Install guide for Microcore anyone ?

[gerald_clark]

You forgot to copy Xlibs.gz and Xprogs.gz into your tce directory.

[Terminator3000]

I dont use Xorg with Microcore but I do know that Microcore has no window manager,so if there isnt one with the Xorg package you will definitely need to get one.

I use jwm as it has a small footprint.Load it and reboot/startx.You will probably need wbar.tcz aswell depending what desktop if any you decide to use.

Also as above Xlibs and Xprogs.

[Lee]

I've been meaning to document this for my own purposes and I might as well share, so here's a step-by-step, even though this thread seems to have covered all the nuts and bolts.

When I install microcore for use with a gui, I use the steps listed below and it just works.  The following steps assume:

a) that you will use grub as your boot loader

  If you use a different boot loader, I can't help you.

b) you will use Xvesa

  If you use Xorg, you can skip downloadeing Xvesa.gz in step #5 but add Xorg-7.5.tcz in step #6 and list it before wbar in onboot.lst in step #7 BUT NOTE that it has dependencies and you will have to download them (and their dependencies, if any) in step #6 and list them before Xorg-7.5.tcz in onboot.lst in Step #7.  You may also have to set up a config file for Xorg.  Note that I have never done (used Xorg), so this whole paragraph may be a bit iffy.

c) you will use jwm as your window manager

  If you use a different window manager, make sure you satisfy any dependencies it might have.  jwm doesn't have any deps.

d) you will use wbar.

  If you use something other than wbar, make sure you satisfy any dependencies it might have.  wbar doesn't have any deps.

--

The steps below work for USB flash drives, virtual disk files (like for qemu) and real honest-to-goodness disk drives (IDE and SATA).  Probably other bootable devices as well, but probably not optical disks - I don't think grub works on CDs,

Installation steps:

1) install grub on the boot device if it is not already installed.  I'm assuming you've installed it in /boot/grub on the device.

2) create /boot/mc3.0 It doesn't matte what you name it, or even of you put it under /boot but I like to give some clue as to what vesion of tc/mc I've installed - for future reference.

3) create /tce and /tce/optional  I always used to use something like /mce3.0 and use a boot parameter to point to it, but its just easier to use /tce and let the system find it.

4) download
  http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/tinycorelinux/3.x/release/distribution_files/microcore.gz
  http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/tinycorelinux/3.x/release/distribution_files/bzImage
into /boot/mce3.0

5) download
  http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/tinycorelinux/3.x/release/microcore/Xlibs.gz
  http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/tinycorelinux/3.x/release/microcore/Xprogs.gz
  http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/tinycorelinux/3.x/release/microcore/Xvesa.gz
into /tce

6) download
  http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/tinycorelinux/3.x/tcz/jwm.tcz
  http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/tinycorelinux/3.x/tcz/wbar.tcz
into /tce/optional

7) create text file /tce/onboot.lst containing the following two lines:
wbar.tcz
jwm.tcz

8  ) create/edit text file /boot/grub/menu.lst, adding an entry for your new micrcore installation.  Mine looks something like this:

Code: [Select]

timeout 10

# for booting Micro Core Linux 3.0_32 lem 20100721
title mc3.0_32
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/mc3.0/bzImage quiet noutc tz=GMT+5 ssh waitusb=9 tce=LABEL=GREENFOB3
initrd /boot/mc3.0/microcore.gz

9) reboot.  If it works, great.  If grub never starts, you probably skipped an important step in installing grub - this is a common problem mentioned elsewhere in the TC forums.  If it can't find your kernel, then the "root ..." line in your menu.lst file is wrong.  If it doesn't load any of your extensions and your are booting from a USB device, you probably need to increase the value of the waitusb boot code in menu.lst.


Its late and I'm tired.  I apologize in advance for any typos or omitted steps.

[gerald_clark]

You use the boot code tce=LABEL=GREENFOB3, but did not show the labeling of the file system.
The boot code should not be needed unless you are using external storage for tce.

[apacherulzz]

can someone please post the new location for these files or their equivalent replacements please? I am having trouble finding these files for 3.x (it seems there is no microcore directory in releases anymore. I grabbed the 2.x ones but wmii is complaining about xinerama libs which i read was outdated so i wanna make sure im doing it right ... sorry to resurrect the old thread, didnt think it was TOO old

Thanks guys!

[maro]

@apacherulzz : You are right that the *.gz files have "disappeared". This was announced by Robert in the release notes of MC 3.5rc1 as:

* Changed all core components from .gz to tcz.
  (Note need to add them to onboot.lst, order is important.)

As this point was not repeated in the (final) release notes of MC 3.5 it's possible to be not notice.

So you'll have to download these components like any other extension from the "usual place" (e.g. Xprogs.tcz). To get to the equivalent of TC one could just boot MC and then execute tce-load -wi Xlibs Xprogs Xvesa flwm_topside wbar && startx (or replace 'Xvesa' with the X server of your choice, and 'flwm_topside' with the window manager of your choice, etc.).

Please note that when using a MC release candidate to check the release notes as updated versions (e.g. of 'Xprogs.tcz') might need to be downloaded from here.

[Lee]

Gerald - Sorry, I hadn't noticed there were any replies in this thread until apacherulzz posted.

You use the boot code tce=LABEL=GREENFOB3, but did not show the labeling of the file system.
The boot code should not be needed unless you are using external storage for tce.

You're quite right there - I am pretty much always using a USB stick for boot and tce directory while there is some chance of the internal hard disk also having a tce directory, probably several tc versions older than what's on the stick.  In any case, if there's a chance that there will be another tce directory around, its better to specify the one you want, which for me will always be the one on the boot device (grrenfob3, in this case).

[apacherulzz]

@Maro - Thank you very much : ) Im sure this information will be helpful to other new members as well as most wouldnt go through reading every release note. However, I have made a mental note for the future ; ) sorry to bug, hope it helps others out

[roberts]

Using the command ab is an easy way to find and load extensions.