LGVD486 Install

[INSTALL] :: Install LVGD486 to Disk

This tutorial explains how to install LVGD486 from the bootable installation CD onto a hard disk. We will mount the installation media, identify the target disk, create a partition, format it as ext2, and run the installer.

[!] DATA LOSS WARNING

Partitioning and formatting can permanently destroy existing data. The commands below assume that /dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/disc is the intended installation disk. Verify the device carefully before continuing. Do not proceed if you are unsure which disk you have selected.

00 > Boot up the CD

Insert the installation CD and boot from it. It will land you on a bash prompt.

01 > Mount the Installation CD

First, mount the CD-ROM containing the LVGD486 installer. This is important because the mke2fs utility used to format the target partition is provided by the installation media.

mount /dev/cdroms/cdrom0 /install-media/

The installation files should now be accessible under /install-media/.

02 > Identify the Target Disk

List the available disks and partitions:

fdisk -l

On this Linux 2.4-based system, an unpartitioned IDE disk may appear using the following device naming format:

/dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/disc

The host0 component identifies an IDE host adapter. Depending on the hardware and driver configuration, additional disks may appear under other host, bus, target, or LUN numbers.

A partition on this disk will use the same device path with part1 at the end.

/dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part1

>> Confirm the disk before partitioning.

Make sure the selected device is the intended installation target, not a disk containing data you want to preserve.

03 > Create a Primary Partition

Start the partition editor for the target disk:

fdisk /dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/disc

At the fdisk prompt, enter:

n

This starts the process of creating a new partition.

Write p to select a primary partition.

p

Write 1 to choose partition number 1.

1

When prompted for the first sector, press Enter to accept the default starting position.

[Press Enter]

When prompted for the last sector, press Enter again to accept the default ending position. This normally uses the remaining available space offered by fdisk.

[Press Enter]

Review the resulting partition layout before committing the changes. If the layout is correct, enter:

w

This writes the new partition table to disk.

[!] PARTITION TABLE CHANGES

Writing the partition table can overwrite existing partition information. These steps are intended for a disk you are prepared to repartition. Stop if the displayed layout does not match your intentions.

04 > Verify the New Partition

List the disks and partitions again:

fdisk -l

The new partition should appear as:

/dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part1

Verify that this is the partition you intend to format before continuing.

05 > Format the Partition as ext2

LVGD486 uses the ext2 filesystem for this installation. Create the filesystem on partition 1:

mke2fs -F -r 0 -b 1024 /dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part1

The options specify a forced filesystem creation, revision 0 filesystem format, and a 1024-byte block size. These settings are intended for compatibility with the legacy target system.

[!] FORMATTING ERASES DATA

This command creates a new filesystem on the specified partition and destroys existing filesystem data there. Double-check the device path before running it.

06 > Run the LVGD486 Installer

Change to the directory containing the installer:

cd /install-media

Run the installation script and pass the target partition as its argument:

./install.sh /dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part1

The installer will copy the LVGD486 system to the selected partition. On slower 486-class machines, this process may take some time. Allow the installer to finish and check for any reported errors.

>> Be patient. Older hardware takes time.

07 > Reboot into LVGD486

Once the installer reports that it has completed successfully, remove the installation CD and reboot the machine.

If the hard disk is bootable, the bootloader has been installed correctly, and the BIOS is configured to boot from the hard disk, the system should start LVGD486 directly from the installed disk.

>> Installation complete.

Your LVGD486 system is now ready to boot from the hard disk. Welcome to low-level gaming on vintage hardware.

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