How To Install New Linux On Old Machine
 

Here's the issue: I downloaded openSUSE 11.1 to a DVD, and went to install it on an old server which recently became available (HP PRoliant DL380 G3). Unfortunately, this old machine only has a CD reader, not a DVD reader. I'll call this server the target server. It currently has Windows Server 2003 installed, and I recently added an additional pair of drives for use by Linux, the goal being to build a dual-boot system.

Since I couldn't read the DVD on the target server, I copied the entire contents of the DVD onto another W2K3 server which DID have a DVD reader, and then network-mapped to the D: partition on the target server and copied all files over to a directory called "Linux" (i.e., "d:\Linux" in Windowspeak). This disk is formatted NTFS, and the drives are SCSI running RAID-1 (mirrored): 4 physical drives, which the system sees as 2 devices with 2 partitions each. Thus "d:" is the second partition on the boot drive.

Then I logged onto the target server, double-clicked on "openSUSE11_1_LOCAL.exe" and started the installation. When I was prompted to reboot, I did so, and the Linux installation system started loading. So far, so good.

When the installation GUI started, it asked me to make sure CD #1 was in the CD reader. It wasn't, so I just clicked "Back" and continued with the installation. Next it asked me where to install from, and I selected "hard disk", and then selected the partition containing the installation files from the resulting display. Then it asked me for the name of the directory that the files were in. I entered "Linux" (case was correct) but it kept saying it couldn't find the repository. Is Linux correct, or do I need to specify a subdirectory?

I've installed openSUSE before but always from a DVD. Can I not install in the manner I described above? This server has been moved and no longer has network access, so installing a Linux Live CD and then downloading what I want from the net is, for the time being, out of the question. If I cannot install in this manner, feel free to suggest alternatives.

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

The easiest way out is just to borrow a DVD drive and use it for the install. You could also download the CD set (5 CDs?) and install that way.

Where Do You Get Them?
 

I considered them, but was having trouble finding them. From what I've seen, you can download a single CD (a Live CD) or the whole DVD. Can you post a URL where I can download individual CD ISOs?

Thanks and regards ...

Looks like they have discontinued the Cd set. You should be able to install from the livecd and then install all the additional packages via yast. I switched to Centos (RH based) before DVD install media became the norm.

Net...

Have you considered the possibility of using a net install?

http://software.opensuse.org/

Installed, But Not Done Yet
 

I thought I posted that the server was moved and no longer has access to a network, so a net install will not work.

Anyway, I'm installed - I popped out a DVD drive from a newer server and replaced the CD reader on the old server with it, and the BIOS recognized the new drive, so I was able to install. But, then I ran into another unexpected problem. (This is my first experience with SuSE 11. SuSE 10 installed completely differently, and I had no problems with it at all.)

The hard drive for the Linux OS had two Windows partitions on it. Nowhere in the installation process was I given the option to remove all partitions and use the entire hard disk. It did offer to delete the primary Windows partition (10G in size), but it never touched the other one. So now, I have to take manual action to reclaim that partition. I know I can do this with fdisk, but have to research it, because I haven't had to do this in years.

So what happened here? I thought the install would offer the option to wipe all old partitions. Am I dreaming? Or doesn't it work this way any more? Or did I miss a question? I personally think the Suse 11 install is harder to follow - I keep looking for prompts and questions that aren't there any more.

I don't know if this can be done with opensuse but
I've done it with the slackware13-dvd.iso
I've done all the installation from my hard drive
using grub (that I already had installed in a partition)
and copying the files from the iso in an available partition.

You could try and see if you have some boot config file
named isolinux.cfg, or someothername.cfg (could be in an
isolinux/ or boot/isolinux/ subfolder)
and just look at the entries
From that you can adapt to the syntax of your boot loader
(grub, lilo, ...) to create a similar entry in its config menu
(/boot/grub/menu.lst or your lilo.cfg ...)
and copying the appropriate kernel and ramdisk file used by
the live system

I posted the info on how I did it for slackware in the
subforum slackware > installation

Problem is solved. I discovered that this server is using HP Smart Array firmware to present logical drives (think LUNs) to the OS, and that there were 2 logical drives for each physical drive. Once I redefined the logical drive to be the same size as the physical drive, Linux installed and took all available space, as I wanted.

Live and learn ...