Re: ["Nigel R. Armfield" <N.R.Armfield@lmu.ac.uk>] Bug#49172: Boot problems

[dalvarez <d-alvarez@gmx.net>]

> >Subject: Bug#49172: Boot problems
> >Resent-Date: Thu, 04 Nov 1999 15:48:01 GMT
> >Resent-From: "Nigel R. Armfield" <N.R.Armfield@lmu.ac.uk>
> >Resent-To: debian-bugs-dist@lists.debian.org
> >Resent-CC: Debian Install System Team <debian-boot@lists.debian.org>
> >Date: Thu, 4 Nov 1999 15:40:43 +0000 (GMT)
> >From: "Nigel R. Armfield" <N.R.Armfield@lmu.ac.uk>
> >Reply-To: N.R.Armfield@ieee.org, 49172@bugs.debian.org
> >To: submit@bugs.debian.org
> >
> >Package: boot-floppies
> >Version: sparc
> >
> >I'm sorry to bother you with this problem, but I cannot find
> >answers elsewhere and I'm reaching the limits of my patience.
> >
> >I have not had any success at all booting a SPARC (IPX) from
> >any of the rescue boot images that I have tried.
> >I have tried a number of different floppies, formatted them
> >and written them a number of times but all with the same result.
> >
> >At the Sparc boot prompt, I do a 'b floppy', the floppy
> >fires-up, spells out 'SILO' one char at a time and then
> >says:
> >
> >Fatal error: Cannot read partition
> >Illegal or malformed device name
> >Fatal error: Cannot read partition
> >Fatal error: Cannot read partition
> >Image not found.... try again
> >
> >Any pointers in the right direction would be very gratefully
> >received - apologies if I haven't read the doc properly

    I have Debian/Linux 2.1 running (relatively) stable on the slightly
    different SparcStation LX, same processor but more peripherals
    or s.th, and have had success booting these disks at once.

    When you've bootet you get into some programm compairable
    to the BIOS setup utility of PCs offering you a prompt, by holding
    down the <Stop> -key in the left upper corner of your keyboard
    (sorry if I'm boring some of you, but I can imagine that some may
    still haven't noticed this) and typing <a>. The command 'printenv'
    shows you a list of environmental variables, with some of them
    affecting the boot process. The variable indicating the device to
    boot from  is correct as SILO is starting, but maybe some other
    entry prevents it from serving it's purpose.

    Try out some values, and if that doesn't work, download the images
    again, maybe the part containing the begin of the kernel-image is broken.

    Thats all I can tell you with the information you supplied. Any further
    explanations wouldn't be of public interest anyway. If it all doesn't help,
    contact me via mail and supply additional information.
     ________________
    d-alvarez@gmx.net (still unemployed)