Need help with unsual installation

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Need help with unsual installation

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Started 8 years ago by Ceel
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Ceel

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Administrator
Hi all,

I want to do a full install SliTaz 4.0 on my work computer but I'm not authorized neither to install a bootloader nor to create a new partition. And I don't want to install SliTaz on the root of the hard disk but in a directory

I thought I found the solution in the unsual installation doc, with the Subdirectory install in a non-Posix filesystem. Unfotunately not.

What I've done:
- created a directory /Private/slitaz/4.0base on my HD
- copy the kernel in /Private/slitaz/4.0base/boot
- mount the directory: mount.posixovl /mnt/Private/slitaz/4.0base
- installed the file system: unlzma -c /media/cdrom/boot/rootfs4.gz | ( cd /Private/slitaz/4.0base ; cpio -idmu )
All seems OK. I boot from grub4dos (installed on a stick).My menu entry in menu.lst:
```
title  SliTaz 4.0 base (kernel 2.6.37, "posixovl install" on sda2)
       root (hd0,0)
       kernel (hd1,1)/Private/slitaz/4.0base/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.37-slitaz mount=/dev/sda2 subroot=Private/slitaz/4.0base posixovl
```
But at boot:
VFS: Cannot open root device "(null)" or unknown-block(0,66) Please append a correct "root=" boot option; here are the available partitions: ...
It seems the kernel is waiting for a root option and don't use the subroot option. I tried to add root=/dev/sda2 before subroot=Private/slitaz/4.0base but in this case:
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(8,2)
What did I do wrong or forget?

Thanks in advance
Posted 8 years ago #
Ceel

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Administrator

I've diplayed in grub4dos shell the list of the available commands. There is neither mount nor subroot. I tried with grub but there is still less commands...
Is it specific to our light SliTaz packages? Do I have to install grub4dos/grub legacy from sources?
Or are mount and subroot option that the kernel should recognize?

Posted 8 years ago #
mojo

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Key Master

This is why you can't open root device:
Reread the directions and look at the Boot setup.
The initrd line points to the slitaz-preinit rootfs.gz
The /init script is supposed to mount the subroot folder as the rootfs
Not working for me:
I tried with a 5.0 pre-init frugal install booted with grub loader on fat32 formated drive.
Slitaz preinit /bzImage and /rootfs.gz are on same partition as /slitaz
System fails to switch root to the extracted 5.0 base rootfs in /slitaz folder and drops to preinit busybox shell.

Posted 8 years ago #
Ceel

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Administrator

Hello mojo,

Thank you for your answer. It helped me to come back on the right way.
That's better but...
I can see during the boot this message:
Mounting /dev/sda2 ... mount: mounting /dev/sda2 on /mnt failed: Invalid argument

I booted the preinit ISO without the mount and subroot options in the kernel line, login as root. fdisk -l finds /dev/sda1 and /dev/sda2 (NTFS system both). Then I tried:
mount /dev/sda2 /mnt mount: mounting /dev/sda2 on /mnt failed: Invalid argument
What can be this invalid argument?

Posted 8 years ago #
Ceel

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Administrator

Maybe a hint.

Made the same test than above on 2 other computers (booted preinit ISO, login as root); no problem to mount partitions. The first time I run the mount command, the kernel loads the module btrfs.

Go back on my work computer. Booted preinit ISO, login as root, loaded btrfs module; I can now mount sda2.
I added modprobe=btrfs in the kernel line and reboot but unfotunately, still mount: mounting /dev/sda2 on /mnt failed: Invalid argument and boot ends in a kernel panic.

Posted 8 years ago #

Bellard

offline

Key Master

Try to use http://mirror1.slitaz.org/iso/4.0/flavors/slitaz-4.0-preinit.iso rootfs to load btrfs early, then boot directly from the hard disk. See http://doc.slitaz.org/en:guides:uncommoninst#subdirectory-install-in-a-non-posix-filesystem

title  SliTaz 4.0 base (kernel 2.6.37, "posixovl install" on sda2)
      root (hd0,0)
      map --mem --heads=0 --sectors-per-track=0 (hd0,0)/boot/slitaz-4.0-preinit.iso (hd32)
      map --hook
      kernel (hd1,1)/Private/slitaz/4.0base/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.37-slitaz mount=/dev/sda2 subroot=Private/slitaz/4.0base posixovl
      initrd (hd32)/boot/rootfs.gz

Note: you can use the rootfs.gz from slitaz-4.0.iso or slitaz-base-4.0.iso too

title  SliTaz 4.0 base (kernel 2.6.37, "posixovl install" on sda2)
      root (hd0,0)
      kernel (hd1,1)/Private/slitaz/4.0base/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.37-slitaz mount=/dev/sda2 subroot=Private/slitaz/4.0base posixovl
      initrd (hd1,1)Private/slitaz/4.0base/boot/rootfs.gz

Posted 8 years ago #

Ceel

offline
Administrator
@Bellard,

Thanks for your help.
- Your solution #1: hangs at boot with the 2 lines
  [Linux-bzImage, setup=0x3400, size=0x25d3f0] [Linux-initrd @ 0x7f2c4000, 0x503229 bytes]
  
  I'd already tried something similar a few days ago with the same issue. The system systematically hangs when I ask to grub to load or the kernel or the roofs or both from hd32 and yet it finds the files.
- Your solution #2: mount: mounting /dev/sda2 on /mnt failed: Invalid argument :-(
I finally tested it on one of my old computers with the kernel and the rootfs on HD (sol #2); it worked... It seems really linked to this damned new Fujitsu.

Well, if I run the preinit ISO and load btrfs manually, is it possible to run the init script then? How do I do to indicate the subroot? Or is it possible only during boot?
Posted 8 years ago #

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