On Tue, May 14, 2002 at 01:41:54PM -0500, Rolf Brudeseth wrote: >> I believe I am really close to getting Debian working on an IBM 44P-170 >> workstation. >> >> I made a combined boot/root image. The kernel is 2.4.18 from kernel.org, >> while the root image is from Debian. I used the default power3 config file >> (power3_defconfig). >> >> Root image: >> http://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/woody/main/disks-powerpc/current/chrp/root.bin
No, I actually used: http://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/woody/main/disks-powerpc/current/chrp/images-1.44/root.bin >> >> 02-Apr-2002 >> >> I download the boot/root image from Open Firmware via BOOTP. It starts up >> the installation routine. I am able to successfully partition/format the >> hard drive. > It'll be great if you can write up the steps required to get here. Well, I was not planning to get into this yet, but since you brought up the subject of documentation, here it comes. I am soon going on vacation. I will be back June 13th. Then I plan to submit bugs or post to the various Debian news groups where I will document issues, suggestions, solutions, etc (if still unresolved), such as: - It appears that powerpc Woody will be released with kernel 2.2 and not 2.4. I suspect that there is limited support for IBM CHRP/PREP systems in the 2.2 kernel. I will investigate and document this. - Apparently there is a bug in the version of glibc that Debian is using, which will prevent Debian from running the 64 bit kernel on the IBM CHRP systems. I will investigate and document this. - Document requires patches for IBM CHRP/PREP systems. - I am uncertain whether Debian has determined how to create bootable CDs for IBM CHRP/PREP systems. I will investigate and document this. - I will document how to perform an HTTP/FTP and NFS install on IBM CHRP/PREP systems (after I figure it out). - I will write up and submit README files for 'ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/woody/main/disks-powerpc/current/' that will make things clearer for non-kernel/non-install hackers, like myself (see below). - Help out document how to create kernels and combined install/rescue images for the various IBM CHRP/PREP systems that can be place in the directory mentioned above. - I will continuously document the IBM CHRP/PREP systems where I have been able to successfully install Debian. I have access to pretty much all the various RS6000/pSeries systems. >> However, if I try to install via NFS I get the following error message: >> "Error mounting NFS filesystem, 'server:/path', please try again." > Does it literally say 'server:/path', indicating the variables are not > getting initialized? or is the path correct as far as you can see? > If you look in vc 3, is there another possibly more detailed error > message there? No, I enter the correct server and path name. Aha, I assume the 'vc3' is an error log application? I will try to use it to get better failure information. >> I know NFS is working, because I am able to mount from other systems. >> >> If I try to install via HTTP/FTP it will successfully download rescue.bin >> and drivers.tgz; however I get the following error messages: >> "Unable to mount the Rescue Floppy." >> "The attempt to extract Rescue Floppy failed." >> "Installation of the file '/tmp/rescue.bin' failed." >> >> Why is rescue.bin even required at this point? > boot-floppies never dropped the floppy terminology even when > they added new paths for installation. rescue.bin is the file > that contains the kernel; and the code looks for that file name. I do not think that 'rescue.bin' contains a kernel. I believe it is only the rescue root image. The reason I assume this, is because it is the same size as the 'root.bin' file. When I created the combined install root/boot image, I renamed 'root.bin' to 'ramdisk.image.gz' and copied it to the ' /usr/src/linux/arch/ppc/boot/images' directory, and then ran a 'make zImage.initrd'. I go the clue from the 'powermac' subdirectory. There you will find the following symbolic link: ramdisk.image.gz -> images-1.44/root.bin The 'http://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/woody/main/disks-powerpc/current/' directories could benefit from having a lot more README files. I will document this and submit bugs or forward it to the mailing Debian powerpc mailing list. >> Are these known issues? > I just looked through the bug list, and indeed there is an nfs bug > #142267 in the current release. It was fixed by Matt Kraai and is > pending for the next release. > The extract thing sounds familiar to me too, but I can't place it. > The target is not an nfs share too? Thinking the other bug may be > causing this as secondary. >> Do I need to submit a bug? >> Is there a way I can work around the problem? > You could use wget within the installer to download rescue.bin and > drivers.tgz to your target manually, then point the installer there > for installation of kernel and drivers ('mounted partition'). > They need to be arranged as: > powermac/drivers.tgz > powermac/images-1.44/rescue.bin > But maybe the vc3 error messages will give a better clue what is > happening. > -- > *------v--------- Installing Debian GNU/Linux 3.0 --------v------* > | <http://www.debian.org/releases/woody/installmanual> | > | debian-imac (potato): <http://debian-imac.sourceforge.net> | > | Chris Tillman [EMAIL PROTECTED] | > | May the Source be with you | > *----------------------------------------------------------------* Rolf -- Rolf Brudeseth [EMAIL PROTECTED] pSeries System Engineering & Integration, IBM Enterprise Systems Group Austin, TX, Phone: 512-838-6558 -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
