Re: Starting an install from linux

["Andrew Smith" <rhml2 k1k2 com>]

> On Fri, Jun 13, 2003 16:57:44 at 04:57:44PM +1000, Andrew Smith wrote:
>> Hi,
>> anyone think of an easy way to start an install
>> from a running linux system?
>>
>> I've got RH8.0 on a system and want to replace it
>> with RH9 (install - not upgrade)
>>
>> Of course I could just make a boot floppy if the
>> floppy drive wasn't so unreliable :-(
>> Last time I did it using the floppy but it took a
>> few floppy-disks and a few tries before it worked.
>> The computer will not boot from CD.
>>
>> Since there is support for doing this from DOS I
>> thought it should be possible from linux also :-)
>>
> Create a directory /newboot
> copy the images from the cdrom to /newboot
> modify LILO/GRUB configuration to boot with those images in /newboot
> put cdrom#1 inside
> reboot: the bootloader will start the images in /newboot, they will
> immediately go fetch stuff from the cdrom, and here you go
>
> Details left as exercise for the reader
>
> 	Ciao,
> 		Marco Fioretti

Marco,
thanks for the hint.

Anyone else interested in full steps, here's what I did.
I have a separate /boot partition (1st partition on the HDD)
so your setup may be slightly different
I used the /boot partition for the new files.

Mount the CD.

cp /mnt/cdrom/images/pxeboot/initrd.img /boot/pxeinitrd
cp /mnt/cdrom/images/pxeboot/vmlinuz /boot/pxelinuz

Add to /etc/grub.conf:

title PXE boot
    root (hd0,0)
    kernel /pxelinuz ro
    initrd /pxeinitrd

Don't forget to select this during the reboot :-)
and leave the CD in the CD drive.

P.S. I just now got up to the "Welcome to Red Hat Linux"
GUI screen so I assume the rest will work OK.

-- 
-Cheers
-Andrew

MS ... if only he hadn't been hang gliding!