Installing Slackware

How to install Slackware on Bitfolk VPS

This guide will show you how to get Slackware running on a Bitfolk VPS. You will not notice any performance benefits running 64-bit Slackware so I will be installing Slackware-13.37 32-bit with LVM. This guide is based on a VPS with 512MB of RAM and 10GB Disk Space, your settings might vary.

Setup Partitions

ssh into a Xen console:

$ ssh [USERNAME]@[USERNAME].console.bitfolk.com

type: rescue and login, then:

$ sudo su
# apt-get install lvm2
# apt-get install vim

Create Boot Partition:

# fdisk /dev/xvda

Command (m for help): n
p   primary partition (1-4)
Partition number (1-4, default 1): 1
Last sector, +sectors or +size{K,M,G} (2048-20971519, default 20971519): +100M

Create LVM Parition:

Command (m for help): n
Partition number (1-4, default 2): 2

OK EVERYTHING TO USE REMAINING SPACE!!

Command (m for help): t
Partition number (1-4): 2
Hex code (type L to list codes): 8e

The partitions should look something like this:

Command (m for help): p

    Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/xvda1               1          13      104391   83  Linux
/dev/xvda2              14        1305    10377990   8e  Linux LVM

Save and Quit

Command (m for help): w

Create Filesystem for Boot Partition

# mkfs -t ext3 /dev/xvda1
# e2fsck -f /dev/xvda1

Create LVM Volumes & Filesystem

# pvcreate /dev/xvda2
# vgcreate slackware /dev/xvda2
# lvcreate -L6G -nroot slackware
# lvcreate -L2G -nhome slackware
# lvcreate -L2G -nvar slackware

# mkfs -t ext3 /dev/slackware/root
# mkfs -t ext3 /dev/slackware/home
# mkfs -t ext3 /dev/slackware/var

# e2fsck -f /dev/slackware/root
# e2fsck -f /dev/slackware/home
# e2fsck -f /dev/slackware/var

Mount Partitions

# mkdir /mnt/slackware

# mount /dev/slackware/root /mnt/slackware
# mount /dev/slackware/home /mnt/slackware/home
# mount /dev/slackware/var /mnt/slackware/var

# mount /dev/xvda1 /mnt/slackware/boot

# mount -o bind /proc /mnt/slackware/proc/
# mount -o bind /dev /mnt/slackware/dev/
# mount -o bind /sys/ /mnt/slackware/sys/

Install Slackware

# lftp -e 'mirror /slackware/slackware-13.37/slackware/a /mnt/slackware/tmp/a' slackware.org.uk
# lftp -e 'mirror /slackware/slackware-13.37/slackware/ap /mnt/slackware/tmp/ap' slackware.org.uk
# lftp -e 'mirror /slackware/slackware-13.37/slackware/d /mnt/slackware/tmp/d' slackware.org.uk
# lftp -e 'mirror /slackware/slackware-13.37/slackware/l /mnt/slackware/tmp/l' slackware.org.uk
# lftp -e 'mirror /slackware/slackware-13.37/slackware/n /mnt/slackware/tmp/n' slackware.org.uk
# lftp -e 'mirror /slackware/slackware-13.37/slackware/x /mnt/slackware/tmp/x' slackware.org.uk

# cd /usr/local/sbin
# wget 'ftp://ftp.slackware.org.uk/slackware/slackware-13.37/source/a/pkgtools/scripts/installpkg'
# chmod +x installpkg

# installpkg --root /mnt/slackware/ /mnt/slackware/tmp/a/*.t?z
# installpkg --root /mnt/slackware/ /mnt/slackware/tmp/ap/*.t?z
# installpkg --root /mnt/slackware/ /mnt/slackware/tmp/d/*.t?z
# installpkg --root /mnt/slackware/ /mnt/slackware/tmp/l/*.t?z
# installpkg --root /mnt/slackware/ /mnt/slackware/tmp/n/*.t?z
# installpkg --root /mnt/slackware/ /mnt/slackware/tmp/x/*.t?z

Chroot

# cd /mnt/slackware
# chroot .

Compile Kernel

# cd /usr/src
# wget 'ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.6/linux-2.6.37.6.tar.gz'
# gunzip *.gz
# tar xvf *.tar
# make menuconfig

1) If building 32 bit kernel make sure you have CONFIG_X86_PAE enabled (which is set by selecting CONFIG_HIGHMEM64G)

2) non-PAE mode doesn't work in 2.6.25, and has been dropped altogether from 2.6.26 and newer kernel versions. Enable these core options (Processor type and features| Paravirtualized guest support]

3) Xen's bzImage loaded can only handle compressed gzip, not compressed LZMA

Paste this at end of /usr/src/linux/.config

CONFIG_PARAVIRT=y
CONFIG_XEN=y
CONFIG_PARAVIRT_GUEST=y
CONFIG_PARAVIRT_SPINLOCKS=y
CONFIG_HVC_DRIVER=y
CONFIG_HVC_XEN=y
CONFIG_XEN_FBDEV_FRONTEND=y
CONFIG_XEN_BLKDEV_FRONTEND=y
CONFIG_XEN_NETDEV_FRONTEND=y
CONFIG_XEN_PCIDEV_FRONTEND=y
CONFIG_INPUT_XEN_KBDDEV_FRONTEND=y
CONFIG_XEN_FBDEV_FRONTEND=y
CONFIG_XEN_XENBUS_FRONTEND=y
CONFIG_XEN_SAVE_RESTORE=y
CONFIG_XEN_GRANT_DEV_ALLOC=m
CONFIG_XEN_TMEM=y
CONFIG_CLEANCACHE=y
CONFIG_FRONTSWAP=y
CONFIG_XEN_SELFBALLOONING=y

# make all -j2
# make modules_install -j2
# cp arch/x86/boot/bzImage /boot/
# cp .config /boot/config
# cp -a System.map /boot/

Grub

# cd /boot
# mkdir grub
# vim grub/menu.lst

default         0
timeout         2
title           Slackware 13.37
root            (hd0,1)
kernel          /boot/bzImage root=/dev/mapper/slackware-root ro
initrd          /boot/initrd.img

initrd (initial ramdisk)

mkinitrd -k 2.6.37.6 -f ext3 -r /dev/slackware/root -m ehci-hcd:uhci-hcd:jbd2:mbcache:ext3 -L -R -u -o /boot/initrd.img

fstab /etc/fstab

/dev/xvda1              /boot           ext3    noatime,errors=remount-ro,barrier=0          0   1
/dev/system/root        /               ext3    noatime,errors=remount-ro,barrier=0          0   1
/dev/system/home        /home           ext3    noatime,errors=remount-ro,barrier=0,usrquota 0   1
/dev/system/var         /var            ext3    noatime,errors=remount-ro,barrier=0          0   1
devpts                  /dev/pts        devpts  barrier=0,gid=5,mode=620                     0   0
proc                    /proc           proc    barrier=0,defaults                           0   0

Network Settings

Edit and fill with VPS network settings

/etc/rc.d/rc.inet1.conf 

# Config information for eth0:
IPADDR[0]="X.X.X.X"
NETMASK[0]="X.X.X.X"
USE_DHCP[0]=""
DHCP_HOSTNAME[0]=""

# Config information for eth1:
IPADDR[1]=""
NETMASK[1]=""
USE_DHCP[1]=""
DHCP_HOSTNAME[1]=""

# Config information for eth2:
IPADDR[2]=""
NETMASK[2]=""
USE_DHCP[2]=""
DHCP_HOSTNAME[2]=""

# Config information for eth3:
IPADDR[3]=""
NETMASK[3]=""
USE_DHCP[3]=""
DHCP_HOSTNAME[3]=""

# Default VPS gateway IP address:
GATEWAY="X.X.X.X"

DEBUG_ETH_UP="no"

DNS Edit and fill with VPS DNS nameserver settings

/etc/resolv.conf

ROOT Password Don't forget to set a root password!

# passwd

Boot your VPS and enjoy Slackware :D