Re: [coLinux-devel] Re: debian (sarge rc1) installer and colinux (snapshot 20040710)

[Sam L. <sa...@li...>]

peter green wrote:
> http://www.colinux.org
> http://www.colinux.org/wiki
> 
> basically colinux is a tool that allows running of linux under windows in a
> manner that is on the surface similar to user-mode-linux although it works
> very differently internally
> 
> so far we have largely relied on distributing filesystem images either built
> manually with packaging tools copied from user-mode-linux systems or imaged
> from installs on real hardware
> 
> however it would be very nice to be able to actually install distros on
> colinux using those distros installers

And the main problem is that the coLinux block devices for filesystems 
are not entire disk images but rather partition images, so there is no 
actual partition table, nor can their be.

coLinux can use a file on the host filesystem as a partition image on 
which to mount a file system or it can mount a real partition that has 
not been mounted by the host (windows) OS (providing it is a supported 
file system of course).

I guess these means the debian installer would have to be content to see 
some block devices on which to build a file system and not insist so 
intently on there being a partition table available

OR

maybe colinux block devices could fake a partition table (either based 
on the real one or totally fake) but refuse to allow a new partition 
table to be written?

Sam