Adding a Linux Icon to Windows 95

For users running Windows 95, it can be handy to set up a shortcut to start Linux from the Windows desktop. Once you’ve installed Loadlin and configured your LINUX.BAT file, it’s a simple matter to add an icon that starts LINUX.BAT. Here’s how it’s done:

1.  Click on the Windows Desktop with your right mouse button. Under New, select Shortcut.

2.  Windows 95 will display a Create Shortcut dialog box, asking for the command line used to start the program. Type the location of your LINUX.BAT file into the box and hit Enter. For example:

     C:\LOADLIN\LINUX.BAT

3.  Next, Windows will want a title for the program. The default of Linux should be just fine, but you can enter whatever you like.

4.  Now you’ll need to select an icon. Again, you can pick whatever you like. (We use the first-aid kit icon—Linux to the rescue!)

Now you’ll see the new Linux icon appear on the desktop. It’s not quite ready to go yet, however; as you recall, Loadlin will not run directly under Windows 95, so we need to adjust the properties to force the program to run in real MS-DOS mode:

1.  Click on the Linux icon with your right mouse button, and select Properties from the menu.

2.  Click the Program tab.

3.  Click the Advanced… button.

4.  Select the checkbox for MS-DOS mode and then hit the OK button.

5.  Hit the main dialog box’s OK button, and your Linux icon is ready to use.

Using Loadlin to Install Linux without Floppies

It’s rare, but in some cases (especially with laptops, it seems) a machine’s floppy controller doesn’t work correctly with Linux, and the boot/rootdisks don’t load correctly. If that happens on your machine, you’ll be happy to know that Loadlin has a new feature that allows you to use it to load an installation rootdisk.

First, you’ll need to install Loadlin as described before, unzipping the lodlin16.zip file on your C: drive:

     C:\> PKUNZIP -d E:\KERNELS\LODLIN16.ZIP

Next, choose a kernel from under the CD-ROM’s \KERNELS directory and install it in your C:\LOADLIN directory. In this example we’ll use a kernel from the E:\KERNELS\BARE.I directory:

     C:\> COPY E:\KERNELS\BARE.I\ZIMAGE C:\LOADLIN

Now you’ll need to copy a rootdisk image such as COLOR.GZ into your LOADLIN directory:

     C:\> COPY E:\ROOTDSKS\COLOR.GZ C:\LOADLIN

Now you’re all set to use Loadlin to start the installation process. Change into the LOADLIN directory and use Loadlin to load the Linux kernel and your rootdisk image:

     C:\> CD LOADLIN

     C:\LOADLIN> LOADLIN ZIMAGE ROOT=/dev/ram RW INITRD=COLOR.GZ

This will boot Linux and give you a login prompt. From here you can login and proceed to install Linux as usual.

Recompiling a Kernel

Most Linux users will find that the precompiled kernels that come on the accompanying CD-ROMs should work for them; PC hardware is becoming reasonably standard, and if you paid any attention at all to Chapter 1, you’ll have a hardware configuration that optimizes Linux installation and usage.

However, on the remote chance you need to recompile your kernel (whether directed to in a Linux HOW-TO or through the advice from an expert on the Usenet; this will happen if you’re using an unsupported SCSI CD-ROM, bus mouse, or sound card), here’s how to do so:

0.  If you haven’t installed the C compiler and kernel source, do that.

1.  Use the boot-kernel disk you installed with to start your machine. At the LILO: prompt, enter:

          LILO: mount root=/dev/hda1

assuming that /dev/hda1 is your Linux partition. (This is the assumption made through the rest of this section.) If not, enter your Linux partition instead. After this, ignore any error messages as the system starts up.

2.  Log in as root, and recompile the kernel with these steps:

     cd /usr/src/linux

     make config

At this point you’ll choose your drivers. Repeat step 3 until you are satisfied with your choices.

If you are using LILO, the following will build and install the new kernel:

     make dep ; make clean ; make zlilo

     rdev -R /vmlinuz 1

If you are using a bootdisk, the following commands will build the kernel and create a new bootdisk for your machine:

     make dep ; make clean ; make zImage

     rdev -R zImage 1

     rdev -v zImage -1

     rdev zImage /dev/hda1

     fdformat /dev/fd0u1440

     cat zImage > /dev/fd0

You’ll need to place a clean floppy disk into your drive before the fdformat command.

You should now have a Linux kernel that can make full use of all supported hardware installed in your machine. Reboot and try it out.