SuSE FtP InSTALL Is EaSY and here's the HOWTO

From: Erich Friesen (erichbfnoospaaaam_at_networkusa.net)
Date: 07/13/04 

Date: Tue, 13 Jul 2004 04:19:14 GMT

All:
 
 Instructions for the ftp install that I have seen seemed aaddressse light
on details, so here goes, hope this works for everybody...
 
 Hoping, of course, to aid in the 'rapid de-monetization of the software[OS]
industry' ( the same demonetization that Darl McBride is whining about)
 
 Comments appreciated, just remove nospam from the address above...

 
I. What you need to have:
 
 1. Fast internet connection
 2. Computer compatible with SuSE Linux: check it (in English) here:
http://hardwaredb.suse.de/?LANG=en_UK

 
II. What you need to know before you start:
 
 1. The directory structure of the ftp server that you will be installing
from. (see below)
 
 2. The IP address of the server from which you will be installing from.
(see below)
 
 3. What modules your network card requires. (usually just look and the card
and read the chip info, if you don't have documentation)

 4. What protocol your fast internet connection uses to assign IP address to
your machine—either static address (rather rare) or 'dhcp' in say 95% of
cases. If you don't know it is almost certainly dhcp.

 
III. What do do:
 
 1. Download the boot iso and burn a cdrom from it. The boot iso is
different for different architectures. So using the ANL ftp server, this is
the place to get the Intel boot disk (for Intel Pentium, AMD Athlon):
ftp://mirror.mcs.anl.gov/pub/suse/i386/9.1/boot/boot.iso

and for the 64 bit Athlon architecture:
ftp://mirror.mcs.anl.gov/pub/suse/x86_64/9.1/boot/boot.iso
 

2. Boot from that cdrom. Select 'MANUAL INSTALLATION' from the boot menu. (I
know you can set up using the F3 button, BUT that doesn't work if your
ethernet card wasn't detected and initialized correctly)
 
 3. Chose language, then keyboard layout, from the next dialog boxes.
 
 4. From "MAIN MENU" select 'KERNEL MODULES (HARDWARE DRIVERS)', then from
menu "KERNEL MODULES (HARDWARE DRIVERS)" select 'LOAD NETWORK CARD MODULES'
then from menu "LOAD NETWORK CARD MODULES", select your network card. For
almost all network cards just hit 'enter' through the requests for
parameters. Select 'BACK' to return to "MAIN MENU"
 
 5. From "MAIN MENU," select 'START INSTALLATION SYSTEM,' from "START
INSTALLATION SYSTEM" select 'START INSTALLATION UPDATE'
 
 6. From "PLEASE CHOSE SOURCE MEDIUM” Menu, select 'NETWORK', From next menu
select "FTP" Then answer question re: dhcp, probably the answer is yes, but
depends on your ISP.
 
 7. When requested to enter ftp, enter one of the below listed IP addresses
exactly as listed below, e.g.: "140.221.9.138" Then, since most of the ftp
sites allow anonymous logins, select 'No' to request to set up name and
password for ftp access.
 
 8. Next there will be a request for the directory on that ftp server,
(enter the initial "/") for example: "/pub/suse/i386/9.1" or for AMD64
architecture "/pub/suse/x86_64/9.1" would be correct if you are using the
anl server. There may be a garbage character in this entry box,(usually a y
with an umlat) just hit backspace to delete it before entering the
directory.
 
 9. Next the data will load from the server to ramdisk, then you will be in
YaST2. Use YaST2 as you would normally, selecting items as appropriate.
 
 10. HINT: since even with a fast connexion things can hang, delete
openoffice and some other large packages from those scheduled to be
installed (you can easily install them later) but if the installation hangs
on a dropped connection YOU WILL HAVE TO START ALL OVER. First install a
minimal set, than add packages to your hearts content after you have a
working connection.
 
 IV: List of ftp servers and their directory structures. SuSE 9.1 is
current.

Bloomington, IN:
ftp://chuck.ucs.indiana.edu/linux/suse/suse/i386/9.1
ftp://chuck.ucs.indiana.edu/linux/suse/suse/x86_64/9.1
IP address:129.79.6.12
verified jan 2004
 
Los Angeles, CA:
ftp://mirrors.usc.edu/pub/linux/distributions/suse/i386/9.1
ftp://mirrors.usc.edu/pub/linux/distributions/suse/x86_64/9.1
IP address:128.125.253.59
verified jan 2004
 
Louisville, CO:
ftp://mirror.storagetek.com/pub/systems/suse/i386/9.1
ftp://mirror.storagetek.com/pub/systems/suse/x86_64/9.1
IP address:199.117.144.10
 
Chicago, IL:
ftp://mirror.mcs.anl.gov/pub/suse/i386/9.1
ftp://mirror.mcs.anl.gov/pub/suse/x86_64/9.1
IP address:140.221.9.138
 
Knoxville, TN:
http://sunsite.utk.edu/ftp/pub/linux/suse/i386/9.1
(AMD64 architecture appears to be empty on this server)
IP address:160.36.178.159
Sunsites ftp requires authentication, http does not. (http disconnects
rather more often than ftp, from my experience so use it for small
installs) NOTE: IF YOU USE HTTP INSTEAD OF FTP, YOU NEED TO SELECT HTTP AS
NETWORK TYPE IN STEP 7 ABOVE
 
Chapel Hill, NC
ftp://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/suse/suse/i386/9.1
ftp://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/suse/suse/x86_64/9.1
IP address:152.2.210.109
 
Boston, MA
ftp://ftp.rpmfind.net/linux/SuSE-Linux/i386/9.1
(Does not mirrior x86_64 for AMD64)
IP address:216.254.0.38
 
Atlanta, GA
ftp://ftp-linux.cc.gatech.edu/pub/suse/suse/i386/9.1
ftp://ftp-linux.cc.gatech.edu/pub/suse/suse/x86_64/9.1
IP address:130.207.108.134
 
Corvallis, OR
ftp://ftp.oregonstate.edu/pub/suse/suse/i386/9.1
ftp://ftp.oregonstate.edu/pub/suse/suse/x86_64/9.1
IP address:128.193.0.3
verified Jan 2004
 
PR
ftp://linux.cnnet.clu.edu/pub-linux/ftp.suse.com/i386/9.1
(only mirrors updates for x86_64)
IP address:136.145.187.121
verified Jan 2004
 
All directory structures verified 12 July 2004
 
Copyright (c) 2004 Erich Burgdorff FRIESEN
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2
or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation;
with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover
Texts. A copy of the license is can be viewed at: www.gnu.org