Re: M4000 failing to boot Debian Sparc64

Hi,

Sure. This is what we are getting when trying to install Debian 9.0 Sparc64:

---------------------------------------------------

{0} ok boot cdrom

Boot device: /pci@0,600000/pci@0/pci@8/pci@0/scsi@1/disk@3,0:f File and args:

SILO Version 1.4.14
\

Welcome to Debian GNU/Linux sid!

This is a Debian installation CDROM, built on 20180404-20:54.
Keep it once you have installed your system, as you can boot from it
to repair the system on your hard disk if that ever becomes necessary.

WARNING: You should completely back up all of your hard disks before
proceeding. The installation procedure can completely and irreversibly
erase them! If you haven't made backups yet, remove the rescue CD from
the drive and press L1-A to get back to the OpenBoot prompt.

Debian GNU/Linux comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted
by applicable law.

[ ENTER - Boot install ] [ Type "expert" - Boot into expert mode ]
[ Type "rescue" - Boot into rescue mode ]
boot:

Allocated 64 Megs of memory at 0x40000000 for kernel
Loaded kernel version 4.15.11
Loading initial ramdisk (14093161 bytes at 0x3CFFE000000 phys, 0x40C00000 virt)...
\
ERROR: Last Trap: Division by Zero
%TL:1 %TT:28 %TPC:43056c %TnPC:430570 %TSTATE:1180001603
%PSTATE:16 ( IE:1 PRIV:1 PEF:1 )

{0} ok

---------------------------------------------------

Let me know if you need any additional details.

Unfortunately, we do not have any SPARC64 X server to perform the test. Sorry.

Regards.

El dom, 2 jul 2023 a las 18:13, Frank Scheiner (<frank.scheiner@web.de>) escribió:

Hi,

On 02.07.23 16:35, Vocalía Infraestructura TIC CEEINA wrote:
> Hi Frank,
>
> Thank you for your fast answer. I also thought when installing that it
> was an incompatibility problem with the processor architecture, as you
> stated.
>
> However, having a look at the wiki (https://wiki.debian.org/Sparc64
> <https://wiki.debian.org/Sparc64>) it seems to me that machines with a
> sun4u SPARC VII+ processor should be able to run it, right? Our M4000
> has a VII+ processor.

Can you post the kernel messages for your boot, so we can reference it
in the Debian Wiki? Maybe by comparing them to what was posted about a
M3000 with SPARC64 VII on [1] and SPARC64 V on [2], we can conclude if
support for SPARC64 VII+ is any better than for those other processors.

[1]:
https://oss.oracle.com/pipermail/linux-sparc-users/2017-October/000027.html

[2]: https://lists.debian.org/debian-sparc/2017/09/msg00017.html

You don't happen to have a SPARC64 X based system for testing? I think I
never saw a dmesg from such a system, too.

> Maybe I have not fully understood the wiki or your message, therefore
> sorry if I'm wrong.

I went through the history of changes and the one that adds the
information about SPARC64 processors ([3]) was done by an Alex McWhirter.

[3]: https://wiki.debian.org/Sparc64?action="">

Checking my email archive I actually even asked him (via
alexmcwhirter@triadic.us, though not sure if that is the correct
address) exactly about this change, but never got a reply IIRC.

Cheers,
Frank