DeLi Linux 0.8 Installation

This is the second diary of the DeLi Linux Diaries Series, the previous is: What is DeLi Linux?; The next will be: DeLi Linux 0.8 Configuration.

I will introduce how to install DeLi Linux 0.8 in this diary mainly, include installing from cdrom and installing from ISO file in hard disk.

First, you need download DeLi Linux 0.8, the best choice is DeLi 0.8 full ISO – with GUI (252 MB), the file name is: deli-0.8.0-full.iso. Here is downloading page: http://www.delilinux.org/wiki/doku.php?id=download. The first choice I sugguest is downloading with BT software, that is Torrent, there are some BT downloading softwares under every OS. It is no necessary to repeat it here.

For most common user, the first choice of installation way is burn the ISO file into a cdrom, then install from cdrom. See DeLi Linux Wiki page: installation:cdrom [DeLi Linux Wiki] get the manual about how to install from cdrom.

I will introduce how to install from the ISO file in hard disk mainly. You can try if you have some basic Linux knowledge.

I will only introduce a way of installing from hard disk I have used. The pre-condition is you have a bootable Linux sytem in your computer and have left an empty linux partition used to install DeLi Linux.

At first, extract the ISO file into a Linux partition. I extracted it into an EXT2 Linux partition. I have tried installation with extracting it into a Windows FAT32 partition, but, I failed. Maybe, there is some bug in “deliinstall” program, the bug maybe is related to mount FAT32 partition (See bug report page: #32:delitools:deliinstall mount fat32 partition error). I suppose your deli-0.8.0-full.iso is located in directory ” /mnt/download “, and prepare extract to directory ” /mnt/hdc3 ” (/dev/hdc3), and want install DeLi into partition ” /dev/hdc1″. The detail ISO extracting setups is:
1),Create a mount point for ISO file with root account: mkdir /mnt/isofile ;
2), Mount ISO file: mount -o loop /mnt/download/deli-0.8.0-full.iso /mnt/isofile ;
3), Copy the files in ISO file into dest directory: cp /mnt/isofile/* /mnt/hdc3/ -r ;
All the installation files have been copied into installation directory in this way, there are some directories or files like these in directory ” /mnt/hdc3 ” : Changelog, INSTALL, isolinux, pkg.

Then, edit the boot menu in your old bootable Linux sytem, I suppose you boot your old linux system with Grub. edit file ” /boot/grub/menu.lst ” according to the file ” /mnt/hdc3/isolinux/isolinux.cfg ” which is located in the installation files directory. The DeLi Installation Grub item like below:

title DiLi Linux 0.8 Installation
root (hd1,2)
kernel /isolinux/bzImage root=/dev/ram load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 ramdisk_size=6464 rw
initrd /isolinux/initrd.gz

(Note: it is only one line from the word “kernel” to the word “rw”)

If you use Lilo boot your system, here is the boot item for installing DeLi in config file ” /etc/lilo.conf ” :

image = /mnt/hdc3/isolinux/bzImage
initrd = /mnt/hdc3/isolinux/initrd.gz
append = "root=/dev/ram load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 ramdisk_size=6464 rw"
vga = normal
label = installdeli

(Note: it is a line from “append” to “rw””)

Restart machine, select boot item “DeLi Linux 0.8 Installation” in Grub boot menu (or boot item “installdeli” in Lilo boot menu) enter installing, execute “deliinstall” after prompt to start installing, steps is similar as cdrom installation in the Wiki page mentioned above. According to the prompt message to process installation steps in turn: selecting keyboard layout, selecting root partition, formating root partition, typing the device name which installation files located, selecting kernel type (if it is SCSI boot partition), selecting swap partition, formating and activating swap partition, selecting language, set password of root, set common user account, installing Lilo boot program, install softwares and finishing installation. There is only one step you need notice: when you select the location which installation packages located, you maybe make a mistake, because the installation prompt wasn’t updated when the DeLi Linux was updated. In this step, answser “NO” when ask you if search cdrom, then, it will ask you device name which include installation packages, you must enter the device name in Linux, here is “/dev/hdc3”, not the partition name in Windows like “C:”.

Additionally, in spite of you install DeLi from cdrom or hard disk, there are some tips you need notice:

1), Move between items with up, down, left, right key of keyboard, select item with space or return key, if there is “OK” item, move to it and press return key to accept your selection. The system will not prompt you for confirmation in the installation process, so, please confirm your selection carefully before press return key to next;

2), Activate swap partition before execute “deliinstall” on low memeory machine, activate it when less than 48M memory according to the official DeLi Linux Wiki (See the begin part of this Wiki page: http://www.delilinux.org/wiki/doku.php?id=installation:cdrom). The reason is the Pacman program may have problem when executed on low memory machine in installing progress. The detail steps is described below. Activate swap partition before execute “deliinstall” after start installation system. Suppose the swap partition is /dev/hdc2, the command to activate it is ” swapon /dev/hdc2 “; Please make a swap partition if it hasn’t existed. The steps of make a swap partition is: make a swap partition with type Id 82 when make partitions (e.g., with tool “Fdisk” in linux), format the swap partition with command ” mkswap /dev/hdc2 ” (change “/dev/hdc2” to your swap partition). Haary has write a light weight pacman alternate to resolve this problem, see: http://www.delilinux.org/wiki/doku.php?id=devel:0.8 ;

3), Select the third “skip” item if you plan to boot DeLi Linux with other system when install Lilo boot program; Select the first “simple” item will install boot data into MBR(Main Boot Record) of the first hard disk drive simply, this will overwrite the old boot data in the MBR of your first drive; It is a bit complicated when you select the second “expert” item. Note, because the installation tool will write the same line of “image” item for each system booting section in the config file “/etc/lilo.conf” like “image = /boot/vmlinuz”, so after you finished Lilo installation, you must modify the “etc/lilo.conf” manually if you plan to boot other system with your newly installed DeLi Linux. For my example like this ” image = /mnt/hda1/boot/vmlinuz-ide-2.4.31 “. And, after you modified file ” /etc/lilo.conf ” you should execute command “lilo” to update the MBR;

4), I suggest common user select “YES” to install “all softwares” when execute the last step of installation. Note, it will not install all packages in installation packages directory even you select “YES”. For example, some development tools will not be installed. If you want compile your own program from source, you need execute ” pacman -S devel ” to install all development tools after you configured your system.

How to install all packages if you select “NO” when execute the last step of installing process? Here is a way you can try. I have tried but I am not sure if it is 100 percent right.

First, configure the “[cdrom]” section in file “/etc/pacman.conf”, here is my example:

[cdrom]
Server = file:///mnt/hdc3/pkg

Then, execute ” pacman -Sy ” to sync your local packages database with installation source, execute ” pacman -S package name or packages group name” to install the softwares you need. For example, ” pacman -S zhcon ” to install “Zhcon” and ” pacman -S core lib xlibs net ap xserver desktop mm devel ” to install all 9 packages groups (the “core” group has been installed when you execute “deliinstall” above). I havn’t found official detail manual about packages group in DeLi’s website, maybe I have missed something. Additionally, there are still some packages which hasn’t been included in any group so you need install them manually, e.g., skipstone web browser and leafpad text editor, etc..

Additionally, I will instroduce a way for you to install DeLi Linux if you have no other system and no cdrom in you computer, that is move your hard disk into other computer with Linux system installed to install the DeLi Linux into you hard disk. Locate the Lilo boot data into your hard disk when installing Lilo program ( for my example, I select “/dev/hdc” instead of the default “/dev/hda” ). This doesn’t infect you host sytem. Then, move your hard disk back into your computer, set the same IDE number and primary or slave type of hard disk as it setted in previous host computer ( For exampe: the primary drive /dev/hdc plug into IDE2 ), set the system boot from this hard disk drive in BIOS. Install the DeLi on other faster computer will make the installation progress faster a little. If you have a floppy can boot from it and a cdrom which you can’t boot from it directly, there is still a cdrom installation way to install DeLi Linux (See the begin part of the page: CD-ROM installation ).

There will be some same files write into you disk in spite of you install DeLi Linux in this or that computer. The differentness is the next step “DeLi Linux Configuruation” I will write in the next diary.

5 Comments

[…] This is the first diary of DeLi Linux diaries Series. The next will be “DeLi Linux 0.8 Installation“. […]

[…] DeLi Linux 0.8 Installation, how to install DeLi Linux 0.8, include installing from cdrom and installing from ISO file in hard […]

[…] is the third diary of DeLi Linux Diaries Series, the previous is: DeLi Linux 0.8 Installation. The next will be: Softwares Installaiton on DeLi Linux […]

rinusSeptember 23rd, 2010 at 3:32 pm

How can i install deli 0.8.0? The link above does not exisist.
I have found a manual for deli 0.5 , but where can i download 0.5?

littlebatSeptember 24th, 2010 at 9:40 am

I don’t know if it is still available, try to get Deli 0.8 at: http://www.delilinux.org/wiki/doku.php?id=download&rev=1269016808
I don’t know where to get 0.5.

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