Re: Installing Linux guest...

[eric%cirr.com@localhost (Eric Schnoebelen)]

Anthony Howe writes:
- I want to install a Debian Linux into a file image.
- 
- Is there some way to get the Debian install media to start, if I extract
- the xen/vmlinuz kernel from the .iso and use it to start the install so
- I can then complete the rest of the install into the file image?

What I used to install a Debian based distribution (Ubuntu) a while ago:

  # install source path
  #
  http://mirror.anl.gov/pub/ubuntu/dists/precise/main/installer-amd64/current/images/netboot/xen/
  kernel = "/usr/pkg/etc/xen/kernels/amd64/ubuntu-12.04-server-install-vmlinuz"
  ramdisk = "/usr/pkg/etc/xen/kernels/amd64/ubuntu-12.04-server-install-initrd.gz"
  extra = "debian-installer/exit/always_halt=true -- console=hvc0"


Basically, grab the kernel and ramdisk images, and specify them
as the kernel and ramdisk parameters in the domain configuration
file.

Once the domain is installed, comment out those entries, and
enable the pygrub boot loader.

  bootloader="/usr/pkg/bin/pygrub"

One hint to potentially save some pain: make the /boot partition
ext2.  It seems some versions of pygrub can't understand ext3 or
above. (this is true of the xen 3.3 version of pygrub, I've
forgotten about later versions, as the majority of my Xen
servers are still running 3.3.)

--
Eric Schnoebelen		eric%cirr.com@localhost		http://www.cirr.com
	"Women and cats will do as they please; men and dogs should
	       relax and get used to it." -- Robert Heinlein