Things are definitely getting better for me as I try to get Linux running
on my Magnum 4000. The new "declinuxroot-990128.tgz" (on ftp.linux.sgi.com
in /pub/linux/mips/mipsel-linux/root) helped a lot in getting those 5.1
rpms loaded (though the root is oriented toward NFS installation, so I had
to change the configuration a bit).
One thing I have discovered, though, and it may be of interest to others
trying to install on the Magnum 4000...the latest CVS kernel does not
compile properly for me (on the Magnum, using the egcs and binutils from
the 5.1 rpms) unless I go into the ".config" file after a "make config" and
disable the "frame buffer" video which is automatically selected. The fonts.c
and g364fb.c files in the CVS tree fail to compile (two #include directives
in g364fb.c are missing a leading "video/", there are "number of argument
mismatch" problems in that same file, and fonts.c seems very selective about
which configuration options will allow it to build).
It's also important to note that the kernel requires the "loadkeys"
and "genksyms" utilities in order to build certain portions of it.
The genksyms utility is particularly problematic because there is not
yet a "modutils" rpm for it (I got it out of CVS). Speaking of missing
rpms, a "kernel-headers" rpm would also help a lot in making the process
of installation cleaner. As it stands right now it's necessary to do
a --nodeps to get include files installed.
None of the above is meant as a criticism of the project...it's been made
very clear that this port is still in a development phase and not meant for
general use. I just hope that the suggestions above will be useful to the
process and to those like me who want to get something working.
