Subject: Linux Mips SGI O2 R5000 IP32 INSTALL

From: Damian Presswell <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 26 Apr 2004 21:07:24 +0100

My apologies if this is the wrong mailing list for this question -

I have recently aquired an SGI  O2 ip32 R5k box that I am trying to 
install linux onto -

I have managed to get a binary 64bit kernel to boot vis nfs and bootp() 
that I downloaded from Glaurungs website:

http://www.linux-mips.org/~glaurung/

however I am unsure as to the correct rootfs that I am suposed to use - 
I pulled down the redhat 7.1 rootfs from somewhere but it hangs when 
trying to start the 'local' service - and wont boot if this service is 
switched off -

I would be grateful if you could suggest where I may download a suitable 
rootfs and ecoff boot image that will work together on my O2 box - would 
hate to give in at this stage - and indeed any other help you may be 
able to give me as a linux mips O2 user - I will put together an updated 
HOWTO once I am sure exactly what I am supposed to be doing - the 
information and resources on this subject do seem to be a little vague -

thanks for your time

Damian

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 26 Apr 2004 15:24:41 -0700

Use Gentoo.
Also, Glaurung's kernels are bit out-od-date. Use self-built
kernel from recent linux-mips.org CVS. In worst case, use
one of Gentoo's kernel binaries.

	Ilya.

---

From: Damian Presswell <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 13:29:55 +0100

Hi Ilya -

thanks for coming back to me -

I have managed to build a root filesystem using the gentoo sources that 
you suggested - however -
I am unable to boot off the hardisk -
I have fdisked the first scsi disk, created a 50 meg vlhdr, where I have 
copied my pre-compiled vmlinux binaries  -
it  appears to load and provide an entry point but then just hangs and 
goes no further -
I have also added the original netboot vmlinux  binary that I use to 
boot via tftpboot to the HD's volume header but it does the same thing - 
just hangs after the entry point -

I can boot the system using bootp(): and the kernel binary located  in  
the tftpboot using  root=dev/sda3 - but  cannot figure why it  doesnt 
seem to work off the volume header of the HD -

 once again -

any help would be appreciated -

thanks

---

From: "Ilya A. Volynets-Evenbakh" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 11:55:26 -0700

Well, you are not the only one ;-)
Currently you cannot use volume header for loading linux kernel due to some
very strange bug. I spent two weeks chsing it, and then decided that my time
is better spent elsewhere. Also, dents in my walls resulting from 
contact between
my head and walls' surface do not look nice. For now, you should either use
dhcp/bootp or arcboot. Latest version of arcboot (0.3.8.-something, 
afair) should work out
of the box with O2. If it doesn't, let me know - I'll dig out my 
highly-hacked binary.

    Ilya.

Damian Presswell wrote:

> I have managed to build a root filesystem using the gentoo sources 
> that you suggested - however -
> I have fdisked the first scsi disk, created a 50 meg vlhdr, where I 
> have copied my pre-compiled vmlinux binaries  -
> boot via tftpboot to the HD's volume header but it does the same thing 
> - just hangs after the entry point -
>
> I can boot the system using bootp(): and the kernel binary located  
> in  the tftpboot using  root=dev/sda3 - but  cannot figure why it  
> doesnt seem to work off the volume header of the HD -
>
> once again -
>
>>> I have managed to get a binary 64bit kernel to boot vis nfs and 
>>> bootp() that I downloaded from Glaurungs website:
>>>
>>> however I am unsure as to the correct rootfs that I am suposed to 
>>> use - I pulled down the redhat 7.1 rootfs from somewhere but it 
>>> hangs when trying to start the 'local' service - and wont boot if 
>>> this service is switched off -
>>>
>>> I would be grateful if you could suggest where I may download a 
>>> suitable rootfs and ecoff boot image that will work together on my 
>>> O2 box - would hate to give in at this stage - and indeed any other 
>>> help you may be able to give me as a linux mips O2 user - I will put 
>>> together an updated HOWTO once I am sure exactly what I am supposed 
>>> to be doing - the information and resources on this subject do seem 
>>> to be a little vague -
>>>
>>> thanks for your time
>>>
>>> Damian
>>