NAME
Tazinst — Tiny autonomous zone installer manager
SYNTAX
tazinst [command] <setting> <value> <file>
DESCRIPTION
Tazinst is a lightweight SliTaz HDD installer. It installs SliTaz to a hard drive from any local media such as a Live-CD, a LiveUSB key, an ISO image located on one of your disks, or from the web by automatically downloading a SliTaz image.
Tazinst can format the target partition to ext2, ext3 or ext4. The home partition can be installed on another partition and if need be, formatted before installation into any one of the available formats. Tazinst may upon request install a bootloader on the target disk. A dual-boot with an existing Windows™ partition is possible—finding the Windows™ partition can either be done automatically or manually specified.
Tazinst can also update SliTaz installed on a hard disk partition which is handy in case of version changes. In this case, SliTaz is updated, any data in /home is preserved and additional packages are reinstalled on to the new version.
Tazinst was created independently for the needs of the SliTaz GNU/Linux mini distribution.
Tazinst is written from scratch in shell script and is compatible with Busybox Ash and Bash. Tazinst is licensed under the GNU Free GPL v3.
Known limitations
Tazinst doesn't allow SliTaz to boot on (U)EFI systems (mostly Windows™ 8 systems), except in BIOS compatibility mode.
SETTINGS
Tazinst installer is able to perform an installation automatically based on a few settings.
mode
Installation mode that will be performed by tazinst. Type tazinst help
mode
in order to have a list of supported modes.
media
The media containing the SliTaz source files, either cdrom (SliTaz LiveCD), usb (SliTaz LiveUSB), iso (ISO image of SliTaz), or web (ISO image on the Web).
source
The name of the source file containing SliTaz. It depends on the type of media:
cdrom: | unused |
usb: | name of the partition on the host USB device. Type tazinst
list usb to list USB partitions. |
iso | name of the ISO file, example: ~/slitaz-rolling.iso .
Type tazinst list iso to list iso files on your
disks. |
web | name of the image on the web, example: stable cooking rolling
base core gtkonly justx , for a full list type tazinst
list web , or enter the full URL of the image, example:
http://mirror.slitaz.org/iso/cooking/slitaz-cooking.iso .
|
root_uuid
The name of the target partition SliTaz will install to. Type tazinst
list uuid
to list partitions on your disks.
root_format
Optional. If this setting is used, the target partition will be formatted in
the file system specified, otherwise the partition will be cleaned and /home
will be preserved. Type tazinst help format
to get the list of all
supported filesystems, and tazinst list root_format
to see
filesystems already installed on your system.
home_uuid
Optional. A separate home partition may be created if needed. This setting indicates if need be, the name of the partition to receive the /home directory.
home_format
Optional. If this setting is used, a separate /home partition will be created, this partition will be formatted in the file system specified.
hostname
Optional. Hostname of the system, slitaz
by default.
root_pwd
Optional. Superuser [root] password, root
, by default.
user_login
Optional. First user name, tux
by default.
user_pwd
Optional. First user password, tux
by default.
bootloader
Optional. Install a bootloader. Usually you should set it to
auto
unless you want to use an already installed bootloader on your
system, install a bootloader by hand yourself or install a specific bootloader.
In this case type tazinst help bootloader
to list supported
bootloaders.
winboot
Optional. If a bootloader is installed, this setting indicates the partition
containing Windows™ to implement a dual-boot. It can also be set to
auto
, in this case the dual-boot will be on the first Windows™
partition. Type tazinst list winboot
to see values tazinst
automatically detects.
COMMANDS
new
Generates a new self-documenting install file containing settings which, when
set up as required by the user, will allow tazinst to execute an unattended
installation. The default file is ./tazinst.rc
, but an optional file
name may be given as a parameter.
Examples:
tazinst new tazinst new /var/lib/tazinst.conf
set
Assign a new value to a given setting.
Examples:
tazinst set mode install tazinst set mode install /var/lib/tazinst.conf
unset
Unset, clears a setting.
Examples:
tazinst unset mode tazinst unset mode /var/lib/tazinst.conf
get
Get the value of a setting. Without a parameter, gets the values of all settings.
Examples:
tazinst get tazinst get mode tazinst get mode /var/lib/tazinst.conf
check
Check a setting for errors. Without a parameter, checks all settings.
Examples:
tazinst check tazinst check mode tazinst check mode /var/lib/tazinst.conf
list
List the system resources. Resources are:
mode | Available modes of install |
media | Available media to install from. Example: cdrom is not listed on systems with no cdrom drive |
usb | Partitions of USB disks |
iso | Iso images located on local drives, in /root, and in all user's home and first subdirectory |
web | Predefined names of iso images to download automatically from the Internet |
format | Installed filesystems |
bootloader | Available bootloaders |
partition_table | Partition table schemes of local disks |
winboot | Bootable Windows™ partitions |
Examples:
tazinst list tazinst list media
execute
Performs a SliTaz install on a HDD based on data in the install file. If you selected to format your HDD, all data will be lost. If you do not, all data except for any existing /home directory will be removed, (the home directory will be kept as is).
Examples:
tazinst execute tazinst execute /var/lib/tazinst.conf
clean
Remove installation and log files.
Examples:
tazinst clean tazinst clean /var/lib/tazinst.conf
log
Display the last log file contents and exit.
Example:
tazinst log
version
Print the version information and exit.
Example:
tazinst version
usage
Print a short help and exit.
Example:
tazinst usage
help
Print a short help for a given setting and exit. Without an argument, print a short help for all settings.
Example:
tazinst help mode
EXAMPLES
Install
How to Install SliTaz on a partition of your hard disk drive. The root
partition is not formatted, all data except for any existing /home
directory will be removed, (the home
directory will be kept as
is).
- Create an install file:
# tazinst new
- Set the mode as install:
# tazinst set mode install
- Use a cdrom as source:
# tazinst set media cdrom
- Select the partition to install SliTaz on:
# tazinst set root_uuid /dev/hda1
- Install a bootloader:
# tazinst set bootloader auto
- Execute an installation:
# tazinst execute
Complex Install
How to Install SliTaz on your hard disk drive with a separate home partition and a Windows™ dual-boot. The /home and root partitions are both formatted, (all existing data will be lost).
- Create an install file:
# tazinst new
- Set the mode as install:
# tazinst set mode install
- Use a Live USB as source:
# tazinst set media usb
- Select a partition on the Live USB:
# tazinst set source /dev/sda1
- Select the partition to install SliTaz on:
# tazinst set root_uuid /dev/hda1
- Format / as ext4:
# tazinst set root_format ext4
- Use a separate /home partition:
# tazinst set home_uuid /dev/hda2
- Format /home as ext2:
# tazinst set home_format ext2
- Install a bootloader:
# tazinst set bootloader auto
- Set up a Windows™ dual-boot:
# tazinst set winboot auto
- Execute an installation:
# tazinst execute
- Remove any traces behind:
# tazinst clean
Upgrade
How to upgrade an already installed SliTaz system on your hard disk drive.
Your /home /etc /var/www
directories will be kept, all other
directories will be removed. Any additional packages added to your old SliTaz
system will be updated as long you have an active internet connection.
- Create an install file:
# tazinst new
- Set the mode as upgrade:
# tazinst set mode upgrade
- Use web as source:
# tazinst set media web
- Select the stable image:
# tazinst set source stable
- Select the partition containing SliTaz to upgrade:
# tazinst set root_uuid /dev/hda1
- Install a bootloader:
# tazinst set bootloader auto
- Execute an installation:
# tazinst execute
Tips
- Not all settings are used depending on the mode of install. List all
settings to see which you need to edit:
# tazinst get
- Check your settings before executing install:
# tazinst check
FILES
INSTALL FILE
Settings are saved in the install file, then used by tazinst to execute an
unattended installation. The default file is ./tazinst.rc
, but an
optional file name may be given as a parameter. The install file is
self-documented. The clean command erases this file.
SYSTEM FILE
The /etc/slitaz/tazinst.conf
configuration file allows you to
change the default settings of tazinst
in case you want to use
default custom values.
All settings are customisable, if a particular setting is missing, just add the name of the setting in caps and enter the new value.
Example:
If you intend to always install SliTaz from the same iso on the web, you just have to modify or add the following values:
MEDIA="web" SOURCE="stable"
LOG FILE
The file /var/log/tazinst.log
contains a log of the install
process. The clean command erases this file.
MAINTAINERS
Christophe Lincoln <pankso at slitaz.org>
Dominique Corbex <domcox at slitaz.org>