[S.u.S.E. Linux] Sun Sparc IPX, how do I install??
I have just received an old Sun Sparc IPX. I am able to boot it and it gets stuck looking for the network connection and nameserver. I have connected an old scsi cdrom, and put in my SuSE boot disk, but it will only look at the hard drive for booting. I have a few questions First, how do I boot a cdrom or floppy?? How can I install SuSE Linux on it?? Do I have to compile a kernel on an intel based machine to boot the sparc?? Is there a BIOS or CMOS on the sparc that I could modify?? I'm lost. thanks mc -- To get out of this list, please send email to majordomo@suse.com with this text in its body: unsubscribe suse-linux-e
On Sun, 17 May 1998, Michael Clark wrote:
I have just received an old Sun Sparc IPX. I am able to boot it and it gets stuck looking for the network connection and nameserver. I have connected an old scsi cdrom, and put in my SuSE boot disk, but it will only look at the hard drive for booting.
First, do a probe-scsi at the prom to see if it can see the disk. Also, a Sun will only boot off of a cd-rom with 512 byte sectors. Most PC cd-rom drives only support 2048-byte sectors. SuSE, at this point, only runs on Intel. For Linux, you could run Redhat, or maybe Debian. OpenBSD is also supported on Sparc.
I have a few questions
First, how do I boot a cdrom or floppy??
If you have a sun bootable floppy or cd-rom, then just do boot floppy or boot cdrom at the prom monitor.
How can I install SuSE Linux on it??
You don't, at least not until there's a port to the Sparc architecture. (hint hint)
Do I have to compile a kernel on an intel based machine to boot the sparc??
No, you need a sparc compatbile distribution.
Is there a BIOS or CMOS on the sparc that I could modify??
There's a boot prom that's orders of magnitude more sophisticated than a bios. Do you have a keyboard and display, or are you running it headless? Simon Karpen karpes@rpi.edu slk@acm.rpi.edu #include <std_disclaimer.h> I don't speak for RPI in any way. "Those that give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." --Ben Franklin -- To get out of this list, please send email to majordomo@suse.com with this text in its body: unsubscribe suse-linux-e
Simon Karpen wrote:
On Sun, 17 May 1998, Michael Clark wrote:
I have just received an old Sun Sparc IPX. I am able to boot it and it gets stuck looking for the network connection and nameserver. I have connected an old scsi cdrom, and put in my SuSE boot disk, but it will only look at the hard drive for booting.
First, do a probe-scsi at the prom to see if it can see the disk. Also, a Sun will only boot off of a cd-rom with 512 byte sectors. Most PC cd-rom drives only support 2048-byte sectors.
what is the 'prom'?? do you mean prompt?? I do not have any prompt that I can use. Is there a special key combo to invoke 'prom'??
SuSE, at this point, only runs on Intel. For Linux, you could run Redhat, or maybe Debian. OpenBSD is also supported on Sparc.
I have a few questions
First, how do I boot a cdrom or floppy??
If you have a sun bootable floppy or cd-rom, then just do boot floppy or boot cdrom at the prom monitor.
How can I install SuSE Linux on it??
You don't, at least not until there's a port to the Sparc architecture. (hint hint)
Do I have to compile a kernel on an intel based machine to boot the sparc??
No, you need a sparc compatbile distribution.
Is there a BIOS or CMOS on the sparc that I could modify??
There's a boot prom that's orders of magnitude more sophisticated than a bios. Do you have a keyboard and display, or are you running it headless?
I have a monitor and keyboard. I have not yet gotten a mouse. the system boots up and, similar to linux, goes through the kernel boot messages. I see only a few lines that are familiar to me. It gets locked in a loop looking for the network and nameserver. I do not really want to use the OS that is installed (I do not have any logins or passwords, so I will need to install linux to have any access anyway.) I have only worked with intel hardware, so I am COMPLETELY lost!! Thank you
Simon Karpen karpes@rpi.edu slk@acm.rpi.edu #include <std_disclaimer.h> I don't speak for RPI in any way. "Those that give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." --Ben Franklin
-- To get out of this list, please send email to majordomo@suse.com with this text in its body: unsubscribe suse-linux-e
-- To get out of this list, please send email to majordomo@suse.com with this text in its body: unsubscribe suse-linux-e
Michael Clark wrote:
Simon Karpen wrote:
On Sun, 17 May 1998, Michael Clark wrote:
I have a monitor and keyboard. I have not yet gotten a mouse. the system
The mouse is optical, needs a grid type of mouse pad. expensive ;-((
boots up and, similar to linux, goes through the kernel boot messages. I see only a few lines that are familiar to me. It gets locked in a loop looking for the network and nameserver. I do not really want to use the OS that is installed (I do not have any logins or passwords, so I will need to install linux to have any access anyway.) I have only worked with intel hardware, so I am COMPLETELY lost!!
Thank you
As far as I remember, there is a possibility to get into the "boot from anything else" mode. I haven't looked much for the old spark, I remember a question like "press r to restart or ..." for instance after downing the machine. I am on annual leave and will return Monday 25th. I can look in the dokumentation as soon as I am back. Does (Intel)Linux support sun's file system? Any chance to take the disk, mount it on an intel machine and edit /etc/passwd? Suppose, your chances are very poor. ;-(( Juergen -- ========================================== __ _ Jürgen Braukmann e-mail: brauki@cww.de | / / (_)__ __ ____ __ Tel: 0201-743648 dk4jb@db0qs.#nrw.deu.eu | / /__/ / _ \/ // /\ \/ / ========================================== /____/_/_//_/\_,_/ /_/\_\ -- To get out of this list, please send email to majordomo@suse.com with this text in its body: unsubscribe suse-linux-e
To the best of my knowledde SuSE Linux does not support the Sparc platform. Redhat does support Sparc. I suggest you visit their web site (www.redhat.com) to find out more. Also browse/post the comp.unix.solaris usenet group for answers. HTH Arun Khan
On Sun, 17 May 1998, Michael Clark wrote:
I have a monitor and keyboard. I have not yet gotten a mouse. the system
The mouse is optical, needs a grid type of mouse pad. expensive ;-((
boots up and, similar to linux, goes through the kernel boot messages. I see only a few lines that are familiar to me. It gets locked in a loop looking for the network and nameserver. I do not really want to use the OS that is installed (I do not have any logins or passwords, so I will need to install linux to have any access anyway.) I have only worked with intel hardware, so I am COMPLETELY lost!!
Thank you
-- To get out of this list, please send email to majordomo@suse.com with this text in its body: unsubscribe suse-linux-e
Hi! Trying to kill the keyboard, brauki@cityweb.de produced:
Does (Intel)Linux support sun's file system? Any chance to take the disk, mount it on an intel machine and edit /etc/passwd?
Filesystems --> [...] <M> UFS filesystem support (read only) [*] BSD disklabel (FreeBSD partition tables) support [*] SMD disklabel (Sun partition tables) support SMD disklabel (Sun partition tables) support Like most systems, SunOS uses its own partition table format, incompatible with all others. Enabling this option allows you to read these partition tables and further mount SunOS disks on your Linux box if you also have configured BSD ufs filesystem support. This is mainly used to carry data from a Sparc under SunOS to your Linux box via a removable medium like magneto-optical or ZIP drives. If you don't know what all this is about, say N. UFS filesystem support (read only) BSD and derivate versions of Unix (such as SunOS, FreeBSD, NetBSD and NeXTstep) use a filesystem called UFS. Some System V Unixes can create and mount partitions and diskettes using this filesystem as well. Enabling this option allows you to mount these partitions and diskettes read-only. Editing seems not possible with 2.0.33 ... maybe it is possible with some patches or in a development kernel. -Wolfgang -- PGP 2 welcome: Mail me, subject "send PGP-key". If you've nothing at all to hide, you must be boring. Unsolicited Bulk E-Mails: *You* pay for ads you never wanted. Is our economy _so_ weak we have to tolerate SPAMMERS? I guess not. -- To get out of this list, please send email to majordomo@suse.com with this text in its body: unsubscribe suse-linux-e
Wolfgang Weisselberg wrote:
Hi!
Trying to kill the keyboard, brauki@cityweb.de produced:
Does (Intel)Linux support sun's file system? Any chance to take the disk, mount it on an intel machine and edit /etc/passwd?
Filesystems --> [...] <M> UFS filesystem support (read only) [*] BSD disklabel (FreeBSD partition tables) support [*] SMD disklabel (Sun partition tables) support
SMD disklabel (Sun partition tables) support Like most systems, SunOS uses its own partition table format, incompatible with all others. Enabling this option allows you to read these partition tables and further mount SunOS disks on your Linux box if you also have configured BSD ufs filesystem support. This is mainly used to carry data from a Sparc under SunOS to your Linux box via a removable medium like magneto-optical or ZIP drives. If you don't know what all this is about, say N.
UFS filesystem support (read only) BSD and derivate versions of Unix (such as SunOS, FreeBSD, NetBSD and NeXTstep) use a filesystem called UFS. Some System V Unixes can create and mount partitions and diskettes using this filesystem as well. Enabling this option allows you to mount these partitions and diskettes read-only.
Editing seems not possible with 2.0.33 ... maybe it is possible with some patches or in a development kernel.
-Wolfgang
-- PGP 2 welcome: Mail me, subject "send PGP-key". If you've nothing at all to hide, you must be boring. Unsolicited Bulk E-Mails: *You* pay for ads you never wanted. Is our economy _so_ weak we have to tolerate SPAMMERS? I guess not. -- To get out of this list, please send email to majordomo@suse.com with this text in its body: unsubscribe suse-linux-e
I figured out what I needed to get into the prom STOP - A this cuts into the boot process and allows me to enter all of these commands that everyone has given me. mc -- To get out of this list, please send email to majordomo@suse.com with this text in its body: unsubscribe suse-linux-e
Michael Clark wrote:
I have just received an old Sun Sparc IPX. I am able to boot it and it gets stuck looking for the network connection and nameserver. I have connected an old scsi cdrom, and put in my SuSE boot disk, but it will only look at the hard drive for booting.
I have a few questions
First, how do I boot a cdrom or floppy??
How can I install SuSE Linux on it??
Do I have to compile a kernel on an intel based machine to boot the sparc??
Is there a BIOS or CMOS on the sparc that I could modify??
I'm lost.
o am I. :-) A sun sparc has -IMHO- another type of CPU, sparc CPU or whatever, they usually do not have x86's. So Sparc Linux is a very special thing and this might be the wrong list. There is (in germany) a SuSE decatlon distribution, that contains a selection of different dists, including one for the sparc. (better check SuSE website!) the sparc usually boots -as far as i remember- from either disk, cd, tape or eaven floppy. There is a small program that comes up at boottime, that allows you to tell the sparc were to boot from. CD-ROM should be .... device 6(?). different from linux, it must be a specific id number. I had to alter a "datasize" (blocksize) switch to make it work on our antique sparc. (Still running an antique sun-os from a 200 MB HD, 12 MB RAM, X11R5 taken from an antique gnu dist. for sun-os) I thought of "converting" this machine to linux, because nobody realy needs it or wants to support it at work and as time goes by it is more and more senseless to upgrade it in any way) I have been following some infos on linux for sparc, but what I remember sounds not much encouraging. More luck with DEC's Alpha. I once tried cross-compiling (gcc) for AIX, but I failed on that. After all I do not know wether it is _realy_ possible to create bin's for other platforms on intel machines. I am not the refference for that anyway. ;-( cheers Juergen -- ========================================== __ _ Jürgen Braukmann e-mail: brauki@cww.de | / / (_)__ __ ____ __ Tel: 0201-743648 dk4jb@db0qs.#nrw.deu.eu | / /__/ / _ \/ // /\ \/ / ========================================== /____/_/_//_/\_,_/ /_/\_\ -- To get out of this list, please send email to majordomo@suse.com with this text in its body: unsubscribe suse-linux-e
participants (5)
-
arunkhan＠xnet.com -
brauki＠cityweb.de -
mclark＠datsrvr.datsit.com -
slk＠grace.acm.rpi.edu -
weissel＠jupiter.ph-cip.uni-koeln.de