README file for installation of Debian GNU/Linux 2.1 on Alpha
**********************************************************
(all suggestions and changes welcomed on debian-alpha@lists.debian.org).
Here is some documentation for the Debian/alpha installation root and
base disks.
[ notice: ultimately this README is meant to disappear as all
information is merged in the main installation manual. But for the initial
release of slink (march 1999), this README is the more up-to-date reference
in case of inconsistencies ]
The installation proces is described below, the following pointers can
also be useful in case of problems.
http://lhpca.univ-lyon1.fr/axp/debian.html (for up-to-date information
about the installation disks).
http://classnet.med.miami.edu:8080/alpha/ (Chris' Debian-Alpha Port Page)
http://www.alphalinux.org/ (Linux/Alpha home page)
http://www.azstarnet.com/~axplinux/milo.html (MILO HOWTO)
The installation procedure step-by-step
***************************************
0) You can install from the official CDROM without needing any floppy,
in this case replace <boot-path> in the following by "/boot/xxx" for
your particular type "xxx" of machine (see list in section 7),
replace <root-device> by "scd0" or "hd[bcd]" as appropriate.
For other cases: prepare formatted floppy disks, <boot-path> should
be replaced by "\" and <root-device> by "/dev/fd0". You will need
10 floppies for a floppy-only based install, but only 2 floppies if
the disks-alpha directory is available either:
- by NFS,
- on some existing filesystem on the same machine,
- on a CDROM.
To know what type of rescue/drivers disk to use for your platform
i.e., what directory to choose them from, see the list in section 7)
at bottom of the README. If using SRM and a CDROM, it is mandatory to
use "generic" if your machine normally support both MILO and SRM.
First make copies of the two initial boot-floppies (there are
instructions for how to copy floppy images in the Debian GNU/Linux
installation instructions):
- a "rescue disk" for your particular type "xxx" of machine by copying
"xxx/resc1440.bin", and
- the generic "root disk" by copying "root1440.bin".
Furthermore, unless you install from NFS or CDROM or existing
filesystem, create the following eight floppies:
- a "drivers disk" for your machine type "xxx" from "xxx/drv1440.bin".
- the generic "base disks 1 to 8" from the images "base14-[1-8].bin".
If you install the rescue files and drivers file by NFS or in a
mounted directory, the installation program is looking for the
names "resc1440.bin" and "drv1440.bin", you should point the
installation program to a directory containing the appropriate
version of these files for your platform.
2) This step depends on the type of boot console used and the
particular kind of Alpha, there are four cases (2a,2b,2c,2d):
2a) Installing on a machine with the AlphaBIOS firmware, the NT loader
for all recent Alpha computers: (go to step 2b if not the case)
[ Description taken from the MILO-HOWTO ]
- You may need to upgrade your AlphaBIOS to the lastest version.
- At the opening screen, press F2 to go into setup mode
- Select "Utilities->OS Selection Setup..."
- Press INSERT to add a new operating system selection
- For "Boot Name", enter "Linux". Press TAB to get over to the next field.
- Press down-arrow until the selection for "Boot File" is "A:" (or
CD: for CDROM). TAB over to the next field
- Enter "<boot-path>linload.exe" (or "ldmilo.exe" for Ruffian). TAB *twice*
(i.e. skip the OS Path load device -- it's irrelevant)
- Enter "<boot-path>" for the OS Path
- Press ENTER to add the selection.
At this point, AlphaBIOS will probably put up a big, unfriendly dialog box
labelled "Warning: Operating System Selection not valid!". Ignore this error
(it's only a problem for NT) and press ENTER to continue.
- Press F10 to save the changes you just made; press ENTER to confirm the
changes.
- Press ESC twice to get back to the opening screen.
- Use the up and down arrows to select the boot selection you just added, and
press ENTER to boot it.
AlphaBIOS will load linload, which will in turn load MILO.
At the MILO prompt go to step 3).
2b) Installing on a machine with an NT ARC firmware, the
predecessor of AlphaBIOS: (go to step 2c if not the case)
[ Description taken from the MILO-HOWTO ]
- At the boot menu, select "Supplementary menu..."
- At the "Supplementary menu", select "Set up the system..."
- At the "Setup menu", select "Manage boot selection menu..."
- In the "Boot selections menu", choose "Add a boot selection"
- Choose "Floppy Disk 0"
- Enter "<boot-path>linload.exe" as the osloader directory and name
- Say "yes" to the operating system being on the same partition as the
osloader
- Enter "<boot-path>" as the operating system root directory
- you can enter "Linux" as the name for this boot selection
- Say "No" you do not want to initialise the debugger at boot time
- You should now be back in the "Boot selections menu", choose the "Change a
boot selection option" and pick the selection you just created as the one to
edit
- Use the down arrow to get "OSLOADFILENAME" up and then type in the name of
the MILO image which is "milo"
- Press ESC to get back to the "Boot Selections menu"
- Choose "Setup Menu" (or hit ESC again) and choose "Supplementary menu, and
save changes" option
- ESC will get you back to the "Boot menu" and you can attempt to
boot MILO by selecting the entry you just created
At the MILO prompt go to step 3).
2c) Installing with an architecture that is one of "jensen",
"sable", "mikasa", "book1", or when using the "generic" kernel:
(go to 2d if this is not the case)
These machines use the SRM console and the aboot loader (no MILO
for them)
- insert the rescue disk,
- at the SRM prompt enter the following (except the ">>>" and on
one line):
For a floppy:
>>>boot dva0 -flags i
For the CDROM
>>>boot dka0 -flags i
(to verify the CDROM is on dkc0, type "show dev" before and ajust the
above command appropriately)
You will get an "aboot>" prompt, type:
aboot><boot-path>/linux root=/dev/<root-device> load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=1"
Then you should go directly to step 4) (skip step 3).
2d) Installing on a machine with the SRM console (for all machines
with SRM that are not in the list of 2c), and with a floppy (with
the CDROM, use "generic" and step 2c):
- insert the rescue disk,
- at the SRM prompt enter the following (except the ">>>"):
>>>boot dva0
This should start the MILO loader and you should end up with a MILO
prompt:
MILO>
- go to step 3) to continue
3) After either 2a or 2b or 2d you should now end with the MILO prompt.
- enter the following command (leave the rescue disk in the floppy drive
at this point), all on one line (but omit "MILO>"):
MILO>boot <boot-device>:<boot-path>linux root=/dev/<root-device>
load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=1
(do not prefix <boot-device> with "/dev" here, in most cases <boot-device> will
be the same than <root-device>)
The kernel should then boot and stop to ask you the root disk.
4) At the kernel prompt asking root floppy:
- insert the root disk and hit the Enter key.
If all goes well you should now get to the first installation dialog.
5) follow the installation procedure which is similar to the procedure for
Debian GNU/Linux on Intel (i386).
Some important things to keep in mind:
- If you want to boot from SRM, do not use cfdisk, but fdisk with
BSD partitioning, more details in point 6).
- While partitioning, please leave a small (about 3MB) partition at
the beginning of your hard disk, this will later be used to install
MILO, to boot from the hardisk.
- If you have the base files available by NFS, configure network before
trying to install base, or OS. That is _break the suggested order_.
Then you will have an NFS choice when selecting the install base step
afterwards (yes, it is not very intuitive).
- Make sure that you _skip_ the "make boot floppy" and "make hard disk
bootable" and "configure PCMCIA" points. They are not yet
functional on Alpha, and PCMCIA is not yet supported.
- after rebooting, depending on your hardware:
* if MILO is available return to the MILO prompt (as in step 2a or
2b or 2d), and boot with:
MILO>boot ddd:vmlinuz root=/dev/ddd
(replacing ddd by your root partition)
* or if this is a SRM/no_milo machine ("cabriolet", "jensen",
"noritake", "sable", "mikasa", "book1"), reuse the rescue disk
or CDROM with the command:
>>>boot dva0 -file linux -flags root=/dev/ddd
Once rebooted the installation program should proceed as on Intel.
6) Some hints to make the hard disk bootable.
- For now there is no automated installation of MILO on the hard disk, so
you must either do it yourself (using a small msdos partition at
beginning of hardisk), or use the rescue disk to get to
the MILO prompt.
- For SRM console users, booting from the hardisk seems impossible with
the usual PC partitioning standard, you should use the
"BSDdisklabel" or equivalent "OSF-disklabel" partitioning scheme
(correct me if I am wrong), and you should leave some free space at
beginning of hardisk. But this is not nicely supported in the Debian
installation disks: you should be careful _not_ use cfdisk,
(as proposed in the partitioning step), but use instead fdisk via
the shell and go to BSD partitioning with the "b" command in the
fdisk main menu.
7) Correspondance betwen machines and rescue/driver disk:
Family/Model Code Name
============= =========
ALPHAbook 1 book1
ALCOR
AS 600 alcor
AS 500 5/3xx alcor
AS 500 5/5xx alcor
XL-300/366/433 xlt
AVANTI
AS 200 4/* avanti
AS 205 4/* avanti
AS 250 4/* avanti
AS 255 4/* avanti
AS 300 4/* avanti
AS 400 4/* avanti
EB164 eb164
AlphaPC164 pc164
AlphaPC164-LX lx164
AlphaPC164-SX sx164
EB64+
EB64+ eb64p
AlphaPC64 cabriolet
AlphaPCI-64 cabriolet
EB66 eb66
EB66+ eb66p
JENSEN
DECpc 150 jensen
DEC 2000 Model 300 jensen
MIKASA
AS 1000 4/xxx mikasa
AS 1000 5/xxx mikasa-p
NONAME
AXPpci33 noname
UDB noname
NORITAKE
AS 1000A 4/xxx noritake
AS 1000A 5/xxx noritake-p
AS 600A 5/xxx noritake-p
AS 800 5/xxx noritake-p
Personal Workstation
PWS 433a or 433au miata
PWS 500a or 500au miata
PWS 600a or 600au miata
RUFFIAN
Deskstation RPX164-2 ruffian
Samsung AlphaPC164-UX/BX ruffian
SABLE
AS 2100 4/xxx sable
AS 2000 4/xxx sable
AS 2100 5/xxx sable-g
AS 2000 5/xxx sable-g
TAKARA takara
XL
XL-233/266 xl