The Slackware Linux Project: Installation Help

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In order to install Slackware Linux you must boot a small version of it from diskette. The first diskette holds the Linux kernel and the other diskette holds the root filesystem. Slackware Linux comes with several boot disk images from which you can choose one. The table below describes the differences between the images.

Creating The Boot Disk

Once you have selected a boot disk image file from the list below, you will need to create the disk. If you are creating the image from a Linux system, the following command should work just fine:

dd if=[image file name] of=/dev/fd0

You may need to change /dev/fd0 depending on your configuration. If you are creating the image from a DOS system, the included program RAWRITE will help you make the disk. Here is the syntax for RAWRITE:

C:\>RAWRITE [image file name] [destination drive letter]:

For example, if I wanted to make a boot disk from the net.i image on a DOS system with the floppy drive as A:, I would use the following command.

C:\>RAWRITE bare.i a:

You should now have a working boot disk to use during the Slackware Linux installation.

The Image Files

IDE bootdisks (.i suffix)

bare.i This is the disk to use for installation on most IDE based PCs, with support for nearly all IDE controllers and support for IDE/ATAPI CD-ROM/DVD drives. Most CD-ROM drives made today fall into this category.

bareacpi.i This is similar to the bare.i bootdisk, but the kernel also contains support for ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface). If you aren't using a laptop, then you probably will not need ACPI (or APM) support.

ataraid.i This is a bootdisk with support for IDE RAID controllers. The install disks now have preliminary support for these controllers as well. The drivers included are: 3ware Hardware ATA-RAID controllers. Promise Fasttrak(tm) IDE RAID. Highpoint 370 software RAID. Many of these controllers will require some degree of do-it-yourself setup before and/or after installation.

lowmem.i This is a really stripped-down Linux kernel which might be useful for installing on IDE systems with a low amount of RAM (less than 8MB). It's also the only Slackware kernel that supports old 386 machines. If bare.i runs into problems, you might try this. NOTE: On systems with extremely low memory (4MB), ZipSlack plus the fourmeg.zip add-on (found in the zipslack directory) may boot and run even in cases where lowmem.i doesn't. If you have to use lowmem.i to install, you'll then probably have to compile a custom kernel with the minimal additional features that your machine requires.

old_cd.i This is a version of bare.i with additional support for old CD-ROM drives on non-standard proprietary interfaces. The CD-ROM drives supported by this bootdisk are: Aztech CDA268-01A, Orchid CD-3110, Okano/Wearnes CDD110, Conrad TXC, CyCDROM CR520, CR540. Sony CDU31/33a CD-ROM. Sony CDU531/535 CD-ROM. Philips/LMS cm206 CD-ROM with cm260 adapter card. Goldstar R420 CD-ROM (sometimes sold in a 'Reveal Multimedia Kit'). ISP16/MAD16/Mozart CD-ROM drives. NON-IDE Mitsumi CD-ROM support. Optics Storage 8000 AT CD-ROM (the 'DOLPHIN' drive). Sanyo CDR-H94A CD-ROM support. Matsushita, Kotobuki, Panasonic, CreativeLabs (Sound Blaster), Longshine and Teac NON-IDE CD-ROM support.

pportide.i This is an extended version of bare.i with support for a wide variety of parallel-port IDE devices. Supports parallel-port products from MicroSolutions, Hewlett-Packard, SyQuest, Imation, Avatar, and other manufacturers.

sata.i This is a version of bare.i with support for SATA controllers made by Promise, Silicon Image, SiS, ServerWorks / Apple K2, VIA, and Vitesse.

SCSI bootdisks (.s suffix)

adaptec.s This bootdisk supports most Adaptec SCSI controllers, including these models: AHA-1510, AHA-1520, AHA-1522, AHA-1522, AHA-1740, and AHA-2825. The AIC7xxx models, which include the 274x EISA cards; 284x VLB cards; 2902, 2910, 293x, 294x, 394x, 3985 and several other PCI and motherboard based SCSI controllers from Adaptec. Adaptec's I2O based RAID controllers (including OEM Adaptec RAID controllers used by HP and Dell, Adaptec branded AAC964/5400 RAID controllers, and DPT SmartRaid V cards)

ibmmca.s This is a bootdisk based on a development kernel which supports MicroChannel Architecture, found in some IBM PS/2 machines and laptops. It is a bus system similar to PCI or ISA. Support for most MCA SCSI, Ethernet, and Token Ring adapters is included.

jfs.s A version of bare.i with support for IBM's Journaled Filesystem as well as Adaptec AIC7xxx SCSI support.

raid.s This is a bootdisk with support for some hardware SCSI and ATA RAID controllers. The install disks now have preliminary support for these controllers as well. The drivers included are: AMI MegaRAID 418, 428, 438, 466, 762, 490 and 467 SCSI host adapters, Compaq Smart, Compaq Smart Array 5xxx, IBM ServeRAID hardware RAID, LSI Logic Fusion(TM) MPT devices (not really RAID, but added since there was room for this driver here), Mylex DAC960, AcceleRAID, and eXtremeRAID controllers. Many of these controllers will require some degree of do-it-yourself setup before and/or after installation.

scsi.s This is a SCSI bootdisk with support for various controllers. Note that this disk does not include Adaptec support any longer -- you must use the adaptec.s bootdisk for that. This disk supports these SCSI controllers: AM53/79C974 PCI SCSI, BusLogic SCSI, EATA ISA/EISA/PCI (DPT and generic EATA/DMA-compliant boards), Initio 91XXU(W) and Initio 91XXU(W), SYM53C8XX Version 2, Qlogic ISP SCSI, Qlogic QLA 1280 SCSI.

scsi2.s This is a SCSI bootdisk with support for various controllers. This disk supports these SCSI controllers: AdvanSys SCSI (supports all AdvanSys SCSI controllers, including some SCSI cards included with HP CD-R/RW drives, the Iomega Jaz Jet SCSI controller, and the SCSI controller on the Iomega Buz multimedia adapter), ACARD 870U/W SCSI host adapter, Compaq Fibre Channel 64-bit/66Mhz HBA, Domex DMX3191D SCSI Host Adapters, DTC 3180/3280 SCSI Host Adapters, Future Domain 16xx SCSI/AHA-2920A, NCR53c7, 8xx, NCR53C8XX

scsi3.s This is a SCSI bootdisk with support for various controllers. This disk supports these SCSI controllers: Western Digital 7000FASST SCSI support, Always IN2000, Intel/ICP (former GDT SCSI Disk Array) RAID Controller, PCI2000I, PCI2220i, PSI240i EIDE interface card, Qlogic FAS SCSI, QLogic ISP FC (ISP2100 SCSI-FCP), Seagate ST01/ST02, Future Domain TMC-885/950 SCSI, SYM53c416 SCSI host adapter, UltraStor 14F, 24F and 34F SCSI-2 host adapters, Workbit NinjaSCSI-32Bi/UDE

speakup.s This is like the bare.i (standard IDE) disk, but has support for Speakup (and since there was space, support for Adaptec's AIC7xxx SCSI controllers is also included) Speakup provides access to Linux for the visually impaired community. It does this by sending console output to a number of different hardware speech synthesizers. It provides access to Linux by making screen review functions available. For more information about speakup and its drivers check out: http://www.linux-speakup.org. To use this, you'll need to specify one of the supported synthesizers on the bootdisk's boot prompt:
ramdisk speakup_synth=synth
where 'synth' is one of the supported speech synthesizers: acntpc, acntsa, apolo, audptr, bns, decext, dectlk, dtlk, ltlk, spkout, txprt

xfs.s This is an extended version of bare.i with support for SGI's XFS filesystem. Support for Adaptec's AIC7xxx SCSI controllers is also included.

Slackware™ is a trademark of Patrick Volkerding.