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authornl6720 <nl6720@gmail.com>2023-02-18 12:39:27 +0200
committernl6720 <nl6720@gmail.com>2023-02-24 11:28:43 +0200
commit1da743cc4ea0dc344e46d3f760ccdfec5c9baecf (patch)
tree6d5796e091052b0020c9cd79647c196e4058df56 /docs/README.transfer.rst
parent04d439d1b74b03880fda807246aa147ec71791c7 (diff)
README.transfer.rst: update instructions
Convert the file to reStructuredText markup. Fixes #39. Rewrite the instructions where possible or otherwise update them. E.g. fix the changed boot loader paths, etc. The "Manual formatting (BIOS only)", previosly "PC-BIOS (ISOHYBRID-MBR)", method is not tested and it is not clear if it still even works.
Diffstat (limited to 'docs/README.transfer.rst')
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diff --git a/docs/README.transfer.rst b/docs/README.transfer.rst
index f366061..ab99b10 100644
--- a/docs/README.transfer.rst
+++ b/docs/README.transfer.rst
@@ -1,133 +1,165 @@
-INDEX
------
+==============================================
+Transfer ISO to target medium (configs/releng)
+==============================================
-* Transfer ISO file to target medium (configs/releng)
- * To -> CD / DVD / BD
- * To -> USB-key / SD / HDD / SSD
- * PC-BIOS (MBR)
- * PC-BIOS (ISOHYBRID-MBR)
- * PC-EFI (GPT) [x86_64 only]
- * PC-EFI (ISOHYBRID-GPT) [x86_64 only]
+ISO images names consist of: ``archlinux-YYYY.MM.DD-x86_64.iso``.
+Where: ``YYYY`` is the year, ``MM`` the month and ``DD`` the day.
+.. contents::
-*** Transfer ISO image to target medium (configs/releng)
+Burn to an optical disc
+=======================
-ISO images names consist of: archlinux-<YYYY>.<MM>.<DD>-x86_64.iso
+ .. note::
+ All ISO images are BIOS and UEFI bootable via "El Torito" in no-emulation mode.
-Where:
- <YYYY> Year
- <MM> Month
- <DD> Day
+Burn the ISO using your favorite disc burning program.
+For example:
-** To -> CD / DVD / BD
+.. code:: sh
-Note: All ISO images are booteable on a PC-BIOS via "El Torito" in no-emulation mode,
- All x86_64 ISO images are booteable on a PC-EFI via "El Torito" in no-emulation mode.
+ xorriso -as cdrecord -v -sao dev=/dev/sr0 archlinux-YYYY.MM.DD-x86_64.iso
+
+Write to an USB flash drive / memory card / hard disk drive / solid state drive / etc.
+======================================================================================
+
+ .. tip::
+ See https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/USB_flash_installation_medium for more detailed instructions.
Nomeclature:
- <B> scsibus number
- <T> target number
- <L> lun number
- (Note: see cdrecord -scanbus, for these numbers)
+``<DEV-TARGET>``
+ Device node of the drive where ISO contents should be copied (example: ``/dev/sdx``).
+``<DEV-TARGET-N>``
+ Device node of the partition on ``<DEV-TARGET>`` (example: ``/dev/sdx1``).
+``<FS-LABEL>``
+ Represents the file system label of the ``archlinux-YYYY.MM.DD-x86_64.iso`` (example: ``ARCH_201703``).
-1) Write it directly using your favorite recording program.
-# cdrecord dev=<B>,<T>,<L> -dao archlinux-<YYYY>.<MM>.<DD>-x86_64.iso
+ISOHYBRID (BIOS and UEFI)
+-------------------------
+ .. note::
+ This method is the most easily, quick and dirty, but is the most limited if you want to use your target medium
+ for other purposes. If using this does not work, use the `File system transposition (UEFI only)`_ method instead.
-** To -> USB Flash Drive (USB-key) / Memory card (SD) /
- Hard-Disk Drive (HDD) / Solid-State Drive (SSD)
+Directly write the ISO file to the target medium:
-Note: These steps are the general workflow, you can skip some of them,
- using another filesystem if your bootloader supports it,
- installing to another directory than "arch/" or using more than
- one partition. Just ensure that main boot params options
- (archisolabel= and archisobasedir=) are set correctly according to your setup.
+.. code:: sh
-Nomeclature:
-<DEV-TARGET>: Device node of the drive where ISO contents should be copied
- (example: /dev/sdx)
-<DEV-TARGET-N>: Device node of the partition on <DEV-TARGET>
- (example: /dev/sdx1)
-<MNT-TARGET-N>: Mount point path where <DEV-TARGET-N> is mounted
- (example: /mnt/sdx/1)
-<ISO-SOURCE>: Path to the ISO file archlinux-<YYYY>.<MM>.<DD>-x86_64.iso
- (example: ~/archlinux-2017.03.01-x86_64.iso)
-<FS-LABEL>: Represents the filesystem label of the <ISO-SOURCE>
- (example: ARCH_201703)
+ dd bs=4M if=archlinux-YYYY.MM.DD-x86_64.iso of=<DEV-TARGET> conv=fsync oflag=direct status=progress
+
+File system transposition (UEFI only)
+--------------------------------
+
+This method extracts the contents of the ISO onto a prepared UEFI-bootable volume.
+
+If your drive is already partitioned and formatted, skip to the "Mount the target file system" step.
+
+ .. note::
+ Using MBR with one FAT formatted active partition is the most compatible method.
+
+1. Partition the drive with *fdisk*.
+
+ .. code:: sh
+
+ fdisk <DEV-TARGET>
+
+ 1) Create a new MBR partition table with command ``o``.
+
+ .. warning::
+ This will destroy all data on the drive.
+
+ 2) Create a new primary partition with command ``n`` and set its type code to ``0c`` with command ``t``.
+
+ 3) Mark the partition as bootable with the ``a`` command.
+
+ 4) Write the changes and exit with ``w``.
+
+2. Format the newly created partition to FAT32
+
+ .. code:: sh
+
+ mkfs.fat -F 32 /dev/disk/by-id/<TARGET-DEVICE>-part1
+
+3. Mount the target file system
+
+ .. code:: sh
+
+ mount <DEV-TARGET-N> /mnt
+
+4. Extract the ISO image on the target file system.
+
+ .. code:: sh
+
+ bsdtar -x --exclude=boot/syslinux/ -f archlinux-YYYY.MM.DD-x86_64.iso -C /mnt
+
+5. Unmount the target file system.
+
+ .. code:: sh
+
+ umount /mnt
+
+Manual formatting (BIOS only)
+-----------------------------
+ .. note::
+ These steps are the general workflow, you can skip some of them, using another file system if your boot loader
+ supports it, installing to another directory than ``arch/`` or using more than one partition. Just ensure that
+ main boot parameters (``archisolabel=`` and ``archisobasedir=``) are set correctly according to your setup.
-* PC-BIOS (MBR):
+ Using here a MBR partition mode as example, but GPT should also work if the machine firmware is not broken. Just
+ ensure that partition is set with attribute ``2: legacy BIOS bootable`` and use ``gptmbr.bin`` instead of
+ ``mbr.bin`` for syslinux.
-Note: Using here a MBR partition mode as example, but GPT should also works
- if machine firmware is not broken.
- Just ensure that partition is set with attribute "2: legacy BIOS bootable"
- and use gptmbr.bin instead of mbr.bin for syslinux.
+1) Create one partition entry in MBR and mark it as "active" (bootable).
-1) Create one partition entry in MBR and mark it as "active" (booteable).
-Note: Type "b" for FAT32, "83" for EXTFS or "7" for NTFS.
-# fdisk <DEV-TARGET>
+ .. note::
+ Type ``b`` for FAT32, ``83`` for EXTFS or ``7`` for NTFS.
-2) Create a FAT32, EXTFS or NTFS filesystem on such partition and setup a label.
-Note: COW is not supported on NTFS.
-# mkfs.fat -F 32 -n <FS-LABEL> <DEV-TARGET-N>
-# mkfs.ext4 -L <FS-LABEL> <DEV-TARGET-N>
-# mkfs.ntfs -L <FS-LABEL> <DEV-TARGET-N>
+ .. code:: sh
-3) Mount target filesystem.
-# mount <DEV-TARGET-N> <MNT-TARGET-N>
+ fdisk <DEV-TARGET>
-4) Extract ISO image on target filesystem.
-# bsdtar -x --exclude=isolinux/ --exclude=EFI/ --exclude=loader/ -f <ISO-SOURCE> -C <MNT-TARGET-N>
+2) Create a FAT32, EXTFS or NTFS file system on such partition and setup a label.
-5) Install syslinux bootloader on target filesystem.
-# extlinux -i <MNT-TARGET-N>/arch/boot/syslinux
+ .. note::
+ COW is not supported on NTFS.
-6) Unmount target filesystem.
-# umount <MNT-TARGET-N>
+ .. code:: sh
-7) Install syslinux MBR boot code on target drive.
-# dd bs=440 count=1 conv=notrunc if=/usr/lib/syslinux/bios/mbr.bin of=<DEV-TARGET>
+ mkfs.fat -F 32 -n <FS-LABEL> <DEV-TARGET-N>
+ mkfs.ext4 -L <FS-LABEL> <DEV-TARGET-N>
+ mkfs.ntfs -L <FS-LABEL> <DEV-TARGET-N>
+3) Mount the target file system.
-* PC-BIOS (ISOHYBRID-MBR):
+ .. code:: sh
-Note: This method is the most easily, quick and dirty, but is the most limited
- if you want to use your target medium for other purposes.
- If using this does not work, use PC-BIOS (MBR) method instead.
+ mount <DEV-TARGET-N> /mnt
-1) Dump ISO file to target medium.
-# dd if=<ISO-SOURCE> of=<DEV-TARGET>
+4) Extract the ISO image on the target file system.
+ .. code:: sh
-* PC-EFI (GPT) [x86_64 only]
+ bsdtar -x --exclude=boot/grub/ --exclude=EFI/ -f archlinux-YYYY.MM.DD-x86_64.iso -C /mnt
-Note: Using here a GPT partition mode as example, but MBR should also works
- if machine firmware is not broken.
+5) Install the syslinux boot loader on the target file system.
-1) Create one partition entry in GPT (of type "ef00")
-# gdisk <DEV-TARGET>
+ .. code:: sh
-2) Create a FAT32 filesystem on such partition and setup a label.
-# mkfs.fat -F 32 -n <FS-LABEL> <DEV-TARGET-N>
+ extlinux -i /mnt/boot/syslinux
-3) Mount target filesystem.
-# mount <DEV-TARGET-N> <MNT-TARGET-N>
+6) Unmount the target file system.
-4) Extract ISO image on target filesystem.
-# bsdtar -x --exclude=isolinux/ --exclude=EFI/archiso/ --exclude=arch/boot/syslinux/ -f <ISO-SOURCE> -C <MNT-TARGET-N>
+ .. code:: sh
-5) Unmount target filesystem.
-# umount <MNT-TARGET-N>
+ umount /mnt
+7) Install syslinux MBR boot code on the target drive.
-* PC-EFI (ISOHYBRID-GPT) [x86_64 only]
+ .. code:: sh
-Note: This method is the most easily, quick and dirty, but is the most limited
- if you want to use your target medium for other purposes.
- If using this does not work, use PC-EFI (GPT) method instead.
+ dd bs=440 count=1 conv=notrunc if=/usr/lib/syslinux/bios/mbr.bin of=<DEV-TARGET>
-1) Dump ISO file to target medium.
-# dd if=<ISO-SOURCE> of=<DEV-TARGET>