Installing TC-Linux (Core Only)

Sources

Source: wiki:install_hd – Tiny Core Linux Wiki

On, ESXi VM: wiki:vmware_installation – Tiny Core Linux Wiki

FAQs: http://www.tinycorelinux.net/faq.html

Setting up VM

VM Type: Other Linux 32bit kernel 4.x
CPU: 1
Mem: 256 MB
HDD: 20 Gig
Network: DHCP + Internet Access

Change boot to BIOS (instead of EFUI)

Booting and Installing Core Linux

Attach ISO boot. Core Linux boots automatically from ISO:

For some reason the source doesn’t tell you what to do next. type tc-install and the console says doesn’t know what you are talking about:

AI Chat was kind enough to help me out here, and told me I had to run:

tce-load -wi tc-install

Which required an internet connection:

However even after this, attempting to run gave the same error.. mhmm, using the find command I find it, but it needs to be run as root, so:

sudo su
/tmp/tcloop/tc-install/usr/local/bin/tc-install.sh

C for install from CDrom:

Lets keep things frugal around here:

1 for the whole disk:

y we want a bootloader (It’s extlinux btw located [/mnt/sda1/boot/extlinux/extlinux.conf}):

Press enter again to bypass “Install Extensions from..”

3 for ext4:

Like the install source guide says add boot options for HDD (opt=sda1 home=sda1 tce=sda1)

last chance… (Dooo it!) y:

Congrats… you installed TC-Linux:

Once rebooted the partition and disk free will look different, before reboot, running from memory:

after reboot:

Installing OpenSSH?

tce-load -wi openssh

This is where things got a little weird. Installing an app… Not as root TC-Linux says…

This is when things got a bit annoying n weird, even though the guide says using -wi installs it in the on boot section, I found it wasn’t loading on boot, well at first I noticed it didn’t start at all after install, as I couldn’t SSH in, this was cause of a missing config file…

Even if I got it running it still wouldn’t run at boot and that apparently was cause the file disappeared after reboot. This is apparently cause the system mostly run entirely in RAM. If you didn’t notice even after install the root filesystem was still only roughly 200 MB in size (enough to fit into the RAM we configured for this VM).

Notice the no password on the tc account? Set it, reboot. doesn’t stick…

Notice the auto login on tty1? Attempt to disable.. doesn’t stick…

Configuring Core Linux

Long story short apparently you have to define what paths are to be considered persistent via a file:

/opt/.filetool.lst

These files are saved to mydata.gz via the command:

filetool.sh -b

So here’s what we have to do:

1. Configure the system to ensure settings we configure stay persistent across reboots.
2. Change the tc account password.
3. Disable auto login on TTY1.
4. Configure Static IP address.
5. Install and run on boot OpenSSH.

Changing TC Password

Step 1) Edit /opt/.filetool.lst (use vi as root)
– add etc/passwd and etc/shadow

Step 2) run:

filetool.sh -b

Step 3) run

passwd tc

Step 4) run

filetool.sh -b

Now reboot, you may not notice that it applied due to the auto login, however, if you type exit to get back to the actual login banner, type in tc and you will be prompted for the password you just set. Now we can move on to the next step which is to disable the auto login.

Disable Auto-Login

Step 1) Run

sudo su
echo 'echo "booting" > /etc/sysconfig/noautologin' >> /opt/bootsync.sh

Step 2) Run

filetool.sh -b
reboot

K on to the next fun task… static IP…

Static IP Address

For some reason AI said I had to create a script that runs the manual step… not sure if this is the proper way… I looked all over the Wiki: wiki:start – Tiny Core Linux Wiki I can’t find nothing.. I know this works so we’ll just do it this way:

Step 1)  Run:

echo "ifconfig eth0 192.168.0.69 netmask 255.255.255.0 up" > /opt/eth0.sh
echo "route add default gw 192.168.0.1" >> /opt/eth0.sh
echo 'echo "nameserver 192.168.0.7" > /etc/resolv.conf' >> /opt/eth0.sh
chmod +x /opt/eth0.sh
echo "/opt/eth0.sh" >> /opt/bootlocal.sh
filetool.sh -b

Step 2) reboot to apply and verify.

What about SSH?!

Oh right.. we got it installed but we never got it running did we?!

Step 1) Run:

cp /usr/local/etc/ssh/sshd_config.orig /usr/local/etc/ssh/sshd_config
vi /usr/local/etc/ssh/sshd_config

Edit and uncomment:
Port: 22
Address: 0.0.0.0
PasswordAuthedAllowed:true

Step 2) Run:

echo "usr/local/etc/ssh/" >> /opt/.filetool.lst
echo "/usr/local/etc/init.d/openssh start" >> /opt/bootlocal.sh
filetool.sh -b
reboot

congrats you got openSSH working on TC-Linux.

Hostname

Most systems you run the hostname command… ooooeee not so easy not TC-Linux.

Option 1 (Clean)

Edit the first line of /opt/bootsync.sh which sets the hostname.

Then just run filetool.sh -b, done.

Option 2 (Dirty)

To ensure the hostname persists across reboots, you need to modify the /etc/sysconfig/hostname file:

1. Edit the hostname configuration file:

   sudo vi /etc/sysconfig/hostname
   

2. Add or modify the line to include your desired hostname:

   your_new_hostname
   

3. Save and close the file.
4. Add /etc/sysconfig/hostname to the persistence list:

   echo "etc/sysconfig/hostname" >> /opt/.filetool.lst
   echo "hostname $(cat /etc/sysconfig/hostname)" >> /opt/bootlocal.sh

5. Save the configuration:

   filetool.sh -b

reboot

tce-load -wi