[Rule-list] Re: Swap Brainstorm

[Devon]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

On Sunday 24 February 2002 12:47 pm, Scott Hallock wrote:

I just noticed this mail, sorry for the delay in replying.

> Here's what I was envisioning:  Write a small C program that looks at
> the first primary partition on /dev/hda (and /dev/sda, if it exists)
> and determines if the partition ID is Linux swap.  If so, say something
> to the user like, "It looks like you have already set up a swap
> partition. Would you like me to start using it for swap now?  (Note
> that if you have not already set up a swap partition, saying yes here
> WILL CAUSE YOU TO LOSE DATA!)"  Based on the return code from this
> small C program, the init script can run mkswap /dev/hda followed by
> swapon /dev/hda, and then proceed with the normal installation
> procedure.

Have it written yet? :) Seriously though, if we can provide a boot disk 
that lets the user create the partitions in advance, most of the rest can 
be handled by the installer.

Right now, the installer avoids doing this, and tries to wait until it is 
ready to install packages before writing the partition table. This is 
good in that it allows the user to back out before completion. This is 
why in low memory installs, you are told that the installer needs to 
write the partition table early.

For what we want, that doesn't look like it will be an option. We will 
need to tell users that from the moment they turn on the machine and 
insert the boot disk, they should talk about any data previously on the 
disk in the past tense. :)

> So the final install process on very low memory machines would be:
>
> 1.  User boots with DOS or very small Linux boot disk.
> 2.  User creates a primary partition on the first IDE or SCSI hard
> drive and sets its partition ID to Linux swap.
> 3.  User boots modified installer and answers "yes" when asked if
>     they really want to swap on the partition they created.
> 4.  mkswap /dev/hda1 (or /dev/sda1) ; swapon /dev/hda1 (or /dev/sda1)
> 5.  Proceed with install.
>
> Does that seem reasonable?  Is it possible with the Red Hat installer?
> Would it interfere with the rest of the install process?

It sounds reasonable, and yes, it should be possible, with some anaconda 
modifications. It is worth looking into at any rate.

> That's awesome.  Next target, 8MB.  Maybe someday we can even see Linux
> running on that legendary 4MB 386SX again.  :)

It's probably possible, but if so, it won't be installed by anaconda. :)

- -D

- -- 

pgp key:  http://www.tuxfan.homeip.net:8080/pgpkey.txt

- --
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.0.6 (GNU/Linux)
Comment: For info see http://www.gnupg.org

iD8DBQE8fFzHeMAUbzJhSVcRAnrBAJ408kj2lgGks2DMXS47ciMtz0WK2gCeJgFq
cyU5EBdBV6Vr20UJqTy7AuM=
=rWcl
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

_______________________________________________
Rule-list mailing list
Rule-list at mail.freesoftware.fsf.org
http://mail.freesoftware.fsf.org/mailman/listinfo/rule-list