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Re: Unidentified subject!



Adam Di Carlo wrote:

> Adam C Powell IV <hazelsct@mit.edu> writes:
>
> > Another example of badly broken install docs for Alpha...
>
> Yeah
> -- I haven't had enough (or any?) people from Alpha working on
> the documentation.
>
> > What's the right way to do this (the docs)?  Break it down by SRM/ARC/AlphaBIOS,
> > or give the whole list of archs like the rescue floppy?  I only know
> > AlphaBIOS/MILO (and that not terribly well :-), but would be happy to write a
> > short correction section for this, others would need to add the other sections.
>
> I believe we need to break down the different sub-arches, indicating
> which is SRM/ARC/MILO or whatever, and document SRM/ARC/MILO each by
> each.

Okay, here is my attempt at starting Chapter 6 for MILO, attached as a diff against
the HTML version.  (What's the original in, HTML, LaTeX?)  Please critique and add,
but can't promise I'll finish it anytime soon though...  I've never used SRM, is that
what the current docs describe, or is what's there just ripped from the Intel docs
with no relation to Alpha whatsoever?  I've assumed SRM in this diff.

Anyway, a start for people to chew on. :-)

             Adam Powell                    http://lyre.mit.edu/~powell/
             Thomas B. King Assistant Professor of Materials Engineering
             77 Massachusetts Ave. Rm. 4-117        Phone (617) 452-2086
             Cambridge, MA 02139 USA                  Fax (617) 253-5418
--- ch-rescue-boot.en.html.orig Mon Nov 29 19:12:55 1999 +++ ch-rescue-boot.en.html Mon Nov 29 19:30:43 1999 @@ -38,8 +38,14 @@ problems.

-
+

+The Alpha sub-architectures have different methods for booting Linux, +called SRM and MILO, as described in Section +2.1.2. Each section here will be divided into subsections for those +boot programs. +

+

6.1 Boot Parameter Arguments

@@ -51,8 +57,7 @@ However, in some cases you'll have to help the kernel a bit.

-If you are booting from the Rescue Floppy or from CD-ROM you will be presented with the boot prompt, -boot:. Details about how to use boot parameters with the +Details about how to use boot parameters with the Rescue Floppy can be found in Booting With the Rescue Floppy, Section 6.2. If you are booting from an existing operating system, you'll have to use other means to set boot parameters. @@ -87,12 +92,105 @@ Troubleshooting the Boot Process, Section 6.5.

+

+SRM +

+If you are booting from the Rescue Floppy or from CD-ROM you will be presented +with the boot prompt, +boot:. + +

+AlphaBIOS/MILO +

+ +To boot directly from a floppy, CD or new disk partition under AlphaBIOS/MILO, +you must edit one of the operating system boot configurations in AlphaBIOS, +or create a new one if there are fewer than three. If you have an existing +Linux installation, you may instead choose to boot indirectly, via Linux +and MILO, as described below. + +

+To boot directly, when AlphaBIOS has finished initializing the hardware, +you will see the Operating System menu with a countdown, quickly hit F2* +to enter SETUP. You will see a menu of options. Using the cursor up/down +keys*, move to "Utilities", then press cursor right* to bring up a small +submenu, and press Enter on "OS Selection Setup". This will bring you to +the operating system configuration. + +

+Use the cursor up/down keys or Tab to select an operating system choice +to modify. Typically there will be one floppy entry, this is probably safe +to modify. Press Enter when you have made your choice, and you will be +presented with fields to modify. Enter the fields from one of the configurations +in the next sections to specify booting from a floppy, CD, or the hard +disk partition where you have installed the base system. + +

+When you have finished entering these fields, press Enter. AlphaBIOS +will probably tell you that the OS path is invalid, but this is not important, +if the Boot File and OS Options are correct then it will boot properly. +Also, if the boot floppy is not inserted, you will be told the Boot File +cannot be found (obviously). Either way, press Enter again to get rid of +the error message. Press F10* to save these changes, and Enter to confirm +this.  Now press Esc twice to get back to the Operating System menu, +and cursor up/down to choose the Debian floppy option, and Enter to boot. + +

+*If you have no video hardware, keyboard or mouse installed and are +using a serial console, the following keys can be used in AlphaBIOS instead +of function keys: + +
  +

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
F2Ctrl-B
F10 (save changes)Ctrl-U
Cursor down in menusTab or Ctrl-I
Next menu, cursor rightEnter or Ctrl-Enter
Change partition (Boot file, OS Path)- (minus sign)
+ +

To boot indirectly, first boot your existing Linux installation, then +as root, type "reboot". The system will halt operations and transfer control +to MILO. When MILO gives a countdown for default system restart, press +Enter to go to the MILO prompt. +

Here you should enter the OS Options line as given in the tables in +the next sections.  For example, if you are booting from a floppy, +you will type the OS Options line beginning with "boot fd0:linux". +


6.2 Booting With the Rescue Floppy

+

+SRM +

+

Booting from the Rescue Floppy is easy: place the Rescue Floppy in the primary floppy drive, and reset the system by pressing @@ -147,6 +245,51 @@ you choose floppy1 insert the Root Floppy into the second disk drive.)

+

+AlphaBIOS/MILO +

+ +Proceed as described in Section 6.1, to either edit operating system boot +parameters in AlphaBIOS or bring up a MILO prompt. If you are editing operating +system boot parameters, your table should look like this: +
  +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Boot Name:Debian floppy (or whatever you like)
Boot File:A:linload.exe
OS Path:Disk 0, Partition 2\
OS Options:boot fd0:linux root=/dev/fd0 load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=1
+ +

As described in Section 6.1, AlphaBIOS will probably tell you that the +OS Path is invalid, but that's okay. Proceed as described in Section 6.1 +to complete the boot process. +

If you have a MILO prompt, simply enter the line to the right of OS +Options in the table above. +
+


@@ -159,6 +302,12 @@ presented with the boot: prompt. Here you can enter your boot parameters, and you can select your kernel image.

+ +

+AlphaBIOS/MILO +

+ +(I've never done this, is this possible?)

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