Re: Why use Debian? Why not Red Hat?
Koyote wrote:
> > It would be nice if Debian had a similar one-floppy net install arrangement.
>
> Hmm, seems to me that though it may take a bit more (nine floppies for slink) the same thing
> is available.....
> Shouldn't be too hard to set up an install based on three floppies (the standard resc,
> driver, and a very limited base ftp disk).
Ah, but any more than one is a problem for a machine with a USB floppy drive!
I think you're missing my point. RedHat has a floppy+CD system, with an extra floppy for PCMCIA
drivers for some laptops. There's a third floppy which can do the install on its own from the
net, and includes support for ftp, nfs or http install. I'm suggesting the creation of such a
floppy, *separate from*, not in addition to, the base floppies (though I suppose it is an
"additional" floppy in some ways).
> BUT- I'd rather have the base floppies, just in case I have to fart around with getting
> a dial up configured...
Oh, for certain! But it's not always an option.
> AND, you could install everything by d/l ing on a dos partition (if you are keeping
> one) and read packages from there. (You could do it from floppies, but that would be a bit
> time consuming....)
Sure, if you want to forfeit the Windows EULA refund. :-P
The solution on my VAIO Z505S was:
Use the Debian tecra rescue disk to start the install, re-partition the disk without touching
/dev/hda4 because it's used for hibernation, but labeling the future swap partition as ext2, and
the future root partition as swap. (I used Debian here just because I like the partition tool
better than RedHat's.)
Then I booted the RedHat net install floppy, and specified root should go in the future swap
partition, and swap in the future root partition (only because RedHat insists you provide swap).
It recognized the onboard EtherExpressPro 100 and did a proper ftp install. But don't use the
standard Server or Workstation setup, because they partition and wipe the entire drive, including
that important /dev/hda4! (I accidentally used Server, so I had to backtrack, repartition, and
now I can't hibernate. Oh no!)
Then I downloaded the tecra rescue and drivers images into the RedHat partition, along with the
base tgz file.
I then booted Debian tecra rescue, and re-labeled the swap partition as root, but did not set up
swap, and loaded the system from the RedHat partition. Installing the eepro100 module enabled the
ethernet card, allowing dselect to get everything from the http/ftp (worked the first time-
cool!). After installing, all that remained was to mkswap in the RadHat partition, edit
/etc/fstab accordingly, and swapon.
Debian install complete, never used Windows! But had to detour to RedHat to make it work. Hence
the suggestion: a single floppy net install for Debian would be real nice. But might be not worth
the effort, especially with USB support coming in soon- though that would have to be compiled in
to the rescue floppy's kernel (not as a module), which would bloat it somewhat. :-(
Hope this helps someone,
-Adam P.
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