Installing Fedora - boot loader

[David Bruzos]

Hello again:
If you can't get the initrd thing to work, drop me a message and I will 
try to help you as much as possible.  If you can get the system to boot, 
then don't worry, everything else is just a matter of a few commands...
Even if you can't get the initrd image installed and working you can 
still load your speakup module by hand by typing:
# modprobe speakup_xxxx
on the command line.  XXXX is the keyworkd for your synth.  For example, 
I have a Double talk and my keyword is ltlk.  So, I type, "modprobe 
speakup_ltlk and my system starts talking.  Remember to do this as root.

Oh, the syntax for mkinitrd is:
# /sbin/mkinitrd -f -v /boot/initrd-x.x.xx x.x.xx --with=speakup_xxx --with=pcspkr 

Where the /boot/init-x.x.xx is the name that you want for your image 
file.  The second x.x.xx is the kernel version you have installed (look 
in /lib/modules and you will see a directory with a name like: 
2.6.5.something-something).).  The --with=speakup_xxxx tells mkinitrd to 
put your speakup module in the image and the --with=pcspkr adds the PC 
speaker driver to the image, so that your console can beep.
The pcspkr module is not required though.  That only is something that 
can make your console more friendly when you don't have speech.

Take care!

David B.

On Sun, Nov 21, 2004 at 07:23:04PM -0500, Kenneth Lee wrote:
> Thanks for the encouragement.  I know I will eventually succeed, if I have
> to install a hundred times!  I'm on my third time now.  I'm still not sure
> how to do the "initrd", but I'll keep googling around and find the right
> howto.
> 
> Regards, Ken
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: speakup-bounces at braille.uwo.ca [mailto:speakup-bounces at braille.uwo.ca]
> On Behalf Of David Bruzos
> Sent: Sunday, November 21, 2004 7:15 PM
> To: Speakup is a screen review system for Linux.
> Subject: Re: Installing Fedora - boot loader
> 
> 
> Hello Ken:
> Yes, you need a boot loader!  If you don't install grub there will be no 
> boot info in the master boot record of the hard disc and your BIOS will not 
> see the operating system.  So, when you get to the boot loader screen, 
> select grub and put it to the MBR (master boot record).
> If you do that, you should be able to boot after you restart...
> About your other problem I am not sure.  I have not installed Fedora in a 
> while and I don't remember having any problems like yours.
> Don't get discouraged however, Linux is a wonderful thing and the community 
> around it is even more wonderful.  After a year you will be amazed of the 
> things you can do with your Linux machine.  It was hard at first for me, but
> 
> once I understood what was going on, everything got easier and easier...
> 
> David B.