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2. Slackware

2.1 Making the first zip disk.

1) Attach zip drive to host system, insert blank zip disk into the drive and boot the system to Linux

2) Login. You probably need to login as root or the user you log in as will need to be able to write file systems, mount and unmount disks etc....

3) Install an ext2fs file system on the zip disk. with the command: 

         /sbin/mke2fs -b 1024 /dev/sda4
4) Mount the zip disk with: 
         mount /dev/sda4 /(zip)
5) Insert your cdrom into its drive and mount it: 
         mount /dev/hdc /(cdrom)
6) Make a directory to install the slakware disk images in: 
         mkdir /(zip)/slakware
7) Make a writable ( non zip disk ) temporary directory on your main disk to work in. May I suggest: 
         mkdir /root/slakware/(verx.x)
8) Copy the root disk image to the above named directory: 
         cp /(cdrom)/rootdsks/text.gz /root/slakware/(verx.x)/
9) Change directories to the one the root disk image was copied to and decompress it with the commands: 
         cd /root/slakware/(verx.x)
         gunzip text.gz
10) Install a 1.44 meg floppy with a dos or ext2fs file system on it in its drive and copy the root disk image to it this time with the dd command: 
         dd if=text of=/dev/fd0
11) Mount the 1.44 meg floppy with the command: 
         mount /dev/fd0 /(floppy)
12) Copy the root disk image to the zip disk: 
         cp -dpR /(floppy)/* /(zip)/
13) In order to ease the install process later we will want to create a swap file on the zip disk of about 8 megs. with: 
         dd if=/dev/zero of=/(zip)/swap bs=1024 count=8208
14) Initialize the swap file with: 
         /sbin/mkswap /(zip)/swap 8208
15) Next with your favorite text editor you will need to edit the file /(zip)/etc/rc and after the line /bin/mount -av -t nonfs insert a new line 
         /sbin/swapon /swap
16) Copy the disk images to the zip disk: 
         cp -r /(cdrom)/slakware/[a-ty]* /(zip)/slakware/ &
include the square brackets [a-ty]* exactly as shown above. the & sign at the end of the line will make this command execute in the background. It takes about 20 min to complete. Use this time for some coffee and reading more HOWTO's.

17) External zip drives have two lights--mine are green and yellow; the internal drives appear to have only one. When my zip disk has finished receiving information the yellow light goes out and I'm left with just the green power light. on internal drives the single "status?" light will go out.

It is now time to prepare the floppy and zip disks for removal from their drives by unmounting them: 

         cd
         umount /dev/fd0
         umount /dev/sda4

18) Life will be easier later if we check the root disk's file system before we try to use it with the command: 

         /sbin/e2fsck -f /dev/sda4

When disk activity ends if there are no errors you may remove the zip disk from the drive and label it Slackware Root disk. I also include the version number in pencil.

2.2 Making the second zip disk.

If the X window system is to be installed or you will be needing one of the other prebuilt kernels it is now time to build the 2nd. zip disk.

x1) Insert disk 2 in the zip drive. I like to write an ext2fs file system on this disk also, but if it has a M$ Dos file system that will work also. I use the up arrow key on my keyboard to recall previously used commands from my history file because I'm a bit lazy, but if you want to retype the command repeat instructions 3), 4), and 6) above.

x2) Copy the X11R6 "X Window" packages to zip 

         cp -r /(cdrom)/slakware/x* /(zip)/slakware/ &
again in the background. This will take about 1/2 as long as step 9) did. If your system was slow then it will be again. More coffee and HOWTO reading.

x3) There is also room on this disk for the custom kernels directory. It is classy to install one that meets the system's needs as closely as possible to go with the one needed to access the zip drive. Make this kernel the system default. So now we will make a directory for that and then copy the information to it: 


         mkdir /(zip)/kernels
         cp -r /(cdrom)/kernels/* /(zip)/kernels/ &
This will take another 10 or 15 min. Dispose of the used coffee? Read more Linux Documentation?

x4) When disk activity is at an end unmount the disk and run fsck on it: 

         umount /dev/sda4
         /sbin/e2fsck -f /dev/sda4
x5) When e2fsck is done with the disk and the command prompt returns to the screen eject the disk and label it.

2.3 Making the boot floppy.

b1) I now make a 1.44 meg boot disk. Use the /(cdrom)/bootdsks.144/iomega.s image. Install a new 1.44 meg floppy disk in the proper drive. The command to make the disk is: 

         dd if=/(cdrom)/bootdsks.144/iomega.s of=/dev/fd0

b2) Check the file systems of the boot disk: 

         /sbin/e2fsck -f /dev/fd0
When disk activity ends if there are no errors you may remove all your disks, write protect your boot floppy and label it including version number.

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