Archived Installation Guides

This section contains historical installation documentation for older versions of Lunar Linux. These guides are preserved for reference purposes but should not be used for new installations.

For current installations, use: Complete Installation Guide

About Archived Documentation

These guides represent historical snapshots of the Lunar Linux installation process from various releases. While much of the general information remains relevant, specific details may be outdated:

• Kernel versions: References to 2.4/2.6 kernels (current is 5.x+)
• Tool versions: GCC, package managers, and utilities have evolved
• Hardware support: Modern hardware may require different approaches
• Best practices: Installation procedures have improved over time

Why Keep Archives?

Historical documentation serves several purposes:

1. Reference: Understanding how Lunar has evolved
2. Troubleshooting: Solutions to obscure legacy system issues
3. Education: Learning from past approaches and decisions
4. Preservation: Maintaining community history

Available Archived Guides

Installation Guides by Version

• Lunar Linux 1.5.0 Installation Guide
  • Complete installation manual for 1.5.0 release
  • Circa 2004-2005
  • Covers 2.4 kernel series
  • Historical bootloader configurations

Important Notes

Using Archived Guides

If you must reference archived documentation:

• Verify commands work on current systems
• Check for modern alternatives to deprecated tools
• Ask in IRC if you're unsure about applicability
• Test in a VM first before production use

Known Outdated Information

Common outdated elements in archived guides:

Device Management

• devfs: Obsolete, replaced by udev
• Static /dev: Rarely used in modern systems
• References to /dev/hda instead of /dev/sda

Kernel

• 2.4 kernel series: Ancient, unsupported
• 2.6 kernel series: Old but sometimes still used
• Current kernel is 5.x+ series

Compilers

• GCC 2.x: Obsolete
• GCC 3.x: Very old
• Current is GCC 11+ series

Bootloaders

• LILO: Still works but GRUB2 is standard
• GRUB Legacy: Replaced by GRUB2
• UEFI support not covered in old guides

Hardware

• IDE (PATA) drives: /dev/hda notation
• Pre-SATA systems: Different drive naming
• Legacy BIOS: No UEFI coverage

Migrating from Old Installations

If you have an old Lunar installation based on archived guides:

Upgrade Path

1. Backup everything - Cannot be stressed enough
2. Update moonbase: lin moonbase
3. Update core system: lunar update
4. Rebuild critical packages: gcc, glibc, kernel
5. Consider fresh install if more than 5 years old

When to Reinstall

Consider a fresh installation if:

• Your installation is 5+ years old
• Core libraries are ancient
• Kernel is pre-3.0 series
• Experiencing frequent package conflicts
• Moving to new hardware

Historical Context

Understanding Lunar's evolution helps appreciate current design:

Early Years (2002-2005)

• Focus on optimization and customization
• 2.4 kernel standard
• Manual configuration emphasis
• Small but dedicated community

Growth Period (2005-2010)

• Improved automation
• 2.6 kernel adoption
• Better hardware detection
• Growing package repository

Modern Era (2010-Present)

• Mature package management
• Modern kernel support
• UEFI compatibility
• Active development community

Contributing to Archives

If you have historical Lunar documentation:

1. Verify date and version information
2. Mark clearly as archived
3. Add historical context when submitting
4. Include any unique insights not in current docs

Research and Educational Use

Archived documentation is valuable for:

• Academic research: Study of OS evolution
• Comparative analysis: How distributions change
• Historical reference: Understanding decisions
• Educational examples: Teaching OS concepts

See Also

• Current Installation Guide
• FAQ
• About Lunar Linux
• Contributing

Archive Policy: Documentation is archived, not deleted, to preserve community knowledge and history. All archived content includes prominent notices directing users to current documentation.