Hi Martin,

On Wed, 21 Jul 1999, Martin Sillence wrote:
> I have a PC running Linux and was trying to do a boot net install.  I
> patched the kernel so it now supports nfs V3 and the installation ends
> after nfs mounting the kernel and panics when it trys to run /sbin/init. 

Honestly, it doesn't suprise me when I read the rest:

> I don't see how I can do this as I need /sbin and /lib to contain x86
> bins for the pc and sparc bins for the sparc. There must be some way to
> do a boot net install from another OS / architecture? 

> Am I missing something here.

I'm afraid so. You're trying to run i386 binary's on a sparc processor;
and they are even Linux binary's to....

I just net-installed my SLC, and it all comes down to creating a
directory, say `/root.IPX' and put all the sparc binary's in it (I just
unpacked all the relevant .tgz installation files) and export this
`/root.IPX' directory with NFS (no `/' after the name in the
`/etc/exports').

The only thing you'll have to do is to change the bootparamd file, so it
handsouts `/root.IPX/' as NFS root to the IPX like : 

  % cat /etc/bootparams
  # Bootparams file ismaelda
  perihelion      root=ismaelda:/root.sunSLC
  % 

It'll do the trick. The easy part is that you can change it's
configuration on the fully installed Linux machine and then just reboot
the IPX. 

I hope it'll do; have I missed something ??

Reinoud