Tiny Core Linux
Tiny Core Base => Micro Core => Topic started by: Terminator3000 on September 27, 2010, 10:28:52 PM
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I was just wondering if any one could come up with a decent install guide for Microcore.Ive installed Tinycore a few times without any problems but trying Microcore is a little different.
I seem to come unstuck with grub and downloading the needed Xlibs,Xvesa and Xprogs (where is core_elements ?) It may be quite obvious to die hards and old hands but not so for someone new to Tiny/Microcore.
Help appreciated Thanks.
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You need to download these files to your /boot folder:
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/microcore.gz)
http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/tinycorelinux/3.x/release/distribution_files/bzImage (http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/tinycorelinux/3.x/release/distribution_files/bzImage)
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/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/Xprogs.gz)
http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/tinycorelinux/3.x/release/microcore/Xvesa.gz (http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/tinycorelinux/3.x/release/microcore/Xvesa.gz)
You then need a grub menu.lst entry which is an analogy of this extlinux.conf entry: label microcore
kernel /boot/bzImage
append initrd=/boot/microcore.gz,/boot/Xprogs.gz,/boot/Xlibs.gz,/boot/Xvesa.gz quiet noswap tce=UUID=aaab6273-4a6c-4118-8eb2-e31a9b31edb3 waitusb=5 syslog text
Boot and then, for example: $ tce-load -wil wget.tcz
$ tce-load -wil flwm.tca
..and "startx"
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Another option is to put the 3 X*.gz files in the persistent tce directory.
Microcore will find them and load them automatically.
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Does the above advice mean that I dont actually have to copy anything from the install disc as I appear to be downloading everything ? I would just need to know which directorys to create and populate which would suit me fine. I am getting a little mixed up with the various instruction sets I have been viewing however.
I have downloaded all 5 of Juanitos distro.ibiblio files but not entirely sure what folders they all go in.When I setup grub I get the root OK at hd0,1 but when I try to setup hd0 I get error 'checking if /boot/grub/stage1 exists... no'
But when I check the contents of grub, stage 1 is there.Path to grub is /mnt/hdb2/boot/grub
Still a little baffled but determined to get it right so wiping to start again !
Tips welcome !
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I can also use gerald_clarks way of putting the 3 X*.gz files in tce directory,but still dont know where other files go ie bzImage,microcore.gz
I have no problems setting up the drive partition/preparation wise,or downloading files,just installing the actual files in the right place.
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Micro Core installs exactly like Tiny Core except the initrd is microcore.gz instead of tinycore.gz.
Since you have installed Tiny Core several times without problems, Micro Core should not be a problem either.
I would suggest first installing Tiny Core.
Then add microcore.gz to the same directory as tinycore.gz.
Then add a microcore option to your bootloader config file as the default entry.
This gives you the added option to boot tinycore with nobase option for troubleshooting, or to even have a tinycore boot option
with a different tce directory.
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'Micro Core should not be a problem either' !!! Hopefully that will bear out shortly.
I'm doing it all again as I want to do just a microcore installation,I think I have now got the general procedure after examining various posts. Thanks.
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Finally done it,installed microcore largely using the tinycore instructions with amendments.
At the end I downloaded the 3 X gz files into tce directory and rebooted.
It boots into the default tinycore blue screen but with no wbar or terminal so I cant do anything on this. I can boot also to a grub prompt so just need to know how to load a window manager at this point to carry on.
As usual tips more than welcome.Thanks to gerald_clark and Juanito for taking the time to help.
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It boots into the default tinycore blue screen but with no wbar or terminal so I cant do anything on this. I can boot also to a grub prompt so just need to know how to load a window manager at this point to carry on.
There is no wbar or window manager included in MC. "tce-load -wi wbar flwm_topside" to have the TC defaults.
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Hi,how do I get a tc@box or root terminal from the grub prompt ? Thanks.
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If you want to boot to a
box login:
boot with a noautologin prompt.
If you just want to get to a shell once X is running, do CTRL_ALT_BACKSPACE.
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Excellent thats it ,finally got Microcore up and running.
Perhaps if a part about downloading the 3 X files (for microcore installs)were appended to the end of the tinycore instructions it might make things a little simpler. Thanks.
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Micro Core installs exactly like Tiny Core except the initrd is microcore.gz instead of tinycore.gz.
With one very particular exception:
When booting microcore from DOS the initrd name has to be shortened by at least one character and the modified name has to be passed to the bootloader, to conform with the 8+3 naming convention.
This post might seem like nitpicking and outside of the scope of the OP, but having in mind users which will search the forum in the future.
I had run into this issue when I tried to boot microcore for the first time, and it took me quite a while to figure out why I couldn't boot microcore in the same way I had been successfully booting tinycore for a long time. :P
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When I finished this I found that I'd essentially used the Tinycore instructions that I'd printed out from the web site,but changed the appropriate file/entry names where needed with regard to microcore (and obviously used a microcore install disc) At the end before rebooting I'd then used 'wget -c' to download the Xlibs,Xprogs and Xvesa gz files from distro.ibiblio site (address in post above) to tce directory.
After rebooting and getting a plain blue desktop I then 'Ctrl Alt Backspace' to stop X and get a cmmd prompt.
At prompt I used 'tce-load -w -i' to get wbar and jwm so that Id have a working desktop.
So the above would be a reasonable guide to installing Microcore.
It did help that I'd installed Tinycore a few times already !
The later bits of the above(and now I think of it,even using tinycore instructions) I picked up from the various responses to my original post.
I noticed also that once I install LXDE I could then delete wbar and jwm,although whether it would work just using LXDE without first loading wbar and jwm I dont know. Thanks .
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I'm trying to build a desktop from mircocore but would like to use Xorg instead of Xvesa.
Here's what I did:
started microcore 3.1 with qemu (0.11.1 on windows xp) as follows:
qemu.exe -m 128 -kernel bzImage -initrd microcore.gz -hda freshharddrive.img -append "tce=hda1"
once booted, I installed Xorg-7.5 as follows:
> tce-load -wi Xorg-7.5.tcz
all the dependencies downloaded and seemed to be in the right place, /mnt/sda1/tce/optional
Then I try...
> startx
but there is no startx anywhere in the file system. I assume I didn't need to install a window manager. I'm just checking to see if Xorg will work without a windows manager for now. What am I missing?
thanks, Jon
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You forgot to copy Xlibs.gz and Xprogs.gz into your tce directory.
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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.
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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.
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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:
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.
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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.
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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 :P
Thanks guys!
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@apacherulzz : You are right that the *.gz files have "disappeared". This was announced by Robert in the release notes (http://forum.tinycorelinux.net/index.php?topic=8587.msg46297#msg46297) 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 (http://distro.ibiblio.org/tinycorelinux/3.x/tcz/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 (http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/tinycorelinux/3.x/release_candidates/microcore/).
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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).
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@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
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Using the command ab is an easy way to find and load extensions.