Hello,
I have several Sparcclassic boxes but all the HDs are dead. I have a Sparc IPX that a few years ago I was able to install OpenDSB, copy the HD contents to my Debian file server, and then run the IPX diskless with the file system mounted via NFS. That HD since went bad but the IPX has been running fine on NFS for years now.
Either this was much easier to do with OpenBSD or I'm not nearly as smart as I was a few years ago. I don't remember what I had to do to get OpenBSD to boot off a NFS share like that, I don't remember having to compile a special kernel or anything.
I do remember the hard part being getting the server configured correctly. Bottom line is the server pieces are in place and I can netboot the Etch installer just fine.
I have found many posts, blogs, and web pages that have information on how to do this, but none seem to be complete and each seems to be different from the next. Many do not indicate which version of Debian, or even linux they were written for/about. It doesn't help that some of these instructions rely on, and link to, other pages that no longer exist. Therefore I am at a loss as to what I need to do to get this to work.
Can Etch be installed directly to a NFS share from the Etch Sparc installer? I have seen information that there should be an option to install to a NFS share but I don't see it when I run the installer. I also netbooted the Woody installer but same thing.
If I have to install to a HD, what do I have to do to the installation after copying everything over to the share to get it to boot from NFS? Is there some special kernel build I need to do?
Any help of any kind pointing me in the right direction would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
DJ