[ first I tried the GRUB mailing list, but later thought that it
might be debian specific, so I bugger you too ]
I am trying to bootstrap a Debian install with GRUB, but I fail:(
After some hours trying and reading I give up and turn to you guys.
I've put the necessary files in /debian on a fat32 partition on hda1.
If from a dos prompt I do:
D:
cd \debian
dosutils\loadlin linux root=/dev/ram initrd=images-1.44/root.bin \
disksize=1.44
All's swell, but when I try GRUB menu's like:
#Menu 1
title Debian GNU/Linux setup woody from mirror
root (hd0,1)
kernel /debian/linux root=/dev/ram
initrd /debian/images-1.44/root.bin disksize=1.44
#Menu 2
title Debian GNU/Linux setup woody from mirror
root (hd0,1)
kernel /debian/linux root=/dev/ram initrd=/debian/images-1.44/root.bin \
disksize=1.44
then the linux kernel barks that it can't mount it's root fs.
Could some kind soul please explain to me what the heck I'm doing wrong?
Some background:
I've a mirror of the Debian Woody archive on a disk, I plan to go to
my brother with that disk to sanitize some machines of his. This disk
is filled as it is, so no room to install a small linux version on it.
Maybe some of his machines won't boot from CD (I've a copy of the
woody net-install CD:), and I wanted to forgoo having to make a bunch
of floppies, so I thought of bootstrapping with GRUB. I could put
those files in a small fat32 partition, boot dos and use loadlin. I
guess I could also install grub on that disk and put those files in
the apropriate places, but being stubburn I want to understand why
what I tried didn't work.
GRUB is installed on a floppy, and works when booting my regular (non
initrd based) linux installations. I have it also installed on
harddisk, working there too. Some weeks ago it also worked with a
linux kernel with initrd ( a severe stupidity of mine -playing with
hdparm without safety precautions- lost that one ), but in that case
the root device was on the harddisk. Now I'm trying to have GRUB/linux
setup a ramdisk and mount that ramdisk as root.
I know of many ways to solve my needs, but I like to understand why I
can't get GRUB to play along.
--
groetjes, carel
