====== Booting the Installation Environment from HDD ======
This article shows how to boot the Slackware installation environment from a hard drive instead of the usual installation media.

The Slackware installation environment is a small live Linux system with busybox, partitioning and some other useful utilities, and the ''setup'' program. It starts automatically when you boot your system from Slackware install media: CD, DVD, USB stick or PXE.

In order to boot the Slackware installation environment without creating install media you need an image of this boot environment, a suitable Linux kernel, and a boot loader.

With grub2 you can also boot from the iso file by adding it to the grub menu.
===== Image of the Environment =====
All software that you can use after booting the Slackware installation media resides in an [[wp>initrd|initial ramdisk image]]. You can find it as ''/isolinux/initrd.img'' on any installation media or at the same location on any of the Slackware mirrors. 

===== Linux Kernel =====
Slackware uses (at least now) one of its huge kernels to run the installation environment. You can find the kernel's ''bzImage'' files in sub-directories of the ''/kernel'' directory on the installation media or at the same location on any Slackware mirror.

===== Getting The Files =====
If you already have an ISO image of the Slackware install media you can mount this image with the loop option and copy the files, for example to a ''/boot/swsetup'' directory which you create yourself first.

  * This is how that looks for a Slackware 14.0 64-bit ISO image: <code>
# mkdir -p /mnt/tmp /boot/swsetup
# mount -o loop /tmp/slackware64-14.0-install-dvd.iso /mnt/tmp
# cp /mnt/tmp/isolinux/initrd.img /mnt/tmp/kernel/huge.s/bzImage /boot/swsetup/
# umount /mnt/tmp
</code>
  * And for Slackware 14.0 32-bit:<code>
# mkdir -p /mnt/tmp /boot/swsetup
# mount -o loop /tmp/slackware-14.0-install-dvd.iso /mnt/tmp
# cp /mnt/tmp/isolinux/initrd.img /mnt/tmp/kernel/hugesmp.s/bzImage /boot/swsetup/
# umount /mnt/tmp
</code>

You can also download the kernel and initrd image from one of the Slackware mirrors. There are some examples below.

  * Slackware 14.0 64-bit: 
    * kernel: http://slackware.osuosl.org/slackware64-14.0/kernels/huge.s/bzImage
    * initrd: http://slackware.osuosl.org/slackware64-14.0/isolinux/initrd.img

  * Slackware 14.0 32-bit:
    * kernel: http://slackware.osuosl.org/slackware-14.0/kernels/hugesmp.s/bzImage
    * initrd: http://slackware.osuosl.org/slackware-14.0/isolinux/initrd.img

===== Boot Loader =====
There are many boot loaders around. Slackware uses SYSLINUX to boot from the install media, installs LILO to boot the installed system, and provides a GRUB-legacy package in ''/extra'' (32 bit only). Many distributions use GRUB (renamed from GRUB2) as their main boot loader. If you use a Linux system you probably already have a suitable one. You need to put the ''bzImage'' and ''initrd.img'' files in a suitable place and instruct the boot loader to boot them. \\ Note that some parameters are passed to the kernel in ''/isolinux/isolinux.cfg''; you need them to configure your boot loader properly.
==== LILO ====
Add to ''/etc/lilo.conf'' something like: <file>
image = /boot/swsetup/bzImage
  initrd = /boot/swsetup/initrd.img
  addappend = "load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 rw printk.time=0 SLACK_KERNEL=huge.s"
  label = SwSetup
</file> and run <code>
# lilo
</code>

==== GRUB ====
Add to ''/boot/grub/grub.cfg'' something like: <file>
menuentry 'SwSetup' {
  set root='(hd0,2)'
  linux /boot/swsetup/bzImage  load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 rw printk.time=0 SLACK_KERNEL=huge.s
  initrd /boot/swsetup/initrd.img
}
</file>
<note>(hd0,2) means "//the second partition on the first drive//" (i.e. ''/dev/sda2''). You can find the right value in the "''set root''" command of the menu entry used to boot your system, or else consult with [[http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/manual/grub.html|GRUB manual]]. </note>
<note>If you use a separate partition for ''/boot'', then you must remove "/boot" from any pathnames.</note>

==== GRUB-legacy ====
Add to ''/boot/grub/menu.lst'' something like: <file>
title SwSetup
  root (hd0,1)
  kernel /boot/swsetup/bzImage  load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 rw printk.time=0 SLACK_KERNEL=huge.s
  initrd /boot/swsetup/initrd.img
</file>
<note>(hd0,1) means the //second partition// (this is not a typo, GRUB-legacy numbers partitions from 0) on the //first drive// (i.e. ''/dev/sda2''). You can find the right value in the "''root''" command in the section used to boot your system; or else consult with [[http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/manual/legacy/grub.html|GRUB-legacy manual]]. </note>
<note>If you use a separate partition for ''/boot'', then you must remove "/boot" from any pathnames.</note>


==== Boot ISO with GRUB2 ====
Add to ''/etc/grub.d/40_custom'': <file>
menuentry "Slackware 14 install (DVD)" {
 insmod loopback
 insmod iso9660
 set isofile="/slackware64-14.0-install-dvd.iso"
 loopback loop (hd0,2)$isofile
 linux (loop)/kernels/huge.s/bzImage  load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 rw printk.time=0 SLACK_KERNEL=huge.s
 initrd (loop)/isolinux/initrd.img
}
</file>
<note>(hd0,2) means "//the second partition on the first drive//" (i.e. ''/dev/sda2''). You can find the right value in the "''set root''" command of the menu entry used to boot your system, or else consult with [[http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/manual/grub.html|GRUB manual]]. </note>
Then update grub with: <file>
 grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg
</file>
<note>On Slackware before running grub-mkconfig you have to run ln -s /dev/sda2 /dev/root
where for sda2 you have to enter your root device.
</note>
===== Test It =====
Reboot your system and select SwSetup at boot prompt.

If you have an unused partition you can install Slackware on it right now. 

==== Using an ISO Image as Source ====
If you downloaded the Slackware DVD ISO image you can use it as package source.
  * In the "''SOURCE MEDIA SELECTION''" step select "''2 Install from hard drive partition''",
  *  enter the name of the disk partition containing the ISO image file, for example ''/dev/sda2'',
  *  then type in the full path on that partition's filesystem to the directory with the DVD ISO image, for example ''/tmp/'',
  *  and agree with the prompt to use the ISO image as package source: <code>
┌──────────────────────SOURCE MEDIA SELECTION────────────────────────┐
│ Please select the media from which to install Slackware Linux:     │
│ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │           1  Install from a Slackware CD or DVD                │ │
│ │           2  Install from a hard drive partition               │ │
│ │           3  Install from NFS (Network File System)            │ │
│ │           4  Install from FTP/HTTP server                      │ │
│ │           5  Install from Samba share                          │ │
│ │           6  Install from a pre-mounted directory              │ │
│ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                   <  OK  >          <Cancel>                       │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
</code><code>
┌────────────────────INSTALLING FROM HARD DISK───────────────────────┐
│ In order to install directly from the hard disk you must have a    │
│ partition (such as /dev/sda1, /dev/sdb5, etc) with the Slackware   │
│ distribution's slackware/ directory like you'd find it on the FTP  │
│ site.  It can be in another directory.  For example, if the        │
│ distribution is in /stuff/slackware/, then you have to have        │
│ directories named /stuff/slackware/a, /stuff/slackware/ap, and so  │
│ on each containing the files that would be in that directory on    │
│ the FTP site.  You may install from FAT or Linux partitions.       │
│                                                                    │
│ Please enter the partition (such as /dev/sda1) where the Slackware │
│ sources can be found, or [enter] to see a partition list:          │
│ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │/dev/sda2                                                       │ │
│ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                   <  OK  >          <Cancel>                       │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
</code><code>
┌───────────────────SELECT SOURCE DIRECTORY─────────────────────┐
│ Now we need to know the full path on this partition to the    │
│ slackware/ directory where the directories containing         │
│ installation files and packages to be installed are kept.     │
│ For example, if you downloaded Slackware into the /stuff      │
│ directory on your hard drive (so that you have the            │
│ directories /stuff/slackware/a, /stuff/slackware/ap, and so   │
│ on each containing the files that would be in that directory  │
│ on the FTP site), then the full path to enter here would be:  │
│                                                               │
│       /stuff/slackware                                        │
│                                                               │
│ What directory are the Slackware sources in?                  │
│ ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │/tmp/                                                      │ │
│ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
├───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                 <  OK  >         <Cancel>                     │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
</code><code>
┌────────────────────────USE ISO IMAGE──────────────────────────┐
│                                                               │
│ An ISO image of Slackware's install DVD was found.            │
│ Do you want me to mount the ISO image and use this as the     │
│ package source?                                               │
│                                                               │
├───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                   < Yes >          < No  >                    │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
</code>
Then continue as usual.

Slackware setup (starting with version 13.0) automatically finds an ISO image if it is named as ''slackwar*-install-dvd.iso''.
  
You can also mount your image manually.
  * Before starting ''setup'' or later from another console (use <key>Alt</key>+<key>F#</key> to switch to a different console number "#"), execute <code>
# mkdir /hd /iso
# mount /dev/sda2 /hd
# mount -o loop /hd/tmp/slackware64-14.0-install-dvd.iso /iso
</code>
  * In the "''SOURCE MEDIA SELECTION''" step select "''6 Install from a premounted directory''",
  * In the next dialog window, enter the path to the directory containing the "//package series//", meaning the subdirectories "''a''", "''ap''", ..., "''y''". This path would be ''/iso/slackware64'' for a 64 bit system or ''/iso/slackware'' for 32-bit.
Then continue with the installation as usual.

====== Sources ======
  * Originally written by [[wiki:user:bormant | Serg Bormant]]

<!-- Please do not modify anything below, except adding new tags.-->
{{tag>howtos author_bormant}}