Re: Successfull Etch install on a Multia

[Marc Zyngier <maz@misterjones.org>]

>>>>> "Harmon" == Harmon Seaver <hseaver@gmail.com> writes:

Harmon>    I've been trying for the last day to netboot my multia, with zero
Harmon> success. I'm not sure what the problem is, but the srm console seems to
Harmon> not try very long at all before it says "bootstrap failure" and starts
Harmon> over.

[..]

Just tried on my spare multia (same VX40, 256MB RAM), and booted the
latest daily image with success :

>>>boot ewa0 -proto bootp -fl "console=ttyS0"
(boot ewa0.0.0.8.0 -flags console=ttyS0)

Trying BOOTP boot.

Broadcasting BOOTP Request...
Received BOOTP Packet File Name is: /tftpboot/multia/boot.img
local inet address: 192.168.70.175
remote inet address: 192.168.70.178
TFTP Read File Name: /tftpboot/multia/boot.img
...................................................................................................
bootstrap code read in
base = 15a000, image_start = 0, image_bytes = 62b998
initializing HWRPB at 2000
initializing page table at 14c000
initializing machine state
setting affinity to the primary CPU
jumping to bootstrap code
aboot: Linux/Alpha SRM bootloader version 0.9b
aboot: switching to OSF/1 PALcode version 1.45
aboot: loading initrd (5039512 bytes/9843 blocks) at 0xfffffc000fa46000

Too bad the installer the installer doesn't provide the de4x5 driver,
as de2104x fails to properly run on the multia :

eth0: enabling interface
eth0: set link 10baseT-HD
eth0:    mode 0xfffc0040, sia 0xffffffc5,0xffff8f01,0xffffffff,0xffff0000
eth0:    set mode 0xfffc0040, set sia 0x8f01,0xffff,0x0
eth0: disabling interface
eth0: enabling interface
eth0: set link 10baseT-HD
eth0:    mode 0xfffc0040, sia 0xffffffcd,0xffff8f01,0xffffffff,0xffff0000
eth0:    set mode 0xfffc0040, set sia 0x8f01,0xffff,0x0
eth0: link up, media 10baseT-HD
eth0: disabling interface
eth0: timeout expired stopping DMA

It would make sense to drop some drivers (znet, for example), and
provide de4x5 instead... Even if de2104x gets loaded at boot time, one
could manually unload it and force de4x5 loading... At the moment, I
have to install another card in the Multia to be able to continue the
installation.

Harmon : regarding your boot problem, could you please run a "show
config" at the SRM prompt, so I can try to figure out why netboot
fails on your box? Netbooting the Multia is known to be voodoo
business (depending on firmware version, moon phases...).

Cheers,

	M.
-- 
And if you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there...