Gentoo-Linux Install Guide
Last updated: 10/5/2004
First Boot preparation:
Use this guide to quickly setup Gentoo. Commands are in bold.
Section 1 - Initial Startup
When prompted for "boot:" on the live CD, enter the following commands:
With the dopcmcia, the NIC should be up and you shouldn't have to do anything.
| 1a. Get into the LiveCD with full network setup |
| gentoo dopcmcia |
| 1b. Set a root password |
| passwd |
| 1c. Make sure you're online |
| ping yahoo.com |
This is helpful throughout the install, if you have more than one computer.
| 1d. Get SSHd running |
| /etc/init.d/sshd start |
Section 2 - Configuring and Prepping the harddrive
Here you create partitions for the Gentoo install. In my setup, hda1 is a Windows partition.
| 2a. Setup the required partitions |
|
fdisk /dev/hda - create 3 new primary partitions - first ends at +32M - second ends at +512M, type 82 - last at no specified end - disable any active partitions - set the +32M partition active - write the changes |
Before anything can be written, the partitions must have a file system.
| 2b. Initialize the new partitions |
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mke2fs /dev/hda2 mke2fs -j /dev/hda4 mkswap /dev/hda3 swapon /dev/hda3 |
| 2c. Mount the boot and root Partitions |
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mount /dev/hda4 /mnt/gentoo mkdir /mnt/gentoo/boot mount /dev/hda2 /mnt/gentoo/boot |
Section 3 - Preparing for the installation
Pick a stage file from the LiveCD, and extract it onto your root partition.
| 3a. Copying and extracting your stage file |
|
ls /mnt/cdrom/stages cd /mnt/gentoo tar -xvjpf /mnt/cdrom/stages/stage1(press tab to complete) |
| 3b. Configuring your compile options and optimizations |
| nano -w /mnt/gentoo/etc/make.conf |
| 3c. Getting your network abilities onto your harddrive |
|
cp -L /etc/resolv.conf /mnt/gentoo/etc/resolv.conf mount -t proc none /mnt/gentoo/proc |
| 3d. Entering your harddrive's environment and leaving LiveCD |
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chroot /mnt/gentoo /bin/bash env-update source /etc/profile |
Section 4 - Installing the operating system files
| 4a. Installation: Updating your Portage tree |
| emerge sync //takes about an hour |
| 4b. Tweaking the compile options and optimizations |
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nano -w /etc/make.conf - add your preferred use string. mine was this: USE="gtk -gnome qt kde alsa" |
| 4c. Bootstrapping the new system |
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cd /usr/portage scripts/bootstrap.sh //will take 3-5 hours |
| 4d. Installing the base system files of Gentoo |
| emerge system //will take 2-4 hours |
| 4e. Configuring the date and time |
|
date //check and make sure it's correct ls /usr/share/zoneinfo ln -sf /usr/sare/zoneinfo/(your timezone) /etc/localtime |
| 4f. Downloading, Configuring and Compiling the kernel |
|
emerge gentoo-sources cd /usr/src/linux make menuconfig // options I chose below, saved in my config file. [input chosen options here] Code maturity [/input chosen options here] make dep && make bzImage modules modules_install |
| 4g. Copying the Kernel files to your boot partition |
|
cp arch/i386/boot/bzImage /boot/kernel-2.4.26-gentoo-r9 cp System.map /boot/System.map-2.4.26-gentoo-r9 |
Section 5 - Preparing to boot off of the harddrive
| 5a. Configuring fstab |
| nano -w /etc/fstab |
| 5b. Finalize network configuration |
|
echo yourcomputername > /etc/hostname echo yournetworkname > /etc/dnsdomainname rc-update add domainname default nano -w /etc/conf.d/net rc-update add net.eth0 default |
| 5c. Installing PCMCIA support |
|
USE="-X" emerge pcmcia-cs rc-update add pcmcia default |
| 5d. Set a root password on your harddrive |
| passwd |
| 5e. Install a system logger |
| emerge sysklogd //or your preferred logger |
| 5f. Installing the bootloader |
|
emerge grub nano -w /boot/grub/grub.conf cp /proc/mounts /etc/mtab grub-install --root-directory=/boot /dev/hda |
| 5g. Rebooting for the first, and maybe the last time |
| CTRL+ALT+DEL ;-) |
Section 6 - Gentoo from your own harddrive
| 6a. Make sure your networking is up |
| ping yahoo.com |
| 6b. Ensure PCMCIA and other hardware is working |
|
lspci //look for the texas instruments controller - if lspci is unaviable, emerge pciutils The screen resolution may be wrong, don't worry, you'll fix it in the GUI |
Section 7 - Installing a GUI
| 7a. Installing KDE |
|
configure make.conf, example. emerge xfree emerge kde (this takes a long time) configure the X11 file, example. set KDM to the default login manager you should now have a gui |