[SOLVED] Install arch in a notebook without CD drive or USB

leo2501 · 2007-12-06 18:09:16

HI! i have a Toshiba notebook, it has a Pentium 4 cpu, but the cd drive is broken, and it has no option to boot from usb drive in the bios... i have a IDE -> USB adapter, so with my desktop computer (with arch) can access the disk and retrieve/put there information, i need to know what steps to follow to install arch in that notebook driveim thinking make two or more partitions on that drive, so when i put the hard drive inside the notebook again, i can use arch, or maybe have the install disk in iso form in one partition on the same drive and in some way boot from another partition for a way to install to disk... and i need to copy the core, extra... packages to the disk for install later, because that notebook will not have internet...

i know... im so lost, and dont know how to explain better the situation im sorry for my bad english

Last edited by leo2501 (2007-12-12 22:51:48)

gradgrind · 2007-12-07 08:10:43

You should be able to do the installation on your desktop machine (you can even copy over your existing installation if that's what you want, with cp -a). Then set up grub and make sure /etc/fstab is right for the laptop, perhaps also tweak /etc/rc.conf.
When you boot it on the laptop you'll need to use the fallback image at first. Then you can run mkinitcpio to regenerate the machine-specific initramfs.
Ask if you need more details.

leo2501 · 2007-12-07 11:19:31

great! and when i copy all my desktop arch install to my notebook drive, it copies the mbr for boot too? i mean, i only have to edit grub.lst and fstab and the notebook will boot? amazing

and when i run mkinitcpio, its a cli app? i mean like a script wich helps you step by step or i need to feed it with parameters?

Thanks!

daf666 · 2007-12-07 13:34:08

cp -a will not copy your MBR...
Also, if I understand this correctly, both drives should be connected to one of the machines in order for the copying/settings up boot (either laptop drive connected to
PC or PC drive connected to laptop).

leo2501 · 2007-12-07 15:34:53

but, there's a way to install grub only in the laptop hard drive that dont interfere with my desktop arch install? i need to power on the laptop with the hard drive pluged in, and make it boot from it

scrawler · 2007-12-07 23:45:43

What does the laptop already have on it? Would this be of any use to you? It's a link to an Arch wiki page.

Install Arch From Within Another Distro

Last edited by scrawler (2007-12-07 23:48:32)

gradgrind · 2007-12-08 06:09:53

leo2501 wrote:

but, there's a way to install grub only in the laptop hard drive that dont interfere with my desktop arch install? i need to power on the laptop with the hard drive pluged in, and make it boot from it

Yes, you just need to specify the correct drive to grub (see the wiki article or the grub documentation - there are several ways of setting up grub) - not (hd0)! If you have a floppy drive on the laptop, you can also make a grub floppy and use this to set up grub, but it should work easily enough on the desktop straight from the existing installation.

leo2501 · 2007-12-08 14:49:26

great! i will try to install grub on the laptop hard disk (connected to my desktop pc via usb cable) i was afraid that to reinstalling grub to that laptop drive corrupts my desktop grub installation

the laptop hard drive has a windows install on it that dont boot, so i need to make it boot, copying files to that disk from my desktop pc and in the way... install arch on it

leo2501 · 2007-12-08 15:44:40

to install grub to the laptop drive (sdd1), i need to make "grub-install /dev/sdd"? that will not corrupt my desktop grub? (sda)

Last edited by leo2501 (2007-12-08 15:45:44)

leo2501 · 2007-12-08 17:44:59

now i make "grub-install /dev/sdd" with the laptop drive connected but when i put the disk in the laptop it says "grub error"

The laptop disk partition scheme is as follows (conected to my desktop pc):
sdd1 swap
sdd2 /
sdd3 /home
sdd4 /partition that has the isoinstall decompressed in the root

dont know how to install grub correctly to the sdd2 partition containing the config to boot from the sdd4 partition... and when i put the disk in the notebook again, the sdd will be sda dont?

thanks for help!

zenlord · 2007-12-08 18:48:48

When grub is started, select the line you want to use for starting arch and press 'e'. There you should be able to alter the grub-command from /dev/sdd1 to /dev/sda1 (or from hd(3,0) to hd(0,0)). That's probably what's holding you back. Grub was installed with your desktop's config in mind, while your laptop has a different set of HD's/partitions.

Zl.

leo2501 · 2007-12-08 18:55:57

When grub is started, select the line you want to use for starting arch and press 'e'

yes, but when i power on the laptop, it says GRUB error, so the mistake i think is in the process to do the "grub-install <laptop disk mbr>" because there's no line to select

gradgrind · 2007-12-09 09:52:05

I think you might need the --root-directory option to grub-install. The partition containing grub (sdd2?) must be mounted somewhere and then:

grub-install --root-directory=/path/to/sdd2mountpoint /dev/sdd

Then you will need to edit /path/to/sdd2mountpoint/boot/grub/menu.lst to configure grub.

leo2501 · 2007-12-09 18:34:06

Now this happends:

[root@aleyscha aleyscha]# mount /dev/sdd2 /mnt/iso2
[root@aleyscha aleyscha]# grub-install --root-directory=/mnt/iso2 /dev/sdd
The file /mnt/iso2/boot/grub/stage1 not read correctly.

but i think im closer

Last edited by leo2501 (2007-12-09 19:10:33)

gradgrind · 2007-12-10 08:43:18

The file /mnt/iso2/boot/grub/stage1 not read correctly.

It might be a problem with the partition? What do you get from 'fdisk -l' and 'blkid' (run as root)?

leo2501 · 2007-12-12 10:24:53

'fdisk -l' output:

Disk /dev/sdd: 40.0 GB, 40007761920 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4864 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x81e9e28d

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdd1               1         131     1052226   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sdd2             132        1533    11261565   83  Linux
/dev/sdd3            1534        4736    25728097+  83  Linux
/dev/sdd4            4737        4864     1028160   83  Linux

im trying now with vmware 6.0.2 using the disk /dev/sdd as the physical disk hard drive, and get the same GRUB hard disk error, im trying vmware to make the installation there with the disk alone on the virtual machine using my desktop dvd, but the weird thing is that i cant get to the bios, is like the first thing it does is check that :S im searching now if there's a way to clean the mbr and start again, or reinstall with the grub-install command but i try that before

Last edited by leo2501 (2007-12-12 10:26:16)

leo2501 · 2007-12-12 22:51:30

Thanx to VMWARE workstation... and using the physical hard drive of the laptop conected to my desktop pc with the IDE to USB cable, i can install arch in the notebook in a few minutes THANKS EVERYONE!!!!

Arch Linux

#1 2007-12-06 18:09:16

[SOLVED] Install arch in a notebook without CD drive or USB

#2 2007-12-07 08:10:43

Re: [SOLVED] Install arch in a notebook without CD drive or USB

#3 2007-12-07 11:19:31

Re: [SOLVED] Install arch in a notebook without CD drive or USB

#4 2007-12-07 13:34:08

Re: [SOLVED] Install arch in a notebook without CD drive or USB

#5 2007-12-07 15:34:53

Re: [SOLVED] Install arch in a notebook without CD drive or USB

#6 2007-12-07 23:45:43

Re: [SOLVED] Install arch in a notebook without CD drive or USB

#7 2007-12-08 06:09:53

Re: [SOLVED] Install arch in a notebook without CD drive or USB

#8 2007-12-08 14:49:26

Re: [SOLVED] Install arch in a notebook without CD drive or USB

#9 2007-12-08 15:44:40

Re: [SOLVED] Install arch in a notebook without CD drive or USB

#10 2007-12-08 17:44:59

Re: [SOLVED] Install arch in a notebook without CD drive or USB

#11 2007-12-08 18:48:48

Re: [SOLVED] Install arch in a notebook without CD drive or USB

#12 2007-12-08 18:55:57

Re: [SOLVED] Install arch in a notebook without CD drive or USB

#13 2007-12-09 09:52:05

Re: [SOLVED] Install arch in a notebook without CD drive or USB

#14 2007-12-09 18:34:06

Re: [SOLVED] Install arch in a notebook without CD drive or USB

#15 2007-12-10 08:43:18

Re: [SOLVED] Install arch in a notebook without CD drive or USB

#16 2007-12-12 10:24:53

Re: [SOLVED] Install arch in a notebook without CD drive or USB

#17 2007-12-12 22:51:30

Re: [SOLVED] Install arch in a notebook without CD drive or USB

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