Linux Core Installation Using Installation Script

A tutorial discuss Linux Core installation using an installation script that can be downloaded as an extension from Tinycore repository. Thanks to the script, installation is automated and easy thus much more preferable than manual installation.

The installation steps provided below have been tested for both x86 and x86-64  Linux Core 6.x and and show step-by-step installation on Qemu virtual machine.  Linux Core image can be downloaded from here.

1. Creating Qemu Disk

$ /usr/local/bin/qemu-img create -f qcow2 ./linux-core.img 200M

2. Starting Qemu Virtual Machine with Attached Installation ISO Image

$ /usr/local/bin/qemu-system-i386 -boot d -cdrom ./Core.iso -hda linux-core.img

3. Installing tc-install Extension

$ tce-load -wi tc-install

Note:  Additional extensions - perl5, dosfstools, syslinux will be installed.

4. Starting Installation Script

$ sudo /usr/local/bin/tc-install.sh

Select - c - install from CDROM.

Picture 1 - Selecting Install Source

5. Install Type

Select install type - f  - frugal.

Picture 2 - Selecting Installation Type

6. Target for Installation of Core

Select target for installation Core - 1 - Whole disk.

Picture 3 - Selecting target for installation

7. Selecting Disk

Select disk for Core - 2 - disk sda.

Picture 4 - Selecting disk for Core

8. Bootloader Installation

Install boot loader - y     

Picture 5 - Bootloader installation

9. Format for Partition Disk

Select format option for disk /dev/sda - 3 - ext4.

Picture 6 - Selecting Format Option

Finally, press ENTER - we do not need to enter any boot code.  Last chance to exit before destroying data, continue: y.

Picture 7 - Boot Code Menu

Installation process begins.

Picture 8 - Core Installation

10. Shutdown Core Linux

$ sudo halt

Start your fresh x86 Linux Core installation with the command:

$ /usr/local/bin/qemu-system-i386 -boot c -hda linux-core.img

11. Linux Core x86-64 Installation

In case you want to install Linux Core x86-64 version some some extra steps are needed. First download CorePure64 ISO disk image from here.

Start Linux x86 Core virtual machine with attached Core Linux x86-64 ISO disk and mount CDROM.

$ /usr/local/bin/qemu-system-i386 -m 1G -boot c -cdrom CorePure64.iso -hda linux-core.img

$ mount /mnt/sr0

Copy x86-64 Linux kernel vmlinuz64, and root filesystem core64.gz and remove their 32 bit versions that are not needed anymore.

$ cp /mnt/sr0/boot/corepure64.gz /mnt/sda1/tce/boot
$ cp /mnt/sr0/boot/vmlinuz64 /mnt/sda1/tce/boot

$ rm /mnt/sda1/tce/boot/core.gz
$ rm /mnt/sda1/tce/boot/vmlinuz

Edit extlinux config file and replace keywords vmlinuz and core with their 64 bit command versions.

$ sed -i 's/vmlinuz/vmlinuz64/g' /mnt/sda1/tce/boot/extlinux/extlinux.conf
$ sed -i 's/core/corepure64/g' /mnt/sda1/tce/boot/extlinux/extlinux.conf

Shutdown Core Linux. Optionally rename linux-core image to CorePure64.img.

$ sudo halt
$ mv linux-core CorePure64.img

Start your fresh x86-64 Linux Core installation with the command:

$ /usr/local/bin/qemu-system-x86_64 -m 1G -boot c -hda CorePure64.img

12. Remastering Core for Graphical Output to Serial Port

Core Linux has to be remastered in order to send graphical output to a serial port. The steps are explained here.