Running LinuxLink Classic x86 Distribution as a target on a Host Operating System
LinuxLink Classic reference distributions are preconfigured to be installed in a host-target development environment. If you prefer to boot and run the LinuxLink Classic x86 distribution on the host, and eliminate the need for a target board, this document describes one method.
Prerequisites and Assumptions
This document makes the following assumptions:
- Your x86 host meets the requirements specified in Linux Host Considerations.
- It has an unused 700 MB or greater disk partition on which to install a TimeSys RFS.
- It uses the GRUB bootloader. Although the instructions in this article are specific to GRUB, they should be easy to adapt if you use the LILO bootloader.
General Procedure
To install and configure the RFS:
- Prepare the unused disk partition.
- Install the TimeSys RFS on the partition.
- Configure GRUB so it can boot the kernel.
- Configure the TimeSys RFS.
Prepare a Partition
To find and prepare an unused disk partition:
- List your disk drives by examining the /proc/ide directory:
# ls /proc/ide/ drivers hda hdc ide0 ide1 sis
- Use the fdisk command to display the names of the partitions, as shown in the
following example:
# fdisk -l /dev/hda /dev/hdc Disk /dev/hda: 120.0 GB, 120033041920 bytes 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14593 cylinders Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System /dev/hda1 * 1 2550 20482843+ 83 Linux /dev/hda2 12162 12404 1951897+ 82 Linux swap /dev/hda3 12405 14593 17583142+ 83 Linux /dev/hda4 2551 12161 77200357+ f W95 Ext'd (LBA) /dev/hda5 2551 12161 77200326 83 Linux Partition table entries are not in disk order Disk /dev/hdc: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System /dev/hdc1 1 4800 38555968+ 83 Linux /dev/hdc2 4801 9520 37913400 83 Linux /dev/hdc3 9521 9729 1678792+ 82 Linux swap
- Once you decide which partition to use, ensure that it is formatted for the ext filesystem. This
command will erase all of the data on the partition. The following example shows the /dev/hdc2 partition
being formatted:
# mke2fs /dev/hdc2
Install the RFS
The easiest way to install the RFS on the new partition is to run the distribution installer and select only the RFS for installation:
- Mount the partition that you prepared in the previous section. The following example uses /mnt/new as
the path for relocating the RFS:
# mkdir /mnt/new # mount /dev/hdc2 /mnt/new
- Run the installer and select the RFS:
./install ... ... Select the components you wish to install or update by entering the selection numbers separated by commas. Enter X to Exit > 4 1. Standard Cygwin-hosted glibc Toolchain for target i686.......339912K 2. Standard Linux-hosted glibc Toolchain for target i686........340947K 3. Kernel for x86-p3-basic......................................210568K *4. Linux Standard RFS...........................................494256K 5. Extra Linux-hosted tools.......................................1611K 6. Extra Cygwin-hosted Tools.......................................416K The components marked with * will be installed. Total size: 494256K Enter numbers separated by commas to select or unselect more components. Enter X to Exit or A to Accept > a
- When prompted, enter y to indicate that you want to relocate the RFS:
Components will be installed in the following paths: Linux Standard RFS..................................................494256K Path: /opt/timesys/linux/6.1/i686-std/rfs Partition: / Partition summary: Partition: / Available: 784228K Required: 494256K Do you want to relocate any of these components? [y/N] y The following components are relocatable. Linux Standard RFS..................................................494256K Path: /opt/timesys/linux/6.1/i686-std/rfs Partition: /
- Enter the path to the new partition as the location for installing the RFS:
Type in new path or hit Enter to use above path: /mnt/new ---------------------------------------------------- Components will be installed in the following paths: Linux Standard RFS..................................................494256K Path: /mnt/new Partition: /mnt/new Partition summary: Partition: /mnt/new Available: 784228K Required: 494256K Do you want to relocate any of these components? [y/N]
- When prompted again to relocate components, enter n to complete the installation.
Configure GRUB
The default directory used by grub is /boot. A TimeSys reference distribution includes a kernel image in the /boot directory of the RFS. Add the path of this image to the GRUB configuration file, keeping in mind that the GRUB you are configuring here is the GRUB that is part of the original desktop distribution on the host, not the GRUB that is delivered as part of the TimeSys distribution.
Modify the original GRUB configuration file so that it can boot either the original distribution or the TimeSys distribution. Older versions of GRUB use the configuration file /boot/grub/grub.conf. Newer versions use /boot/grub/menu.lst. Add a stanza similar to the following one to the file you have:
title TimeSys 2.6.16-ts.x86p3.1
root (hd2,1)
kernel /boot/bzImage-kernel-2.6.16-ts.x86p3.1 ro
Here, root specifies the partition where you just installed the TimeSys RFS, kernel is the path to the TimeSys kernel in the RFS, and the ro parameter causes the RFS to be initially mounted as read only. Refer to the GRUB Manual for more details.
Configure the TimeSys RFS
Finally, you must edit the /etc/fstab file in the TimeSys RFS to specify the location of the RFS. At this stage, the full path to this file is /mnt/new/etc/fstab.
/dev/hdc2 / ext3 defaults 1 1
Now, when you reboot the system, you can select the TimeSys distribution from the boot menu.
