e-mail   
 Menu
  Home
  Download
  Top 10 Downloads
  Last 15 New Files
  Web Links
  Tips
  Last 15 New Tips
  NLM Programming
  Admins Club





SUPLA System
Internet of Things




Installation and Administration






Polish Forum SUSE


 
Who's Online

 There are currently,
8 guest(s)
that is (are) online.
 


Technical Information

Back to List of Categories

Technical Information about
  A Little YaST Magic
  A Slideshow for Your KDE Wallpaper
  Add Novell Support to Your Firefox Search Engine
  Adding To The Panels In Gnome.
  Akregator - RSS News Reader
  An Introduction to WBEM and OpenWBEM in SUSE LINUX
  Authenticating SUSE LINUX to eDirectory via LDAP
  Basic Mounting Differences between Windows and Linux
  Beginner's Guide to Using Novell SUSE LINUX's Build Utility
  Browsing Files
  Card Readers on SUSE LINUX 9.2 Professional?
  Changing the Default Browser in Gnome
  Developing Perl CGI scripts on SUSE LINUX
  Do I Have Permission?
  Double SYNC -- Using RSYNC Simultaneously With and Without Branch Office for Data Backup
  Dumb Question: Mounting Linux CDs
  Easy Command-Line Introduction
  Easy Way to Debug SSL Connections
  Enabling an Interactive Startup in Novell/SUSE LINUX
  Exploring MySQL 4.1 and PHP 5 on SUSE LINUX
  Extend Your Panels Using Gnome Drawers.
  Firefox Speed Tip
  Fix Java Errors With ConsoleOne On Linux
  Fix Your Mouse Wheel...
  Gimp -- Closing In on Photoshop...
  Gimp Tips Part 1: Resizing Images
  Gimp Tips Part 2: Rounding Corners
  Gimp Tips Part 3: Fading Photography Edges
  Gimp Tips Part 4: Selective Colorization
  Gimp Tips Part 5: Plugins a Plenty - Adding Light
  Gimp Tips Part 6: Using The Clone Tool
  Google Auto-fill Replica for Linux
  How a Corrupted USB Drive Was Saved by GNU/Linux
  How to Implement Login Scripts into a Pure Linux Environment
  How to install and connect an External Modem on a Linux PC
  How to Install the Novell Client for Linux on SUSE Linux 10.0
  How to launch applications at login in Gnome
  How to Remote Control Linux
  How to setup a Linux application to automatically startup when you login.
  How to share Files and Printers Between Linux and MS Windows with Samba
  How to uninstall the Novell Client for Linux
  How to upgrade the Novell Client for Linux
  How to use SMB without turning off the firewall
  How's the Weather?
  HTML Development Tools in Linux
  Informative Bash Prompt
  Install and Use QEMU on SUSE 9.2
  Install Linux Frequently, Without the Hassle
  Installing Apache, PHP, and MySQL on SUSE LINUX Professional
  Installing RPM Files
  Integrating Novell Linux Desktop into a Novell NetWare network
  Introduction to Oracle 10g R1 (10.1.0.3) on SUSE LINUX Professional 9.3
  iPrint Printers on Novell Linux Desktop
  Linux Scheduling Priorities Explained
  Make a Misbehaving Program Quit
  Manually Mounting a USB Flash Drive in Linux
  Migrating To Linux, Advantages Over Windows 9.x And XP
  Minimize Your Maximizing with Multiple Desktops
  Mounting NetWare Volumes On NLD Illustrated
  Move Your /home to Another Computer
  Mozilla Mail Review
  Need a Backup?
  Novell Client Settings with Windows Terminal Server
  Novell Linux Desktop Equivalents of Windows Software - New and Improved
  Novell Linux Desktop System Upgrade How-To
  Partitioning Hard Drive for Linux Install
  Perform Remote SuSE Installations With Virtual Network Computing
  Quick Intro to Klipper
  Quick Shortcuts in The Gimp
  Reset Your Lost Root Password
  Resizing Your Gnome / KDE Panels
  Runlevels in SUSE LINUX
  Running Existing Win32 Applications on SUSE LINUX
  Service Command in /etc/init.d/
  Setting Shortcut Keys
  Setting up a Linux NFS Install Source for Your LAN
  Should I choose Novell Linux Desktop or SUSE LINUX Professional as my desktop?
  Starting Services From the Command Line On SuSE LINUX
  Sticky Notes for Gnome
  SUSE LINUX 9.3 Professional Review
  Sync Up The Taskbar and the Desktop in Gnome
  System Upgrade How-To
  Taking Screenshots in Linux
  The Basics of Messaging in the Cross-Platform GroupWise Client
  The Novell Client for Linux (beta).
  Transparent Panels in Gnome
  Trick Out Your KDE Desktop
  Understanding the YAST Software Module Options
  Updating Your Software with Red Carpet
  Using dsbk on Linux and Unix
  Using iFolder to Synchronize Firefox Bookmarks
  Using Multiple Swap Partitions In 2.4
  Using openSSH to Securely Access Remote Systems
  What FTP client should I use on Linux?
  What Is Logical Volume Management?
  What is so great about Firefox?
  Which Graphic Formats For What?
  Windows Shortcuts for Firefox Tabs on Linux
  Windows to Linux: A Beginner's Guide
  Windows Users Can Feel at Home Exploring Files in Linux
  WLAN interface as the Default
  Work With User Selection Icons In KDM
  YAST Online Update De-Mystified

Technical Information
 A Little YaST Magic

Printer-friendly version

6 Jan 2005

Among the spectacular offerings of SUSE Linux is its sensational package management tool, YaST. It removes nearly all distress associated with managing package dependencies. That in mind, I pose a question: How do you improve something that is already as great as YaST? The single answer that comes to mind is as follows: I dislike having to insert or switch CDs whenever I install software from them using YaST. I want a way to install the software without using the CDs every time. For all those who have asked me how to do this, I offer a solution.

Let's begin with a short overview of what we'll be doing. First, we will save images of the CDs to the hard disk. Then, we'll mount these images. Next, we will tell YaST where the images are mounted. Finally, we will look at some ways to automate some of this with scripts. When finished, we will be able to install from our mounted images any software normally located on the CDs. No more messing with the CDs. The only requirement is that you have about 3.2Gb available on the drive where you will make the CD images.

First, let's rip the CDs to the hard disk. Drop to a terminal and create a directory to which you will save the disc images. In this example, we will use /isos:

linux:/ # mkdir /isos

Once you have created this folder, put your SUSE Disc 1 into your CD drive. Then, execute the following command where /dev/cdrom is your CD-ROM device:

linux:/ # dd if=/dev/cdrom of=/isos/suse1.iso

When it finishes, replace the first CD with the second, and rip that one to /isos/suse2.iso, and so on until you have ripped all 5 CDs. Your output should be similar to this:

linux:/ # dd if=/dev/cdrom of=/isos/suse1.iso
1329044+0 records in
1329044+0 records out
linux:/ # eject /dev/cdrom
linux:/ # dd if=/dev/cdrom of=/isos/suse2.iso
1328528+0 records in
1328528+0 records out
linux:/ # eject /dev/cdrom
linux:/ # dd if=/dev/cdrom of=/isos/suse3.iso
1332328+0 records in
1332328+0 records out
linux:/ # eject /dev/cdrom
linux:/ # dd if=/dev/cdrom of=/isos/suse4.iso
1326644+0 records in
1326644+0 records out
linux:/ # eject /dev/cdrom
linux:/ # dd if=/dev/cdrom of=/isos/suse5.iso
1323516+0 records in
1323516+0 records out
linux:/ # eject /dev/cdrom
linux:/ #

Now that we have ripped the discs into image files, we need to get them mounted. Create a directory to which you will mount each file. In this example, they will be /suse/1 through /suse/5:

linux:/ # mkdir /suse
linux:/ # mkdir /suse/1
linux:/ # mkdir /suse/2
linux:/ # mkdir /suse/3
linux:/ # mkdir /suse/4
linux:/ # mkdir /suse/5
linux:/ #

After you've created these folders, mount the images. To do this, switch to the superuser as in the example, and run the following command:

[2309][user@linux:~]$ su
Password:
linux:/ # mount -o loop -t iso9660 /isos/suse1.iso /suse/1

Run this command for each successive image, changing the filename and target mount directory accordingly:

[2309][user@linux:~]$ su
Password:
linux:/ # mount -o loop -t iso9660 /isos/suse1.iso /suse/1
linux:/ # mount -o loop -t iso9660 /isos/suse2.iso /suse/2
linux:/ # mount -o loop -t iso9660 /isos/suse3.iso /suse/3
linux:/ # mount -o loop -t iso9660 /isos/suse4.iso /suse/4
linux:/ # mount -o loop -t iso9660 /isos/suse5.iso /suse/5
linux:/ #

Now, all the CDs are ripped and their images are mounted.

The next step is to configure YAST so it knows where to look to find the packages. Run YaST, and go into "Change Source of Installation:"

Select the first option, and then click on the "Enable or Disable" button. This will change the "Status" column to "Off:"

Next, click on the "Add" drop-down box, and select "Local Directory."

A small window will appear asking in which directory it is to look. Type in "/suse/1" and click "OK:"

Do this for each of the images. If a warning appears, it is safe to click "Continue." When you are done, your screen should look like the image below:

Click "Finish." YaST now knows to look at the mounted images instead of prompting for the CDs.

Let's test out your newly optimized YaST. If it isn't already open, run YAST now. Select "Install and Remove Software:"

From the "Filter" drop-down, select "Package Groups." Find a program that you hadn't previously installed, and install it now. For this example, I used a game called "Maelstrom." Check the box next to it:

To finish, click the "Accept" button in the lower right corner of the window. If YaST installed the program without prompting for discs, you have done it properly and are set.

You can leave the images mounted indefinitely. However, when you restart your machine, they will need to be remounted. So let's write a script that will automate the mounting of the CDs for our next session.

In your favorite text editor, create a script with the following code in it:

#!/bin/bash
mount -o loop -t iso9660 /isos/suse1.iso /suse/1
mount -o loop -t iso9660 /isos/suse2.iso /suse/2
mount -o loop -t iso9660 /isos/suse3.iso /suse/3
mount -o loop -t iso9660 /isos/suse4.iso /suse/4
mount -o loop -t iso9660 /isos/suse5.iso /suse/5

Save out the script as mntimg.sh , and run the chmod command to make it executable:

[2313][user@linux:~]$ chmod +x mntimg.sh

Next time you log into the machine and want to install software, drop to a terminal. Then, as superuser, execute the script, as in this example:

[2309][user@linux:~]$ su
Password:
linux:/home/user # ./mntimg.sh
linux:/home/user #

Your images are again mounted. Now, you can fire up YaST at any time to install software. It will use your images as package installation sources.

Once in a while, it's nice to know of timesaving procedures such as this. Just rip your CDs to ISO image files, mount these images, and configure YaST to use them as package installation sources. You will no longer need to insert or change your CDs to install software. When all is said and done, this is a great timesaver.






Since 2003

Portal posiada akceptację firmy Novell Polska
Wszystkie materiały dotyczące produktów firmy Novell umieszczono za zgodą Novell Polska
Portal has been accepted by the Novell Polska
All materials concerning products of Novell firm are placed with Novell Polska consent.
NetWare is a registered trademark of Novell Inc. in the United States and other countries.
Windows is a trademark or a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.
Sybase is a registered trademark of Sybase Inc. in the United States of America.
Other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.