Non-graphical install = no X - how to use DVD as repo?

[coyoteboy]

I've had to use a few options at startup to avoid the black screen of death on install/boot, but this tells me I don't have enough ram to run the graphical install tool (fair enough, though 256 should just about cope, the liveCD functions fine). Problem with this is that it doesn't install X etc or the network adapter for some odd reason. So I'm trying to use the commandline to get the rest of my packages in, I've mounted the DVD into a folder /yumrepo and the repo .xml file is found at /yumrepo/repodata. I've edited my fedora.repo and pointed the baseurl at file:///yumrepo/repodata but it tells me it cannot retrieve the repomd.xml - please verify path. Odd.

Any thoughts on this? I can see the .xml in that folder.

It's a race between ubuntu and F13 on this, ubuntu has equal issues, it installed via graphical interface (with the same boot switches) but didn't apply them to the HDD install and so I can't get in to it - black screen and no root access. Ughghh

[Skull One]

Hello,
I don't know the answer, but I can suggest you the following (if you know the missing packages for your network adapter) :
1. Install the missing packages with the command

rpm -ivh <rpm>

2. Configure your network connection (maybe manually).
3. Use yum to complete your installation.

[sonoran]

I've never done that kind of installation of Fedora so I can't answer your question, but my suggestion is to add Arch Linux to your race field. The default install is quite small (no X) and was designed that way. From there you can add things and build just the system you want, or that your hardware will allow.

The documentation is excellent - Installation Guide, Beginner's Guide, and a comprehensive Wiki for everything else.

[Hlingler]

256 MB RAM is too small for the standard/default desktops (GNOME, KDE), but should be sufficient for LXDE: http://spins.fedoraproject.org/lxde/

Works here with 256 MB RAM, 466 MHz Celeron.

V

P.S. You might even try XFCE, but it's got too much GNOME baggage for me (and therefore may FAIL on 256 MB RAM): http://spins.fedoraproject.org/xfce/

[coyoteboy]

The gnome setup works fine on the ubuntu and f13 livecd's, obviously it's a bit laggy and sub-optimal but I'm concerned about compatibility of cut down ones with some packages I need to run (labview etc). It's a P4 with 256 of RIMM (damn dell machines or I'd be a gig+).

I'll have a work through the above suggestions, thanks all, I'll report back on my success or failure!

---------- Post added at 06:56 PM CDT ---------- Previous post was at 06:28 PM CDT ----------

Managed to get the network running with rpm -ivh, ta! so normal repo access returned, however I'm fighting trying to get lxde on it, installed all deps and I'm left with a moan about pcmanfm.conf not existing, despite the package being installed. I'll keep working on it!

[stoat]

Originally Posted by coyoteboy

Problem with this is that it doesn't install X etc or the network adapter for some odd reason.

Reason: Since Fedora 11, the text-based installation is a true minimal installation. It installs only about 200 packages but enough to work in runlevel 3 and establish an Internet connection to install other things that you need. I like to install this way even though I don't have to.

Originally Posted by coyoteboy

So I'm trying to use the commandline to get the rest of my packages in, I've mounted the DVD into a folder /yumrepo and the repo .xml file is found at /yumrepo/repodata. I've edited my fedora.repo and pointed the baseurl at file:///yumrepo/repodata but it tells me it cannot retrieve the repomd.xml - please verify path. Odd.

I doesn't matter now since you managed to establish an Internet connection, but a simple way to install packages with yum from the DVD is to set up the InstallMedia repo. Just for the record, there is a file named media.repo on the DVD. Copy it to the /etc/yum.repos.d folder. Then edit it to add a baseurl line for the DVD's mount point (use backslashes to escape spaces or %20 in place of spaces). Also add an enabled line, but it's best to leave this repo disabled IMO. Example of a finished media repo file...

[InstallMedia]
name=Fedora 13
mediaid=1273712438.740122
baseurl=file:///media/Fedora%2013%20i386%20Disc%201
enabled=0
metadata_expire=-1
gpgcheck=0
cost=500

To install from the InstallMedia repo, do it like this example...

su
yum disablerepo=* enablerepo=InstallMedia install [package] [package] [package]

Originally Posted by coyoteboy

I'm fighting trying to get lxde on it, installed all deps and I'm left with a moan about pcmanfm.conf not existing, despite the package being installed.

It shouldn't be a fight, and yum should handle the dependencies. You should be able to install the LXDE package group and the X Window System package group in a single yum command from either the Fedora repos or the InstallMedia repo.

su
yum groupinstall LXDE "X Window System"

That should install several hundred packages. When it's done, edit /etc/inittab to change the default runlevel from 3 to 5. Reboot and you should arrive at the Firstboot screens to establish a user account (and so on) provided your video hardware is supported. After that you should end up at the desktop and be able to continue on with installing what else you need in the GUI. Anyway, this is exactly how I installed Fedora 13 with XFCE. I even had to involve the InstallMedia repo because wireless-tools was not included in the minimal installation this time, and I was doing all of this with a wireless connection.