This is how I do it all

Systematic · 05-15-2004, 12:12 PM

Thanks for the tips Bebo and shilo... I tried several times to get run lilo once i got in.. it would say
added Slaceware *
added Windoze

when i rebooted, i was back to the same 99's --- and i know why... It was ALLLLLLL my fault. Shilo your guide is fine, unless you want to add some precautionary steps. What fuxored my system was bootsplash.. i set that up before doing the swaret upgrades.. I think the patch for bootsplash does not sit well with the current updates to X.. I ultimatly reinstalled slack and am now typing this post from a clean install.. i followed your guide to the T with the exception of Dropline and Gnome (as i use KDE) and the fact that i have an ATI card and do not wont it to hose with the xorg update.

Thanks again for your help and knowledge!!!!

shilo · 05-15-2004, 01:33 PM

Sweet. I haven't tried the bootsplash patch. I've been happy with the graphical lilo that I outline in my guide. It's not animated or anything, but it looks much cooler than the default red.

If you're feeling adventurous, you can try upgrading to xfree86 4.4. Looks like some people have had some success getting their ATI cards running with that. If it works with 4.4, I believe it will work with Dropline. You might want to check it out. I was using kde when I first started, but after I saw how good Dropline looked, I switched. Lots of cool stuff it adds, too. Installing Dropline is a simple way to get DVD's playing, if you haven't already installed all of the dvd viewing packages. Pretty neat, even if you still use kde afterwards. Plus, all of the packages are i686, so it can get some of your upgrades done for you a little better than SWareT, IMHO.

Glad it all worked out for you.

Systematic · 05-15-2004, 02:37 PM

yeah im going to change lilo to graphical soon as i track down the 3 files needed. slocate doesnt fine them.. i have the logo64.bmp but the other 2 are a loss.. im not in that much of a hurry to do it.. i need to update the kernel next. and ill experiment with which kernel and Xfree will work with ATI.. Ill let you know how it goes..

shilo · 05-15-2004, 03:13 PM

This sucks. You're the second guy to not be able to find those files. I cant remember how I got them, now. I've searched my system and I came up with nothing. Anyone that figures out where those files came from, sure would appreciate if you'd let me know.

The best guess that I have right now is that lilo made them for me, but I'm just shooting in the dark on that one. My only reason for guessing that is I don't remeber any dificulty at all with switching to the graphical. I usually remember when I have to go hunt something down. Can anyone confirm?

shilo · 05-15-2004, 03:48 PM

I'm doing a lot of updates to the website today. I've finished quite a few, already. Let me know what you think. http://shilo.is-a-geek.com/slack/ . If you've visited the site before, make sure to click the refresh button on your browser. On my todo list right now is:

1) Add apache/php page
2) Add Links page
3) Add Summary page & downloadable PDF format. (I'm putting this off a bit so I can just do it one time instead of having to update it after all of the changes that I make.
4) Add the text to the sendmail page
5) Add troubleshooting page
6) Add optimization/tweak page
6) World Domination

I may be a little overly optimistic on the last one, but I should be able to get the rest banged out this weekend. Let me know if there is anything else you would like to see. I've finished the updates for everything else. I've tried to incorporate all of the suggestions so far. If I missed putting something in that you recommended or failed to credit you properly on the page, please let me know so I can fix it.

I welcome any and all criticism, no matter how big or small. I'm pretty new to the whole HTML and CSS thing. I'm sure I have spelling/punctuation errors, poor coding, and maybe even some bad links and stuff. Feel free to let me know if you see anything like that.

I usually prefer to get all of my messages here on the forum, so that evryone can benefit from them, but if you have a spelling error or something that you want to tell me about, I can be emailed at my hotmail account (shilo_bacca). I won't answer any problem questions through email, though, as no one else gets to benefit from the solutions.

Some ideas I have for the future are:

1) how to use checkinstall to keep track of software
2) how to set up automated tasks with dcron
3) how to get wine set up and working well
4) how to secure your Slackware installation

These are more long term, as I think I still need to improve on the information I already have. Please feel free to recommend anything else.

Bebo · 05-15-2004, 04:13 PM

Hey guys,

What's the problem with the graphical boot "prompt"? I didn't have to add any special files in /boot, except for the bmp file a wanted. This is my lilo.conf:

Code:

boot=/dev/hda
default=Linux-2.6.5

prompt
timeout=70

install=/boot/boot-bmp.b

bitmap=/boot/bootsplash.bmp
bmp-colors=6,8,0;15,8,0
bmp-table=310p,355p,2,7
bmp-timer=600p,445p,6,8,0

# Override dangerous defaults that rewrite the partition table:
change-rules
  reset

# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
vga = 773
# Normal VGA console
# vga = normal
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k
# vga=791
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x32k
# vga=790
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
# vga=773
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x64k
# vga=788
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x32k
# vga=787
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x256
# vga=771
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x64k
# vga=785
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x32k
# vga=784
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x256
# vga=769

image = /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.5
   label  = Linux-2.6.5
   root   = /dev/hda6
   append = "hdd=ide-cd"
   read-only
other = /dev/hda2
   label  = Windows
   table  = /dev/hda
image = /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.24
   label  = Linux-2.4.24
   root   = /dev/hda6
   append = "hdd=ide-scsi"
   read-only
image = /boot/vmlinuz-ide-2.4.22
   label  = Linux-bare.i
   root   = /dev/hda6
   append = "hdd=ide-scsi"
   read-only

The most important thing is the install=/boot/boot-bmp.b line. And here are all my files in /boot:

Code:

System.map -> System.map-2.6.5
System.map-2.4.24
System.map-2.6.5
System.map-ide-2.4.22
boot.0300
boot_message.txt
config -> config-2.6.5
config-2.4.24
config-2.6.1
config-2.6.3
config-2.6.5
config-ide-2.4.22
bootsplash.bmp
lost+found/
map
vmlinuz -> vmlinuz-2.6.5
vmlinuz-2.4.24
vmlinuz-2.6.5
vmlinuz-ide-2.4.22

And shilo, the web page you've put up looks nicer and nicer

Cheers

shilo · 05-15-2004, 04:48 PM

That's strange. Here's my /etc/lilo.conf and my /boot contents. Mine, I referenced the two marked files and they both exist in /boot. Yours only references one of them and neither exists in boot. Oh well, I'm thinking that this means that if you just follow the directions, even without those files, it will work. Don't know the whys and and hows of it, but it worked for me for sure.

Systematic- If you get time to try it out, try it without the two files existing and see if it works. Just keep that boot disk handy. It will take like ten minutes, tops. Much faster than the kernel recompile you're working on.

Code:

# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
boot = /dev/hda
#compact        # faster, but won't work on all systems.
prompt
timeout = 600
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x64k
vga=788
# ramdisk = 0     # paranoia setting
map = /boot/map-bmp                    <==================
install=/boot/boot-bmp.b                 <==================
bitmap = /boot/logo64a.bmp
bmp-colors = 15,,0;5,,15
bmp-table = 59,5,1,18,
bmp-timer= 66,28,6,8,0
# End LILO global section
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.6
  root = /dev/hda2
  label = Slackware-2.6.6
  read-only # Non-UMSDOS filesystems should be mounted read-only for checking
# Linux bootable partition config ends
# DOS bootable partition config begins
other = /dev/hda1
  label = WindowsME
  table = /dev/hda
# DOS bootable partition config ends

Code:

root@shilo:~# ls -l /boot/
total 2534
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root      22 2004-05-13 22:43 System.map -> /boot/System.map-2.6.6
-rw-r--r--  1 root root  712222 2004-05-13 23:02 System.map-2.6.6
-r--r--r--  1 root root    7988 2002-03-09 00:41 boot-bmp.b        <==============
-rw-r--r--  1 root root     512 2004-04-06 15:21 boot.0300
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root      18 2004-05-13 22:44 config -> /boot/config-2.6.6
-rw-r--r--  1 root root   30583 2004-05-13 22:35 config-2.6.6
-r--r--r--  1 root root  153718 2004-03-19 18:21 logo64a.bmp
-rw-------  1 root root   44032 2004-04-07 20:51 map
-rw-------  1 root root  187392 2004-05-13 23:13 map-bmp         <==============
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root      19 2004-05-13 23:16 vmlinuz -> /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.6
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 1445182 2004-05-13 22:30 vmlinuz-2.6.6

Bebo · 05-15-2004, 05:07 PM

Ha! You're right, I don't have a boot-bmp.b in /boot! I didn't even notice that. That's odd. Did you put the boot...ah...yadayada on the MBR? That's what I did.

shilo · 05-15-2004, 05:33 PM

Yep, installed to the MBR. Guess it works, no matter how you slice it.

Systematic · 05-15-2004, 05:43 PM

it works fine... i added the lines to lilo.conf from your guide and copied the ins64a.bmp to /boot and renamed it to logo64a.bmp ... ran lilo and rebooted.. Tada.. wonderful graphical logo.. although the colors are wacked but ill change those later.. at least its working.. the location of the boot-bmp.b and map-bmp are a mystery though.. not sure where they come from but hey it works!! lol.. now its time to find a suitable image for my bootscreen..

Question.. will dropline work with ATI cards.. or do you have to update to xfree 4.4? cause thats not gonna play well with the flgrx files..

shilo · 05-15-2004, 06:07 PM

Cool. I have to edit my guide a little, then.

Dropline will work with ATI cards. Here's how. Download the installer. Now DON"T do a full install. Do a selective install. Don't upgrade to the xorg X server.

This is totally just a guess. Here's why I think it's gonna work, though. The only thing that could present a problem with the card is the X server. If you download everything from Dropline BUT the X server, your not gonna have any issues with the card, assuming your card is already working with your current X server. Makes sense to me.

Also, you are probably gonna want to be careful with SWareT. It'll try and bump you to xfree86 4.4. I believe that is where all the trouble with the ATI cards is from. I don't have an ATI card myself, so I really don't keep up on it too much. Anyways, if you do get your ATI card working with 4.4, you should be able to make the switch to xorg via Dropline with no problems.

If you toast things, it's really not that bad. When I've had problems with X server changes in the past, I just go to the command line, use pkgtool to remove the faulty packages, and re-install the x server that was working for me.

Bebo · 05-15-2004, 06:17 PM

Yeah, until ATI supports XFree 4.4, you should put a line with EXCLUDE=xfree86 in swaret.conf. And be careful with the dropline-installer.

brm · 05-15-2004, 06:18 PM

Great guide! Thank you!

I have only one question. What about security? I am not sure about this, but I mean that there is no firewall started after Slackware installation. Probably there are more security issues. Is it not important to secure your box as one of very first tasks?

shilo · 05-15-2004, 06:26 PM

brm-

You are correct, sir. I'm still getting around to writing up a security section. In the meantime, you may have noted that part of my guide recommends that you purchase a router. That's what I did. Real easy to cofingure the firewall on that thing, too.

Here's some more thinking. If you just started out with Linux, how are you gonna secure your box? You gonna trust some guy on the internet? How about when some other guy tells you something that contradicts that? How about when you, being new to Linux and all, misunderstand the directions and open your box wide open to hackers? Are you even gonna notice?

I say, if your new to Linux, the best way to go is get a router with a firewall. I will be posting some other security tips in the future, though.

Systematic · 05-15-2004, 06:28 PM

Shilo beat me to it.. -- but

brm.. yes it is important to secure your machine after install. and Shilo has mentioned that he is working on a guide for this.. its not exactly an easy task because of all the variables.. you have to decide what you want your install to do.. be a webserver, be a desktop, be a file server.. all of these have different security settings and concerns. You can do some googling for System hardening also.. you should find several how tos out there about this.