Hi,
Sorry for the newbie question, I've been searching the CentOS site and googled, but I couldn't find an answer (probably my bad).
I want to install CentOS 4.5, but I'm having troubles with my CD reader.
How can I install it from an FTP server ?
Any help would be appreciated.
Warm Regards
On Fri, Aug 17, 2007 at 05:18:15PM +0100, Mário Gamito wrote:
Hi,
Sorry for the newbie question, I've been searching the CentOS site and googled, but I couldn't find an answer (probably my bad).
I want to install CentOS 4.5, but I'm having troubles with my CD reader.
How can I install it from an FTP server ?
If you already have a linux system, use LILO or Grub to boot the initrd and vmlinuz: ftp://ftp.di.uminho.pt/pub/centos/5/os/i386/isolinux/vmlinuz ftp://ftp.di.uminho.pt/pub/centos/5/os/i386/isolinux/initrd.img
No special boot arguments are required. The initrd should prompt you the method for installation and then you specify the ftp install.
If you don't have linux already installed, but have Win9x or DOS, use loadlin to boot.
Otherwise, use an USB boot pen.
Or try the smaller boot.iso, that may work better with your reader: ftp://ftp.di.uminho.pt/pub/centos/5/os/i386/images/boot.iso
Hi,
Thank you for your answer.
Luciano Rocha wrote:
On Fri, Aug 17, 2007 at 05:18:15PM +0100, Mário Gamito wrote:
Hi,
Sorry for the newbie question, I've been searching the CentOS site and googled, but I couldn't find an answer (probably my bad).
I want to install CentOS 4.5, but I'm having troubles with my CD reader.
How can I install it from an FTP server ?
If you already have a linux system, use LILO or Grub to boot the initrd and vmlinuz: ftp://ftp.di.uminho.pt/pub/centos/5/os/i386/isolinux/vmlinuz ftp://ftp.di.uminho.pt/pub/centos/5/os/i386/isolinux/initrd.img
No special boot arguments are required. The initrd should prompt you the method for installation and then you specify the ftp install.
Problem is my CD is unusable :(
If you don't have linux already installed, but have Win9x or DOS, use loadlin to boot.
I can't install any Linux on the computer or DOS/Win Whatsoever :(
Otherwise, use an USB boot pen.
It's a P-III :(
Or try the smaller boot.iso, that may work better with your reader: ftp://ftp.di.uminho.pt/pub/centos/5/os/i386/images/boot.iso
I'll try and see if my CD handles such a small file.
Thanks,
Evening,
On 8/17/07, Mário Gamito gamito@gmail.com wrote:
If you don't have linux already installed, but have Win9x or DOS, use loadlin to boot.
I can't install any Linux on the computer or DOS/Win Whatsoever :(
No need to install, download a freedos iso (www.freedos.org), write the standard distro to a floppy and use loadlin.
I just read in your previous email that your pc goes berzerk when trying to change things on the BIOS, in such case, most probably you'll run into issues afterwards even if you manage to start the installations :(
good luck!
Hi,
No need to install, download a freedos iso (www.freedos.org), write the standard distro to a floppy and use loadlin.
Ok, I've installed FreeDOS and can access CentOS CDs. What about loadlin ?
I just read in your previous email that your pc goes berzerk when trying to change things on the BIOS, in such case, most probably you'll run into issues afterwards even if you manage to start the installations :(
It's now booting, but strange things happen.
It say my hard drive is hda and my CD-ROM is hdb.
But then, it states that: ide0 is hda and hdb ide1 is hdc and hdd
therefore, as there is no hdc and hdd, it just hangs :(
Any idea ?
On Fri, 2007-08-17 at 18:45 +0100, Mário Gamito wrote:
Hi,
No need to install, download a freedos iso (www.freedos.org), write the standard distro to a floppy and use loadlin.
Ok, I've installed FreeDOS and can access CentOS CDs. What about loadlin ?
I just read in your previous email that your pc goes berzerk when trying to change things on the BIOS, in such case, most probably you'll run into issues afterwards even if you manage to start the installations :(
It's now booting, but strange things happen.
It say my hard drive is hda and my CD-ROM is hdb.
But then, it states that: ide0 is hda and hdb ide1 is hdc and hdd
therefore, as there is no hdc and hdd, it just hangs :(
Any idea ?
Speaking of "strange things" - sorry for my earlier off-base message. Somehow the intervening messages in the thread did not show up in my in-box until after I sent the belated and un-helpful suggestions about GRUB and USB. Sometimes our mail servers seem to get behind.
Anyway, the above messages don't seem to be problematic - the controller ports will be seen even if nothing is attached to them, and may/may not be relevant to the problems are seeing. Have to agree with Jordi Molina - looks like you may have BIOS/hardware issues. Might try checking cables and re-seating things - chips/boards. Could try clearing CMOS - there's often a jumper you can short on the motherboard to do that. Might try a different CD drive.
Good luck, Phil
On Fri, 2007-08-17 at 16:03 -0400, Phil Schaffner wrote:
On Fri, 2007-08-17 at 18:45 +0100, Mário Gamito wrote:
Hi,
<snip>
I just read in your previous email that your pc goes berzerk when trying to change things on the BIOS, in such case, most probably you'll run into issues afterwards even if you manage to start the installations :(
It's now booting, but strange things happen.
It say my hard drive is hda and my CD-ROM is hdb.
But then, it states that: ide0 is hda and hdb ide1 is hdc and hdd
therefore, as there is no hdc and hdd, it just hangs :(
Any idea ?
<snip>
Anyway, the above messages don't seem to be problematic - the controller ports will be seen even if nothing is attached to them, and may/may not be relevant to the problems are seeing. Have to agree with Jordi Molina
- looks like you may have BIOS/hardware issues.
*If* you can get into BIOS, disable IDE 2 and see if that doesn't stop the "hang" (I suspect it is not hung, but just timing out waiting for some device to respond - can take a *long* time).
Might try checking cables and re-seating things - chips/boards. Could try clearing CMOS - there's often a jumper you can short on the motherboard to do that. Might try a different CD drive.
Also, *if* you have a choice, put the CD on the 2nd IDE port (after re- enabling it if you disabled it) to reduce contention when using both the CD and HD at the same time. Since you have a P III and I have a P II board (and older) in some of my machines that will boot from CD on secondary IDE ports, maybe yours would allow this too? Might take care of some issues.
The suggestion to try resetting the BIOS is a good one. Also, maybe time to replace the CMOS battery on a mainboard that old? Might get rid of the flakiness in your BIOS?
<snip sig stuff>
HTH -- Bill
On Saturday 18 August 2007 10:59:17 William L. Maltby wrote:
On Fri, 2007-08-17 at 16:03 -0400, Phil Schaffner wrote:
On Fri, 2007-08-17 at 18:45 +0100, Mário Gamito wrote:
Hi,
<snip>
I just read in your previous email that your pc goes berzerk when trying to change things on the BIOS, in such case, most probably you'll run into issues afterwards even if you manage to start the installations :(
It's now booting, but strange things happen.
It say my hard drive is hda and my CD-ROM is hdb.
But then, it states that: ide0 is hda and hdb ide1 is hdc and hdd
therefore, as there is no hdc and hdd, it just hangs :(
Any idea ?
<snip>
Anyway, the above messages don't seem to be problematic - the controller ports will be seen even if nothing is attached to them, and may/may not be relevant to the problems are seeing. Have to agree with Jordi Molina
- looks like you may have BIOS/hardware issues.
*If* you can get into BIOS, disable IDE 2 and see if that doesn't stop the "hang" (I suspect it is not hung, but just timing out waiting for some device to respond - can take a *long* time).
Might try checking cables and re-seating things - chips/boards. Could try clearing CMOS - there's often a jumper you can short on the motherboard to do that. Might try a different CD drive.
Also, *if* you have a choice, put the CD on the 2nd IDE port (after re- enabling it if you disabled it) to reduce contention when using both the CD and HD at the same time. Since you have a P III and I have a P II board (and older) in some of my machines that will boot from CD on secondary IDE ports, maybe yours would allow this too? Might take care of some issues.
The suggestion to try resetting the BIOS is a good one. Also, maybe time to replace the CMOS battery on a mainboard that old? Might get rid of the flakiness in your BIOS?
<snip sig stuff>
HTH
Bill
CentOS mailing list CentOS@centos.org http://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos
Is the BIOS chip sat in a socket? If so check that the BIOS chip is fully seated. These older socket BIOS chips have a tendency to walk out of their socket over time due to expansion and contraction from the machine heating up and cooling down when started up and shut down. I have also come across the BIOS code getting corrupt, so you might try to find the board manufacturer's web site and down load the latest / last bios code and re-install it. If you have trouble finding the manufacturer's BIOS web page let me know and I will have a go for you. You can check out the BIOS manufacturer's web site for a program that will identify the board for you, I think AMI's one is called MBID.exe and runs from a D.O.S bootable floppy. I have been playing around with old second hand boards for years. Oh it would be well worth installing a new BIOS battery on an older board such as this, an average life for a battery is about 2/3 years unless the machine is run continuously.
On Fri, 2007-08-17 at 17:18 +0100, Mário Gamito wrote:
Hi,
Sorry for the newbie question, I've been searching the CentOS site and googled, but I couldn't find an answer (probably my bad).
I want to install CentOS 4.5, but I'm having troubles with my CD reader.
How can I install it from an FTP server ?
Any help would be appreciated.
Warm Regards
You need to be able to boot to the installer somehow. If you have a working Linux with GRUB the following should work.
Download initrd.img and vmlinuz from your favorite mirror, e.g.
http://mirror.linux.duke.edu/pub/centos/4.5/os/i386/isolinux/
Put them in /boot and rename to initrd-c4.img and vmlinuz-c4 respectively. Add the following stanza to /boot/grub/grub.conf (or possibly menu.lst depending on distro).
title CentOS 4 Installer root (hd0,0) kernel /vmlinuz-c4 ro ramdisk=8192 initrd /initrd-c4.img
This assumes a boot partition /dev/hda1 (or sda1). Adjust according to your setup. If no boot partition the paths above must be prefixed by "/boot".
Boot to the installer and provide the address for the FTP (or HTTP) server and the directory containing the os/<arch> tree.
Another approach would be to use bootable USB media for the installer image:
http://mirror.linux.duke.edu/pub/centos/4.5/os/i386/images/diskboot.img
Could also set up a PXE server.
Phil
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John Bowden -
Jordi Molina -
Luciano Rocha -
Mário Gamito -
Phil Schaffner -
William L. Maltby