Re: aboot problems with AlphaStation 200

["B. James Phillippe" <bryan terran org>]

On Tue, 15 Sep 1998, Rob Rupprath wrote:

> 
> Hello,
> 
> I recently purchased an AlphaStation 200 4/233 and installed RedHat 5.1
> on it.  This comes with kernel 2.0.24, but I need some features not

You mean 2.0.34. ?

> compiled into the default kernel so I compiled my own (2.0.24 + RedHat
> Patches).  I have been using the Avanti-s boot disk. My drive
> configuration is as follows:
> 
> 	/dev/sda1	(Approx 5MB) No Mount Point, recoommended by aboot
> 	/dev/sda2	(Approx 1.85GB) /
> 	/dev/sda3	(Approx 128MB) swap

One comment.  This partitioning scheme should work, but there is an
unnecessary step: the reserved space at the beginning of the disk does not
need to be a partition.  In other words, if you simply start your first
partition at an offset (other than zero :) from the beginning of the drive,
this is sufficient.  This way you do not need any "useless partitions".
The only requirement is that the empty space you reserve is enough for
aboot (about 1-2MB is typical).  Here is what my disklabel looks like:

% fdisk 
Using /dev/sda as default device!

Command (m for help): b

BSD disklabel command (m for help): p

4 partitions:
#        size   offset    fstype   [fsize bsize   cpg]
  a:   131936     8246      swap                        # (Cyl.    2 - 17)
  b:  1030750   140182      ext2                        # (Cyl.   18 - 142)
  c:  4510562  1170932      ext2                        # (Cyl.  143 - 689)
  d:  2704688  5681494      ext2                        # (Cyl.  690 - 1017)

BSD disklabel command (m for help): q             
% 

> 	Now when I try to install the new kernel by doing a "swriteboot /dev/sda
> boot1x vmlinux.gz" it suceeds, but the machine will never boot again, not
> even from the floppy (Unable to mount rootfs).  I suppose I have the syntax
> wrong somewhere.

The Alpha does not suffer from the limited boot concept employed by PC's.
In a PC, your boot loader must be very small and is subject to the
restrictions of the BIOS (large disks, etc).  Therefore, the boot loader
itself must contain the actual physical offset of the kernel image to load.
This is why we have to reinstall LILO on a PC every time we change the
kernel.  This is not required (nor should be done) for Alpha.  For the
Alpha (using SRM, as you are), you simply install aboot once.  Forever
after, you can stick as many kernels as you want in as many places as you
want (more or less), and simply specify that filename instead at the SRM
prompt.

The command for installing aboot is "swriteboot /dev/sda bootlx".  I don't
know what effect this will have on your partition scheme because of the
first partition starting at offset zero.  I suspect that it will be okay as
long as you don't ever try to use /dev/sda1.

Next, lets say you build a new kernel.  Copy the file
linux/arch/alpha/boot/vmlinux.gz to some location, say,
/boot/new-kernel.gz.  Now you can reboot, and at the >>> SRM prompt, you
can select it like this:

>>> boot dka0 -file 2/new-kernel.gz -flags root=/dev/sda2

> 	Are 2.0.x kernels not good for alpha systems?  In reading the archives
> many people are running 2.1.x If anyone has any helpful answers on the hd
> boot issue please let me know.  I have no problem installing the machine

You should start with a 2.0 kernel.  I would suggest getting the 2.0.35
kernel and applying the alpha patches from gatekeeper.dec.com, I don't
recall the subdirectory (for some reason I always have trouble finding
it...).  Pick the "Avanti" kernel type and answer yes to SRM support.  The
2.1 kernels are supposed to be much better for Alpha, but unfortunately
I've never gotten one to work, and they sound quite broken in many regards
right now.  I'd suggest waiting for a while.  When you do go for a 2.1
kernel, you'll want to make sure you have a later version of egcs (1.1 is
out now) and Maciej's patch for aboot.

> again if necessary.  I also get a lot of segmentation faults when doing
> simple things like "man ls".  In my messages file there are a lot of
> "unaligned trap" errors.  Is this normal?

I'd suggest going to RedHat's errata section on the website and finding out
about all of the bugfixes made before you do anything else (there are some
biggies).  The man problem is fixed in an update.

After you get your Alpha up and going, drop me a note with your opinion of
the system and satisfaction level, and also what your primary use is (if
you don't mind :)

Hope this helps,
-bp
--
B. James Phillippe <bryan@terran.org>
Linux Software Engineer, WGTI.
http://earth.terran.org/~bryan