Add-on Package mini-HowTo

Adam Dosch <support@fdlinux.com>

March 6, 2003


How to create and successfully install an add-on package for Fd Linux v3.x-x

1.  Overview

2.  Download image(s)

3.  Write image(s) to disk

    a.  Windows

    b.  Linux

4.  Install add-on packages

5.  Comments


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overview:

Here is the general overview on how to implement pre-built add-on packages for Fd Linux v3.x-x.  This HowTo will cover where to download the add-on packages, how to write the add-on package images to a disk and how to successfully install them onto the booted up file system of Fd Linux.

 

Download image(s):

You can download all add-on packages associated with each version from the Download page.

Make sure to download each specific add-on package image to a place on your hard drive that you can easily find.

 

Write image(s) to disk:

We will simply explain on how to write each add-on package image you downloaded to a floppy disk and make it ready to be installed once you boot up Fd Linux.

Windows:

To write the add-on package images to a disk, you have to make sure you have RawWrite for Windows installed on your computer.  If you do not have this tool downloaded, please download it from the Download page.

Assuming you have RawWrite for Windows installed, follow these steps to write the image do your disk:

1)  Put in a 1.44mb formatted floppy disk

2)  Open RawWrite for Windows

3)  Make sure that you are on the "Write" tab and that specified floppy drive is selected for your computer (A: is generally the one you want, unless you have more than one floppy drive)

4)  Click on the button next to the "Image File" text box and select which add-on package image you want to write to the floppy disk

5)  Once you have selected your image, simply click on the "Write" button to write the image to the floppy disk

You're Done!

If you want to write another image to another disk, simply do the steps over again.

Linux:

To write the add-on package images to a disk, you have to make sure you have the proper node device in /dev to write the image.  Most stock Linux distributions come with the fd0H1440 node, but if you think you might not have it, type the following command:

    (root->fdlinux)% ls /dev/fd0*

This command will show you all the floppy devices.  Simply peruse through them and if you DO NOT find "fd0H1440", then type the following command to make that node:

    (root->fdlinux)% mknod /dev/fd0H1440 b 2 28

Once you have determined that you have or need to make the specific floppy block node, you are now ready to format the floppy disk to the proper density by typing:

    (root->fdlinux)% fdformat /dev/fd0H1440

  OR

    (root->fdlinux)% superformat /dev/fd0H1440

Depending on what fdutils package you have installed will depend on what command you are able to successfully execute.

Now that we have our floppy disk formatted to the proper density, we can now write the image we downloaded to our disk.  To do this, type:

    (root->fdlinux)% dd if=<THE_IMAGE_NAME> of=/dev/fd0H1440 bs=1k

    WHERE:

    <THE_IMAGE_NAME> = the name of the image dowloaded (i.e.  nmap-300-v3.img)

You're Done!

If you want to write another image to another disk, simply do the steps over again.

 

Install add-on packages:

Once you have all the add-on packages you want put on floppy disks, you can now boot up Fd Linux, and whenever you want to install the add-on packages, just run the command:

    (root->fdlinux)% /sbin/addon

Just follow the simple on-screen instructions and you should not have any problems!  However, if you do, please send a Trouble Ticket immediately with the problems you encountered!

 

Comments:

If you feel that anything should be added to this mini-HowTo, please feel free to send me an Inquiry Ticket about it!