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>Prepare a network install floppy diskette</TITLE
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>Appendix C. Upgrading <SPAN
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>Red Hat Linux</SPAN
> from a
serial console</TD
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><A
NAME="RHL-PREPAREFLOPPY"
></A
>C.4. Prepare a network install floppy diskette</H1
><P
>The <SPAN
CLASS="PRODUCTNAME"
>Red Hat Linux</SPAN
> web site has a
floppy diskette image for a network installation. For
<SPAN
CLASS="PRODUCTNAME"
>Red Hat Linux</SPAN
>
<SPAN
CLASS="PRODUCTNUMBER"
>7.1</SPAN
> the image is <A
HREF="ftp://ftp.redhat.com/pub/redhat/linux/7.1/en/os/i386/images/bootnet.img"
TARGET="_top"
><TT
CLASS="FILENAME"
>ftp://ftp.redhat.com/pub/redhat/linux/7.1/en/os/i386/images/bootnet.img</TT
></A
>.</P
><P
>Install this image on a floppy disk.</P
><DIV
CLASS="INFORMALFIGURE"
><A
NAME="RHL-PREPAREFLOPPY-IMAGE"
></A
><P
></P
><TABLE
BORDER="1"
BGCOLOR="#E0E0E0"
WIDTH="100%"
><TR
><TD
><FONT
COLOR="#000000"
><PRE
CLASS="SCREEN"
><TT
CLASS="PROMPT"
>bash#</TT
> <B
CLASS="COMMAND"
>mkfs -t msdos -c /dev/fd0</B
>
<TT
CLASS="COMPUTEROUTPUT"
>mkfs.msdos 2.2 (06 Jul 1999)</TT
>
<TT
CLASS="PROMPT"
>bash#</TT
> <B
CLASS="COMMAND"
>dd if=bootnet.img of=/dev/fd0 bs=1440k</B
>
<TT
CLASS="COMPUTEROUTPUT"
>1+0 records in
1+0 records out</TT
>
<TT
CLASS="PROMPT"
>bash#</TT
> <B
CLASS="COMMAND"
>sync</B
></PRE
></FONT
></TD
></TR
></TABLE
><P
></P
></DIV
><P
>Now mount the diskette and check that the installer files are
present.</P
><DIV
CLASS="INFORMALFIGURE"
><A
NAME="RHL-PREPAREFLOPPY-MOUNT"
></A
><P
></P
><TABLE
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><TR
><TD
><FONT
COLOR="#000000"
><PRE
CLASS="SCREEN"
><TT
CLASS="PROMPT"
>bash#</TT
> <B
CLASS="COMMAND"
>mount -t vfat /dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy</B
>
<TT
CLASS="PROMPT"
>bash#</TT
> <B
CLASS="COMMAND"
>ls /mnt/floppy</B
>
<TT
CLASS="COMPUTEROUTPUT"
>boot.msg general.msg ldlinux.sys rescue.msg vmlinuz
expert.msg initrd.img param.msg syslinux.cfg</TT
></PRE
></FONT
></TD
></TR
></TABLE
><P
></P
></DIV
><P
>This floppy disk uses the
<SPAN
CLASS="APPLICATION"
>SYSLINUX</SPAN
> boot loader which was
discussed in <A
HREF="configure-boot-loader-syslinux.html"
>Section 4.3</A
> and
in <A
HREF="configure-kernel-syslinux.html"
>Section 5.3</A
>. Firstly, we alter
the boot loader configuration file
<TT
CLASS="FILENAME"
>/mnt/floppy/syslinux.cfg</TT
> to use the serial
port. If you are going to use the <SPAN
CLASS="APPLICATION"
>vi</SPAN
>
editor to alter this file, use the <TT
CLASS="LITERAL"
>-n</TT
> option to
avoid writing a swap file to the floppy disk.</P
><DIV
CLASS="INFORMALFIGURE"
><A
NAME="AEN3641"
></A
><P
></P
><TABLE
BORDER="1"
BGCOLOR="#E0E0E0"
WIDTH="100%"
><TR
><TD
><FONT
COLOR="#000000"
><PRE
CLASS="SCREEN"
><TT
CLASS="PROMPT"
>bash#</TT
> <B
CLASS="COMMAND"
>vi -n /mnt/floppy/syslinux.cfg</B
></PRE
></FONT
></TD
></TR
></TABLE
><TABLE
BORDER="0"
BGCOLOR="#E0E0E0"
WIDTH="100%"
><TR
><TD
><FONT
COLOR="#000000"
><PRE
CLASS="PROGRAMLISTING"
>serial 0 9600</PRE
></FONT
></TD
></TR
></TABLE
><P
></P
></DIV
><P
>Secondly we add a new boot option. This is modeled upon the
other boot options in the file. Our variant passes the serial
console parameters to the kernel, the same parameters that we pass
during normal operation when using serial console. "serial" seems
an appropriate name for the boot option.</P
><DIV
CLASS="INFORMALFIGURE"
><A
NAME="AEN3647"
></A
><P
></P
><TABLE
BORDER="0"
BGCOLOR="#E0E0E0"
WIDTH="100%"
><TR
><TD
><FONT
COLOR="#000000"
><PRE
CLASS="PROGRAMLISTING"
>label serial
kernel vmlinuz
append initrd=initrd.img lang= text serial expert devfs=nomount console=ttyS0,9600n8</PRE
></FONT
></TD
></TR
></TABLE
><P
></P
></DIV
><P
><TT
CLASS="LITERAL"
>text</TT
>, <TT
CLASS="LITERAL"
>serial</TT
> and
<TT
CLASS="LITERAL"
>expert</TT
> are parameters to the Red Hat
<SPAN
CLASS="APPLICATION"
>anaconda</SPAN
> installer. Specifying
<TT
CLASS="LITERAL"
>text</TT
> ensures that the graphical installer does
not start. Specifying <TT
CLASS="LITERAL"
>serial</TT
> prevents scans for
possibly non-existent video hardware. You will need to run
<SPAN
CLASS="APPLICATION"
>Xconfigurator</SPAN
> manually if you do have a
video card. Specifying <TT
CLASS="LITERAL"
>expert</TT
> allows all the
configuration options to be seen, giving one floppy image that can
be used for all purposes.</P
><P
>Thirdly, we make this new configuration start automatically.
As there is no-one at the site, there's no need to issue a
<TT
CLASS="PROMPT"
>boot:</TT
> prompt.</P
><DIV
CLASS="INFORMALFIGURE"
><A
NAME="AEN3660"
></A
><P
></P
><TABLE
BORDER="0"
BGCOLOR="#E0E0E0"
WIDTH="100%"
><TR
><TD
><FONT
COLOR="#000000"
><PRE
CLASS="PROGRAMLISTING"
>default serial
prompt 0</PRE
></FONT
></TD
></TR
></TABLE
><P
></P
></DIV
><P
>Fourthy, we write the new configuration to diskette.</P
><DIV
CLASS="INFORMALFIGURE"
><A
NAME="AEN3663"
></A
><P
></P
><TABLE
BORDER="1"
BGCOLOR="#E0E0E0"
WIDTH="100%"
><TR
><TD
><FONT
COLOR="#000000"
><PRE
CLASS="SCREEN"
><TT
CLASS="PROMPT"
>bash#</TT
> <B
CLASS="COMMAND"
>umount /mnt/floppy</B
></PRE
></FONT
></TD
></TR
></TABLE
><P
></P
></DIV
><P
>Check that the diskette boots. If it does not then write a
new boot sector by downloading and running the most recent
<SPAN
CLASS="APPLICATION"
>SYSLINUX</SPAN
>.</P
><DIV
CLASS="INFORMALFIGURE"
><A
NAME="AEN3669"
></A
><P
></P
><TABLE
BORDER="1"
BGCOLOR="#E0E0E0"
WIDTH="100%"
><TR
><TD
><FONT
COLOR="#000000"
><PRE
CLASS="SCREEN"
><TT
CLASS="PROMPT"
>bash#</TT
> <B
CLASS="COMMAND"
>syslinux /dev/fd0</B
></PRE
></FONT
></TD
></TR
></TABLE
><P
></P
></DIV
><P
>Finally, create a new boot image for copying to the
computers to be upgraded.</P
><DIV
CLASS="INFORMALFIGURE"
><A
NAME="AEN3674"
></A
><P
></P
><TABLE
BORDER="1"
BGCOLOR="#E0E0E0"
WIDTH="100%"
><TR
><TD
><FONT
COLOR="#000000"
><PRE
CLASS="SCREEN"
><TT
CLASS="PROMPT"
>bash#</TT
> <B
CLASS="COMMAND"
>dd if=/dev/fd0 of=bootserialnet.img bs=1440k</B
>
<TT
CLASS="COMPUTEROUTPUT"
>1+0 records in
1+0 records out</TT
></PRE
></FONT
></TD
></TR
></TABLE
><P
></P
></DIV
><P
>If you test the new boot floppy on a machine with a serial
console you should briefly see <SPAN
CLASS="APPLICATION"
>SYSLINUX</SPAN
>
booting</P
><DIV
CLASS="INFORMALFIGURE"
><A
NAME="AEN3681"
></A
><P
></P
><TABLE
BORDER="1"
BGCOLOR="#E0E0E0"
WIDTH="100%"
><TR
><TD
><FONT
COLOR="#000000"
><PRE
CLASS="SCREEN"
><TT
CLASS="COMPUTEROUTPUT"
>SYSLINUX 1.52 2001-02-07 Copyright (C) 1994-2001 H. Peter Anvin</TT
></PRE
></FONT
></TD
></TR
></TABLE
><P
></P
></DIV
><P
>and then presenting the <TT
CLASS="FILENAME"
>boot.msg</TT
> file
and then the <SPAN
CLASS="SYSTEMITEM"
>Linux</SPAN
> kernel should be
loaded</P
><DIV
CLASS="INFORMALFIGURE"
><A
NAME="AEN3687"
></A
><P
></P
><TABLE
BORDER="1"
BGCOLOR="#E0E0E0"
WIDTH="100%"
><TR
><TD
><FONT
COLOR="#000000"
><PRE
CLASS="SCREEN"
><TT
CLASS="COMPUTEROUTPUT"
>Loading initrd.img..............
Loading vmlinuz............. ready.</TT
></PRE
></FONT
></TD
></TR
></TABLE
><P
></P
></DIV
><P
>and run.</P
><DIV
CLASS="INFORMALFIGURE"
><A
NAME="AEN3691"
></A
><P
></P
><TABLE
BORDER="1"
BGCOLOR="#E0E0E0"
WIDTH="100%"
><TR
><TD
><FONT
COLOR="#000000"
><PRE
CLASS="SCREEN"
><TT
CLASS="COMPUTEROUTPUT"
>Linux version 2.4.2-2BOOT (root@porky.devel.redhat.com) (gcc version 2.96 200001</TT
></PRE
></FONT
></TD
></TR
></TABLE
><P
></P
></DIV
><P
>Next the <SPAN
CLASS="APPLICATION"
>init</SPAN
> system flashes
by</P
><DIV
CLASS="INFORMALFIGURE"
><A
NAME="AEN3696"
></A
><P
></P
><TABLE
BORDER="1"
BGCOLOR="#E0E0E0"
WIDTH="100%"
><TR
><TD
><FONT
COLOR="#000000"
><PRE
CLASS="SCREEN"
><TT
CLASS="COMPUTEROUTPUT"
>Greetings.
Red Hat install init version 7.0 starting
mounting /proc filesystem... done
mounting /dev/pts (unix98 pty) filesystem... done
Red Hat install init version 7.0 using a serial console
remember, cereal is an important part of a nutritionally balanced breakfast.
checking for NFS root filesystem...no
trying to remount root filesystem read write... done
checking for writeable /tmp... yes
running install...
running /sbin/loader</TT
></PRE
></FONT
></TD
></TR
></TABLE
><P
></P
></DIV
><P
>before the installation application, called
<SPAN
CLASS="APPLICATION"
>anaconda</SPAN
>, is started</P
><DIV
CLASS="INFORMALFIGURE"
><A
NAME="AEN3701"
></A
><P
></P
><TABLE
BORDER="1"
BGCOLOR="#E0E0E0"
WIDTH="100%"
><TR
><TD
><FONT
COLOR="#000000"
><PRE
CLASS="SCREEN"
><TT
CLASS="COMPUTEROUTPUT"
>Welcome to Red Hat Linux
+----------+ Devices +-----------+
| |
| Do you have a driver disk? |
| |
| +-----+ +----+ |
| | Yes | | No | |
| +-----+ +----+ |
| |
| |
+--------------------------------+
<Tab>/<Alt-Tab> between elements | <Space> selects | <F12> next screen</TT
></PRE
></FONT
></TD
></TR
></TABLE
><P
></P
></DIV
><P
>There does not seem to be a way to access the function keys,
fortunately the user interface does not require their use.</P
><P
>Now that the floppy has been tested, eject the disk and
reboot the machine into normal operation.</P
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