Fwd: sparc etch netboot image cant use oldstable
BUG REPORT AND SEVERAL SUGGESTIONS FOR RESOLUTION:
The most recent debian compatible with 32 bit Sparc (for example
Sparcstation 4, SUN 4M) is etch.
However as I understand the firmware on SUN 4M for SCSI breaks the SCSI
module used on etch (esp SCSI module) so CD based installs hang (I've
tried).
This leaves netboot via RAPR/TFTP. This works, however the current etch
sparc32 boot.img contains an installer which has hard-coded paths and
variables which are no longer valid and the install fails.
Now that lenny is the latest release, all archives and mirrors online
have updated their paths so that etch is now under 'oldstable' with a
release file that sais suite: oldstable. However in the netboot
installer there is no way to choose oldstable.
Specifically the installer is hard-coded to retrieve release from
<domain><path>/dists/<variable>
The variable being: stable, unstable, experimental - or in the case of
later version: lenny, sid, etc ...
Further more there in no way to change those variables at boot time
since the boot image binary doesn't give a chance to enter boot
variables for the installer (such as d-i:mirror/suite=oldstable).
FILE:
http://archive.debian.org/debian/dists/etch/main/installer-sparc/current/images/sparc32/netboot/2.6/boot.img
SUGGESTIONS FOR RESOLUTIONS:
1. update installers in the netboot images to include 'oldstable' as one
of the suites that can be chosen...
2. or hardcode the image under /sparc32/netboot/ to retrieve only
codename: etch, suite: olstable (since we know lenny doesn't work with
32bit sparc)
3. or allow free user input for variables: path, suite and codename.
4. or allow boot variables to be set before the installer boots (or
during, after, however it is possible)
5. dirty fix would include a symlink in archive.debian.org from
'debian_for_spark32'/dists/stable -> /dists/etch/oldtable with a Release
file that sais Suite: stable instead of oldstable.
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