> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2016 22:09:09 +0000 > From: Ken Moffat <zarniwh...@ntlworld.com> > To: lfs-support@lists.linuxfromscratch.org > Subject: [lfs-support] O/T - loading distros *after* lfs > > Sorry for asking an O/T question here, but -chat seems to be full of > people who don't actually use LFS (judging from replies I've seen > there in the past few months). > > I've got a new machine, for building and testing. In the past, I > have always used older LFS versions to bring up current ones, and > copied a recent binary LFS from another machine for the first time. > This time, I would like to be able to use distros (different from > what other people are using to test) to build release candidates. > > Ideally, I want to be able to install/replace these in the future, > telling them to only use their own partition, and then I can > chainload them from grub. Among other things, it has been suggested > that the distro controlling /boot (LFS) needs to be installed first. > > But at the moment I'm using the spinning-rust drive as a test run, > before I install a smaller SDD, and since I had no bootloader I > could let the first distro install one. > > So, I put some GPT partitions on the drive, with 4 50 GiB ones > reserved for distros, and then the first 15 GiB partition for LFS. > Then I tried to install. > > First up was mint - this went to the partition I pointed it to, and > installed grub on the disk. I did not see any option for not > installing the bootloader. But I know that other people are testing > with 'buntu-derived distros, so I'll probably let this distro go. > > Then I tried to install OpenSuSe Leap : that was from a magazine > disc (Linux Format), not from the huge full DVD. It started by > proposing a new partitioning system, with loads of partitions, and I > was unable to get rid of all of them. When I tried to edit > manually, it would not let me use '/' as the mountpoint, that was > already taken. Google found a few posts implying that OpenSuSe does > not play nicely in a multi-distro install, but perhaps that is only > for a single-drive. Whatever, I could not persuade it to install > where I wanted. > > I'm not averse to downloading the full official OpenSuSe DVD ISO, but > I suspect it is likely to have the same problem and I begrudge > burning useless DVDs. > > After that I tried Fedora 23 : there is an article on t'web from a > while ago about chainloading an older version of Fedora - basically, > stop at installing the bootloader. Unfortunately, Fedora insisted > on creatig a new partition (I did not spot that at the time - I had > asked for 50 GiB and got the same) - that implies I cannot install > it onto an existing partition. Also, there was no question about > installing a bootloader, it went ahead and did it. > > Finally : does anybody have any experience of installing Fedora, > OpenSuSe, or any other current rpm-using distro *after* LFS, to an > existing partition ? > > I'm beginning to think I might just put distros on the traditional > HD, if necessary erasing it each time, and only install one at a > time - but that seems a bit of a waste. > > After I had made sure I could set up Mint as-needed, and then > Fedora, I went back to using SystemRescueCD and installed the LFS > binary. > > Now I've got 7.8 installed and mostly working (audio not yet tested), > so I will be able to copy that (or a new build) to the SSD when I'm > clearer about exactly how I'm going to procede. So at least some of > this is going ok. > > Yes, I did get the usual "I didn't expect that" items, e.g 'make' > segfaulting when chrooted from SystemRescueCD - fortunately I already > had the right ethernet driver as a module in the binary I had copied > and I had installed LFS's grub from chroot : 'make' is fine > after booting. Fun, ain't it. > > Sorry (but only a little) for rambling > > ??en > --
Don't let 'em (2ndary-os's) fk around with your main os - at least, at (2ndary-os) install time - don't let them even see it: perhaps - if using a single machine: == * pwr-down/whatever; * disconn ssd; * connect (bare/wipeable) hdd; * boot 2ndary-os via usb-stick; * install 2ndary-os to a single (or as few as possible) hdd partn(s); * power down/whatever; * connect ssd; * boot from ssd; * then dd/cpio/cp-iax/&c from relevant hdd partn(s) to relevant ssd single partn; * then let main-os syslinux/grub/whatever control the 2ndary-os boot. == ? A second machine, &/or hot-swap/esata/external-dock (esp if bootable via), can all be useful there. akh -- -- http://lists.linuxfromscratch.org/listinfo/lfs-support FAQ: http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/blfs/faq.html Unsubscribe: See the above information page Do not top post on this list. A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read text. Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing? A: Top-posting. Q: What is the most annoying thing in e-mail? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posting_style
