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[SOLVED] Netinstall for LL - Printable Version

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[SOLVED] Netinstall for LL - bitsnpcs - 02-20-2015

Hello,

I spotted recently on http , 'netinstall' and wondered what it was.
It was where usually 150-180MB of distro basic set up is downloaded as an iso, checked and installed directly from that downloaded iso to the hdd.
After this netinstall has been installed a window opens with some required and some optional additional downloads, completing that finishes off the install.
Thus requiring no physical external media to be available or used. eg no usb, cd or dvd.

Alternatively to the netinstall of 150MB-180MB it was multiple GB iso of the distro.

At a guess* this netinstall would be completed via a GUI point n click (or kb n click).
I make the GUI guess*  -  based upon, after reading the description of this type of netinstall although I have not installed a distro in this manner, it became apparent to me that I had completed something similar recently for my 10yo nephew on a new Toshiba laptop where it is supplied by the manufacturer this way and requires the install of windows 8.1 to be done over the net directly from M$.
You see no desktop just a black screen with Toshiba blah blah, installing....... the guide says "you must have a working internet connection plug it in then turn on the laptop for the first time and wait until it is installed over the internet from M$, it may reboot multiple times, wait for the completion screen"
Most knowing how slow M$ updates are in comparison to the lightening fast Linux updates, you can get the idea doing 8.1 this way took many hours to complete, (over 16 hours), then many hours to dl/install the bug fixes and security updates (all evening and until 4pm the next day) to complete.

Not currently available for LL it could solve the "LL on CD", and the LL on CD/vs DVD questions/debate as 150MB is Lightweight and can be burned as an iso for install if users didn't wish to do direct iso to hdd installs, and also offer an additional solution to some of the LL USB how to's, problems, issues tutorials, us Linux newbies have.

It seems interesting on a more efficient OS than M$, eg; Linux.
Numbers time hehe, it would require -
1/ a netinstall iso
2/ a tutorial to be wrote for that
3/ a GUI to be adapted/or wrote for the completion of required areas to complete the install.
4/ possibly an expansion of the additional software for netinstalls, or adding of these additional software to the GUI @ #3
5/ plenty of time to make this available.

Positives -
1/ manufacturers would like this option and its users who've used similar with MS installs would be familiar with the method, has potential for more new users of Linux.
2/ it may be a way to get LL on to new machines re #1. Or be useful in conjunction with the recently discussed by Jerry idea of offering machines with LL already on them.
3/ it may be a way to solve external media problems/requirements.
4/ it could showcase the difference in install speed, and update speed, very easily to someone who has never used Linux previously right from the start, before the OS is even installed.
eg; it wouldn't take over several days to install and update  Smile

(ramble area) - The visual difference would be so extreme I 'vision' some videography genuis with - 2 exact same computers next to each other with 2 time clocks, where they video it for YouTube (and elsewhere), then directly after install completion the showing of MS v/s replacement Linux appz, to demonstrate the same can be done on each machine. Dispelling some of the myths about Linux as an OS.
Of course the Linux OS would require a part 2,3,n... videos to show all the extra things it can be used for after that install and how it can be tweaked, in all the ways windows cannot.
Thus concisely (unlike this post) visually displaying the efficiency of install and use of Linux v/s windows in like for like manner, the video it'd probably go viral. (especially if the greater Linux community jumped on it and made concerted efforts to ensure it did)
(end ramble)

Further ideas I offer -
1/ it could also be added/used for the assisted install paid for option.
2/ netinstalls of distro I seen I was curious so had to look for info what it was, the download was an iso only, the LL download could arrive with the tutorial on how to install the iso directly to hard drive and screenshots of what to expect, and how to use/tutorial of the follow on after install to complete the installation and add option software.
A complete 'package' but not a "package". Wink (Linux newbie joke attempt warning, after the fact in true newbie style like I usually demonstrate).
3/ the work creating that would be balanced off by the staff time not being needed as much to do paid live installs.re #1 - paid option
4/ an unassisted free netinstall as iso only and no access to 'package' deal tutorials, could be available for experienced users to d/l. Thus the paid option is for the assisted installs as currently.

I don't know the ins/outs of the process, I have only completed one such install so far as stated above.
I do not have the knowledge to discuss the topic, it's just my suggestion in case the idea is interesting/or not for others to discuss.

Re: netinstall - Valtam - 02-20-2015

It is a nice idea. Unfortunately we are nowhere near the manpower needed to perform this additional task. At the moment, we barely cover custom software, documentation and releases. Something for the future perhaps Smile

Re: netinstall - bitsnpcs - 02-20-2015

Hello Jerry,

I am glad you like the idea, and that it may be useful in the future. Smile

Is there a link you know of with a list of the names of subjects that would be useful to learn for future manpower ?



Re: netinstall - avj - 02-20-2015

I don't know about how much work it would be to do net install, but if you had a base LL CD before additional software is added, assuming the base is built before software is added, you could use it and add recommended software to the install additional software for the CD. There again no idea how much man power that would take but just a thought.

Re: netinstall - rokytnji - 02-20-2015

Just info. Posting from my

Code:
$ apt-cache policy icewm
icewm:
  Installed: 1.3.7-5
  Candidate: 1.3.7-5
  Version table:
*** 1.3.7-5 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty/universe amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
harry@biker:~$ cat /etc/lsb-release
DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=14.04
DISTRIB_CODENAME=trusty
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS"

that I built up from

Ubuntu 14.04 "Trusty Tahr" Minimal CD 37MB* (MD5: 7297321c2fa6424417a548c85edd6e98, SHA1: e1e074b4302898698977c08013e0afe5c06245e2)

Which is a 37MB iso.
I did not mention it when asked for cd of LL2.
Since it is not LL2.
I built this up from scratch for this

Code:
$ inxi -M
Machine:   System: Acer product: Aspire T180 v: R01-B3
           Mobo: Acer model: EM61SM/EM61PM
           Bios: Phoenix v: R01-B3 date: 02/07/2007

This kind of install is not for the inexperienced or timid. There are no install scripts except for basic things  like a Desktop Environment like XFCE.
You guys have no idea of what you are requesting of Jerry and the team to build.

I have been there and done that. Walked the Walk. More than once.

http://forum.lxde.org/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=31202

core.iso=net install in the above link also.
Back then. Finding out hal was needed for LXDE shutdown gui was a 3
hour work out for me.


Times have changed. Things have become more complicated since then.

Re: netinstall - avj - 02-20-2015

Thanks for the insight rokytnji. I have looked at different ways of making your own distro, including LFS and realize I am a long way from being able to do / understand what needs to be done to get a distro off the ground. Any suggestions I make should be understood to be coming from one with very limited experience with Linux. And should only be considered if they are easy to implement. Jerry and the team do a wonderful job, and make it look easy from the outside looking in, sometimes its easy to not realize the amount of work that goes in.

Re: netinstall - ukbrian - 02-21-2015

(02-20-2015, 07:24 PM)Jerry link Wrote: It is a nice idea. Unfortunately we are nowhere near the manpower needed to perform this additional task. At the moment, we barely cover custom software, documentation and releases. Something for the future perhaps Smile
Very wise of you not to over extend yourself and let it take over your life like SolydXK, he's gone from a rolling debian to a stable version. but I saw Ikey follow this path 3 years ago, he saw what was the time bandit and set his own coarse, the culprit I think was the package management and that's why he went with forking PiSi.

@Rok
If you ever have time to waste playing with EvolveOS and PiSi package management I'd love to hear your opinion, it's supposed to be very light on memory with incredable boot times bearing in mind it's just the base prior to him rewriting it all, not for old machines though as he's dumping a lot of legacy stuff.
[Image: th_baby-beg-00_zpscc2c68ea.jpeg]


I think Anthony Nordquist had the right idea when he created SalineOS on his desktop and then took a remastersys snapshot to produce his production ISO's, I read a little of solydxk's iso creator thread and that looked complicated and time consuming and bl**dy boring, not in the least enjoyable.

Re: netinstall - rokytnji - 02-21-2015

Quote:@Rok
If you ever have time to waste playing with EvolveOS and PiSi package management I'd love to hear your opinion,


I hung out with you and Ikey already once before. Give me some time. AntiX 14 is still in testing and I am tied into unfubaring it for Anti.
I'll give EvolveOS a spin when time allows on one of my M&A Companion Touchscreen Netbooks later on.


I know nothing of using PISI package management system. The command syntax in terminal for it, etc.
I will have to learn another new way to do things I guess.
When I tried Slitaz Cooking. I made it work. But it kicked my butt doing so.
So Ukbrian.
Till we get Get AntiX 14 64bit and 32 bit out the door.
No telling exactly what gear I might show up with on the EvolveOS forums with.
But not till AntiX 14 final is out and I get some free time after answering
all the questions from the new users who bum rush us on a new release.
Right now I be a bit busy though
http://forum.mepiscommunity.org/viewtopic.php?p=356930#p356930

New things do not afear me because I am a comfy traveler at street level.

This is not LL2
http://i.imgur.com/7TlIBi5.jpg
But the XFCE session I have installed along side my Icewm session install on the 30MB iso install I did on this Desktop.
This computer used to be the wifes with Windows Vista. I built it up for her. She said keep it. So I did.
Code:
$ inxi -zv7
System:    Host: biker Kernel: 3.13.0-45-generic x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 4.8.2)
           Desktop: Xfce 4.11.8 (Gtk 2.24.23) info: xfce4-panel dm: lightdm
           Distro: Ubuntu 14.04 trusty
Machine:   System: Acer product: Aspire T180 v: R01-B3
           Mobo: Acer model: EM61SM/EM61PM
           Bios: Phoenix v: R01-B3 date: 02/07/2007
CPU:       Single core AMD Athlon 64 3800+ (-UP-) cache: 512 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 svm) bmips: 2009 speed/min/max: 1000/1000/2400 MHz
Memory:    Using dmidecode: you must be root to run dmidecode
Graphics:  Card: NVIDIA C61 [GeForce 6100 nForce 405]
           bus-ID: 00:0d.0 chip-ID: 10de:03d1
           Display Server: X.Org 1.15.1 drivers: nvidia (unloaded: fbdev,vesa,nouveau)
           Resolution: 1920x1080@60.0hz
           GLX Renderer: GeForce 6100 nForce 405/integrated/SSE2
           GLX Version: 2.1.2 NVIDIA 304.125 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio:     Card NVIDIA MCP61 High Definition Audio
           driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:05.0 chip-ID: 10de:03f0
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k3.13.0-45-generic
Network:   Card: Marvell 88E8056 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller
           driver: sky2 v: 1.30 port: ac00 bus-ID: 03:00.0 chip-ID: 11ab:4364
           IF: eth0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
           WAN IP: <filter> IF: eth0 ip: <filter> ip-v6: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 2160.4GB (1.7% used)
           ID-1: /dev/sda model: ST3160812AS size: 160.0GB serial: 5LSEMKYE
           ID-2: /dev/sdb model: ST2000DM001 size: 2000.4GB serial: Z340CK6B
           Optical: /dev/sr0 model: HL-DT-ST DVD-RW_GSA-H41N
           rev: RA00 dev-links: cdrom
           Features: speed: 40x multisession: yes
           audio: yes dvd: yes rw: cd-r,cd-rw,dvd-r state: running
Partition: ID-1: / size: 17G used: 6.2G (40%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sdb2
           label: N/A uuid: ea461191-6b42-41f7-b089-125332661505
           ID-2: /home size: 179G used: 22G (13%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/sdb3
           label: /home uuid: e3441223-3f4c-4d60-86a7-80e3e1171149
           ID-3: swap-1 size: 6.29GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sdb8
           label: N/A uuid: 09622d2d-7884-4976-8dc9-38d4b5f213b9
RAID:      System: supported: N/A
           No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
           Unused Devices: none
Unmounted: ID-1: /dev/sda5 size: 160.04G label: N/A uuid: 9D6B-A809
           ID-2: /dev/sdb5 size: 52.43G
           label: N/A uuid: a7b2b2b7-847a-4d4a-b5b0-a80d5bb5a092
           ID-3: /dev/sdb6 size: 52.43G
           label: / uuid: aee8ce91-8e8d-4bc0-b350-6733ec000ac8
           ID-4: /dev/sdb7 size: 524.29G
           label: /data uuid: 73561EFE2B10CCB0
           ID-5: /dev/sdb9 size: 1155.24G
           label: /data2 uuid: 267d10cf-afe5-4259-bf7c-21b6e707302b
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 40.0C mobo: N/A gpu: 0.0:
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 207 Uptime: 4 days Memory: 1244.5/2757.8MB
           Init: Upstart v: 1.12.1 runlevel: 2 default: 2 Gcc sys: 4.8.2
           Client: Shell (bash 4.3.111 running in xfce4-terminal) inxi: 2.2.18