Minimal CD install without Internet (emerge --sync question)

pherricoxide · n00b Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 6

I'm attempting to install Gentoo 2007 on a Dell Vostro 1400 I just got yesterday. A week ago I installed Gentoo on a desktop using the minimal CD, and all of the sources are still in /usr/portage/distfiles, so I was hoping to avoid downloading them again. When I put the install CD in I discovered that the Boadcom 5906 Ethernet in the Vostro will not work with older kernels than 2.6.20. My plan is to download the Stage3 Tarball, kernel (from kernel.org), and portage snapshot before beginning the install, along with moving all the source files from the desktop I installed last week and try to install Gentoo from the minimal CD without Internet (will put all the files on another partition of the hard drive).

My question is, how I can update the portage tree without "emerge --sync"? Can I transfer the portage tree from my Gentoo desktop to the Vostro by just copying over everything in /usr/portage/?

davascript · l33t Joined: 07 Apr 2004 Posts: 618 Location: Pennsylvania

Why don"t you want to just download the stage, snapshot and kernel while installing? You should be more concerned about getting your networking going and then build this system th same way you did your desktop.
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cwr · Veteran Joined: 17 Dec 2005 Posts: 1969

Given that the two systems have the same class of CPU, so they can both use the same
stage 3 binaries, then a filesystem is a filesystem. In your case I'd probably set up an
ftp server on the machine with the files on it, and find some way of booting the new machine
with something that can see the network. Even Windows will do; once the files are on the
new machine most Linux kernel setups can read windows partitions, so it's just a local copy.

Or stick in a network card which the kernel can understand, as a temporary measure.

Good luck - Will

NathanZachary · Moderator Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 2605

If I'm understanding you correctly, it might be better to just boot the 7.10 release of any of the *buntu flavours live discs and install Gentoo from that environment.
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davascript · l33t Joined: 07 Apr 2004 Posts: 618 Location: Pennsylvania

Raptor85 · Apprentice Joined: 29 Dec 2007 Posts: 208

Simba7 · Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 5:33 am Post subject:

Why not temporarily install a different NIC and get Gentoo built?

There's also "emerge --fetchonly".

hitachi

malahal · n00b Joined: 27 Oct 2006 Posts: 33

Ubuntu liveCD is one option but I wanted a liveCD that works from a USB stick as well. systemrescueCD is a good candidate and it will generally have later kernel than a ubuntu liveCD. I had a similar problem, so ended up using http://www.sysresccd.org/Main_Page (this is based on gentoo and is very small compared to ubuntu, more over, you can use a CD or USB stick). Good luck!

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 8:30 pm Post subject:

pherricoxide,

Copy your /usr/portage from one machine to the other. That way you have a portage tree that matches your distfiles.
Do not emerge --sync or get a portage snapshot. Its all in your /usr/portage on your existing install.
You may however need a more recent kernel, which you can get directly from kernel.org. Thats the same as emerge vanilla-sources.
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