Slack - Boot and Wireless

[vikrang]

I have just made a clean installation of slackware 13.1 (Full installation from DVD)..At the time of installation , it prompted to create a bootable USB stick and I am able to boot using that

1.My BIOS is quite old and has the Cylinder 1024 problem..It just recognises 137 GB in a 160 GB drive...Most distros are able to read beyond the 137 GB ...Currently I am booting using GRUB 2 which was installed during Ububtu 10.10 install. As you are aware GRUB2 recognises all the OS in the drive automatically and adds them to the menu on "update-grub"...The slackware entry appears...However on selection I get the error - "error: out of Disk"...How to deal with this?

2. What is the default Package Manager for Slack? I read that Pkginstall is the default but doesnt update dependencies. I have salix (slack derivative) in another comp and I use "slapt-get"..I want to install wireless driver ipw2100 (Intel pro wireless 2100 chipset) and get wireless up.. I can chroot from say Ubuntu and do the needful.

Pl help

[Freston]

My guess as for your first question is that you've installed Slack beyond what your BIOS can read. So it will load grub, get directed to the entry for Slack, and sees the coordinates are 'out of reach'.

One way to deal with this, theoretically, is to put Slacks kernel in the /boot from your Ubuntu install and point grub towards that. That way the kernel is in reach of the BIOS and hopefully, once the kernel has loaded, it can see the rest of the drive just fine and mount it. Otherwise you'll need an initrd, but try this first


As for your second question, Slacks package manager is you. You have pkgtools, makepkg, installkpg etc as tools to your disposal. But there's no automagic dependency solving. And that is by choice. It makes installing new packages on Slack a little more work, but you get a lot more control in return. And slackers like to be in control

More to the point, the wireless driver /should/ already be installed:

modprobe ipw2100