Subject: Pointers on how to get started

From: Emmanuel Mogenet <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 18 Jul 1997 09:54:34 -0700

Hi,

I have this 2gig drive sitting on my desk next to my Indy and
doing nothing, so I figured I should try to install sgi-linux,
see if the thing boots, and maybe put togehter a few RPM's
on my own

Unfortunately, at this point in the project, the "How to get
started" part is kind of not written anywhere.

I think if someone could whip together a quick 5 steps to booting an
Indy under Linux and post them on http://www.linux.sgi.com, it'd
be great, especially for people like me who are more the userland type.

I have access to a i586-SCSI Linux system on the same network as
my Indy, so I guess it should make things easier (booting diskless
and/or making an efs filesystem on my SCSI disk on the PC)

Thanks,

	- Mgix (Hi ariel, I'm still around :) )

________________________________________________________________________________
Emmanuel Mogenet <[email-masked]>                       PGP Key on
Request

---

From: [email-masked] (Ariel Faigon)
Date: Fri, 18 Jul 1997 10:32:33 -0700 (PDT)

Mgix,

Glad to see you're still with us in a way!

How to get started:

Yes, this is *the* most important missing piece on www.linux.sgi.com
It should be the first item in the 'HOWTO' section.

I believe we used to have at least two volunteers to write this
a few weeks ago.  I hope they are listening, (no names :-)

If anyone else who has Linux running today would like to write this,
please do.  Make sure you make it short, accurate, reproducible
and as simple as possible.

If you need shell access to administer the linus web site from where
Miguel and I left it, just let me know and I'll give it to you
(you'll need ssh and email me your public key generated
with ssh-keygen)

:
:Hi,
:
:I have this 2gig drive sitting on my desk next to my Indy and
:doing nothing, so I figured I should try to install sgi-linux,
:see if the thing boots, and maybe put togehter a few RPM's
:on my own
:
:Unfortunately, at this point in the project, the "How to get
:started" part is kind of not written anywhere.
:
:I think if someone could whip together a quick 5 steps to booting an
:Indy under Linux and post them on http://www.linux.sgi.com, it'd
:be great, especially for people like me who are more the userland type.
:
:I have access to a i586-SCSI Linux system on the same network as
:my Indy, so I guess it should make things easier (booting diskless
:and/or making an efs filesystem on my SCSI disk on the PC)
:
:Thanks,
:
:	- Mgix (Hi ariel, I'm still around :) )
:

-- 
Peace, Ariel

---

From: Alex deVries <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 18 Jul 1997 13:32:57 -0400 (EDT)

> started" part is kind of not written anywhere.

I had said that I would write this, and I will. It will be written from
the stance of a relative newbie.

As it stands, I have some ideas on how to do this.  What I'm missing is
the actual hardware to do it on.  As I get my system booting, I will
document every step.

The *REAL* fun for me starts when my Indy arrives, hopefully next week.
Thanks, Ariel!

> and/or making an efs filesystem on my SCSI disk on the PC)

Yes, it will help.

How are things on the native booting front?

I had mailed Erik Troan a couple of days ago w.r.t. getting the RH install
code for Alan and myself, but I haven't heard anything yet.

- Alex

---

From: Mike Shaver <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 18 Jul 1997 14:13:13 -0400 (EDT)

> How are things on the native booting front?

I can boot bogomips off of local disk, but I'm seeing some wierdness
with users and groups that I can't explain (via NFS and ext2).  I'd
like to get strace working so I can debug it more.

There are also some moderately serious VFS bugs in 2.1.4[35] that are
blocking some stuff right now.  (Can't boot diskless with .45, for
example.)

Mike

-- 
#> Mike Shaver ([email-masked])      Information Warfare Division  
#> Chief Tactical and Strategic Officer         "Saepe fidelis"        
#>                                                                     
#> "I like your game, but we have to change the rules." -- Anon        
#>

---

From: Alex deVries <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 18 Jul 1997 14:43:30 -0400 (EDT)

> like to get strace working so I can debug it more.

Further questions:

1. What's a good kernel to use for this, and can someone tell me where I
can find a pre-compiled version of it? I suspect until the problems on
2.1.45 are fixed, newbies should be using something older.

2. Could someone either produce an RPM for an xcompiling gcc host=i386
target=mips-linux, or send me a tarball?  I'd be happy to make it into an
RPM.  Same goes for binutils.

3. Exactly what hardware will this run on?  All I've heard thus far is
work on SGI Indy's.  Has there been any expereience on anything else?  I
know Ralf has run Linux on a lot of different MIPS machines, but for the
sake of SGI Linux I think we should restrict ourselves to SGI only
hardware.

4. Can someone tell me about how to configure an Indy to boot via bootp? I
don't yet have access to manuals.

- Alex

---

From: Mike Shaver <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 18 Jul 1997 14:46:39 -0400 (EDT)

> 2.1.45 are fixed, newbies should be using something older.

I use a slightly-out-of-date version of 2.1.43 from the CVS tree.

> RPM.  Same goes for binutils.

Grab the stuff off of neon or linus from the crossdev directory.

> work on SGI Indy's.

I think that's it.  Whatever Ariel ships you should work, though.

> don't yet have access to manuals.

Configure your bootp server (see the config on neon for details)
correctly, and then:
Hit ESC for maintenance (heh)
5 for boot prompt.

boot -f bootp()blahblah

("blahblah" can be any string...it figures everything out from the
bootp server)

Mike

-- 
#> Mike Shaver ([email-masked]) Ingenia Communications Corporation 
#> Paranoid for money.                            Sarcastic for kicks. 
#>                                                                     
#> "They already *KNOW* I am a whacko, Karen.                          
#>                  That doesn't mean I am *WRONG*." -- [email-masked]

---

From: [email-masked] (richard offer)
Date: Fri, 18 Jul 1997 12:00:56 -0700

* $ from [email-masked] at "18-Jul: 2:46pm" | sed "1,$s/^/* /"
*
* > 3. Exactly what hardware will this run on?  All I've heard thus far is
* > work on SGI Indy's.
*
* I think that's it.  Whatever Ariel ships you should work, though.

Does this mean it won't work on an R4k Indigo ?

Bugger, there goes my idea of sticking a second disk into changeling....

[ changeling 240 ] hinv
CPU: MIPS R4000 Processor Chip Revision: 3.0
FPU: MIPS R4000 Floating Point Coprocessor Revision: 0.0
1 100 MHZ IP20 Processor
Main memory size: 32 Mbytes
Secondary unified instruction/data cache size: 1 Mbyte on Processor 0
Instruction cache size: 8 Kbytes
Data cache size: 8 Kbytes
Integral SCSI controller 0: Version WD33C93B, revision C
  Disk drive: unit 1 on SCSI controller 0
On-board serial ports: 2
On-board bi-directional parallel port
Graphics board: GR2-XZ
Integral Ethernet: ec0, version 1

*
*
* Mike
*
* --
* #> Mike Shaver ([email-masked]) Ingenia Communications Corporation
* #> Paranoid for money.                            Sarcastic for kicks.
* #>
* #> "They already *KNOW* I am a whacko, Karen.
* #>                  That doesn't mean I am *WRONG*." -- [email-masked]
*

richard.

_________________________________________________________________________

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         |     #     #
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       1 |     #     #     #     #
         |     #     #     #     #     #  (none)
         +------------------------------------------
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From: [email-masked] (Alan Cox)
Date: Fri, 18 Jul 1997 21:45:24 +0100 (BST)

> code for Alan and myself, but I haven't heard anything yet.

Last time I checked the SRPM files for it where on CD#2. They arent the most
recent but are 4.2. I was thus somewhat suprised you mailed Erik. - BTW the
best person to mail in Red Hat isnt Erik he's generally far far too busy. Try
the support people. I normally ask Clarence Smith if I need to check something.

Alan

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From: Miguel de Icaza <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 20 Jul 1997 22:36:45 -0500

> code for Alan and myself, but I haven't heard anything yet.

The source code for the Red Hat install program is included in every
mirror of the distribution.

Cheers,
Miguel.

---

From: Martin Knoblauch <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 1997 09:10:12 +0200

> Integral Ethernet: ec0, version 1

  Hmm. Can you downgrade to "Starter" GFX? That might be
suffiently compatibel to Newport.

Martin
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