Install Fedora Without a CD

[tuxcantfly]

Main Website At http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

What This Does

It's an installer for Windows or Linux users that lets you install Fedora (released versions 8 or 7, or the Rawhide development version) or CentOS (5.1) without a CD. The way it works is that a small (8 MB) installer places the PXE (netboot) version of the Fedora installer on your hard drive, and configures your boot loader, either NTLDR if using Windows, or GRUB if using Linux, to boot from the PXE installer, and downloads and installs Fedora from the net.

Requirements

You will need to either have a Windows (95-Vista) or Linux (any distro that uses GRUB) install already on your hard drive (or a USB drive if using the USB install mode). You'll also need an internet connection. Apart from that, the requirements are the same as the standard Fedora requirements.

Instructions: Fedora 8

Download the appropriate installer package from http://sourceforge.net/project/showf...roup_id=222386 (direct download for Windows version)

Then, run the application, select your desired distro (Fedora) and version, the installation mode (select Hard Disk if simply attempting to install locally, or select USB Drive if you want to make a bootable USB drive) and reboot. A menu entry should appear in the boot menu, titled "UNetbootin". Select that entry, and boot. When asked for a source of installation media, select "FTP".

You will then be prompted to specify a server and folder.

server: download.fedora.redhat.com
folder: pub/fedora/linux/releases/8/Fedora/i386/os

Or, if you would like to install 64-bit Fedora, for the folder, specify:

folder: pub/fedora/linux/releases/8/Fedora/x86_64/os

Then, the main installer will start, and wait as Fedora is downloaded and installed.

Instructions: Fedora Rawhide

Download the Fedora Rawhide package, then follow the same instructions as above, only for the server and folder, put:

server: download.fedora.redhat.com
folder: pub/fedora/linux/development/i386/os

or, if you want a 64-bit install, for the folder, specify:

folder: pub/fedora/linux/development/x86_64/os

Instructions: Fedora 7

Download the Fedora 7 package, then follow the same instructions as above, only for the server and folder, put:

server: download.fedora.redhat.com
folder: pub/fedora/linux/releases/7/Fedora/i386/os

or, if you want a 64-bit install, for the folder, specify:

folder: pub/fedora/linux/releases/7/Fedora/x86_64/os

Instructions: CentOS 5.1

Download the CentOS 5.1 package, then follow the same instructions as above, only for the server and folder, put:

server: mirrors.kernel.org
folder: centos/5.1/os/i386

or, if you want a 64-bit install, for the folder, specify:

folder: centos/5.1/os/x86_64

Troubleshooting

If you get an error like this:

could not retrieve images/stage2.img

Try inputting the IP address of download.fedora.redhat.com into the "server" field instead. You can determine the IP address using:

host download.fedora.redhat.com

More

UNetbootin also supports Ubuntu, openSUSE, Mandriva, Slackware, Arch Linux, and Debian. Post a reply if you need any help, new features, or another supported distro. The website is located at http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

[bob]

Interesting option! Thanks for posting it - there have been a few questions that this might have been a solution for.

[John the train]

I've tried the ' official ' F7 net-install but fell down on inputing the server/library details - couldn't work out what was wanted. Does this avoid that problem?

[tuxcantfly]

Originally Posted by John the train

I've tried the ' official ' F7 net-install but fell down on inputing the server/library details - couldn't work out what was wanted. Does this avoid that problem?

Well if you select HTTP or FTP it should just download from the web, so that way you don't have to tinker with a local netboot server, the only downside is that if your web connection isn't fast then it will take a long time to download and install Fedora.

[John the train]

To clarify my last post, when I select http in either UNetboot or the standard netinstall CD it prompts for website and Fedora directory. It is these that I can't seem to get right, and, surprisingly, neither can the ISO generated by Instalinux, which automates that part of the process. In both cases I get an error message ' Unable to retrieve... ' . Any thoughts?
Edit. I'm connecting through a Zoom modem/router, could that or iptables be blocking access? Though I've DL'd from my local mirror before with no problems.

[tuxcantfly]

Originally Posted by John the train

To clarify my last post, when I select http in either UNetboot or the standard netinstall CD it prompts for website and Fedora directory. It is these that I can't seem to get right, and, surprisingly, neither can the ISO generated by Instalinux, which automates that part of the process. In both cases I get an error message ' Unable to retrieve... ' . Any thoughts?
Edit. I'm connecting through a Zoom modem/router, could that or iptables be blocking access? Though I've DL'd from my local mirror before with no problems.

That sounds like some issue with the connection. Maybe try connecting directly using ethernet for now (with no router), for the installation, and once it's installed, configure the router afterwards?

[HorchA3]

I am just curious, is this similar to a Solaris Jumpstart Server Configuration. If it works as it appears to, thanks...I was wondering if this could be done in my lab.

[tuxcantfly]

Originally Posted by HorchA3

I am just curious, is this similar to a Solaris Jumpstart Server Configuration. If it works as it appears to, thanks...I was wondering if this could be done in my lab.

I haven't actually used Solaris Jumpstart for installing Solaris, but it seems similar to this; the only difference is that (from what I read) Solaris Jumpstart boots and fetches the installation files from a NFS server, while this boots the installer and fetches the installation files from the internet, so you don't need an NFS server.

[useResa]

Originally Posted by John the train

To clarify my last post, when I select http in either UNetboot or the standard netinstall CD it prompts for website and Fedora directory.

Originally Posted by tuxcantfly

That sounds like some issue with the connection. Maybe try connecting directly using ethernet for now (with no router), for the installation, and once it's installed, configure the router afterwards?

I was quite impressed by the netinstall for Fedora6 so I wanted to try the Fedora7 netinstall and ran into the same issue. What I noticed is the following, the boot.iso that I was using is of May 27, 2007 (and I have tried several ones) and they all stop at the indicated location.
When selecting HTTP you have to enter the website and the directory on separate lines.
When trying to locate the stage2.img between the website and the directory 2 slashes are being placed, resulting in the fact that it can not locate the file.

Is there a way to circumvent this issue?

[John the train]

Originally Posted by useResa

I was quite impressed by the netinstall for Fedora6 so I wanted to try the Fedora7 netinstall and ran into the same issue. What I noticed is the following, the boot.iso that I was using is of May 27, 2007 (and I have tried several ones) and they all stop at the indicated location.
When selecting HTTP you have to enter the website and the directory on separate lines.
When trying to locate the stage2.img between the website and the directory 2 slashes are being placed, resulting in the fact that it can not locate the file.

Is there a way to circumvent this issue?

That is the same problem that I encountered, though as I'd never done a net-install on Fedora I didn't know what was ' normal ', so couldn't fully explain where the problem was.

[useResa]

I thought the "Installation help" was a more appropriate section for this issue, therefore I have created the following thread: "Fedora7 netinstall failure".

[tuxcantfly]

@useResa, John the train, and anyone else having issues with specifying the server location:

select FTP

server: download.fedora.redhat.com
folder: pub/fedora/linux/releases/7/Fedora/i386/os

Hope that solves the problem, I've updated the first post accordingly

[tuxcantfly]

also, as mentioned in http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showthread.php?t=166570 if you get an error like this:

could not retrieve images/stage2.img

when using the download.fedora.redhat.com server, try inputting the IP address in the server field instead; you can determine it using either:

ping download.fedora.redhat.com

or

telnet download.fedora.redhat.com

[useResa]

Originally Posted by tuxcantfly

@useResa, John the train, and anyone else having issues with specifying the server location:
select FTP
server: download.fedora.redhat.com
folder: pub/fedora/linux/releases/7/Fedora/i386/os

FTP -- unfortunately provides the same error, therefor AFAIK the only solution currently available is:

Originally Posted by tuxcantfly

inputting the IP address in the server field instead

As you have indicated.

Would it be an idea to indicate the IP address as well in your first post?

[tuxcantfly]

I've uploaded some 64-bit Fedora UNetbootin builds. Check the download page... Since the packages are all marked as "noarch/all", you don't need to necessarily install 32-bit from a 32-bit OS, or 64-bit from a 64-bit OS; you can install 64-bit if your processor is capable of it (amd64 or intel core2 and above), even if you're running a 32-bit Windows or Linux install.

Also, if anybody's interested in trying out the Fedora 8 test builds with UNetbootin, see the bottom of the website at http://lubi.sourceforge.net/unetbootin.html which describes how to make those packages. I'll upload official packages once Fedora 8 is released in November.