New install on HP C3750

[Paolo Borsa <samvise@hobbiton.it>]

Hello, I'm new to this list.

I recently got from the scrap an HP C3750 and I'm trying to install debian 5.0.10 on it.

I used to be a HP-UX user and now I'm a passionate slackware user. This is my first time with debian.

I'm having some problems, though, and I hope some of you can help me.

I'm running the installation with a serial vt102 console connected on ttyS0. The machine is networked with nat access to Internet.

First, I tried with the netinst cd image of 5.0.8. The checksum of the image was correct, and the cd was burned on a windows pc with nero, track at once, verified and finalised.

The C3750 boot with BO IDE and chooses the 32 bit kernel version. During the install of the base system, often gives me checksum errors while reading from the cd. From the menu I checked the cd integrity and it says it's corrupted (As I mentioned before, it is not).

Anyway, I downloaded the 5.0.10, both dvd and netinst image and tried again.

This time I tried first with the dvd, and chosed to interact with IPL. I found out I can specify the vmlinux64 kernel so I made the workstation boot with 64 bit os. Unfortunately during the installation process (install base system) the system hangs. The little heart on the front lcd display stops beating. I repeated the same procedure three times, but still got the same result (although it's not hanging on the same percentage of the install).

I tried to use the netinst 5.0.10, interact with IPL and 64 bit kernel. Again same problem as above, so I suspect the 64bit kernel either is not supported or give some overflow that hangs the machine.

I then proceeded with netinst 5.0.10 without interaction with IPL. This time the kernel is 32 bit, the machine doesn't hang but still give me the checksum error while reading the cd (note that this cd is not the same of the first step, that was 5.0.8). From the install menu I opened a shell, unmounted the cdrom, eject the cd, shake it a bit in the tray, put it in again, mount the cd, executed a find /cdrom -print and exited the shell.

I ran again check cdrom integrity and still it failed (I forgot to mention, it fail at initrd.gz). However I still chosed to run the basic installation, and this time it worked till the end, but gave checksum error with the kernel installation. I re-did the install without chosing a kernel at the end, and it worked, finally. (For information, I tried the same procedure with the dvd, and somehow it's stalling during the basic installation, waiting forever but not hanging).

Now, with the basic system installed, I wanted to proceed with the rest of installation. The problem is that I couldn't find a viable mirror (appaerently, the mirror structure that the installation is looking for is different from the one available online. Perhaps it changed over the years?)

Eventually I ejected the cdrom and put instead the dvd (5.0.10 image). With this I managed to re-install the basic system (I needed the kernel, anyway), and the remaining packages. Even so, I couldn't get any mirror so what I installed is just the dvd content.

Ok, this is the story. Now for the questions.

- How to use, without hanging, the 64 bit kernel?

- is there a mirror available, or if I want a package the only way is to download the source and make it myself?

- I suspect the cd/dvd reading problems are connected to some ide/dma issue. Any way to fix it with kernel parameters?

- Is there a way to print strings on the front lcd?

Thanks in advance for anybody that could help me.

Best regards

Paolo