[gentoo-user] gentoo install on Dell restore partition... live?

[gentoo-user] gentoo install on Dell restore partition... live?

[Michael Higgins]

So, I finally got the OK to nuke another Dell winbox. My dream is to:

* Partition the restore partition (3.6 GB) for any small linux
installation 

* make that partition active, bootable, with grub installed

* reboot and ssh into that linux machine to finish by toasting NTFS
partition and making it my gentoo system '/' as per usual...

Can this be done without physical access to the machine which is
currently running windows XP? I am administrator and get 'there' via
RDP.

Any suggestions appreciated in advance.

Cheers,

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Re: [gentoo-user] gentoo install on Dell restore partition... live?

[Robert Bridge]

On Mon, 14 Jul 2008 22:31:03 -0700
Michael Higgins <linux@evolone.org> wrote:

> Can this be done without physical access to the machine which is
> currently running windows XP? I am administrator and get 'there' via
> RDP.

Yes. If there is nothing easier, a coLinux set-up would let you do the
first step, I don't know about cygwin, it may also let you install to
the restore partition. 
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[gentoo-user] Re: gentoo install on Dell restore partition... live?

[Nikos Chantziaras]

Michael Higgins wrote:
> So, I finally got the OK to nuke another Dell winbox. My dream is to:
> 
> * Partition the restore partition (3.6 GB) for any small linux
> installation 
> 
> * make that partition active, bootable, with grub installed
> 
> * reboot and ssh into that linux machine to finish by toasting NTFS
> partition and making it my gentoo system '/' as per usual...
> 
> Can this be done without physical access to the machine which is
> currently running windows XP? I am administrator and get 'there' via
> RDP.

It is possible: http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/altinstall.xml#doc_chap5

But not really recommended because if you do something wrong (wrong grub 
config, SSH misconfiguration, etc.) you'll need to go there and get 
physical access.

Also, instead of installing a downloaded tarball, you can just clone the 
existing Gentoo installation into the new partition and boot from it. 
This usually means:

'cp -a' your existing / to your target / (except /dev, /sys and /proc). 
   If you mounted your target / as /root/target, you do:

cp -a /usr /root/hd
(repeat this for all directories in your current / *EXCEPT* /dev, /proc, 
/sys and /lost+found)

mkdir /root/hd/dev
mkdir /root/hd/proc
mkdir /root/hd/sys
mknod /root/hd/dev/console c 5 1
mknod /root/hd/null c 1 3
touch /root/hd/dev/.keep
touch /root/hd/proc/.keep
touch /root/hd/sys/.keep

Now chroot into it:

mount -t proc none /root/mnt/proc
mount -o bind /dev /mnt/gentoo/dev
chroot /root/hd /bin/bash

Now edit /etc/fstab to use the new partitions, edit /boot/grub/grub.conf 
and reinstall grub:

grub
root (hd0,0)    <-- sustitute with what you really have/want
setup
quit

Now change your SSH config to allow for root login!  (Or add a normal 
user if you don't want that.)  In any case, check your SSH config.

You're ready.  Leave the chroot and unmount:

exit
umount /root/hd/dev
umount /root/hd/proc

If you've set up grub correctly while in the chroot, you can now reboot 
and the new system should come up.  If not, I hope it's not a long drive 
or walk to get physical access :P

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[gentoo-user] Re: gentoo install on Dell restore partition... live?

[Nikos Chantziaras]

Nikos Chantziaras wrote:
> 'cp -a' your existing / to your target / (except /dev, /sys and /proc). 
>   If you mounted your target / as /root/target

/root/hd, but I'm sure you were able to figure out the typo in your own ;)

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[gentoo-user] Re: gentoo install on Dell restore partition... live?

[Nikos Chantziaras]

Nikos Chantziaras wrote:
> mount -t proc none /root/mnt/proc
> mount -o bind /dev /mnt/gentoo/dev

Bah, too much copy&paste without paying attention (it's early and no 
coffee yet :P)  Should of course be:

mount -t proc none /root/hd/proc
mount -o bind /dev /root/hd/dev

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Re: [gentoo-user] Re: gentoo install on Dell restore partition... live?

[Neil Bothwick]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 562 bytes --]

On Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:43:33 +0300, Nikos Chantziaras wrote:

> 'cp -a' your existing / to your target / (except /dev, /sys and /proc). 
>    If you mounted your target / as /root/target, you do:
> 
> cp -a /usr /root/hd
> (repeat this for all directories in your current /
> *EXCEPT* /dev, /proc, /sys and /lost+found)
> 
> mkdir /root/hd/dev
> mkdir /root/hd/proc
> mkdir /root/hd/sys

Or replace all this with one command

cp -al / /root/hd

or, my preference

rsync -ax / /root/hd/



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SUBLIMINALsendmoneyTAGLINE

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[gentoo-user] Re: gentoo install on Dell restore partition... live?

[Nikos Chantziaras]

Neil Bothwick wrote:
> On Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:43:33 +0300, Nikos Chantziaras wrote:
> 
>> 'cp -a' your existing / to your target / (except /dev, /sys and /proc). 
>>    If you mounted your target / as /root/target, you do:
>>
>> cp -a /usr /root/hd
>> (repeat this for all directories in your current /
>> *EXCEPT* /dev, /proc, /sys and /lost+found)
>>
>> mkdir /root/hd/dev
>> mkdir /root/hd/proc
>> mkdir /root/hd/sys
> 
> Or replace all this with one command
> 
> cp -al / /root/hd

I assume you meant 'cp -ax' :P

That's indeed faster than typing everything by hand and I forgot about it ;P


> or, my preference
> 
> rsync -ax / /root/hd/

Well, /root/hd is empty so there's nothing to win with rsync other than 
it being slower than cp.  But it does the job too, anyway.

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Re: [gentoo-user] Re: gentoo install on Dell restore partition... live?

[Neil Bothwick]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 586 bytes --]

On Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:42:20 +0300, Nikos Chantziaras wrote:

> I assume you meant 'cp -ax' :P

I did, it's tar that uses -l for this.

> > rsync -ax / /root/hd/  
> 
> Well, /root/hd is empty so there's nothing to win with rsync other than 
> it being slower than cp.  But it does the job too, anyway.

It preserves directory time stamps, which cp does not. It's not slower
because the destination is empty so the initial file scan takes no longer
than with cp. Oh, and you can stop and restart it.


-- 
Neil Bothwick

Do not underestimate the power of the Force.

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Re: [gentoo-user] Re: gentoo install on Dell restore partition... live?

[Michael Higgins]

On Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:52:20 +0100
Neil Bothwick <neil@digimed.co.uk> wrote:

> On Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:42:20 +0300, Nikos Chantziaras wrote:
> 
> > I assume you meant 'cp -ax' :P
> 
> I did, it's tar that uses -l for this.
> 
> > > rsync -ax / /root/hd/  
> > 
> > Well, /root/hd is empty so there's nothing to win with rsync other
> > than it being slower than cp.  But it does the job too, anyway.
> 
> It preserves directory time stamps, which cp does not. It's not slower
> because the destination is empty so the initial file scan takes no
> longer than with cp. Oh, and you can stop and restart it.
> 
> 

OK Guys, thanks for the tips. I'll be trying later this week, just in
case Saturday means a trip to the physical location. :(

Cheers,

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