install on sparc with integrated video and serial console (Was: stuff)

[Doug Alcorn <doug@lathi.net>]

Sorry about the bad subject line before.  I did a reply in my mail
client to get the quoting of the other message and forgot to change
it.

"Rafael E. Herrera" <raffo@neuronet.pitt.edu> writes:

> Doug Alcorn wrote:
> > Staff Account <staff@netmar.com> writes:
> > 
> > > I've setup RARP and TFTP service on the network.  You should be
> > > able to boot off the network.  However, it appears that Debian
> > > defaults to using the on-board video if it finds it (yours has
> > > one built in that can't be removed), and thus won't use the
> > > actual console device (serial port).  I took the liberty of also
> > > downloading the
> 
> I think it will default to the serial port if it doesn't find a
> keyboard, so unplug the keyboard before turning your machine on.

I'm pretty sure there is no keyboard plugged in.  When I go through
the openboot sequence on the console it reports that there is no
keyboard.

> 
> > > Now, I currently have the RARP/TFTP server setup to feed your
> > > machines the Debian, boot image.  But like I said, I don't think
> > > that'll work (it didn't on two test machines I tried).  I
> > > recommend redhat (largely because it worked on my test).  The
> > > Debian boots that didn't work forced me to go power cycle the
> > > machine-- it wouldn't even respond to BREAK's (CTRL-\ b).  But
> > > you're welcome to try.
> 
> I used the Debian installation guide and another FAQ doc (I don't
> remember which exactly) to set RARP/TFTP to boot my IPCs for
> installation. It took a little work to figure out the MAC addresses and
> the ftpt configuration, but eventually the instructions in the doc were
> sufficient to get it going.

My ISP was able to get this working.
-- 
 (__) Doug Alcorn (mailto:doug@lathi.net http://www.lathi.net)
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