Re: Linux on a RiscPC 600
In message <[🔎] E12rOCh-0000Tn-00@pearl.tao.co.uk>
"David Given" <dg@tao-group.com> wrote:
> I've done this bit before; it's not terribly hard, just fiddly (you have to
> configure all the stuff in /etc manually). Anyone who's ever installed =
> Slackware, and then got it working, will have no problems.
This is what my Debian RiscPC install instructions use - see the URL in
sig.
> >installation messages and get the image loaders in hand. I would then
> >feed you a stream of ever refined installation images until we got
> >one that worked. (I don't have a RiscPC, but I can build the bootstrap
> >images.)
>
> Partitioning: from what I understand, to partition an Arc on a FileCore (ADFS) system, you have to run !HForm (the Risc OS formatter) and lie to it about the number of cylinders on the disc. It will then create a file system occupying some of the drive. You then run !PartMan and add some Linux partitions; you boot Linux and it magically understands the partition table. I think. (What's the largest FileCore file system you can create?)
Depends on what OS you have. RO3.5 - 512Mb. RO3.6 - 8Gb, or something,
but I wouldn't go over 2Gb because of LFAU issues. RO4 - lots. (I think
256Gb is the official value).
> Booting. AFAIK, Risc OS always boots from ROM, so to boot Linux you need an ADFS file system somewhere with !Linux on it and your kernel (and initial ramdisk if you are so inclined). What's this LoadMap thing?
It's a program that acts a little like lilo and works with the !Linux
app. No one's packaged this for Debian, although I've threatened to
do so, along with Russel's fdisk.
> Kernels. The Red Hat discs I've played with had a 2.0.X kernel. This seemed to work fine for me; it mounted my ADFS file system without hassles (but read-only), and it came with an EtherB module. This seemed to work but the Mac address came up as 00.01.02.03.04.05; I note someone reported the EtherB as not quite working on the list. I didn't try actually sending packets with it. What's the state of the 2.2.X kernels? Can we write ADFS disks yet?
> Floppies. Risc OS uses 800kB and 1600kB disks throughout. When I tried a Risc OS disk in my PC, or on the Risc PC under Linux, it barfed big time. Doesn't the Linux kernel support that disk geometry? I've got a /dev/fd0u1600, so I thought it would work.
You should try a 2.2 kernel - again, see my instructions for where to
get a suitable one to boot with.
> I'm perfectly willing to be a guinea pig, but you'll have to wait until my new drive arrives (tomorrow, hopefully).
Good :-)
otoh, you could try Jim's boot floppy images - although I'm not
personally aware of anyone who's tried them on a RiscPC. If they
do work, that'd be rather easier/less hacky than my instructions.
Peter
--
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Peter Naulls - peter@erble.freeserve.co.uk
Homepage - http://free.prohosting.com/~chocky/
Java for RISC OS and ARM - http://free.prohosting.com/~chocky/java/
Debian Linux on RiscPCs - http://www.erble.freeserve.co.uk/
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