Arch Linux

torindan2

Member

Registered: 2004-07-15

Posts: 74

Q : How to run debian inside of arch

Hi, I have a question

I really love arch, but the project i'm working on requires Debian (stable) meaning : old gcc(3.3.5), xfree86, debian tools, filesystem layout and so on.

I have a 2 (actually more) partitions one with debian, one with arch. Right now choose on boot one or another.

I'd like to run debian inside of arch, but not via VmWare or qemu or some other emulator because I need things to compile quick (this IS a big project) and run at native speed (really important)

Newer kernel in arch is not an issue(or at least shouldn't be) but versions of tools and libraries as well as file locations are critical.

Any ideas ?

Dusty

Schwag Merchant

From: Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada

Registered: 2004-01-18

Posts: 5,986

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Re: Q : How to run debian inside of arch

You might look into User Mode Linux. Xentac was using it to run Arch inside of Arch for a while. I don't know if this is like an emulator or not.

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CyberTron

Member

From: Gotland ,Sweden

Registered: 2005-03-17

Posts: 645

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Re: Q : How to run debian inside of arch

my bet would be to go for either user mode linux, or kqemu (which runs at quite near native speed)

but then again, the best solution might be to use that second partition and install debian side by side...

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cactus

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From: t͈̫̹ͨa͖͕͎̱͈ͨ͆ć̥̖̝o̫̫̼s͈̭̱̞͍̃!̰

Registered: 2004-05-25

Posts: 4,622

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Re: Q : How to run debian inside of arch

use Xen. only 6% overhead.. near native speed.
UML sucks comparatively. Linux vserver is a little better...but still quite a bit slower and more complicated to setup..

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torindan2

Member

Registered: 2004-07-15

Posts: 74

Re: Q : How to run debian inside of arch

I'm not sure if I need such complications...

1. I need that modification to be there (it it a real partition so if i will boot in debian my changes should be there) not a virtual disk probably readonly and write on real disk strongly discouraged and so on.

2. Linux vserver sounds good, I'll try to see if that will work.

3. Maybe I can simply chroot into that partition... but i'm not sure if i will have  debian only environment. The only thing I REALLY need is tools, libs and paths should be debian's, I don't need a separated running linux, virtualization and stuff.

zezaz

Member

From: Bordeaux, France

Registered: 2004-04-26

Posts: 80

Website

Re: Q : How to run debian inside of arch

Hi torindan2,

You should have a look to debootstrap. That way you would only need a chroot inside your debian tree, without the CPU and memory overhead of a virtual machine on top of your Archlinux.

Procedure (from what i remember) :
- go to packages.debian.org
- choose "debootstrap"
- download the source code of debootstrap (it is a shell script)
- call it with the right parameters (AFAIR it required to read the source, but it is quite readable)
- now debian is installed in the directory of your choice.
- chroot a shell inside that tree
- update the fstab for the proc and sys filesystems of the debian tree

and here you go, Debian inside Arch