[Noods]

I am installing Gentoo on my PS3 and I am having some issues. It seems that every bootloader I can find is missing the mkswap and vi utilities. I have yet to find another person that is having this problem so I feel like there is something I am missing. I am not new to UNIX, but this is the first time I have installed an OS. Can anyone offer any suggestions?

[sdimhoff]

I think you need to make sure that you are starting with the correct LiveCD/Install CD. A full how-to has been done here:

Mtb Home - Installing Gentoo on the PS3

The gentoo livecd should be equipped with mkswap, so I'm unsure what you are using at the moment.

[Noods]

I guess I don't quite understand the boot process enough. I am booting without the CD and still getting to the kboot prompt. I assumed that the utilities were all included in the otheros.bld. Actually, I seem to bo working through the bootloader and downloading all the files remotely. I'm not sure where the CD factors in at all really.

[sdimhoff]

Ok, I think I dig what you are stepping in now. So, if I were to place you at some point in the how-to that I sent in my last post then I am going to say that you are just past "Kboot first steps" and have at least downloaded and unpacked the tarball. So you are now booting into "Other OS," which at this point could either be the recovery mode (busybox) or a Gentoo LiveCD. (you are using the recovery mode)

If you've performed all of the other disk management and initial gentoo setup (fdisk, unpacking of the stage3 tarball, etc.) then it sounds like the only command you are missing is mkswap.

If I look at that how-to again I see that in the instructions for the case where you are NOT using a livecd, the syntax of "makeswap" is used instead of "mkswap." They both do the same thing, but the usage of one or the other is system specific.

Hopefully the problem is that simple. If not...

[Noods]

Actually, I have a few problems. I am able to get to the point where I add the portage tree and set my timezone. I cannot mount proc or /dev. I cannot e2label /root. I also have no editor to edit my .conf files. "makeswap" does not work either.

[sdimhoff]

Sorry Noods as I've never even played a PS3, I'm ill-equipped to diagnose the lack of certain utilities in their recovery console (that are supposed to be there). If it is possible to boot to a gentoo cd (or any livecd distro that you are comfortable with) then at least you would know what tools you have to work with.

Good Luck!

[Noods]

Its cool, I'm just trying to kick this around. Thanks for lending a hand!

[budman7]

Nano is the default text editor for Gentoo.
Just do

nano /dir/filename

Try
mkswap

instead of

makeswap

[Noods]

I think I am getting closer to the problem, but I am still having some issues.

I am able to get through the full install. I use vim in lieu of vi and I skip the mkswap/swapon commands. However, when I am able to log into the OS, it is XFCE not Gentoo. I get the kboot prompt not the livecd prompt that all the walk-throughs show. I am still new at installing Linux OS's, but if I had to guess, the install DVD doesn't seem to factor into the install at all. It seems the install files are coming from the .tar/emerge. Any suggestions?

[budman7]

When you installed Gentoo, you must have selected to install XFCE as the Desktop.
As Gentoo doesn't have a default desktop.
Despite the livdvd having Gnome as it's desktop.
You are right, the tarball contains everything you need to set up the basesystem, and anything else you need is done with emerge.