Re: Problems installing amd64 with Supermicro motherboard
Hi
I finally succeeded in entering BIOS (although the Intel Boot Agent is a pest that has still to be eliminated; thanks to "ael" for suggesting Freedos: not yet tried, I first wanted to configure BIOS at least where I am sure what I am doing).
In configuring the CPU (4 dual-core amd 875 Rev E1: cache L1 256KB, cache L2 2048KB) it is not clear to me how to set the MTRR mapping. The choice is between "continuous" (which makes the PCI hole noncacheable) and "discrete" (which places the PCI hole beloww the 4GB boundary).
Oddly, the System Memory is reported 20480MB (which agrees with the result of command
$ cat /proc/meminfo
when Linux is launched. Actually, I installed aside each socket 2GB + 2GB + 1G + 1G Kingston DDR1 ECC, so I expected a total 24GB. All these memories were OK on a Tyan S2895, and insertion on the Supermicro H8QCE board seems correct. I did myself all the management of the 2GB, and I was carefully grounded. Should the filling of the slots be different?
Thanks
gfrancesco
--- On Sat, 4/12/08, Giacomo Mulas <gmulas@ca.astro.it> wrote:
> From: Giacomo Mulas <gmulas@ca.astro.it>
> Subject: Re: Problems installing amd64 with Supermicro motherboard
> To: "Francesco Pietra" <chiendarret@yahoo.com>
> Cc: debian-amd64@lists.debian.org, "A J Stiles" <deb64@earthshod.co.uk>
> Date: Saturday, April 12, 2008, 12:20 AM
> On Fri, 11 Apr 2008, Francesco Pietra wrote:
>
> > No success in entering BIOS. It seems that the
> "Intel(R) Boot Agent"
> > should be eliminated, to get free of their PXE system.
> Does anyone know
> > how to throw this agent away with Linux? The old amd64
> installation is
> > recognized on the new system. Though the original
> installation was for a
> > dual socket machine, all new 875 CPUs are recognized
> by
> >
> > $ cat /proc/cpuinfo
> >
> > so that I can expect to be able to clean things with
> the previous Debian
> > amd64 installation, edit BIOS, and then reinstalling
> amd64 in order that
> > all new hardware is properly taken into account.
> >
> > What Intel suggests to eliminate their Boot Agent is
> to download a DOS
> > program (subjected to property restrictions; curiously
> so because I want
> > to get free of their intruding program, which let me
> think that
> > individuals are not properly defended by the laws
> against intruders). DOS
> > is something I am not familiar with and I don't
> want to get involved in.
> > If not else I can't imagine how to get DOS on my
> amd64 installation. I am
> > already irritated enough that to submit a letter to
> the principal journal
> > of chemistry, JACS, one should have to deal with their
> Visual Basic
> > macros, which require getting involved with Microsoft.
> I am also irritated
> > by the Supermicro motherboard having a large portion
> dedicated to
> > Microsoft to let them do raids, while I can better
> solve the problem with
> > a software raid.
> >
> > I have now submitted the problem to Supermicro Europe
> but I expect the
> > same answer I had a couple of years ago from Tyan
> Europe: "We do not
> > answer questions related to Debian Linux",
> although even then the problem
> > was not such related.
>
> Ciao Francesco.
>
> A possible way around your problem, even if it will not
> remove the intel
> blob, could be the following. Since you can boot in a
> debian system, you can
> use it to do a fresh install as well. Use the
> "debootstrap" utility
> (contained in the "debootstrap" package) to do a
> fresh install. You just
> need a working debian system, with a working internet
> connection, and the
> target file systems mounted. The only problem is if you
> want to reinstall on
> top of your existing (and working) system. In that case,
> you may do it in
> two steps: first install just a base system + debootstrap
> in a small
> partition (e.g. the old swap partition would do); then
> reboot in that small
> partition and use it to clean up the old system and then
> start a fresh
> install using debootstrap again. It sounds long, but if you
> have a fast
> internet connection it will actually require a handful of
> minutes.
>
> Ciao
> Giacomo
>
> --
> _________________________________________________________________
>
> Giacomo Mulas <gmulas@ca.astro.it>
> _________________________________________________________________
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