Distribution Support
The most recent versions of Mandrake and SuSE support direct installation onto XFS. If you want to use another distribution to install directly onto XFS partitions, you will need to download and create XFS-compatible boot media. I recommend checking the XFS FAQ for a list of compatible distributions and links to alternative boot media that supports XFS. SGI keeps the list quite up-to-date, and it is an excellent resource.
SGI also distributes customized Red Hat CD-ROM images that allow you to install a new system directly to an XFS partition. You can use these images to burn a bootable Red Hat CD-ROM. Since Red Hat also provides installation onto software RAID partitions, you can use the custom SGI disk to install a new system that supports XFS and software RAID from the get-go, avoiding the headache of a post-installation upgrade.
You can download the install disk from ftp://oss.sgi.com/projects/xfs/download/latest/installer/. i386 is currently the only architecture supported.
Become an O’Reilly member and get unlimited access to this title plus top books and audiobooks from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers, thousands of courses curated by job role, 150+ live events each month,
and much more.
Read now
Unlock full access