Creating a Linux Boot Disk
An Unofficial Updated Guide to Linux BootDisk Creation and Use by Mark Rais

If you have not yet installed Linux, but for some reason prefer to manually create a bootdisk rather than let the installation make it for you then please use the rawrite program included on your Linux CD-ROM under the dosutils subdirectory.   For general RedHat Linux Installation Help please go to our Installation page.

 

Create Your Emergency Linux Boot Disk
1.  Believe it or not you're going to need a floppy disk to do this so please make sure you have one handy!

2.  Load up Linux and make sure you are logged in as root or have enough privileges to run system commands.

3.  Check which Kernel you are running by typing exactly this at the command prompt:  ls /lib/modules
     This should give you a directory item with the exact kernel such as: 2.4.2-2

4.  Now insert your floppy diskette into the A: or floppy drive.  In Linux the a: drive is also known as fd0      (that's with zero not an 'o')

5.  At the prompt please type:  mkbootdisk --device /dev/fd0 x.x.x-x
    (please replace the x.x.x-x with the kernel info you got from the step 3 above)

6.  You should have an emergency boot disk within about 1 minute.  All previous data on the floppy will obviously be erased.

7.  Now you may use this floppy to boot in emergency situations! Enjoy!!!
 
What if the mkbootdisk utility isnt available?
On some versions of Linux you can instead create a boot disk by typing this command at the Linux prompt:
dd if=/mnt/cdrom/images/cdrom.img of=/dev/fd0

Be sure that you have put your Linux CD into the CD-ROM drive and a floppy diskette into the floppy drive, and that both of these have been properly mounted.   Then run the command!

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