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Re: New User Question



jacheatwood@bellsouth.net wrote:

> Further Questions would be, is it possible for this machine to run
> Debian and not NT.

Almost certainly.

> Does the firmware need to be updated?

It is generally easier to run and install Debian from "SRM" firmware
rather than "Alpha BIOS" firmware.  (The former is used for Digital
Unix and Open VMS, the latter for Windows NT.)  Some Alpha models can
have both installed concurrently and toggle between them somewhere in
the BIOS console.  Other models will work with both, but only one can
be flashed into ROM at a time; in this case you can switch to SRM by
grabbing an appropriate firmware update floppy, booting at, and
updating the SRM firmware.

Still other models will only work with SRM or only work with Alpha
BIOS.  If your machine falls into this final case it may be trickier
(but not impossible) to install Debian on it.  My recollection is that
the woody installer worked with Alpha BIOS but the sarge installer
does not, so you may have to install woody and then upgrade.

HTH,

Cameron.

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