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I want to install only the Linux Kernel and install the bootstrap manually... like we did in good old DOS...

Boot from a live linux, Install the devices hd*/sd*/etc., Initialize disk, make partitions, activate a boot partition, format, copy Kernel files and write the boot sectors with the correct info so the kernel boots from the new device.

Are any Linux gurus listening...

Any further useful utils to copy to the new device are welcome...

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    It sounds like you might enjoy Linux From Scratch. Jun 20, 2012 at 15:40
  • You need more then the kernel. Even DOS came with the shell. command.com
    – Zoredache
    Jun 20, 2012 at 15:47
  • Yes... when i say Kernel I mean the minimum working system, in DOS were IO.SYS, MSDOS.SYS and COMMAND.COM (the shell)... and logically we need live system to do the necessary operations on the target systems : Initialize disk, partition, activate partition, format, create boot sectors, copy files...
    – ZEE
    Jun 20, 2012 at 16:02
  • I've already known "Linux From Scratch" (+300 pages)... I just want a very resumed thing already tested by someone... thx anyway...
    – ZEE
    Jun 20, 2012 at 16:18
  • With Linux kernel and userspace being as complicated as they are, Linux From Scratch, as previously mentioned, is probably the best way to learn about the rudimentary components of the kernel, filesystems, network, and shell, and how those things interact with the hardware. In the days of DOS, they only had to anticipate some small variations of hardware. Now, there is gigantic variation within even build iterations of a single motherboard, that knowing your hardware is critical if you're gonna try to get super-minimal.
    – killermist
    Jun 21, 2012 at 14:13

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The answer is LFS, as previously mentioned. That is exactly what you're asking for.

However, it seems you want something a bit easier, so I'd suggest Gentoo. For that, your setup is to copy a boostrap software set and toolchain, and use that to compile and install a kernel, bootloader, the toolchain itself, and anything else you want.

If you don't want to do all that compiling, you can go with Arch. That's similar in that you do most of the stuff yourself, but it's all in precompiled packages (well, not the AUR, but all the core software is).

If you don't want to do that yourself.. well your question said you did, so I'm not going to keep going down the 'easy' scale.

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