Notes on installing Linux in VM Ware

Not only is Gentoo, but it should be said that as long as it is a Linux distro guided by grub, it can be installed without a CD/floppy disk boot.

Warning! This method is not suitable for installing Fedora Core 3 !! Other RPM systems are not tested, but are not recommended!
Caution! This installation method is not capable for installing Red Hat Fedora Core 3 system! Other rpm-based systems are not tested but not recommented !!!

Main course: a set of Linux ISO files (with CDs? Are you still paying for this ?!)
Ingredients: Windows 2000 Professional, Vm ware 4.5.1
Production process:
1. Go to Windows 2000 pro and open VM Ware
2. Create a new Virtual Machine (do not litter! Tomatoes are baby ......)
3. Note: When selecting a virtual disk, select using a phisical disk and then using entire disk! Never make a mistake!
4. OK-> set-> ready? Go!

Before you start, determine the partitions used to install linux ...... I like "Computer Management" in "Computer Management" MMC provided by Windows 2000 ". Locate the required disk partition and delete it!
Recall the Linux disk naming method ...... All partitions are files under the/dev directory.
IDE is hda, And the partitions above hda are hda1, hda2, hda3, hda4...
A hard disk can have four primary partitions, the fourth of which can be used as an extended partition, and then partition logical partitions on it ...... The extended partition is/dev/hda4, and the logical partition starts from hda5. Here is the partition after drive E ...... So it's/dev/hda7.
The optical drive is at ide 2: 1, so it is/dev/HDC.

Open the settings of the virtual machine, change the CD-ROM to your Linux ISO (if it is a CD, use Auto Detect), OK, start. The VM startup screen appears. Click f2 to go to "BIOS Settings", select CD-ROM boot, and save and exit ......

The following is a long and difficult installation process (For Me, yes ...... Because I installed the legendary Gentoo: Hard to vomit ^_^ ). During Red Hat installation, you can select boot loader, grub, and where to install it. The options are MBR or first sector of partition. Remember to select first sector of partition! Once the MBR is overwritten, you will lose the precious nt loader. It will be painful to delete Linux ......
"NOTE: there is actually a simpler method (for Gentoo: I am not familiar with Red Hat), which is to install grub on fd0. You can use VMware to create a virtual floppy disk and execute grub-install/dev/fd0. In this way, you can use this virtual floppy disk to boot Gentoo. In addition, after exiting the virtual machine, you can use tools such as rawwrite (or directly run the DD command under Linux) write the image to a floppy disk. This floppy disk can be used to direct your computer to Gentoo Linux, not just to boot virtual machines. If you make such a boot floppy disk, you can skip the following process .』

OK. All installation is complete ~ Restart the VM to enter Linux.

Open a konsole or GNOME terminal or aterm, xterm,... what? You are on the console? That's great ......
If it is a distro such as RH, the hard disk partition should have been mounted ...... Otherwise, you can use a floppy disk (to be safe ). Input
Mount fd0/mnt/floppy
It should be successful. In this way, we can access the content of the floppy disk through the/mnt/Floppy directory.
Dd If =/dev/hda7 of =/mnt/floppy/bootsect. Lin BS = 512 COUNT = 1

The DD command is used to copy files. If is an input file, of is an output file, BS is a block size, and count is a block count. So dd If =/dev/hda7 of =/mnt/floppy/bootsect. Lin BS = 512 COUNT = 1 is from the/dev/hda7 file (file !) Read 512 bytes at a time, read once in total, and then write the bootsect. Lin file under/mnt/floppy. Why is/dev/hda7 used as the input file? Because we need to read the first 512 characters starting from the hard disk partition, that is, directly accessing the hardware, we can only read the device files. The 512-byte file contains the grub startup information ~ By default, the MBR is installed and directly booted by BIOS. However, for the sake of NT loader, it can only be wronged ~
Bootsect. Lin on the floppy disk? Ls/mnt/floppy can be seen? OK, umount/dev/fd0 unmount the floppy disk and shutdown-H now shut down. The following work is under WIN 2 K.

Open my computer, folder options, and deselect "Hide protected system files ". Enter C and copy bootsect. Lin on the floppy disk to C. Double-click boot. ini and add a line at the bottom:

C:/bootsect. Lin = "Gentoo Linux"

Because my name is Gentoo, the name doesn't matter, doesn't it? Save and exit ~
Just in case, to be cautious, to make a better tomorrow ...... Open "Folder Options", select "Hide protected system files", and click OK ~ "Start"-"run", enter cmd.exe, and press Enter. Enter the C: directory, and then enter

Attrib + R + S + h c:/bootsect. Lin

Add the "system, read-only, hide" attribute to bootsect. Lin, hoho
Then input shutdown-R now -- depressed, Miss XP...
Restart and enjoy new Linux!

Reference:
Http://www.nsfocus.net/index.php? Act = sec_doc & Do = view & doc_id = 765