Upgrade Red Hat distribution

Remote Serial Console HOWTO
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# C.8. Upgrade Red Hat distribution

In this section it all comes together. We will walk through an entire serial console upgrade, not that it differs much from a standard text mode upgrade.

Configure BIOS to boot from floppy or insert the floppy disk. Now reboot the machine.

    bash# shutdown -r now
    SYSLINUX 1.64 1.64-pre2   Copyright (C) 1994-2001 H. Peter Anvin
                    Welcome to Red Hat Linux 7.1!
     -  To install or upgrade Red Hat Linux in graphical mode,
        press the <ENTER> key.
     -  To install or upgrade Red Hat Linux in text mode, type: text <ENTER>.
     -  To enable low resolution mode, type: lowres <ENTER>.
        Press <F2> for more information about low resolution mode.
     -  To disable framebuffer mode, type: nofb <ENTER>.
        Press <F2> for more information about disabling framebuffer mode.
     -  To enable expert mode, type: expert <ENTER>.
        Press <F3> for more information about expert mode.
     -  To enable rescue mode, type: linux rescue <ENTER>.
        Press <F5> for more information about rescue mode.
     -  If you have a driver disk, type: linux dd <ENTER>.
     -  Use the function keys listed below for more information.
    [F1-Main] [F2-General] [F3-Expert] [F4-Kernel] [F5-Rescue]
    boot:
    Loading initrd.img..............
    Loading vmlinuz............. ready.
    Linux version 2.4.2-2BOOT (root@porky.devel.redhat.com) (gcc version 2.96 20000731 (Red Hat Linux 7.1 2.96-79)) #1 Sun Apr 8 18:24:33 EDT 2001

Because we have booted into expert mode, the menus differ slightly from the standard upgrade. For example, you probably don't have a driver disk.

     Welcome to Red Hat Linux
    +----------+ Devices +-----------+
    |                                |
    | Do you have a driver disk?     |
    |                                |
    |    +-----+          +----+     |
    |    | Yes |          |[No]|     |
    |    +-----+          +----+     |
    |                                |
    +--------------------------------+

The upgrade then continues in the usual fashion.

    +--------+ Choose a Language +---------+
    |                                      |
    | What language should be used during  |
    | the installation process?            |
    |                                      |
    |            Czech       :             |
    |          [ English     : ]           |
    |            Danish      :             |
    |            French      :             |
    |            German      :             |
    |            Hungarian   :             |
    |            Icelandic   :             |
    |            Italian     :             |
    |                                      |
    |               +----+                 |
    |               |[OK]|                 |
    |               +----+                 |
    |                                      |
    +--------------------------------------+

Select HTTP to upgrade from the web server we prepared previously.

    +-----+ Installation Method +------+
    |                                  |
    | What type of media contains the  |
    | packages to be installed?        |
    |                                  |
    |            NFS image             |
    |            FTP                   |
    |          [ HTTP ]                |
    |                                  |
    |     +----+         +------+      |
    |     |[OK]|         | Back |      |
    |     +----+         +------+      |
    |                                  |
    +----------------------------------+

Here we supply the network details recorded in Example C-1. If your network supports Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol or the Bootstrap Protocol then these work fine too.

    +--------------------+ Configure TCP/IP +--------------------+
    |                                                            |
    | Please enter the IP configuration for this machine. Each   |
    | item should be entered as an IP address in dotted-decimal  |
    | notation (for example, 1.2.3.4).                           |
    |                                                            |
    |       [ ] Use dynamic IP configuration (BOOTP/DHCP)        |
    |                                                            |
    |           IP address:           10.1.2.3________           |
    |           Netmask:              255.255.255.0___           |
    |           Default gateway (IP): 10.1.2.254______           |
    |           Primary nameserver:   10.255.1.1______           |
    |                                                            |
    |            +----+                      +------+            |
    |            |[OK]|                      | Back |            |
    |            +----+                      +------+            |
    |                                                            |
    +------------------------------------------------------------+

Provide the name of the pre-prepared web server. Note that the response to Red Hat directory must start with a `/`.

    +-----------------+ HTTP Setup +-----------------------------------+
    |                                                                  |
    | Please enter the following information:                          |
    |                                                                  |
    |     o the name or IP number of your web server                   |
    |     o the directory on that server containing                    |
    |       Red Hat Linux for your architecure                         |
    |                                                                  |
    |   Web site name:     www.example.edu.au_______________________   |
    |   Red Hat directory: /redhat/linux/7.1-20020202/en/os/i386____   |
    |                                                                  |
    |         +----+                 +------+                          |
    |         |[OK]|                 | Back |                          |
    |         +----+                 +------+                          |
    |                                                                  |
    +------------------------------------------------------------------+

The following status messages then fly by before the welcome screen appears.

    Retrieving base/netstg1.img...
    Loading /mnt/runtime ramdisk...
    Retrieving base/netstg2.img...
    Loading /mnt/runtime/usr ramdisk...
    Running anaconda - please wait...
    Graphical installation not available for http installs.  Starting text mode.

    +----------------+ Red Hat Linux +-----------------+
    |                                                  |
    | Welcome to Red Hat Linux!                        |
    |                                                  |
    | This installation process is outlined in detail  |
    | in the Official Red Hat Linux Installation       |
    | Guide available from Red Hat Software. If you    |
    | have access to this manual, you should read the  |
    | installation section before continuing.          |
    |                                                  |
    | If you have purchased Official Red Hat Linux,    |
    | be sure to register your purchase through our    |
    | web site, http://www.redhat.com/.                |
    |                                                  |
    |         +----+                 +------+          |
    |         |[OK]|                 | Back |          |
    |         +----+                 +------+          |
    |                                                  |
    +--------------------------------------------------+

Select Upgrade Existing Installation, although this procedure works fine for installations as well.

    +--------------+ Installation Type +--------------+
    |                                                 |
    | What type of system would you like to install?  |
    |                                                 |
    |          Workstation                            |
    |          Server System                          |
    |          Laptop                                 |
    |          Custom System                          |
    |        [ Upgrade Existing Installation ]        |
    |                                                 |
    |         +----+                +------+          |
    |         | OK |                | Back |          |
    |         +----+                +------+          |
    |                                                 |
    +-------------------------------------------------+

The upgrade continues. When the LILO Configuration screen appears insert the kernel parameters recorded from Example C-2. These parameters should include `console=ttyS…`.

    +---------------------+ LILO Configuration +---------------------+
    |                                                                |
    | A few systems will need to pass special options to the kernel  |
    | at boot time for the system to function properly. If you need  |
    | to pass boot options to the kernel, enter them now. If you     |
    | don't need any or aren't sure, leave this blank.               |
    |                                                                |
    |       [ ] Use linear mode (needed for some SCSI drives)        |
    |                                                                |
    |        console=tty0 console=ttyS0,9600n8_______________        |
    |                                                                |
    |       +----+              +------+             +------+        |
    |       | OK |              | Skip |             | Back |        |
    |       +----+              +------+             +------+        |
    |                                                                |
    +----------------------------------------------------------------+

    +-------------+ LILO Configuration +--------------+
    |                                                 |
    |  Where do you want to install the bootloader?   |
    |                                                 |
    |[/dev/hda         Master Boot Record (MBR)      ]|
    | /dev/hda1        First sector of boot partition |
    |                                                 |
    |         +----+                +------+          |
    |         | OK |                | Back |          |
    |         +----+                +------+          |
    |                                                 |
    +-------------------------------------------------+

    +----------------------+ LILO Configuration +-----------------------+
    |                                                                   |
    | The boot manager Red Hat uses can boot other operating systems    |
    | as well. You need to tell me what partitions you would like to    |
    | be able to boot and what label you want to use for each of them.  |
    |                                                                   |
    | Device      Partition type            Default Boot label          |
    |[/dev/hda6   Linux Native              *       linux     ] :       |
    |                                                           :       |
    |                                                           :       |
    |                                                           :       |
    |                                                           :       |
    |                                                                   |
    |        +----+              +------+              +------+         |
    |        | Ok |              | Edit |              | Back |         |
    |        +----+              +------+              +------+         |
    |                                                                   |
    |                                                                   |
    +-------------------------------------------------------------------+

The upgrade continues. As installing the packages may take a few hours, you can disconnect.

    +-------------+ Package Installation +--------------+
    |                                                   |
    | Name   :                                          |
    | Size   :                                          |
    | Summary:                                          |
    |                                                   |
    |                  Packages       Bytes        Time |
    | Total    :              0         0M              |
    | Completed:              0         0M              |
    | Remaining:              0         0M              |
    |                                                   |
    |                                                   |
    +---------------------------------------------------+

If you disconnected, then when reconnecting it is best to press Tab rather than pressing Return.

Pressing Return on the Bootdisk screen writes a boot disk. This will overwrite the upgrade disk.

You may wish to deliberately create a boot disk if you cannot alter the BIOS parameters to boot from the hard disk, or if you cannot wait for someone to eject the floppy disk before rebooting.

    +------------------+ Bootdisk +-------------------+
    |                                                 |
    | A custom boot disk provides a way of booting    |
    | into your Linux system without depending on     |
    | the normal bootloader. This is useful if you    |
    | don't want to install lilo on your system,      |
    | another operating system removes lilo, or lilo  |
    | doesn't work with your hardware configuration.  |
    | A custom boot disk can also be used with the    |
    | Red Hat rescue image, making it much easier to  |
    | recover from severe system failures.            |
    |                                                 |
    | Would you like to create a boot disk for your   |
    | system?                                         |
    |                                                 |
    |         +-----+                 +----+          |
    |         |[Yes]|                 | No |          |
    |         +-----+                 +----+          |
    |                                                 |
    +-------------------------------------------------+

When the Complete screen appears prepare to reboot into Linux. If you have a serial BIOS be prepared to alter the BIOS parameters to boot from the hard disk first. If you do not have a serial BIOS ask someone to eject the floppy disk.

    +-----------------+ Complete +------------------+
    |                                               |
    | Congratulations, installation is complete.  # |
    |                                             : |
    | Press return to reboot, and be sure to      : |
    | remove your boot medium after the system    : |
    | reboots, or your system will rerun the      : |
    | install. For information on fixes which     : |
    | are available for this release of Red Hat   : |
    | Linux, consult the Errata available from    : |
    | http://www.redhat.com/errata.               : |
    |                                             : |
    | Information on configuring and using your   : |
    | Red Hat Linux system is contained in the    : |
    |                                               |
    |                    +----+                     |
    |                    |[OK]|                     |
    |                    +----+                     |
    |                                               |
    +-----------------------------------------------+

    sending termination signals...done
    sending kill signals...done
    disabling swap...
    	/tmp/swap/hda5
    unmounting filesystems...
    	/mnt/sysimage/var/www/html
    	/mnt/sysimage/boot
    	/mnt/sysimage/proc
    	/mnt/runtime/usr
    	/mnt/sysimage
    	/proc/bus/usb
    	/mnt/runtime
    	/dev/pts
    	/proc
    rebooting system
    Restarting system.

    LILO
    Loading linux......................
    Linux version 2.4.3-12 (root@porky.devel.redhat.com) (gcc version 2.96 20000731 (Red Hat Linux 7.1 2.96-85)) #1 Fri Jun 8 15:05:56 EDT 2001

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