Advanced Installation Methods

This section covers alternative installation methods and advanced configurations for Lunar Linux. These techniques are useful when standard installation methods won't work or when you need special configurations.

When to Use Advanced Methods

Consider these advanced installation approaches when:

• You don't have a CD/DVD drive available
• You're installing on servers without physical access
• You need network-less installation
• You're setting up RAID configurations
• You want to customize device management
• Standard installation methods have failed

Available Guides

Installation Without Physical Media

• Installing Without a CD Drive
  • Boot from USB drives
  • Boot from hard disk partitions
  • Chroot installation methods
  • Best for systems without optical drives

Network-Free Installation

• Installing Without Network Access
  • Offline installation strategies
  • Pre-downloading sources
  • Managing local package caches
  • Best for systems with no internet or slow connections

Storage Configuration

• Software RAID Installation
  • RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, and 10 configurations
  • Partition setup for RAID
  • Bootloader configuration for RAID
  • Best for redundancy and performance

System Configuration

• Kernel Command Line Parameters
  • Device management (devfs, udev, static)
  • Bootloader parameter configuration
  • LILO and GRUB examples
  • Best for controlling boot-time behavior

Prerequisites

Before attempting advanced installations:

1. Understand the basics: Complete a standard installation first if possible
2. Read carefully: Advanced methods have more failure points
3. Have backups: Always backup important data
4. Plan thoroughly: Map out your installation strategy
5. Have recovery options: Keep a rescue disk or alternative boot method available

General Tips

Preparation

• Read the entire guide before starting
• Verify you have all required hardware/software
• Document your system configuration
• Test in a virtual machine if possible

During Installation

• Work methodically through each step
• Don't skip verification steps
• Keep notes of any deviations from the guide
• Don't panic if something goes wrong

Troubleshooting

• Check the FAQ for common issues
• Review system logs for error messages
• Ask for help in IRC (#lunar on Freenode)
• Search for similar issues in forums

Combining Methods

Some scenarios require combining multiple advanced techniques:

Example: RAID Without CD Drive

1. Start with Installing Without CD
2. Follow USB boot method
3. Then apply Software RAID Installation
4. Configure bootloader for both RAID and your boot method

Example: Offline RAID Installation

1. Pre-download sources per Network-Free Installation
2. Boot from USB following Installing Without CD
3. Set up RAID per Software RAID Installation
4. Install using cached sources

Hardware Considerations

Minimum Requirements

Advanced installations generally require:

• At least 512 MB RAM (1 GB+ recommended)
• 10 GB disk space minimum (20 GB+ recommended)
• Bootable USB port or network boot capability
• Compatible storage controller

Recommended Hardware

For best experience with advanced installations:

• 2 GB+ RAM
• 40 GB+ disk space
• Multiple disks for RAID
• Modern CPU (2+ cores)
• Network adapter (even if not using during install)

Recovery Strategies

If Installation Fails

1. Don't panic: Most failures are recoverable
2. Check logs: Review /var/log/lunar/ for errors
3. Boot rescue mode: Use installation media to boot to recovery
4. Ask for help: IRC and forums are very responsive

Common Failure Points

• Bootloader: Most common issue, usually fixable
• RAID assembly: Verify configuration syntax carefully
• Missing sources: Download missing files and retry
• Hardware detection: May need manual driver loading

Testing Your Installation

Before relying on an advanced installation:

1. Boot successfully: Verify the system boots without media
2. Test core functions: Verify network, storage, etc.
3. Install a few packages: Ensure package management works
4. Test failure modes: Verify RAID rebuilding, etc.
5. Document your setup: Keep notes for future reference

Additional Resources

Official Documentation

• Complete Installation Guide
• FAQ
• Desktop Environments

Community Support

• IRC: #lunar on irc.freenode.net
• Mailing lists: Check lunar-linux.org
• Forums: Community forums on lunar-linux.org

External Documentation

• Linux RAID HOWTO
• Bootloader documentation (LILO/GRUB)
• Kernel documentation

Contributing

If you've successfully completed an advanced installation not covered here, please consider contributing a guide:

1. Document your process step-by-step
2. Include hardware specifications
3. Note any issues and solutions
4. Submit via GitHub pull request

See Also

• Installation Overview
• System Administration
• Troubleshooting Guide