# Install on windows by CoLinux

## Arch and coLinux

Note: The new image described here is a few years old

The previous 0.7.x Arch Linux image doesn't work, because Arch Linux changed the name of the 'current' repository to 'core'. I've build a new image for CoLinux. All you need to do is download the co.7z batch file. ref: http://web.twpda.com/colinux .

Install method:

    co arch 1

Daily usage:

    co arch

Or, you can download the images directly from http://web.twpda.com/colinux.

## The image build steps (for expert users)

Using Remote Arch Linux Install and an existing Debian image I built an Arch Linux 0.8.0 base ext3 filesystem. I put the method to build Arch Linux image here. (The newest image is in co.7z) (Note: arch.cmd is the same as co.cmd, which is in the co.7z archive, linked in the previous section)

Build Arch Linux on Colinux From Debian

- colinux 0.8.0 (devel-coLinux-20080120.exe)
- archlinux 2007.08-2 (Archlinux-i686-2007.08-2.ftp.iso)
- Debian 4.0r0 (Debian-4.0r0-etch.ext3.1gb)

#### 1. Download required files

- On sf.net's colinux download page
  - colinux 0.8.0
  - Debian-4.0r0.ext3-etch.ext3.1gb.bz2
- Install colinux 0.8.0
- Download fs_256Mb.bz2 blank ext3 file system: http://gniarf.nerim.net/colinux/fs
- Download swap_64Mb.bz2: http://gniarf.nerim.net/colinux/swap/
- Extract all *.bz2 file into colinux's directory (can use 7-zip to extract)

PS. This step could complete by following command.(wget & 7-zip required)

    arch.cmd deb 1

#### 2. Get newarch script

Reference: Quick Custom Installation

Use copy and paste method to create pacman.conf, newarch in c:\colinux (Must be Unix line feed format)

#### 3. Run debian system and mount windows c:\colinux directory as /mnt/win

Run deb.cmd under windows cmd window

    C:> arch.cmd deb

    apt-get install wget
    mkdir -p /mnt/win /mnt/arch
    mount -t cofs cofs1:/ /mnt/win
    cd /mnt/win/colinux/
    # arch.fs is thd file downloaded from http://gniarf.nerim.net/colinux/fs
    # mke2fs -j arch.fs  # using ext3 format, if the arch.fs is not formated by ext3
    mount -o loop arch.fs /mnt/arch/
    ./newarch  # answer y, y, n (don't need to make tar.gz file)

#### 4. Using the new arch.fs to boot

Copy deb.cmd to arch.cmd and change every word DEB to ARCH, deb to arch.

    colinux-daemon -t nt kernel=vmlinux mem=%MEM% initrd=initrd.gz hda1=arch.fs hda2=arch.swap cofs1=c:\ root=/dev/hda1 eth0=slirp,,tcp:22:22/tcp:5000:5000

Run arch.cmd under windows cmd window

    C:> arch.cmd arch

Under colinux box:

    # nano -w /etc/rc.conf

Change the 'eth0' line as following:

    eth0=dhcp

To access the network via slirp's dhcp method:

    # /etc/rc.d/network restart

#### 5. Modify fstab

    # mkdir -p /mnt/win
    # vi /etc/fstab

Append the following lines:

    /dev/hda1      /        ext3     noatime         1       1
    /dev/hda2      none     swap     defaults        0       0
    cofs1:/	       /mnt/win cofs     noauto          0       0

Here we let /dev/hda1 do auto fsck that may cause first time boot fail. But, just continue, and try booting again, it will success.

## Building a Minimal Image (optional)

1. Reduce the disk usage in fs.from by removing useless packages.

1.1 Boot from arch.fs

1.2 Try to remove most BASE packages:

    mkdir /mnt/win
    mount -t cofs cofs1:/ /mnt/win
    cd /mnt/win/colinux
    ./reduce.sh
    # edit reqpkg.txt if some dependency failed

1.3 Power off

2. Boot from debian, copy arch.fs to arch_to.fs

2.1 In windows create new empty file system as arch_to.fs

2.2 In debian box:

    mkdir -p /mnt/arch /mnt/arch_to
    cd /mnt/win/colinux
    mount -o loop arch.fs /mnt/arch
    mount -o loop arch_to.fs /mnt/arch_to
    ./clean.sh  # remove some log files in arch.fs
    cp -rdp /mnt/arch/* /mnt/arch_to

Category:

- Getting and installing Arch