[parisc-linux] Newbie found an hp 712-80 :)

[parisc-linux] Newbie found an hp 712-80 :)

[no one]

Hello,

Sorry for asking these rather simple questions, but I've spent an evening reading all the documentation that I could find on the parisc sites, and am still a little be unsure.

Yesterday I realised that the cute little box sitting by the bin for 3 weeks was actually a computer - a hp 712-80 to be precise; and I am now desperate (after failing to hear the psu fan above the fridge) to run linux on it, eventually headless (if I dare to reset the default console thingy...) as a network server or as a lightweight webbrowser (i.e. dillo).

It came with no floppy, no harddrive, and no memory - I've bought a el-cheapo 2nd hand generic 2Gb SCSI drive; and now need to squeeze linux onto it :)

As soon as I find myself some simms, I'll be able to get past the pretty hardware-failure screen (look! it even draws where the failing/missing part is on the motherboard!) and have the following installation method planned out.

1) Setup dhcpd on my slackware box to serve the 'lifimage' for the latest net-boot iso
2) Lan-Boot the 712 with a crossover-cable into the main computer, via dhpcd
(don't want to confuse true lan dhpcd requests...)
3) This lifimage will load a kernel and a initrd with the standard debian install tools.
4) I could now 'ifconfig eth0 down', plug the hp into the actual lan, bring the net connection back up (dhcp or static lan config...)
5) Do a install from my closest debian mirror.

I'm sure there must be a fatal flaw in there somewhere... after reading through all those fearful references to NFS-roots et al., it seems so simple now that I've written it down :)

Also, I read somewhere that you can flash the latest firmware to the machine by serving it the firmware as a net-boot image - is this correct? Would it be safer by some other method? - for instance (no idea of actual possibility), copy the firmware to /boot & get AILO (sic?) to boot it...

Thankyou for your patience, ;)
When I get this all set up I promise to write a 'basic 712 install' walkthrough... :)

Jarvist

Re: [parisc-linux] Newbie found an hp 712-80 :)

[Ralf Hildebrandt]

On Tue, Nov 12, 2002 at 10:11:41PM +0000, no one wrote:

> Yesterday I realised that the cute little box sitting by the bin for
> 3 weeks was actually a computer - a hp 712-80 to be precise; and I am

Yes, that happened here as well. The HP-UX on the box was toast.

> It came with no floppy, no harddrive, and no memory - I've bought a
> el-cheapo 2nd hand generic 2Gb SCSI drive; and now need to squeeze
> linux onto it :)

You still need memory :)

> As soon as I find myself some simms, I'll be able to get past the
> pretty hardware-failure screen (look! it even draws where the
> failing/missing part is on the motherboard!) and have the following
> installation method planned out.

I like that.

> 1) Setup dhcpd on my slackware box to serve the 'lifimage' for the latest net-boot iso
> 2) Lan-Boot the 712 with a crossover-cable into the main computer, via dhpcd
> (don't want to confuse true lan dhpcd requests...)
> 3) This lifimage will load a kernel and a initrd with the standard debian install tools.
> 4) I could now 'ifconfig eth0 down', plug the hp into the actual lan, bring the net connection back up (dhcp or static lan config...)
> 5) Do a install from my closest debian mirror.

Yup.

> I'm sure there must be a fatal flaw in there somewhere... after
> reading through all those fearful references to NFS-roots et al., it
> seems so simple now that I've written it down :)
> 
> Also, I read somewhere that you can flash the latest firmware to the
> machine by serving it the firmware as a net-boot image - is this
> correct?

Yes. Simply make the HP boot the firmware upgrade via tftp.

> Would it be safer by some other method? - for instance (no
> idea of actual possibility), copy the firmware to /boot & get AILO
> (sic?) to boot it...

On HP it's PALO.
-- 
Ralf Hildebrandt (Im Auftrag des Referat V a)   Ralf.Hildebrandt@charite.de
Charite Campus Mitte                            Tel.  +49 (0)30-450 570-155
Referat V a - Kommunikationsnetze -             Fax.  +49 (0)30-450 570-916
The length of the signature is inversely proportional 
to the user's ability to use google.

Re: [parisc-linux] Newbie found an hp 712-80 :)

[Derek Engelhaupt]

--- Ralf Hildebrandt <Ralf.Hildebrandt@charite.de> wrote:
> On Tue, Nov 12, 2002 at 10:11:41PM +0000, no one wrote:
> 
> > Yesterday I realised that the cute little box sitting by the bin
> for
> > 3 weeks was actually a computer - a hp 712-80 to be precise; and I
> am
> 
> Yes, that happened here as well. The HP-UX on the box was toast.
> 
> > It came with no floppy, no harddrive, and no memory - I've bought a
> > el-cheapo 2nd hand generic 2Gb SCSI drive; and now need to squeeze
> > linux onto it :)
> 
> You still need memory :)

On a side note about memory, I don't think anyone here has gotten any
memory to work besides HP memory in these boxes.  I have tons of 8MB
modules laying around for them.  Only 4 memory slots so the bigger the
simms the better.  The 712/80 maxes out at 128MB (4X32MB).  No one has
gotten the floppy to work on Debian either so don't worry about that. 
HP part numbers for memory:  A2575-60001(or 69001) 32MB, A2576-60001(or
69001) 16MB, and there are many variations on the 8MB ones.  One of
them is 98236-66524.  Any keyboard and any PS/2 mouse should work, but
becareful about what monitors you use.  Not all will work.  You are
better off loading the thing with an ASCII terminal and serial cable
first.  Good luck!

derek
HP harware fixer-uper....


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