UserLinux

Describe UserLinux here.

• http://userlinux.com/
• http://userlinux.com/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?Installing_UserLinux
• http://userlinux.com/installer/netboot.iso - the ISO

"a downloadable installation mini-CD in beta test. The CD is only 4.5 megabytes in size, and downloads the rest of the system during the installation."

this information is now a bit obsoleted by InstallDebianFromIso : the Sarge installer is more reliant and you will be able to complete the installation.

<Gniarf> I got it to run. more info soon.

• installing packages...
• what ? choosing a kernel ? we dont need any kernel !

(draft. not a howto. lots of trivial or missing bits)

• mount the ISO with DAEMON Tools, get the \BOOT\ISOLINUX\INITRD.GZ, uncompress it
• use it as /dev/cobd2 (or anything, not 0)
• use a formatted filesystem as / on /dev/cobd0
• boot on /dev/cobd2
• or use the <initrd path="..." /> syntax if you want
• switch to a console (alt-f2) as needed
• to bypass the partition manager, edit /var/lib/dpkg/status and change the package status of partman to installed.
• create a /target directory
• mount it as /dev/cobd0 (or /target ?), the iso disk itself will stay in ram disk
• remount it as often as you need while switching between alt-f1 and alt-f2 and trying to get past the partitioning step.
• tip : cd into /target from the console will prevent the sucker from unmounting it
• the installer will ask you to choose a kernel, and fail to succesfully install it. change status of Package: kernel-image-2.6.7-1-386-di to installed
• the installer will fail again later with some messages like umount: /target/proc/bus/usb: No such file or directory
• not tested yet : fix /target/proc issues with : mount -t proc none /target/proc , or mount -o bind /proc /target/proc
• ditto for /target/dev/shm and /target/dev/pts : copy or make the devices in /target/dev
• the .deb files being downloaded will NOT be redownloaded again (good)
• some post configuration steps like setting up the time zone or a root passord will not be done, since the installer fails before (yes, it is brain-dead)

end result Edit

the image WILL boot and works rather fine, but since some final steps are not being run, bits like the network will not be set up. the feeling is like the initial Debian coLinux images, with a bit more of software (like wget)

• maybe one can run apt-get or dpkg with the right options to reconfigure some packages.