Very Computer

Has anyone been able to install Linux on a Jensen with no video card. I do
not need
video since this system will just be a server. I can boot the kernel then I
loose all
communication to the serial port. Following is the console serial port
output.

System power up OK.

Quote:>>> boot -fl "i" dka100

INIT-S-CPU...
AUDIT_BOOT_STARTS ...
AUDIT_CHECKSUM_GOOD
AUDIT_LOAD_BEGINS
AUDIT_LOAD_DONE

aboot: Linux/Alpha SRM bootloader version 0.5
aboot: switching to OSF/1 PALcode version 1.35
aboot: valid disklabel found: 8 partitions.
Enter kernel name and arguments:
aboot> 0/a root=/dev/scd0 load_ramdisk=1
aboot: booted_dev=`scsi 1 5 0 0 100 0 jens-io', guessing boot_device=`scd0'
aboot: loading plain a...
aboot: unexpected object file format 113656
aboot: loading compressed a...
aboot: ok, now starting the kernel...

At this point it appears that the kernel is mounting the CD.
Is there an ABOOT switch I can pass to the kernel to force it to
use the Serial port??

Thanks in advance for any help you can render

Ken Kulink

Hi,

Quote:> aboot: booted_dev=`scsi 1 5 0 0 100 0 jens-io', guessing boot_device=`scd0'
> aboot: loading plain a...
> aboot: unexpected object file format 113656
> aboot: loading compressed a...
> aboot: ok, now starting the kernel...

> At this point it appears that the kernel is mounting the CD.

At this point the kernel took over control :)

Quote:> Is there an ABOOT switch I can pass to the kernel to force it to
> use the Serial port??

Not AFAIK. You need a kernel compiled with a serial console option. I
just put a graphic-card in mine for installation, because even if you
get the kernel to boot on the serial I don't think the redhat-install will
work there. It uses 4 or 5 virtual consoles, you only need the first, but I
think it won't work anyway. After installation you can remove the card again.
You only need some luck in selecting the right one, the card must be able
to initialize itsef without help of the CPU to work with the SRM console.
I tried quite a few old VGA cards to find a suitable one. Or just find
an ELSA Winner 1000 Twinbus (ISA only should do, too), that one is known
to work.

Oh, BTW: Does anybody know whether RH 5.2 (again) installs painless on an
BSD disklabel? I'm planing to re-install soon and would like to know if
there's a better way than to install 5.0 and then upgrade :/ (which would
be what I would do if I had to install 5.1 again :/)

Thanks ray,
        I did obtain a video card and am able to mount the RH 5.2 cd and
start the install. Now I am running into the BSD disk label issue. RH 5.2
will not
let you install when it detects a BSD label. The MINLABEL.EXE and
COPYBOOT.EXE programs that you need to make a JENSEN bootable write
BSD partitions. Does anyone know a work around for this?

Thanks
Ken Kulink

Quote:> Oh, BTW: Does anybody know whether RH 5.2 (again) installs painless on an
> BSD disklabel? I'm planing to re-install soon and would like to know if
> there's a better way than to install 5.0 and then upgrade :/ (which would
> be what I would do if I had to install 5.1 again :/)

Use fdisk and switch to bsd style format. RedHat install then find
this partitions.
MfG
Martin