[parisc-linux] installing on b2600 fails

[parisc-linux] installing on b2600 fails

[Armijn Hemel]

hi all,

I tried to install a b2600 workstation with Linux, but I couldn't get it
to work. I tried to install Debian woody (downloaded unofficial ISO from
http://cdimage-unofficial.debian.net/), which didn't want to install
(couldn't find a library). I also tried the 0.9.3 release PARISC-Linux (full
install) which also didn't work.

I got either a stack dump when it was loading the ramdisk, or I got the
following errors on the funky display on the front of the machine:

HPMC initiated, bus timeout, bad os HPMC cksm, OS HPMC br err

I am wondering what went wrong. I'm quite new to PA-RISC hardware, so
I don't know if this is a software or hardware failure. Can anyone help
me with this? Thanks in advance.

armijn

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Re: [parisc-linux] installing on b2600 fails

[Grant Grundler]

Armijn Hemel wrote:
> I also tried the 0.9.3 release PARISC-Linux (full
> install) which also didn't work.

The kernel on that ISO is too old.
No matter what, you need network access since the 0.9.3 bits are 6 monthes old.
ie apt-get upgrade will replace everything anyway.

Steps Paul Bame uses goes something like:
o burn Debian boot floppies image on a CD (it's a lifimage).
o boot CD
o do a network install to get the rest of the bits.

> HPMC initiated, bus timeout, bad os HPMC cksm, OS HPMC br err

The bits are too old and Debian 3.0 is about ready to release.
It's not worth chasing. I'm certain B2600 runs parisc-linux since
at least one parisc-linux developer has one.

grant

Re: [parisc-linux] installing on b2600 fails

[Armijn Hemel]

On Fri, May 17, 2002 at 09:20:54AM -0600, Grant Grundler wrote:

> > I also tried the 0.9.3 release PARISC-Linux (full
> > install) which also didn't work.
> 
> The kernel on that ISO is too old.

Ah...that explains a lot...

> No matter what, you need network access since the 0.9.3 bits are 6 monthes old.
> ie apt-get upgrade will replace everything anyway.
> 
> Steps Paul Bame uses goes something like:
> o burn Debian boot floppies image on a CD (it's a lifimage).
> o boot CD
> o do a network install to get the rest of the bits.

Hmmkay, worth a try :)

> > HPMC initiated, bus timeout, bad os HPMC cksm, OS HPMC br err
> 
> The bits are too old and Debian 3.0 is about ready to release.

I did try an unoffical ISO (Debian 3.0), but that also didn't work.
Best to just wait for Debian 3.0?

Thanks!

armijn

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Re: [parisc-linux] installing on b2600 fails

[Armijn Hemel]

On Fri, May 17, 2002 at 09:49:23AM -0600, Grant Grundler wrote:

> > I did try an unoffical ISO (Debian 3.0), but that also didn't work.
> > Best to just wait for Debian 3.0?
> 
> I can't answer this and will bug someone else here to do that.
> Can you be more specific (and cc the mailing list) where
> you got the ISO from (ie file name)?

Sorry it took so long (no connectivity in the weekend and it was an extra
long weekend here due to holidays). I got it from here:

http://cdimage-unofficial.debian.net/

[click click click]

http://ftp.acc.umu.se/mirror/trasno.net/unofficial-debian-cds/woody-hppa/woody-hppa-1.raw

armijn

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Re: [parisc-linux] installing on b2600 fails

[Mattias Wadenstein]

On Tue, 21 May 2002, Armijn Hemel wrote:

> On Fri, May 17, 2002 at 09:49:23AM -0600, Grant Grundler wrote:
>
> > > I did try an unoffical ISO (Debian 3.0), but that also didn't work.
> > > Best to just wait for Debian 3.0?
> >
> > I can't answer this and will bug someone else here to do that.
> > Can you be more specific (and cc the mailing list) where
> > you got the ISO from (ie file name)?
>
> Sorry it took so long (no connectivity in the weekend and it was an extra
> long weekend here due to holidays). I got it from here:
>
> http://cdimage-unofficial.debian.net/
>
> [click click click]
>
> http://ftp.acc.umu.se/mirror/trasno.net/unofficial-debian-cds/woody-hppa/woody-hppa-1.raw

Please note that the guy doing these has run out of space and they are
starting to get quite old. I have in another place (
http://ftp.acc.umu.se/mirror/debian-cd/3.0-pre2/ ) some newer images, and
a pre-release for the actual woody images. I know there has been a few
bugs here and there, but I don't know of any hppa-specific.

Otherwise, I would suggest looking at the ftp.parisc-linux.org mirror I
have, there are some isos around there too, and they are probably better
tested for parisc-functionality. There is also a fairly small one for
doing netinstalls in that directory.

Personally, I don't have any experience in doing cd boots though. I have
only done netboot installs. (Setting up bootp+tftp and give it the
lifimage in the boot-floppies directory.)

/Mattias Wadenstein

Re: [parisc-linux] installing on b2600 fails

[Grant Grundler]

Mattias Wadenstein wrote:
> Personally, I don't have any experience in doing cd boots though. I have
> only done netboot installs. (Setting up bootp+tftp and give it the
> lifimage in the boot-floppies directory.)

That's what was suggested me privately - burn the boot-floppies lifimage
to CD and do a netinstall. It didn't sound like the debian CD images
had been tested recently.

grant

Re: [parisc-linux] installing on b2600 fails

[Grant Grundler]

[ back on-list ]

Armijn Hemel wrote:
> Just burn them? How should I boot then? The b2600 doesn't have a floppy
> drive. Don't I need PALO on the CD?

yes. CD or LAN. The lifimage has palo and vmlinux embedded in it,
parisc firmware can boot a lifimage from LAN, tape, CD or HD.
Any IO device the box has IODC for.

"boot floppies" is a gross misnomer for parisc since that's
probably the only media I've never tried to boot from.
I don't know off hand which platforms support booting from floppy.
I would guess 712 and similar vintage supports that if the
lifimage could fit on a 1.44MB floppy.

> Or do you mean I should just put
> the floppy images on a server somewhere and boot those from the network?

booting from a network is an option too.

> I'm quite desperate to be honest (and I think it shows). The machines I
> have have to be returned to HP in .nl soon (they're from the demo pool,
> trying to port yet another distro (ROCK Linux) to HPPA).

cool - keep the p-l mailing list posted on your progress.

grant

> 
> armijn
> 
> -- 
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Re: [parisc-linux] installing on b2600 fails

[Richard Hirst]

On Tue, May 21, 2002 at 03:52:21PM +0200, Armijn Hemel wrote:
> On Fri, May 17, 2002 at 09:49:23AM -0600, Grant Grundler wrote:
> > Can you be more specific (and cc the mailing list) where
> > you got the ISO from (ie file name)?

Since boot-floppies 3.0.22 (released 3rd April), at least, hppa has used
a 2.4.17-pa32 kernel.  Final woody b-f will use that same kernel, so
unless you have a very old ISO, I wouldn't expect a newer one to help.

If it turns out a more recent kernel is needed for some machines, I
could do a special b-f build and ISO.

Richard

Re: [parisc-linux] installing on b2600 fails

[Armijn Hemel]

On Thu, May 23, 2002 at 07:35:31AM +0100, Richard Hirst wrote:

> > > Can you be more specific (and cc the mailing list) where
> > > you got the ISO from (ie file name)?
> 
> Since boot-floppies 3.0.22 (released 3rd April), at least, hppa has used
> a 2.4.17-pa32 kernel.  Final woody b-f will use that same kernel, so
> unless you have a very old ISO, I wouldn't expect a newer one to help.
> 
> If it turns out a more recent kernel is needed for some machines, I
> could do a special b-f build and ISO.

Well, I tried the ISO that Mattias pointed me at. The machine boots, kernel
loads, and the Debian installer starts, but, ehr, the keyboard didn't work,
so I couldn't continue.

I suspect that there's some driver missing for the keyboard (it's a USB
keyboard).

armijn

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Re: [parisc-linux] installing on b2600 fails

[Armijn Hemel]

On Tue, May 21, 2002 at 12:05:53PM -0600, Grant Grundler wrote:

> [ back on-list ]
> 
> Armijn Hemel wrote:
> > Just burn them? How should I boot then? The b2600 doesn't have a floppy
> > drive. Don't I need PALO on the CD?
> 
> yes. CD or LAN. The lifimage has palo and vmlinux embedded in it,
> parisc firmware can boot a lifimage from LAN, tape, CD or HD.
> Any IO device the box has IODC for.

Ehr...how exactly should I do that? I know the first few steps (burn
lifimage somewhere on a CD, turn on machine, insert CD), but how
should I proceed? I looked in the FAQ, but the answer (nor the question)
is there. So, basically my question is: "How do I boot a lifimage from
a CD?"

[cut]

> > I'm quite desperate to be honest (and I think it shows). The machines I
> > have have to be returned to HP in .nl soon (they're from the demo pool,
> > trying to port yet another distro (ROCK Linux) to HPPA).
> 
> cool - keep the p-l mailing list posted on your progress.

Well, I did most of the work for our sparc64 port and most of the stuff
actually is to know what's different from x86...but finding that out can
be quite cumbersome...
I don't expect too many problems. The distro is built on top of another
distro (much like Linux From Scratch) and Debian is a great distro to
use to build on. But before I get too detailed...

armijn

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Re: [parisc-linux] installing on b2600 fails

[Paul Bame]

> Ehr...how exactly should I do that? I know the first few steps (burn
> lifimage somewhere on a CD, turn on machine, insert CD), but how
> should I proceed? I looked in the FAQ, but the answer (nor the question)
> is there. So, basically my question is: "How do I boot a lifimage from
> a CD?"

I believe there's a booting howto on the web site.

The short answer is to interrupt the boot firmware by pressing
any key in 10 seconds like it says.  Then with the CD in place,
type 'search' and wait.  It should report at least two bootable
devices similar to this:

    temporary
    nickname	bootable-device

	P0	scsi.6.0
	P1	ide

Then you type 'boot p1' or 'boot ide' (or maybe it's ide.0 I forget).

The firmware has a reasonable set of on-line help built in -- that's
how I learned how to use it.

	-P

Re: [parisc-linux] installing on b2600 fails

[Joel Soete]

Armijn Hemel wrote:
> On Thu, May 23, 2002 at 07:35:31AM +0100, Richard Hirst wrote:
> 
> 
>>>>Can you be more specific (and cc the mailing list) where
>>>>you got the ISO from (ie file name)?
>>>
>>Since boot-floppies 3.0.22 (released 3rd April), at least, hppa has used
>>a 2.4.17-pa32 kernel.  Final woody b-f will use that same kernel, so
>>unless you have a very old ISO, I wouldn't expect a newer one to help.
>>
>>If it turns out a more recent kernel is needed for some machines, I
>>could do a special b-f build and ISO.
> 
> 
> Well, I tried the ISO that Mattias pointed me at. The machine boots, kernel
> loads, and the Debian installer starts, but, ehr, the keyboard didn't work,
> so I couldn't continue.
> 
> I suspect that there's some driver missing for the keyboard (it's a USB
> keyboard).
> 
> armijn
> 
AFAIK you should prefer to install from a serial console
(anyway, i am not sure that usb keyboard and mouse are already supported?).
As serial console you can use any HP serial console if you have one at 
your disposal or better (you can log the output) a linux box using 
minicom and link the two boxes with a null-modem serial cable.
Do not also forget to disconnect the usb kbd and mouse from your b2600 
so that PDC will switch to serial port automaticaly.

I do something like this with bootp/tftp to install my b2000 last week. 
I rebuild a lifimage (could be with a xcompiler fo i386) with the one of 
the debian boot-floppy for hppa, palo and the last 2.4.18-pa24 kernel 
which i build localy. (I was not absolutly sure that 2.4.17-pa32 already 
supported ide cdrom)

Never the less the install procedure worked well untill I wanted to 
install the basic system because the check failled to found pppoe package?

Later I also encounter a well know loop problem to install kernel modules.

You should also encounter another problem because the release of palo 
installed with CD-0.9.3 do not yet support new scsi disk of 9Gb and more.

Definitly I do believe that a new cd-base.iso would be the best to help 
you to install a basic system to your project. (for me it was 'easiest' 
: once I booted with the lifimage,  I partioned my disk and 'just' had 
to copy my b180 to my b2000 with nfs)

Good luck,
	Joel

PS: Richard thanks in advance.

Re: [parisc-linux] installing on b2600 fails

[Grant Grundler]

Joel Soete wrote:
> AFAIK you should prefer to install from a serial console

Good idea. Then update the kernel. That's not optional.
You might have to wait until Richard has spun a newer boot floppies lifimage.

> (anyway, i am not sure that usb keyboard and mouse are already supported?).

Yes. USB works.

I'm using a C3000 at home now with 1600x1200 on PCI Vis-EG card.
I think the FX gfx that's built-into the B2600 isn't supported.
I was using serial console (minicom on an OB600) until PCI vis-EG
support was working - post 0.9.3 release.

> You should also encounter another problem because the release of palo 
> installed with CD-0.9.3 do not yet support new scsi disk of 9Gb and more.

Could you clarify?
it's not listed in the release errata.
(http://www.parisc-linux.org/release-0.9/errata-093.html)

grant

Re: [parisc-linux] installing on b2600 fails

[joel.soete]

Quoting Grant Grundler <grundler@dsl2.external.hp.com>:

> Joel Soete wrote:
> > AFAIK you should prefer to install from a serial console
> 
> Good idea. Then update the kernel. That's not optional.
> You might have to wait until Richard has spun a newer boot floppies
> lifimage.
> 
> > (anyway, i am not sure that usb keyboard and mouse are already
> supported?).
> 
> Yes. USB works.
> 
> I'm using a C3000 at home now with 1600x1200 on PCI Vis-EG card.
> I think the FX gfx that's built-into the B2600 isn't supported.
> I was using serial console (minicom on an OB600) until PCI vis-EG
> support was working - post 0.9.3 release.

Nice :-) (but no b2600 available even for test :( )

> 
> > You should also encounter another problem because the release of palo
> 
> > installed with CD-0.9.3 do not yet support new scsi disk of 9Gb and
> more.
> 
> Could you clarify?
> it's not listed in the release errata.
> (http://www.parisc-linux.org/release-0.9/errata-093.html)

My apolgy it is a mistake of mine (this problem was dated before cd 0.90)

Sorry again for confusion,
    Joel



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