Slack12 install cd doesn't work on old pc!
 

I cannot get the Slack12 install cd to get into setup with the kernels on the cd. My pc is a 10 year old 200 MHz pc that has run Slack 10, 10.2, and 11 without problems in console. I have used it both with the 2.4 and 2.6 kernels without problem. The 2.6.x kernels I have built myself for this pc so it is customized. How do I get the install cd to install with a very basic kernel?

load initrd
 

boot whatever kernel you like and
you can start setup by loading isolinux/initrd.img

you can use lilo or grub :
kernel=/bzImage
initrd=/initrd.img

ok. I have reinstalled Slack11 and recompiled kernel 2.6.22.1 for my pc on hde1. I want to put Slack12 on hde2. Could I install Slack12 on hde2 while in Slack11 running kernel 2.6.22.1 following the above directions?

reboot
 

you need to reboot :

the simple way is to place the slackware
directory on some partition that has filesystem
supported by the booted kernel


then edit /etc/lilo
and add entry similar to your default one

kernel=/bzImage #look at kernels/README on some mirror
initrd=/initrd.img #isolinux/initrd.img on some mirror
label=install

then run lilo to install the install entry .

after reboot , choose the install line
this will boot the setup program , then
choose to install from hard drive

I built all filesystems into the kernel and don't need an initrd.img to boot. Do I need the initrd.img to install Slack12?

yes
 

initrd.img has the setup program

ok, I downloaded the initrd.img file from a mirror and see how to use it in /etc/lilo.conf. I don't follow you on the kernel part. The readme.txt file I found on a mirror describes putting a 2.6 kernel on a floppy and then ends with good luck getting it to fit. I'm not sure I could even find a floppy disk. Is this the right file:

ftp://mirror.pacific.net.au/linux/sl...els/README.TXT

??

no floppy
 

get file kernels/huge.s/bzImage to possibilly /var/bzImage

then in edit /etc/lilo :
kernel=/var/bzImage
initrd=/var/initrd.img
label=install-12

and run lilo ,then reboot

My pc doesn't like the huge.s kernel on the cd-my Slack 11 kernel is 2.6.22.1...can I use this? It's /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22.1.

you can use any kernel image you like
but you can't start setup without loading initrd.img

Can You use Slax 5.1.8.1 to do it?
http://www.slax.org

ok, I should be able to figure out how to get it to install now. I'll let the board know after I install.

That Slax live cd is one of the only live cds that'll boot on my old pc. I used that after I messed my server up trying to upgrade to Slack12 last weekend. I'm not sure if it could be used to install Slackware, though.

Success! Got the installation going. First I made a directory called /Slack12 and put this intitrd there:

ftp://mirror.pacific.net.au/linux/sl...nux/initrd.img

The kernel was already on my Slackware 11 hardrive (I made it a couple days ago).

I modified /etc/lilo.conf as described above like this:

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22.1
initrd=/Slack12/initrd.img
label=install

At a terminal run lilo:

lilo

Reboot.

At the lilo menu select your new install setting and it should boot up into a terminal screen that is the same as if you booted off the install cd.

Now came the sticky part. It couldn't find my cdrom player. I watched it boot and realized that it was complaining about the device mapper. I googled around and found that if I modprobed dm_mod that I'd get my cd. I then had to mount my Slack 11 hard drive and symlink my modules (ln -s /mnt/hde1/lib/modules/2.6.22.1 /lib/modules/2.6.22.1) and modprobe worked. Then I started setup as usual.

another gotcha when it finishes installing this way is that it doesn't ask to install a kernel but goes and installs the hugesmp kernel that didn't work for me. I had to install the kernel in Slack 11 and configure /etc/lilo.conf to boot this kernel, run lilo, and then boot into Slack 12. Oh, I didn't reinstall lilo on my MBR during the Slack 12 install but put it on that first option in order to preserve Slack 11 being able to boot. When I finally was able to boot into Slack 12 I didn't have modules. I then went to my new kernel directory (/usr/src/linux-2.6.22.1) and typed:

make modules_install

Rebooted again into Slack 12 and then I was good.

Thanks for all the help here!!

three things
 

first : when i installed mine i always prefer to put slackware
distribution on hard drive partition and choose to install from
hard drive than cd-rom , it is faster and no probelms detecting cd-rom

second: there are several kernel packages in slackware/a
that can answer to your needs , all are kernel + modules
package pair so you don't need to build your own modules
still compiling your own kernel is not hard either

third: grub on a floppy is a great rescue if lilo fails you
since you can dynamically choose whatever boot configuration you like

I was having trouble compiling new modules for Slack12, so I reinstalled but followed the advice of putting the install cds on my hard drive and used the speakup.s kernel along with the initrd I had downloaded. Here is my /etc/lilo.conf:


image =/Slack12/cd1/kernels/speakup.s/bzImage
root = /dev/hde1
initrd=/Slack12/initrd.img
label=install-12
read-only

I got a message about not having enough memory in my BIOS (I have 256 MB of RAM and the kernel needed 16 MB), but I tried anyway and it installed.

I have 4 partitions on my hard drive. Slack11 and the Slack12 install cds are on hde1. I made a directory there called /Slack12/install/slackware and put a,ap,...,x,xap into it. From setup I chose install media was from the hard drive. It prompted me for the partition (/dev/hde1) and then the next prompt wanted the install directory (/Slack12/install/slackware) and installed to /dev/hde2.

This way of installing is a lot faster....even on my 10 year old pc!

EDIT: After install, my pc couldn't boot the smp kernel installed. I was able to get into my Slack11 partition (where lilo was installed) and installed a custom 2.6.22.1 that I built on another Slack12 pc. Now it boots ok.