Subject: Getting NetBSD/alpha on a XL266 (?)
To: 'ross.harvey@computer.org' <ross.harvey@computer.org>
From: Cousins, Kevin <Kevin.Cousins@praxa.com.au>
List: port-alpha
Date: 10/25/1999 14:06:25
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I can get my XL266 to a MILO prompt, and from there I'd ultimately like to
get
NetBSD/alpha booted. Still, some colleagues have furnished me with Red
Hat/alpha 5.1, which in our case falls over looking for SCSI devices---
in their RAMDISK image, /dev is not well populated.
Anyway, I've poked about in the port-alpha archive, and I am aware of the
whole SRM v. ARC firmware issue. I've experimented with such tricks as
booting MILO and blindly trying to get it to boot the NetBSD/alpha floppy
images: no joy. Because MILO claims code for iso9660, FAT and ext2fs,
I figured it wouldn'tbe too tricky to take the NetBSD floppy images, mount
them, and copy their contents into an ext2fs image mounted through a vnd.
I now suspect that the NetBSD/alpha bootable floppies are written into
USTARFS images. I should probably try to understand all that a little bit
more before giving up on that approach.
My current thesis relies on the PALcode image that MILO contains. Given the
source for a relatively recent MILO, and the source for boot, bootxx, etc.,
for
NetBSD/alpha, I am currently investigating the feasibility of manufacturing
my own boot tools which contain an appropriate PALcode image, snarfed from
MILO. Still, as the only alpha-based tools to which I have access are
within a couple of legitimate installations of DEC Unix, I'm still getting
up to
speed on how I might accomplish this---and exactly what to include.
Anyway, do you have any suggestions as to how to I might be able to get an
XL266 booting NetBSD/alpha? Of course, any success I have shall be
communicated to this list.
--Kevin.
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<TITLE>Getting NetBSD/alpha on a XL266 (?)</TITLE>
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<P><FONT FACE=3D"Arial">I can get my XL266 to a MILO prompt, and from =
there I'd ultimately like to get</FONT>
<BR><FONT FACE=3D"Arial">NetBSD/alpha booted. Still, some =
colleagues have furnished me with Red</FONT>
<BR><FONT FACE=3D"Arial">Hat/alpha 5.1, which in our case falls over =
looking for SCSI devices---</FONT>
<BR><FONT FACE=3D"Arial">in their RAMDISK image, /dev is not well =
populated.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT FACE=3D"Arial">Anyway, I've poked about in the port-alpha =
archive, and I am aware of the</FONT>
<BR><FONT FACE=3D"Arial">whole SRM v. ARC firmware issue. I've =
experimented with such tricks as</FONT>
<BR><FONT FACE=3D"Arial">booting MILO and blindly trying to get it to =
boot the NetBSD/alpha floppy</FONT>
<BR><FONT FACE=3D"Arial">images: no joy. Because MILO claims code for =
iso9660, FAT and ext2fs,</FONT>
<BR><FONT FACE=3D"Arial">I figured it wouldn'tbe too tricky to take the =
NetBSD floppy images, mount</FONT>
<BR><FONT FACE=3D"Arial">them, and copy their contents into an ext2fs =
image mounted through a vnd.</FONT>
<BR><FONT FACE=3D"Arial">I now suspect that the NetBSD/alpha bootable =
floppies are written into</FONT>
<BR><FONT FACE=3D"Arial">USTARFS images. I should probably try to =
understand all that a little bit</FONT>
<BR><FONT FACE=3D"Arial">more before giving up on that approach.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT FACE=3D"Arial">My current thesis relies on the PALcode image =
that MILO contains. Given the</FONT>
<BR><FONT FACE=3D"Arial">source for a relatively recent MILO, and the =
source for boot, bootxx, etc., for</FONT>
<BR><FONT FACE=3D"Arial">NetBSD/alpha, I am currently investigating the =
feasibility of manufacturing</FONT>
<BR><FONT FACE=3D"Arial">my own boot tools which contain an appropriate =
PALcode image, snarfed from MILO. Still, as the only alpha-based =
tools to which I have access are</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE=3D"Arial">within a couple of legitimate installations of =
DEC Unix, I'm still getting up to</FONT>
<BR><FONT FACE=3D"Arial">speed on how I might accomplish this---and =
exactly what to include.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT FACE=3D"Arial">Anyway, do you have any suggestions as to how =
to I might be able to get an</FONT>
<BR><FONT FACE=3D"Arial">XL266 booting NetBSD/alpha? Of course, =
any success I have shall be</FONT>
<BR><FONT FACE=3D"Arial">communicated to this list.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT FACE=3D"Arial">--Kevin.</FONT>
</P>
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