Arch Linux

usenix

Member

From: Bremen, EU

Registered: 2004-06-30

Posts: 14

installing bootloader on floppy?

hi everybody,

during the installation of arch there is apparently no way to install grub on the floppy drive. i must not overwrite the mbr since it is a computer at work. have you any suggestions how to install archlinux in a manner that i can boot it from floppy?

T-Dawg

Forum Fellow

From: Charlotte, NC

Registered: 2005-01-29

Posts: 2,736

Re: installing bootloader on floppy?

can't you switch to a terminal while in the install disk and do
grub-install /dev/fd0?

EDIT: or the grub> root (x,y) setup route?

usenix

Member

From: Bremen, EU

Registered: 2004-06-30

Posts: 14

Re: installing bootloader on floppy?

without success. but at least i can boot arch with a start disk from an ancient suse installation which had the same partition scheme.

paperinik

Member

Registered: 2005-05-25

Posts: 46

Re: installing bootloader on floppy?

have you any suggestions how to install archlinux in a manner that i can boot it from floppy?

You can create a boot floppy while you're logged to your ArchLinux or from any live-cd, like Knoppix. Just mount the floppy, mkdir -p /boot/grub, copy stage1 & stage2 to /boot/grub, create menu.lst in /boot/grub and put it this:

default 0
timeout 5

title ArchLinux
root (hd0,x)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 root=/dev/hdax ro

Once done, do these commands:
grub
root (hd0,x)
setup (hd0)
quit

Note: change x with your partition. In root (hd0,x), change x with 0 if your partition is /dev/hda1 (change it with 1 if your partion is /dev/hda2, etc). in root=/dev/hdax, leave the number as is; 1 if the partition is /dev/hda1.