Installing a unix-like operating system
33
votes
11answers
3k views
Is it good to make a separate partition for /boot?
I've seen some people make a separate partition for /boot. What is the benefit of doing this? What problems might I encounter in the future by doing this?
Also, except for /home and /boot, which ...
14
votes
8answers
3k views
How do I find how long ago a Linux system was installed?
How can I find the time since a Linux system was first installed, provided that nobody has tried to hide it?
11
votes
3answers
424 views
First FreeBSD install. Is there anything I should know about differences between Linux and BSD?
I want to install FreeBSD today on a spare HDD I have lying around. I'd like to give it a trial run, learn a few things, and if it suits me I'll replace my current Ubuntu 10.10 'server/NAS/encoding ...
10
votes
8answers
1k views
How can I build a custom distribution for running a simple web browser?
You'll have to forgive me, as I'm relatively new at doing something like this, but I need to do the following and I know that it has and can be done.
Basically, a few friends and me are assembling ...
10
votes
5answers
328 views
Will I have to wipe my disk if I install linux?
It might be dumb question, but I want to experience Linux standalone and want to replace my windows 7 with it. My question is: Will I have to wipe my whole data If I install Linux on my notebook ...
9
votes
2answers
951 views
31 Debian CDs — Why? and which do I need for a vanilla desktop install?
I've been using Linux (Ubuntu) for a couple of months now, and I want to try Debian to see how different it is.
Well, I've already found a couple of differences..
The first one that Debian-Live ...
9
votes
1answer
1k views
archlinux aif command not found
I`m pretty much a newbie to linux and a complete newbie to archlinux. I started Archlinux after grub and I see a
[root@archiso ˜]#
command bash. The installation guide tells me to either type
...
9
votes
2answers
579 views
Install new kernel in PowerPC debian
I compiled a new kernel image on x86 using cross compiler with these commands (source):
$ cp arch/powerpc/configs/pmac32_defconfig .config
$ make ARCH=powerpc menuconfig
$ make ARCH=powerpc ...
8
votes
4answers
645 views
Why is Perl installed by default with most Linux distributions?
Just curious. The title says it all: Why is Perl installed by default with most Linux distributions?
8
votes
4answers
2k views
Migrating from Ubuntu to Debian
I'm a long term Ubuntu user who is considering migrating from Ubuntu to Debian (mainly because of Unity and the fact that my school has a Debian mirror). I haven't installed Debian on a system before. ...
8
votes
1answer
164 views
How to manually install linux on a USB?
I have been using unetbootin to create bootable Linux USBs.
I want to do this manually using command line.
What is the procedure that unetbootin uses to prepare a bootable USB?
How would you go ...
8
votes
4answers
359 views
What are your best practices and future plans for deploying unixoid desktops?
I have been setting up Linux desktops for a non-profit radio observatory. For me, this was the first time I had to think about "deploying" several identical machines, centralizing login, home ...
7
votes
1answer
1k views
Creating a bootable Linux installation USB without unetbootin
I want to install Scientific Linux from USB. I don't know why unetbootin doesn't work but I am not curious to find out: after all, I transferred to Linux from Windows to see and learn the underlying ...
7
votes
5answers
11k views
Create a Bootable (UEF GRUB) USB for Ubuntu & Windows 7 Install
I want to create a Bootable EFI USB to install Ubuntu & Windows 7 (maybe with utilities like PartedMagic). I did that using MultiSystem previously. However, I am using GPT and Windows install ...
6
votes
2answers
838 views
Find filesystem of an unmounted partition from a script
I'm writing a custom automated install using AIF (Arch Installation Framework), and I need to find the filesystem on a partition given a partition.
So far I have this:
grok_partitions () {
local ...
6
votes
2answers
258 views
How to choose LUKS encryption when installing RHEL 6?
With the default RHEL 6 installer, how can I choose the LUKS encryption?
Afaik if I prepare the disk like
cryptsetup luksFormat -c cast5-cbc-plain -s 128 /dev/$DEVICE
could be the "fastest" ...
6
votes
1answer
321 views
Grubby fatal error in Linux kernel installation
I have compiled Linux kernel 2.6.24.6 from source (without problem) and tried to install it. Specifically, after unpacking the Linux source code, I did
make && make modules
to compile. ...
5
votes
6answers
818 views
Find out if the OS is running in a virtual environment
Is there any way to find out if the OS i'm running (actually installing) is running in a VMWare machine. I need to disable ntp settings if the automated install is done on a virtual machine but keep ...
5
votes
1answer
153 views
How can I find a Ubuntu package to use with Amazon EC2?
I'm looking to set up a new server on Amazon's EC2 and I wanted to use Ubuntu 11.04 is it is fairly new but not too new. I previously used 10.10 which I think is also very stable and time-tested.
My ...
5
votes
2answers
937 views
Which Fedora CPU architecture should I choose? i386 or i686?
I have an old Thinkpad X32 which has an Intel(R) Pentium(R) M processor 1.80GHz based on the result of cat /proc/cpuinfo and I was wondering which is better to use on it, the i386 or the i686 version ...
5
votes
1answer
111 views
Installing Linux Mint on Windows-Ubuntu Dual Boot
I currently have an Ubuntu-Windows Dual boot. However, I would like to try out a new OS so I burned Linux Mint to a USB stick.
I would like to install Linux Mint and remove Ubuntu while still ...
5
votes
1answer
1k views
Problem installing Debian wheezy from USB stick
I try to install Debian wheezy on my IBM ThinkPad X40 2372-CTO via USB stick. First i do zcat boot.img.gz > /dev/sdb with this image. After that i do cp debian-*-netinst.iso /mnt/sdb with this ...
4
votes
2answers
58 views
How to install GNU/Linux on a Windows PC without the BIOS password?
I want to install a GNU/Linux based operating system on a computer with Windows preinstalled, but unfortunately, the BIOS is set to only boot from the harddisk, and there is no way to boot from ...
4
votes
1answer
107 views
How do I install Ubuntu/Mint on top of Debian?
I have a basic dual setup with Linux Debian and Windows 7 (Grub is my bootloader). However, since this machine will be donated to a friend that does not know a lot about computers, I would like to ...
4
votes
1answer
121 views
Changing linux distro remotely while preserving data
I have a headless Fedora 15 (without GUI) box. With the following partition structure:
$ df -T -h
Filesystem Type Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
rootfs rootfs 49G 2.8G 46G 6% /
...
4
votes
1answer
95 views
What is the proper way of sharing the /usr subdirectory?
What parts of the /usr subdirectory are usually shared in common practice without introducing any system instabilities? My intent is to share share-able parts of the /usr subdirectory among VM's of ...
4
votes
1answer
323 views
How to install FreeBSD on Thinkpad?
I am trying to install FreeBSD but I am having a problem. My computer is a Thinkpad T400.
I followed the instructions to install so I have downloaded the file FreeBSD-8.3-RELEASE-amd64-dvd1.iso and ...
4
votes
1answer
598 views
Installing Elementary OS on a MacBook Pro 13" Early 2011 (8,1)
I'm trying to install elementaryOS (which is based on Ubuntu 10.10) on my MacBook Pro 13" Early 2011 (model No 8,1). I have resized a partition on my hard drive, and I've installed refit. Two things ...
4
votes
3answers
447 views
Is there a way to run an ssh server on an Android device?
I'm looking to install Debian over my Android installation so as to be able to use openssh-server, as it's so much better than Dropbear. Is there an easy way to do this, or just to simply install ...
4
votes
1answer
1k views
Create Ubuntu USB-Installer from Debian
I have Debian Squeeze and want to create USB flash drive for install Ubuntu 11.04. I've already tried many ways:
boot.img.gz + mini.iso at drive's root + syslinux = installer "couldn't found ...
4
votes
1answer
55 views
debian-installer: report setup progress
Can I, using preseed, make the debian installer report its progress to a server?
I'd imagine something like calling wget http://x.tld/stage_finished.php?s=partitioning_completed to report the ...
3
votes
3answers
215 views
Remove /var partition and replace it with /var into / (root) partition
I accidentaly created a /var partition and I'd like to get rid of it. Is it possible to remove this partition and use the / partition to contain /var without reinstalling the OS or do I have to ...
3
votes
9answers
33k views
How to install CentOS 6 via USB mass storage device?
I want to install CentOS 6.2 on a laptop (Thinkpad R40) which comes without CD/DVD-drive but with USB 2.0 ports.
It seems that CentOS does not provide ready-to-use dd-able USB images for ...
3
votes
1answer
2k views
Installing Debian without GUI for a web server
I'm unfamiliar with Debian (obviously), so I downloaded the live ISO thinking it might help me out. From the live GUI, I doubled click on the install icon on the desktop and proceeded - it gave me a ...
3
votes
4answers
194 views
Install Debian over Ubuntu using same home partition
I'm interested in changing from Ubuntu to Debian. I currently have 12.04LTS installed on its own boot partition which is separate from the /home partition.
I would simply wipe the Ubuntu partition ...
3
votes
1answer
758 views
Installing Fedora along side Ubuntu
I have installed Ubuntu 10.10 by specifying "Use the entire disk" during installation. Now, I would like to install Fedora alongside Ubuntu. I would like to know whether it's possible or not. If it's ...
3
votes
1answer
158 views
Arch Linux - installation with old iso image
Are there any issues when installing Arch Linux with an old ISO image? Generally all packages are downloaded from mirrors during installation, but I want to be sure.
3
votes
2answers
422 views
Debian Wheezy installation with preseed
I have a USB stick with netinst version of Debian Wheezy (testing). I am trying to load a preseed file, named "preseed.cfg" in the USB root folder (same folder as initrd.gz). I use GRUB and my entry ...
3
votes
1answer
120 views
Installing basic OS on a server without console
I'm having a server with some obsolete linux installed. I want to wipe everything out, have a basic Ubuntu installed, and get the IP of the server, and a default username and password.
From there ...
3
votes
2answers
702 views
make a linux “from scratch” using package manager?
Is there an easy way yet to make a linux system "from scratch" using a package manager like pacman, dpkg, etc.?
For example, something with which you can just say you want a working computer system ...
3
votes
1answer
104 views
Disconnecting drives for dual-boot installation
Related to my post about my Arch installation, I'm wondering whether the following procedure would work:
Disconnect sda
Install Arch normally on sdb as if on a single-drive system
Disconnect sdb, ...
3
votes
2answers
147 views
Is it better to partition one drive or use separate drives?
I am a system admin with limited Linux experience, and have been tasked with setting up Cent OS 5.8 64bit install, and creating a template once complete.
My main client base will be developers, and I ...
3
votes
1answer
605 views
How to install CentOS 6.4 on Mac Mini?
I have bought a new Mac Mini, and would like to use it as a Linux server. Now I'm trying to install CentOS on it. I downloaded CentOS-6.4-x86_64-netinstall.iso and booted the Mac Mini from a ...
3
votes
2answers
102 views
How to report back system installation progress
I'd like to do some reporting from the system setup progress for virtualised (libvirt/kvm) Ubuntu servers. I expected some kind of such system to already exist out there, but couldn't find anything. ...
3
votes
1answer
1k views
Trying to install Linux Mint 13 via Wubi, throws me into grub prompt
I'm trying to install Linux Mint 13 with Cinnamon via the 64 bit DVD image from within Windows. I've tried both installing it to C: which is my Windows system disk, but also to D: which is another ...
3
votes
2answers
352 views
Installing FreeBSD without removable media from CentOS 6
I've been tasked with installing FreeBSD 8 alongside CentOS 6, without the luxury of removable media. CentOS 6 is already on the machine, and running quite nicely. However, I cannot figure out how to ...
2
votes
4answers
2k views
Best Disk Partitioning Scheme for a Linux-based Developer Machine
Is there some kind of "best disk partitioning scheme" for a Linux-based web and application developer machine, in terms of performance, organization or others?
2
votes
2answers
736 views
Installing Freebsd as guest OS on kvm without using VNC
I want to run Freebsd as a guest OS on kVM running on Ubuntu server 10.04. All howtos mention VNC as a necessity to start and finish the installation process. Can I install freebsd on kVM without ...
2
votes
1answer
81 views
Is there a way to find out when an OS instance was installed on a host?
I am currently using RHEL 5.8 and SunOS 5.10 at work and Fedora 16 at home. Is there any way to find out the date when any or all of those OS instances were installed on a host?
The reason I want it ...
2
votes
1answer
559 views
Installing centos server in a virtual machine
I have little Unix/Linux experience, so sorry if this sounds stupid.
What I want to do is simple: I want to learn CentOs so that I can manage my own web server. I did so by buying a dedicated and ...
