better place in the "Slack world" gazette. We should ask the Slack World folks. I plan to do some Slackware-centered blog in the future, but right now, all my documentation is either in printed book form (http://tinyurl.com/no254g) or a bunch of text files scattered in various SVN repos.

sweet thanks so much :)
 

Glad you got it going, and thanks so much for the whitepaper too :)