New install image that can create ext4 partitions?

Xi0N · 2008-12-29 00:10:50

With the new kernel releases, the ext4 feature is finally in our hands, but the current cd iso images of arch are unable to use this capabilityes.
I really dont want to sound like if i were saying that the devs mush do this.... id like to have some words of a date or something similar, or even if the devs have in mind a new release of the installer including this improvements.
So here is my question: Is there any plan to release a new Arch installation image in the near future?
Id rather prefer to install ext4 form the beginning than try to convert my ext3 partitions to ext4, because, even you back the data up, there is allways some extra risk than if you just create the file systems in this format.

Thanks!

Last edited by Xi0N (2008-12-29 00:11:07)

Dieter@be · 2008-12-29 11:00:06

There were plans to release a new iso one of these days, but it was based on 2.6.27. I don't know how/if those plans have changed.

iBertus · 2009-01-04 07:18:04

Just to update, I managed to do a clean install onto ext4+RAID+LVM using tpowa's 2008.12 image by installing the latest e2fsprogs with pacman (just manually setup the networking after boot) and then skipping the partition setup portion of the installer. You'll have to manually format the partitions and add all the fstab entries, but that's pretty easy. Just be sure to add rootfstype=ext4dev to the kernel command line until you can install a 2.6.28 kernel. You can then be change the entries from ext4dev to just ext4.

I'm just going to wait until 2.6.28 is out of testing before making the switch.

Xi0N · 2009-01-24 16:29:29

Isnt there still any plan on releasing a new install image that could set the partitions in ext4 from the beginning instead of having to convert them afterwards?

Dieter@be · 2009-01-24 16:31:50

Xi0N wrote:

Isnt there still any plan on releasing a new install image that could set the partitions in ext4 from the beginning instead of having to convert them afterwards?

Yes we are working on it. Expect it soon...

Xi0N · 2009-01-24 16:41:43

Dieter@be wrote:

Xi0N wrote:
Isnt there still any plan on releasing a new install image that could set the partitions in ext4 from the beginning instead of having to convert them afterwards?
Yes we are working on it. Expect it soon...

Thanks for the reply!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dieter@be · 2009-01-24 16:42:38

Xi0N wrote:

Thanks for the reply!!!!!!!!!!!!

My pleasure !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

nowahn · 2009-01-24 20:36:23

Xi0N wrote:

Id rather prefer to install ext4 form the beginning than try to convert my ext3 partitions to ext4,

you can install archlinux with ext4 if you have a 1GB pen drive or an external hard drive :
install archlinux on this media, upgrade it, start from it and install archlinux on your computer with the -r option of pacman and chroot.
I did it a coupje of days ago and it's working fine
note : I have a separate /boot partition in ext2 because I'm not sure grub can read ext4
note 2: backup your main config files before starting, especially those that the installer fills, they will be empty (or nearly) with this method

Dieter@be · 2009-01-24 20:38:28

nowahn wrote:

Xi0N wrote:
Id rather prefer to install ext4 form the beginning than try to convert my ext3 partitions to ext4,
you can install archlinux with ext4 if you have a 1GB pen drive or an external hard drive :
install archlinux on this media, upgrade it, start from it and install archlinux on your computer with the -r option of pacman and chroot.
I did it a coupje of days ago and it's working fine
note : I have a separate /boot partition in ext2 because I'm not sure grub can read ext4
note 2: backup your main config files before starting, especially those that the installer fills, they will be empty (or nearly) with this method

You can also just 'pacman -Sy arch-installer' to get the installer on the usb stick (on any arch system) and run it

Xi0N · 2009-01-25 00:31:01

Dieter@be wrote:

nowahn wrote:
Xi0N wrote:
Id rather prefer to install ext4 form the beginning than try to convert my ext3 partitions to ext4,
you can install archlinux with ext4 if you have a 1GB pen drive or an external hard drive :
install archlinux on this media, upgrade it, start from it and install archlinux on your computer with the -r option of pacman and chroot.
I did it a coupje of days ago and it's working fine
note : I have a separate /boot partition in ext2 because I'm not sure grub can read ext4
note 2: backup your main config files before starting, especially those that the installer fills, they will be empty (or nearly) with this method
You can also just 'pacman -Sy arch-installer' to get the installer on the usb stick (on any arch system) and run it

Is there any wiki on how to do this? Sounds easy to be done.......
Thanks!!

Dieter@be · 2009-01-25 09:20:51

Xi0N wrote:

Dieter@be wrote:
You can also just 'pacman -Sy arch-installer' to get the installer on the usb stick (on any arch system) and run it
Is there any wiki on how to do this? Sounds easy to be done.......
Thanks!!

it *is* easy. Just pacman -Sy archlinux-installer && /arch/setup
If you want the use the new experimental installer (with support for lvm, dm_crypt etc) you can do: pacman -Sy aif && /arch/aif -p interactive

nowahn · 2009-01-25 13:09:57

Dieter@be wrote:

You can also just 'pacman -Sy arch-installer' to get the installer on the usb stick (on any arch system) and run it

thanks for this info, I didn't know. too late for me but it will help others:)

Xi0N · 2009-01-25 14:18:34

Is there any howto about install the system on a usb stick?
You mean, instead of install in the hard disk, install the whole system on a usb stick and be abe to run it from there?
Interesting....

nowahn · 2009-01-25 15:48:53

Xi0N wrote:

Is there any howto about install the system on a usb stick?

no need for a specific wiki. just plug your usb stick before booting from the install CD, it should be in /dev as sdb or sdc (that is after your hard drives). install archlinux as usual, you'll only have to answer yes when you are asked about support for booting from usb (and you should use UUIDs in fstab and menu.lst)

Xi0N · 2009-01-25 17:06:49

Ok, i will give it try
Thanks!

Xi0N · 2009-01-25 22:30:05

I already installed arch on a 1 Gb stick, and installed grub on it (sdb) but grub seems to hang up on the beginning... does not even show me the options to boot arch.
I did a normal install... only one / partition, and i edited ony rc.conf for the locales and etc.... did i miss something?
Thanks

Xi0N · 2009-01-26 00:20:09

Ok, i got it: SOme problem while installing maybe... i just reinstalled it and now i can choose the boot options in grub (normal and fallback) whatever i choose i allways get the same message saying something like if the system were unable to recognise the filesystem.
Its weird because the filesystem is ext3.
There is only one partition, that during the installation was sdb1. I installed grub in sdb
The lines in /boot/grub/menu.lst look like this:

# (0) Arch Linux
title  Arch Linux
root   (hd1,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 root=/dev/disk/by-uuid/674c7b1e-2b2a-4bc4-a940-66639246f424 ro
initrd /boot/kernel26.img

When i change root (hd1,0) for root (hd1,1) I get some different messages and an error that throws me to a prompt (ramfs?)

My /etc/fstab looks like this:

# 
# /etc/fstab: static file system information
#
# <file system>        <dir>         <type>    <options>          <dump> <pass>
none                   /dev/pts      devpts    defaults            0      0
none                   /dev/shm      tmpfs     defaults            0      0


/dev/cdrom /media/cdrom   auto    ro,user,noauto,unhide   0      0
/dev/dvd /media/dvd   auto    ro,user,noauto,unhide   0      0
UUID=674c7b1e-2b2a-4bc4-a940-66639246f424 / ext3 defaults 0 1

What am i doing wrong?

oli · 2009-01-26 17:39:57

Try hd0,0 for root - should do the magic.

Xi0N · 2009-01-27 16:42:44

Ok, my USB stick is ready for installing arch.
The question is: Should I create the ext4 partitions prior ro the installation or am i able to format from the install (like i did until now) and choose ext4 instead of ext3?
Appart from this, is there any thing else that should be done? or just installing the system on an ext4 partition will be all?
I will *try* to give it a try today.

Thanks!

toad · 2009-01-27 20:22:32

I did it using the installer - worked fine. Don't know whether the latest parted/gparted supports ext4 but reckon parted is up to scratch at least.

Xi0N · 2009-01-28 10:40:09

Installed and working!! No need to wait for a new version of the installer CD/USB image to come out

Thanks!!

DaveKong · 2009-01-29 23:53:04

There is a wiki page about installing onto a usb flash key although it is hard to find and could use some additions. See http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ins … _a_USB_key . I tried doing it and I am not sure whether I did everything right or not. The install succeeded, but, when I try to boot, my BIOS does not reconize any usb device as being present.

I tried the stick on my laptop and it appears to work (except for the fact that it is an x86-64 install and my laptop is i686). Guess I need to try all the different usb ports.

Last edited by DaveKong (2009-01-30 00:13:53)

Arch Linux

#1 2008-12-29 00:10:50

New install image that can create ext4 partitions?

#2 2008-12-29 11:00:06

Re: New install image that can create ext4 partitions?

#3 2009-01-04 07:18:04

Re: New install image that can create ext4 partitions?

#4 2009-01-24 16:29:29

Re: New install image that can create ext4 partitions?

#5 2009-01-24 16:31:50

Re: New install image that can create ext4 partitions?

#6 2009-01-24 16:41:43

Re: New install image that can create ext4 partitions?

#7 2009-01-24 16:42:38

Re: New install image that can create ext4 partitions?

#8 2009-01-24 20:36:23

Re: New install image that can create ext4 partitions?

#9 2009-01-24 20:38:28

Re: New install image that can create ext4 partitions?

#10 2009-01-25 00:31:01

Re: New install image that can create ext4 partitions?

#11 2009-01-25 09:20:51

Re: New install image that can create ext4 partitions?

#12 2009-01-25 13:09:57

Re: New install image that can create ext4 partitions?

#13 2009-01-25 14:18:34

Re: New install image that can create ext4 partitions?

#14 2009-01-25 15:48:53

Re: New install image that can create ext4 partitions?

#15 2009-01-25 17:06:49

Re: New install image that can create ext4 partitions?

#16 2009-01-25 22:30:05

Re: New install image that can create ext4 partitions?

#17 2009-01-26 00:20:09

Re: New install image that can create ext4 partitions?

#18 2009-01-26 17:39:57

Re: New install image that can create ext4 partitions?

#19 2009-01-27 16:42:44

Re: New install image that can create ext4 partitions?

#20 2009-01-27 20:22:32

Re: New install image that can create ext4 partitions?

#21 2009-01-28 10:40:09

Re: New install image that can create ext4 partitions?

#22 2009-01-29 23:53:04

Re: New install image that can create ext4 partitions?

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