6.2. Advanced Linuxrc Options
Linuxrc is a program used for setting up the kernel for installation purposes. It allows the user to load modules, start an installed system, a rescue system or an installation via YaST.
Linuxrc is designed to be as small as possible. Therefore, all needed programs are linked directly into one binary. So there is no need for shared libraries in the initdisk.
 | If you run Linuxrc on an installed system, it will work slightly different as it tries not to destroy your installation. As a consequence you cannot test all features this way. |
6.2.1. Passing parameters to Linuxrc
Unless Linuxrc is in manual mode it will look for an 'info' file in these locations: first /info on the floppy disk and if that does not exsist for /info in the initrd. After that it parses the kernel command line for parameters. You may change the 'info' file Linuxrc reads using the info command line parameter. If you don't want Linuxrc to read the kernel command line (say, because you need to give a kernel parameter that accidentally is recognized by Linuxrc, too), use linuxrc=nocmdline.
Independend if the above, Linuxrc will always look for and parse a file /linuxrc.config. You can use this file to change default values, if you need to. But in general, use the info file instead. Note that /linuxrc.config is read before any 'info' file and even in manual mode.
6.2.2. 'info' file format
Lines starting with '#' are comments, valid entries are of the form
key: value |
You can use the same key - value pairs on the kernel command line using the syntax key=value Lines that don't have the form described above are ignored.
Valid keys are (values given are just examples)
Table 6-1. Advanced linuxrc keywords
| Keyword/Value | Description |
|---|---|
| Language: de_DE | set the language |
| Keytable: de-lat1-nd | load this keytable |
| Display: Color|Mono|Alt | set the menu color scheme |
| Install: nfs://server/install/8.0-i386 | install via NFS from server (note: you can give username, password etc. in the URL, too) |
| InstMode: cd|hd|nfs|smb|ftp|http|tftp | set installation mode |
| HostIP: 10.10.0.2 | the client ip address |
| Netmask: 255.255.0.0 | network mask |
| Gateway: 10.10.0.1 | gateway |
| Server: 10.10.0.1 | installation server address |
| Nameserver: 10.10.0.1 | nameserver |
| Proxy: 10.10.0.1 | proxy (either ftp or http) |
| ProxyPort: 10.10.0.1 | proxy port |
| Partition: hda1 | partition with install sources for hard disk install |
| Serverdir: /install/8.0-i386 | base directory of the installation sources |
| Netdevice: eth0 | network interface to use |
| BOOTPWait: 5 | sleep 5 seconds between network activation and starting bootp |
| BOOTPTimeout: 10 | 10 seconds timeout for BOOTP requests |
| DHCPTimeout: 60 | 60 seconds timeout for DHCP requests |
| TFTPTimeout: 10 | 10 seconds timeout for TFTP connection |
| ForceRootimage: 0|1 | load the installation system into ramdisk |
| Textmode: 0|1 | start YaST in text mode |
| Username: name | set user name (e.g. for FTP install) |
| Password: password | set password (e.g. for FTP install) |
| WorkDomain: domain | set work domain for SMB install |
| ForceInsmod: 0|1 | use '-f' option when running insmod |
| DHCP: 0|1 | start DHCP daemon now, but see UseDHCP |
| UseDHCP: 0|1 | use DHCP instead of BOOTP (DHCP is default) |
| MemLimit: 10000 | ask for swap if free memory drops below 10000 kB |
| MemYaST: 20000 | run YaST in text mode if free memory is below 20000 kB |
| MemYaSTText: 10000 | ask for swap before starting YaST if free memory is below 10000 kB |
| MemModules: 20000 | delete all modules before starting YaST if free memory is below 20000 kB |
| MemLoadImage: 50000 | load installation system into ramdisk if free memory is above 50000 kB |
| Manual: 0|1 | start Linuxrc in manual mode |
| NoPCMCIA: 0|1 | don't start card manager |
| Domain: zap.de | set domain name (used for name server lookups) |
| RootImage: /suse/images/root | installation system image |
| RescueImage: /suse/images/rescue | rescue system image |
| InstallDir: /suse/inst-sys | installation system |
| Rescue: 1|nfs://server/dir | load rescue system; the URL variant specifies the location of the rescue image explicitly |
| AutoYaST: ftp://autoyastfile | location of autoinstall file; activates autoinstall mode |
| VNC: 0|1 | setup VNC server |
| VNCPassword: password | sets VNC server password |
| UseSSH: 0|1 | setup SSH server |
| SSHPassword: password | sets SSH server password (this will not be the final root password!) |
| AddSwap: 0|3|/dev/hda5 | if 0, do never ask for swap; if the argument is a positive number n, activate the n'th swap partition; is the argument is a partition name, activate this swap partition |
| Exec: command | run command |
| USBWait: 4 | wait 4 seconds after loading USB modules |
| Insmod: module params | load this module |