Bug#295610: 20050215 fails to boot (SPARC)

[Peter Dey <pdey@realmtech.net>]

Package: installation-reports

Debian-installer-version: sarge-sparc-businesscard.iso 16-Feb-2005 00:31
Debian-installer-version: sarge-sparc-netinst.iso      16-Feb-2005 00:32
uname -a:
  (Unable to get to shell)
  From Solaris:
    SunOS actds2 5.8 Generic_108528-13 sun4u sparc SUNW,Ultra-5_10
Date: 2004-12-17 9:50 AM Australian Eastern Standard Time
Method:
  Boot off CD-ROM -- Two images tried
    sarge-sparc-businesscard.iso 16-Feb-2005 00:31
    sarge-sparc-netinst.iso      16-Feb-2005 00:32

  Boot Procedure:
  - Power on machine
  - Hold down Stop-A
  - At OK prompt, type 'boot cd'
  - (machine reboots)

Machine: Sun Ultra 5/10 (SPARC)
Processor: 440 Mhz SPARC
Memory: 256 MB SDRAM
Root Device:
  Hard disk: IDE
  CDROM:     IDE
Root Size/partition table: (Unknown)
Output of lspci and lspci -n:
  (Unknown ... is there a Solaris equivelant?)

Base System Installation Checklist:
[O] = OK, [E] = Error (please elaborate below), [ ] = didn't try it

Initial boot worked:    [E]
Configure network HW:   [ ]
Config network:         [ ]
Detect CD:              [ ]
Load installer modules: [ ]
Detect hard drives:     [ ]
Partition hard drives:  [ ]
Create file systems:    [ ]
Mount partitions:       [ ]
Install base system:    [ ]
Install boot loader:    [ ]
Reboot:                 [ ]

Comments/Problems:

... Continuation of above "Boot Procedure"...
  - At SILO boot: prompt press [Enter]
  - Kernel error:
      Kernel starts fine!  All joy, until...

    Freeing initrd memory: 2859k freed
    cramfs: wrong magic
    Kernel panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on 00:00
     Press L1-A to return to the boot prom

Ramdisk driver installed okay, detected IDE controller, etc..

Thought may be possibly related to bug #242343.
Cracked open the case, moved the DIMMS from slots 3/4 to 1/2.
Still no luck.

As I tried both the netinst and the business card CDs; and both failed,
i'm assuming it's an installer issue.

Cheers,
Peter Dey