Go to the redhat site or your favorite redhat mirror site, such as:
http://metalab.unc.edu/pub/Linux/distributions/redhat/redhat-5.2/i386/
(aka sunsite) and download the directory RedHat. If I recall
correctly, burning that and its subdirectories onto a CDROM (or putting
on a hard drive) will allow installing off the CDROM (hard drive). My
recollection is that the install routine _insists_ on the subdirectory
tree being .../RedHat/... so make sure the tree is intact starting with
the RedHat subdirectory.
The RedHat subdirectories are:
RPMS - the bulk of the files for the install (all the rpms)
base - used to figure out was a base system is composed of
i386 - apparently a marker file (0 length)
instimage - I believe this is mounted and provides the install executables
during the install.
You can trim RPMS subdirectory contents to only the packages you need
and save a lot of download time. Unfortunately, figuring out what the
minimal set is is a lot of work (man rpm shows how to query what you
currently have installed).
In addition, for a full install, you will want boot.img, supp.img and
eventually rescue.img from the images subdirectory. Use
dosutils/rawrite.exe (or dd from linux) to create the two 3.5" boot
floppies from boot.img and sup.img. You boot off the boot.img floppy
and the install prompts you for the sup.img floppy. The rescue.img
floppy is for rescuing the system if Something Really Bad Happens (it
is not used for the install).
If you only need an update, you can download and install the
appropriate RPMS from the RPMS directory without all the hoopla. Read
the rpm man page to figure out how to query what is installed.
Download those rpms from the RPMS subdirectory and then use rpm to
install the updates. Order may be critical on some of the packages,
however, and shared libraries have to be done VERY carefully :-(. I
have not done this personally... it sounds like a lot of effort.
Writing a script to do this would be Really Neat and someone may have
already done it.
There also is an install option that allows you to install via FTP.
Theoretically, you can dialup your favorite redhat mirror and go to
town. I have not personally tried it and would be concerned about the
length of time my phone would have to work properly in order to do a
full install at 28+Kbaud. This probably only works with either a
direct internet connection or using a second machine with masquerading
to give you a "direct" FTP connection to the mirror site. If you wish
to try that, I suspect you only need the two 3.5" floppy boot disks.
Having said all of that, it is much easier and perhaps even cheaper to
buy an official RedHat 5.2 CDROM from redhat or your local retailer
(bookstore). I've seen it for $29.95, although that may require paying
full price and then sending in for a $10 rebate.
RedHat is very successful is because it is much easier to shell out $30
and get a prepackaged deal.
gvb
At 03:03 PM 1/21/99 -0600, you wrote:
At some point, someone on this list wrote me an e-mail message telling
me
that there was a downloadable? CD-Rom image that could be burned onto
a CD
for RedHat 5.2. If anyone has ANY information about that i'd highly
appreciate it...since the @#$%^* distributor's of my favorite CD-Rom
Set
(InfoMagic) just decided that they needed to double the price of their
archives, and i'm not playing that kind of game...I pay $95 for an
upgrade
to the windows 98 O/S (ick), I shouldn't have to pay $60 for an
upgrade of
a free operating system (inculuding archives of Sunsite, TSX-11, etc.
however..but that's still excessive).
Anyway, if anyone has info on how I can "write my own" CD-Rom or
create a
cd-rom image of RedHat 5.2 to write to CD (Yes.it must be installable)
i'd
be most appreciative.
Douglas Wagner
p.s. I know this is proably the third time this has come up on the list
within the last month and a half..I apoligize and i'll stop after this
one..:)
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