Slackware as a Linux rescue environment

• Download from one of the Slackware mirrors the kernel and initrd image, which Slackware uses for the installation:

https://slackware.osuosl.org/slackware64-current/kernels/generic.s/bzImage

https://slackware.osuosl.org/slackware64-current/isolinux/initrd.img

• Install a Linux distribution that uses grub as boot loader on the remote server
• Put bzImage and initrd.img to /boot/rescue/ directory on the remote server
• Overwrite the content of the file /boot/grub/grub.cfg with the following, mutatis mutandis:

set default=0
set timeout=5

search --set=root --no-floppy --label ROOT

menuentry "Rescue (Installation Media)" {
  linux  /boot/rescue/bzImage load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 rw \
    printk.time=0 SLACK_KERNEL=generic.s instrootpw=your_root_password \
    kbd=us nic=auto:eth0:static:198.51.100.85:26:198.51.100.65
  initrd /boot/rescue/initrd.img
}

where the network configuration is [ip-address]:[netmask]:[gateway]. For more options see

http://docs.slackware.com/howtos:slackware_admin:booting_install_from_hdd and

http://alien.slackbook.org/blog/remote-installation-of-slackware-using-ssh/

• Reboot
• $ ssh root@198.51.100.85
• source /etc/profile
• Install Slackware in the usual way
• The menuentry from the above grub.cfg can be preserved as a rescue boot option (possibly with unchanged initrd.img and without kbd= and nic= parameters).