Installing Slackware and Gentoo
1.Introduction
In this guide we will install both Slackware and Gentoo. We will use Slackware to install Gentoo.Lets get started.
2.Obtain Install CDs
We are going to need two install CDs for this project.Lets get Slackware 10.1.
Now lets get the Gentoo install CD
We don't really need this CD, but it is great to have around, just in case. The most important file to download is the stage file, also available at this location.
3.Installing Slackware
We only need the first Slackware cd to give us everything we need.We will have xorg,fluxbox and mozilla around if we need to ask for some help at
or just surf the forums while gentoo is compiling.Here is a great guide for installing slackware.
Here is another good one
When we set up the partitions we will need at least
- /boot hda1 ext3 (32M)
- / hda2 reiserfs (this is for slackware)
- / hda3 (create it with fdisk,this is for gentoo)
- swap hda4 swap (512M)
4.Installing Gentoo
This is in no way better than the Gentoo Install Guide just our take on it
- (Make sure your time and date is correct. If wrong, set it with date MMDDhhmmCCYY )#date
- (Make the directory for gentoo) # mkdir /mnt/gentoo
- (Format the /root partition) # mkreiserfs /dev/hda3
- (Mount the root partition) # mount /dev/hda3 /mnt/gentoo
- (Create the boot mountpoint) # mkdir /mnt/gentoo/boot
- (Mount the boot partition) # mount /dev/hda1 /mnt/gentoo/boot
- (Go to the mountpoint) # cd /mnt/gentoo
- ( download the latest stage3 tarball)
- ( ... and extract) # tar -xvjpf stage<your stage>.tar.bz2
- (Copy over nameserver information) # cp -L /etc/resolv.conf /mnt/gentoo/etc/resolv.conf
- (Mount the proc filesystem) # mount -o bind /proc /mnt/gentoo/proc
- (Flushing the environment)# env -i HOME=$HOME TERM=$TERM chroot /mnt/gentoo /bin/bash
- (Load the necessary variables) # env-update; source /etc/profile
- (update Portage) # emerge --sync
5.Creating /etc/fstab
Then edit your fstab to look similar to the one below making sure to compensate for differences in partition schemes and removable drives and media.
nano -w /etc/fstab
- /dev/hda1 /boot ext3 defaults,noatime 1 2
- /dev/hda4 none swap sw 0 0
- /dev/hda3 / reiserfs noatail 0 1
- none /proc proc defaults 0 0
- none /dev/shm tmpfs defaults 0 0
- /dev/cdroms/cdrom0 /mnt/cdrom iso9660 noauto,user 0 0
6.Installing the kernel
We have gone this far,lets manually configure our kernel
Manual Configuration
#emerge gentoo-dev-sources
#cd /usr/src/linux
#make menuconfig
First Make sure we have support for our filesystem
This must be compiled directly into the kernel
File systems
CONFIG_EXT2_FS is not set
# CONFIG_EXT3_FS=y
CONFIG_JBD is not set
#CONFIG_REISERFS_FS=y
CONFIG_REISERFS_CHECK is not set
CONFIG_REISERFS_PROC_INFO is not set
CONFIG_REISERFS_FS_XATTR is not set
CONFIG_JFS_FS is not set
CONFIG_XFS_FS is not set
CONFIG_MINIX_FS is not set
CONFIG_ROMFS_FS is not set
CONFIG_QUOTA is not set
#CONFIG_DNOTIFY=y
CONFIG_AUTOFS_FS is not set
#CONFIG_AUTOFS4_FS=y
Pseudo filesystems
#CONFIG_PROC_FS=y
#CONFIG_PROC_KCORE=y
#CONFIG_SYSFS=y
#CONFIG_DEVFS_FS=y
CONFIG_DEVFS_MOUNT is not set
CONFIG_DEVFS_DEBUG is not set
CONFIG_DEVPTS_FS_XATTR is not set
#CONFIG_TMPFS=y
CONFIG_TMPFS_XATTR is not set
CONFIG_HUGETLBFS is not set
CONFIG_HUGETLB_PAGE is not set
#CONFIG_RAMFS=y
Make sure your chipset and drives are compiled directly into the kernel. Don't forget to select networking and soundcard support"*"and your soundcard and ethernet card as modules"m"
Take your time and when ready compile your kernel. From here onwards we assume that the kernel you are installing is the 2.6.10-gentoo-r6 version.
#make && make modules_install
#cp arch/i386/boot/bzImage /boot/kernel-2.6.10-gentoo-r9
#cp System.map /boot/System.map-2.6.10-gentoo-r9
#mkdir /mnt/slackware
#mount /dev/hda2 /mnt/slackware
#cp /lib/modules/2.6.10-gentoo-r6 /mnt/slackware/lib/modules
7.Configuring your System
- echo tux > /etc/hostname (setting the hostname)
- echo homenetwork > /etc/dnsdomainname (setting the domainname)
- rc-update add domainname default (adding the domainname to the default runlevel)
8.Configuring your Network
Too much to cover here,check this out;
Automatically Start Networking at Boot
rc-update add net.eth0 default
If you use dhcp lets emerge it now
emerge dhcpcd
9.Install additional tools
(Install system logger; choice: sysklogd, metalog, msyslog, syslog-ng)
emerge syslog-ng
(Have the systemlogger automatically started at boot)
rc-update add syslog-ng default
(Install cron daemon; choice: vixie-cron, dcron, fcron)
emerge vixie-cron
(Have the cron daemon automatically started at boot)
rc-update add vixie-cron default
(install hotplug)
emerge hotplug
(have hotplug automatically started at boot)
rc-update add hotplug default
(reiserfsprogs)
emerge reiserfsprogs
For udev
Next we will be using udev so check this out
- emerge coldplug
- rc-update add coldplug default
- emerge udev
edit /etc/conf.d/rc
(Set root password)
passwd
(Create a user)
useradd your_user -m -G users,wheel,audio -s /bin/bash
(Set password for that user)
passwd your_user
(Set the hostsfile, ex:"127.0.0.1 localhost mymachine")
nano -w /etc/hosts
(Configure basic system settings; follow comments)
nano -w /etc/rc.conf
(Setup networking; dhcp-users should set iface_eth0="dhcp")
nano -w /etc/conf.d/net
Now lets make sure we didn't forget anything
- Check it here
(Exiting the chroot)
exit; cd /
(Unmounting partitions)
umount /mnt/gentoo/boot /mnt/gentoo/proc /mnt/gentoo
(Reboot)
reboot
Setting Up lilo
Note: Lilo is not the default boot loader for Gentoo.
O.K. almost done,now the easy part,reboot into Slackware
open up /etc/lilo.conf
pico -w /etc/lilo.conf
add this to the bottom
image = /boot/kernel-2.6.10-gentoo-r6
root = /dev/hda4
label = Gentoo
read-only
ctrl o plus enter to save ctrl x to exit
Make sure to run /sbin/lilo
Sources
- Gentoo Linux x86 Handbook (www.gentoo.org)
- bitbenderforums (www.bitbenderforums.com)
- Gentoo Linux Documentation (www.gentoo.org)
- Slackware Handbook (handbook.madpenguin.org)
- Shilo's Slackware Page (shilo.is-a-geek.com)