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<?xml version='1.0' encoding="UTF-8"?> |
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<!DOCTYPE guide SYSTEM "/dtd/guide.dtd"> |
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|
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<guide link="/doc/en/gentoo-x86-tipsntricks.xml"> |
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<title>Gentoo/x86 Installation Tips & Tricks</title> |
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<author title="Author"> |
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<mail link="swift@gentoo.org">Sven Vermeulen</mail> |
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</author> |
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|
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<abstract> |
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The Gentoo installation allows for very flexible approaches to the various |
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installation methods. As it is almost impossible to insert every single tip or |
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trick in the installation instructions this document tries to deal with all |
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submitted tips and tricks for reference purposes. |
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</abstract> |
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|
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<license/> |
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|
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<version>1.1</version> |
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<date>April 11, 2004</date> |
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|
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<chapter> |
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<title>Introduction</title> |
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<section> |
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<title>Preliminary</title> |
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<body> |
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|
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<p> |
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This document contains various tips and tricks for the Gentoo/x86 installation. |
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Most of them are discussed in a dense way - they are meant as an addendum to the |
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installation instructions and not as a replacement. |
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</p> |
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|
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</body> |
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</section> |
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<section> |
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<title>Contents</title> |
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<body> |
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|
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<p> |
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<b>Advanced Installations</b> |
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</p> |
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|
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<ul> |
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<li><uri link="#software-raid">Software RAID</uri></li> |
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<li><uri link="#ata-raid-2.4">ATA RAID using 2.4 kernels</uri></li> |
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</ul> |
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|
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<p> |
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<b>Simplifying the Installation</b> |
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</p> |
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|
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<ul> |
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<li><uri link="#leave_terminal">Leaving the Terminal</uri></li> |
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</ul> |
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|
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</body> |
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</section> |
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</chapter> |
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<chapter> |
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<title>Advanced Installations</title> |
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<section id="software-raid"> |
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<title>Software RAID</title> |
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<body> |
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|
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<note> |
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If you are not known to software raid, please read the <uri |
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link="http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Software-RAID-HOWTO.html">Software-RAID-HOWTO</uri>. |
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</note> |
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|
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<p> |
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Once you are booted from the LiveCD, load the appropriate RAID modules. For |
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instance, if you plan on using RAID-1: |
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</p> |
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|
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<pre caption="Loading the RAID-1 module"> |
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# <i>modprobe raid1</i> |
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</pre> |
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|
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<p> |
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When you partition your disks, make sure that your partitions use <c>fd</c> |
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(Linux raid autodetect) as Partition Type instead of <c>83</c> (Linux native). |
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You can alter the partition type using the <c>t</c> command in <c>fdisk</c>. |
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</p> |
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|
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<p> |
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After partitioning, create the <path>/etc/raidtab</path> file (yes, indeed, on |
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the LiveCD environment) and insert the necessary commands for your RAID setup. |
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For instance, to have your boot, swap and root partition mirrored (RAID-1) |
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covering <path>/dev/sda</path> and <path>/dev/sdb</path>, you can use: |
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</p> |
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|
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<pre caption="/etc/raidtab for RAID-1 setup"> |
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raiddev /dev/md0 |
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raid-level 1 |
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nr-raid-disks 2 |
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chunk-size 32 |
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persistent-superblock 1 |
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device /dev/sda1 |
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raid-disk 0 |
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device /dev/sdb1 |
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raid-disk 1 |
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|
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raiddev /dev/md1 |
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raid-level 1 |
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nr-raid-disks 2 |
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chunk-size 32 |
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persistent-superblock 1 |
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device /dev/sda2 |
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raid-disk 0 |
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device /dev/sdb2 |
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raid-disk 1 |
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|
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raiddev /dev/md2 |
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raid-level 1 |
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nr-raid-disks 2 |
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chunk-size 32 |
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persistent-superblock 1 |
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device /dev/sda3 |
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raid-disk 0 |
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device /dev/sdb3 |
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raid-disk 1 |
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</pre> |
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|
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<p> |
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Now create the necessary RAID devices for each RAID device you listed in |
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<path>/etc/raidtab</path>: |
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</p> |
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|
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<pre caption="Creating RAID devices"> |
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# <i>mkraid /dev/md0</i> |
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# <i>mkraid /dev/md1</i> |
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# <i>mkraid /dev/md2</i> |
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</pre> |
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|
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<p> |
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The Linux Software RAID driver will start creating the metadevices. You can see |
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its progress in <path>/proc/mdstat</path>. Wait until the metadevices are |
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completely finished before proceeding. |
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</p> |
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|
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<p> |
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From now onwards, use <path>/dev/md0</path> for the boot partition, |
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<path>/dev/md1</path> for the swap partition and <path>/dev/md2</path> for the |
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root partition. |
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</p> |
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|
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<p> |
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After mounting <path>/dev/md2</path> on <path>/mnt/gentoo</path>, don't forget |
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to copy over <path>/etc/raidtab</path> to <path>/mnt/gentoo/etc</path>. |
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</p> |
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|
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<p> |
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When you're configuring your kernel, make sure you have the appropriate RAID |
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support <e>in</e> your kernel and not as module. |
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</p> |
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|
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<p> |
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When installing extra tools, emerge <c>raidtools</c> as well. Note that this |
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isn't available on all LiveCDs so you might not be able to install Gentoo on a |
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Software RAID when using a networkless installation! |
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</p> |
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|
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<p> |
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When configuring your bootloader, make sure it gets installed in the MBR of |
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<e>both</e> disks if you use mirroring. |
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</p> |
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|
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</body> |
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</section> |
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<section id="ata-raid-2.4"> |
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<title>ATA RAID using 2.4 kernels</title> |
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<body> |
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|
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<p> |
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Make sure you boot your LiveCD using the <c>doataraid</c> option. Once booted, |
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check the contents of <path>/dev/ataraid</path>. It should contain various |
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<path>disc*</path> directories for each harddisk available in the ATA RAID. An |
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entire disk is displayed as <path>disc</path> while partitions are |
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<path>part*</path>. |
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</p> |
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|
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<p> |
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Write down the various <path>/dev/ataraid/disc*/*</path> device files that you |
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use to install Gentoo on. You will need to substitute the <path>/dev/hda</path> |
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examples in the installation with this path. |
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</p> |
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|
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<p> |
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Before chrooting, bind-mount the <path>/dev</path> structure in the new |
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environment: |
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</p> |
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|
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<pre caption="Bind-mounting /dev"> |
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# <i>mount -o bind /dev /mnt/gentoo/dev</i> |
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</pre> |
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|
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<p> |
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When configuring your kernel, make sure you enable support for your ATA RAID |
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chipset and options. For instance, a popular ATA RAID system is a <e>Promise |
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FastTrack built-in RAID</e> in which case you definitely need <c>Promise |
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FastTrack Options</c> built in into your kernel. |
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</p> |
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|
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<p> |
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When configuring GRUB, you first have to create a GRUB bootdisk. This is not as |
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hard as you think. First install GRUB as you would, but when you come to the |
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part where GRUB is getting installed in the MBR, follow the following |
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instructions: |
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</p> |
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|
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<pre caption="Creating a GRUB bootdisk"> |
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# <i>cd /boot/grub</i> |
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# <i>dd if=stage1 of=/dev/fd0 bs=512 count=1</i> |
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# <i>dd if=stage2 of=/dev/fd0 bs=512 seek=1</i> |
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</pre> |
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|
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<p> |
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You still need to write your <path>grub.conf</path> file. This is no different |
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from the installation instructions, just make sure that your <c>root=</c> points |
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to the ATA RAID device. |
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</p> |
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|
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<p> |
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After finishing the installation, boot with your GRUB bootdisk. You will be |
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greeted by a GRUB prompt. Now configure GRUB to boot from the ATA RAID device: |
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</p> |
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|
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<pre caption="Installing GRUB on the ATA RAID"> |
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grub> root (hd0,x) |
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grub> setup (hd0) |
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grub> quit |
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</pre> |
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|
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<p> |
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Now reboot (with the GRUB bootfloppy removed). |
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</p> |
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|
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<p> |
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LILO users can safely use the instructions mentioned in the installation |
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instructions. |
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</p> |
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|
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</body> |
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</section> |
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</chapter> |
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|
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<chapter> |
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<title>Simplifying the Installation</title> |
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<section id="leave_terminal"> |
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<title>Leaving your Terminal</title> |
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<body> |
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|
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<p> |
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Many people want to leave their system when it's compiling. In certain cases |
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this is rather difficult as the installation is done in a public environment |
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where you cannot trust everyone. If this is the case, you want to be able to |
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perform the compilation in the background and log out from all terminals. |
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</p> |
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|
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<p> |
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There are several possible solutions for this. The first one is to use |
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<c>screen</c>. After booting the LiveCD, set your root password and start a |
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screen session: |
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</p> |
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|
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<note> |
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Not all LiveCDs provide screen. If this is the case, you will have to use one of |
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the other methods described in this section. |
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</note> |
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|
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<pre caption="Starting a screen session"> |
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# <i>screen -S gentoo</i> |
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</pre> |
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|
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<p> |
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Once inside the screen session you can perform the entire installation. When you |
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want to leave your terminal, press <c>Ctrl-a, d</c> (that is, control and a at |
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the same time, then followed by a d) to <e>detach</e> your screen session. You |
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can now safely log out of your system. |
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</p> |
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|
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<p> |
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To regain access to your terminal, log in as root again and <e>attach</e> to |
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the running screen session: |
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</p> |
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|
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<pre caption="Attaching to a screen session"> |
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# <i>screen -x gentoo</i> |
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</pre> |
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|
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<p> |
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If you can't use screen, there is still a way to leave your terminal. Follow the |
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installation instructions, but when you come to the point where a long-term |
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compilation would be started (for instance the <c>./scripts/bootstrap.sh</c> |
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step), use <c>nohup</c> which allows for a process to continue even when you log |
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out. Don't forget the trailing "&", otherwise the process won't be placed in |
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the background! Remember where you are (the <c>pwd</c> command will show you |
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that) as you will need to know this later on. |
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</p> |
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|
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<pre caption="Using nohup"> |
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# <i>pwd</i> |
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/usr/portage |
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# <i>nohup ./scripts/bootstrap.sh &</i> |
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</pre> |
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|
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<p> |
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Now exit the chrooted environment (<c>exit</c>) and the LiveCD session. Your |
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compilation will continue in the background. |
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</p> |
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|
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<p> |
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When you want to check the compilation, log in as root (on the LiveCD) and |
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chroot back into your environment and go to the directory where you left off: |
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</p> |
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|
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<pre caption="Chrooting back"> |
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# <i>chroot /mnt/gentoo /bin/bash</i> |
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# <i>env-update && source /etc/profile</i> |
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# <i>cd /usr/portage</i> |
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</pre> |
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|
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<p> |
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Now use the <c>less</c> command on the <path>nohup.out</path> file that is |
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situated inside that directory. The compilation will append its output to that |
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file, so if you want to follow the compilation progress, run <c>less |
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nohup.out</c> and press <c>F</c> to follow the changes. When the compilation is |
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finished, you can continue with the next step of the installation instructions. |
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</p> |
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|
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<p> |
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If you ever get tired of following the changes, press <c>Ctrl-C</c> followed by |
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a <c>q</c>. This won't stop the compilation process, only the <c>less</c> |
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process. |
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</p> |
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|
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</body> |
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</section> |
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</chapter> |
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|
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</guide> |
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