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RE: shiny new rp2430 (A400) won't boot :-(



Hi, Thibaut --

  Thanks for your suggestion to try the netinst stuff.

> AFAICR, it took me about 30mn (slow internet connection alas)
> to get a fully operationnal A500 builder with this netinst
> thingy...

  After all of the sasser craziness and other high-priority
tasks were addressed, I pulled down the sarge-hppa-netinst.iso
from this URL:

http://cdimage.debian.org/pub/cdimage-testing/daily/hppa/current/

I hope this was an appropriate place.

  Here are some things that could be done to speed up the install
process:

0. The partitioning software probably works like a dream on Intel
   boxes.  On hppa, it does not automatically create a PALO
   partition, and it is not clear to me what the difference
   is between a regular "/boot" partition and a PALO partition.
   Do I need both?  I think so, but I'm not sure.  Is this
   just LIF space for the firmware?

1. The installation process should tune the firmware to boot from
   the correct partition with the correct path to the kernel on
   the correct disk.  My rp2430's primary boot path was not set,
   and after installation, PALO did not have the correct partition
   or path for the kernel.  What does a "path pri ..." statement
   look like which will set all of these values so that a simple
   "boot" will boot the expected kernel from the expected place?

2. There is a helpful message which says, "run 'base-config' later
   if you need to.".  It should also say, "Run ______ to configure
   your system's network, printers, etc."  We've probably all seen
   the old RedHat "redhat-config-*" mechanism.  How is this done
   with Debian Linux?

3. I've very concerned about trying to build cpqfc & get it into
   the kernel, since I'm having even the most basic stty-related
   problems with the console.  It is shared via an RS232 switch
   with our other rp2430s that are running HP-UX 11.00, and is
   set for 8N1-9600.  The problem we're seeing looks like a
   stop-bits or flow-control problem.  Is Debian HPPA setting
   serial console characteristics to something other than what 
   might normally be seen on HP-UX?

4. Many of the ftp & http download sites near me listed in the
   installation menus refused to offer or did not have the Debian  
   packages as the installer expected.  After a few tries, it
   looks less & less like an "overloaded server" situation and
   more & more like a "don't got it" situation.  Are these sites
   verified right before the image containing their respective
   references are written, to make sure they work?

5. The installation process wanted to look up the box's MAC
   address on our BOOTP/DHCP server.  After getting useful info,
   it did not write system files that would configure the
   network interface, populate resolv.conf, set up NIS, or
   anything else network-related, AFAICT.  Is there something
   I was supposed to have done to make this happen during the
   installation process so that networking is configured upon
   a reboot?

  Those are the biggest issues.  I'll bet I too can get the
install process down to a half hour, but I'm concerned that
it will take me a week or so of practice, which will annoy
my bosses greatly. :-)

  Are HPPA installations from the Sarge CD set, when it becomes
available, likely to make the installation process easier than
this?

  Thanks for your help & have a great day!

Don Glascock

-- 
Donald S. Glascock
Mailstop RO-SN-2-220
Special Purpose Processor Development Group
Mayo Foundation
Rochester, MN  55905
  Glascock.Donald@Mayo.EDU   +1.507.538.5467   +1.507.284.9171 (fax)
  http://www.mayo.edu/sppdg
"No matter where you go, there you are."



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