Installing Debian Base, Without Needing A Network Connection! Options

[tux]

I'm copying a post of ZDevil here. I think the topic deserves a thread of its own!

ZDevil wrote:

Actually installing Debian can be as easy as installing Cacko, pdaXrom (non-uboot versions) and Angstrom.

There is an alternative way to install it without using networking.

*** The "10-step-self-help guide to enjoying a popular penguin" ***

Just start from here: http://www.bigbridgezau.sakura.ne.jp/dev/debian/

#1 Download 4 things and copy them to the root of SD:
updater.sh
gnu-tar
zImage-2.6.17-cpufreq-fastfpe.bin OR zImage-2.6.20-cpufreq.bin (This is the kernel; rename it to zImange.bin)
hddrootfs.tar.gz (This is the base system and Etch; rename it to hdimage1.tgz)

#2 Reboot the Z while pressing [OK] to enter the flash menu

#3 Just flash as usual by choosing "4" and then "SD" and then "Y"

#4 If things go well (they should), then kernel will flash and the big tarball will decompress to /dev/hda1. This may take an hour.

#5 Installation will complete itself and reboot the machine. Debian is ready to go!

#6 You can then do the postinstallation steps as descibed in "After installation" in the titchy linux wiki: http://wiki.neilandtheresa.co.uk/Titchy_Linux/Installing

#7 To upgrade from Etch ("stable" but a bit dated) and Lenny ("testing" and the new stuff), change "etch" to "lenny" in /etc/apt/sources.list

#8 apt-get update

#9 apt-get dist-upgrade

#10 Wow!

Plus two desserts:

#11 If you fancy playing with over/underclocking, grab the dvfm binary (not the armel.zip) from the japanese link above.

#12 If you feel like trying different (Angstrom) kernels, three versions are available: 2.6.17-fastfpe-cpufreq, 2.6.20-cpufreq, 2.6.22-cpufreq.
Remember to use the same updater.sh from the download location of the kernel!
More discussion this way: http://www.oesf.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=24815.
And be CAREFUL: do NOT flash the kernel with the big installation tarball, because your disk may get reformatted and wiped clean and overwritten with a clean install!

End of quote!

Be cautious and make lists of your network files and sources.list. I didn't and it has been a little inconvenient! Well done ZDevil!

[ZDevil]

Again, my misktake. You are right. Starting from Step 6 you need a network connection, because even if you have a downloaded copy of titchy's zaurus-hardware-zupport package, it makes no sense to do "apt-get update" and "apt-get dist-upgrade" without networking.
But the Ambicom card just works under 2.6.20 -- follow this:

1) Install zaurus-hardware-zupport.deb (use a downloaded copy from you PC if necessary)

2) Manually write you settings in /etc/network/interfaces and /etc/resolv.conf . They should look something like this:

/etc/network/interfaces (The Ambicom wifi card is typically assigned to eth0)

# This file describes the network interfaces available on your system
# and how to activate them. For more information, see interfaces(5).

# The loopback network interface
auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

# The primary network interface
allow-hotplug eth0
iface eth0 inet static
address 192.168.0.111 ## Or any static IP address of your Z
netmask 255.255.255.0
network 192.168.0.0 ## Or your router's IP but change the last number to "0"
broadcast 192.168.0.255
gateway 192.168.0.1 ## Or your router's IP
# wireless-* options are implemented by the wireless-tools package
wireless-mode managed
wireless-essid YouKnowYouAreNotThatStupid
wireless-key1 ComeOnYourKnowIt
# dns-* options are implemented by the resolvconf package, if installed
dns-nameservers 192.168.0.1 ## Or your router's IP, plus any other nameservers addresses found on your router's interface if you like

/etc/resolv.conf

nameserver 192.168.0.1 ## Or your router's IP, plus any other nameservers addresses found on your router's interface if you like

3) /etc/init.d/network restart ## Let the new network setting to take effect

[If the Ambicom card fails to connect to the network, do this:
3+) Edit /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist
nano /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist
Add these two lines to the file:
blacklist hostap
blacklist hostap_cs
Save the file and reboot the Z. Your network interface should be up now.
(If not, just ask here)

4) Off you go ... Remember the login name is root and the root password is kuroadmin. You can change the domain name and the root password anytime you want.