Linux in a folder

rng · 03-13-2012, 11:50 PM

Is it possible to install linux in a folder with all the essential folders like /bin /etc /var etc to be in that one main folder? The kernel line on grub entry will need to have the name of that folder for it to load.

ukiuki · 03-14-2012, 03:20 AM

It is possible but depends on which distro you are using check this:http://distro.ibiblio.org/tinycorelinux/install.html

Quote:

Note: If you already have a Linux System booting, then you do not need to make a partition for Tiny Core! Tiny Core can run in a single directory in your existing Linux installation. To do so, at step 1, uncheck the option to "Install boot loader". At step 2, select an existing partition, and at Step 3, do not format it. Upon completion you will need to manually configure your existing boot loader.

Regards

yancek · 03-14-2012, 10:05 AM

The last post in the link below (post # 10) indicates this was done with Fedora and gives the Grub 2 menuentry example. I expect you would be able to do this with other distributions with modifications after extracting the CD contents to a Folder as in this example.

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...needed-882796/

jefro · 03-15-2012, 04:04 PM

One can easily put every part of a linux OS into a single file.

The problem is that now every app and every other statement that may include a path will need to be edited.

rng · 03-15-2012, 07:46 PM

It seems possible with liveCDs. But for regular installation, is it possible to make a folder as root rather than / being root of the system?

chrism01 · 03-19-2012, 08:44 PM

I think the concept you asking for is 'chroot', but it would help if you explained exactly why you want to do this.
Some things eg BIND/named offer this as a built-in option.

rng · 03-20-2012, 07:26 AM

Quote:

it would help if you explained exactly why you want to do this.

Maybe not of much use functionally, but it would be better if I can have my hard disk as a whole and operating system should be limited to a folder, rather than operating system taking up whole of the disk (partition at least) and giving only /home/user folder to me! The problem is much solved by limiting the operating system to a partition, while I can use separate partition(s) for my data.

Moreover, it would be great if the operting system folder could be movable and be put anywhere - needing only bootloader pointer to be changed. Again probably not much of functional importance.