Re: No surprise with the boot process on the SPARC S7-2

[Dennis Clarke <dclarke%blastwave.org@localhost>]

On 10/24/26 11:11, Dennis Clarke wrote:
> On 10/23/26 14:15, Palle Lyckegaard wrote:
> > On Fri, 23 Oct 2026, Dennis Clarke wrote:
> >
> > > Boot device: /virtual-devices@100/channel-devices@200/disk@1:f  File 
> > > and args:
> >
> > So you are booting the ldom virtual cdrom image.
> > I have not tried this before, but will try this as well.
> >
> > Instead I have been using the miniroot.fs image - this image is mapped 
> > by the ldom virtual disk manager as an ordinary disk block device.
> >
> > The is from the t4 ldom setup I have access to:
> >
> > ...
> > ldm add-domain netbsd1
> > ldm add-vcpu 1 netbsd1
> > ldm add-memory 1G netbsd1
> > zfs create tank/ldom/netbsd1
> >
> > ldm add-vdsdev /tank/ldom/netbsd1/fs/miniroot.fs netbsd1- 
> > miniroot@primary-vds0
> > ldm add-vdsdev /tank/ldom/netbsd1/fs/disk0 netbsd1-disk0@primary-vds0
> > ldm add-vdsdev /tank/ldom/netbsd1/fs/disk1 netbsd1-disk1@primary-vds0
> > ldm add-vdsdev /tank/ldom/netbsd1/fs/disk2 netbsd1-disk2@primary-vds0
> > ldm add-vdsdev /tank/iso/NetBSD-cdrom.iso netbsd1-cdrom-iso@primary-vds0
> > ldm add-vdsdev /tank/iso/NetBSD-dvd.iso netbsd1-dvd-iso@primary-vds0
> >
> > ldm add-vdisk miniroot netbsd1-miniroot@primary-vds0 netbsd1
> > ldm add-vdisk disk0 netbsd1-disk0@primary-vds0 netbsd1
> > ldm add-vdisk disk1 netbsd1-disk1@primary-vds0 netbsd1
> > #ldm add-vdisk disk2 netbsd1-disk2@primary-vds0 netbsd1
> > ldm add-vdisk cdrom netbsd1-cdrom-iso@primary-vds0 netbsd1
> > ldm add-vdisk dvd netbsd1-dvd-iso@primary-vds0 netbsd1
> >
> > ldm add-vnet vnet0 primary-vsw0 netbsd1
> > ldm set-var auto-boot\?=false netbsd1
> > ...
> >
> > Try to see if you can get your system further with the miniroot.fs method
>
> I am going to try that this morning with coffee in hand. I have a good 
> question here, why do you have both a CDROM and DVD attached to your
> NetBSD LDOM? Is that to provide access to packages and "sets" files?
>
>
> ( Step 0 )  I had the install ISO CDROM image attached ... past tense
>
> {0} ok
> {0} ok devalias
> cdrom                    /virtual-devices@100/channel-devices@200/disk@1
> vdisk0                   /virtual-devices@100/channel-devices@200/disk@0
> vnet0                    /virtual-devices@100/channel-devices@200/network@0
> net                      /virtual-devices@100/channel-devices@200/network@0
> disk                     /virtual-devices@100/channel-devices@200/disk@0
> virtual-console          /virtual-devices/console@1
> name                     aliases
> {0} ok cd   /virtual-devices@100/channel-devices@200/network@0
> {0} ok .properties
> local-mac-address        00 14 4f fb 7c 96
> max-frame-size           00004000
> address-bits             00000030
> reg                      00000000
> compatible               SUNW,sun4v-network
> device_type              network
> name                     network
> {0} ok power-off
>
> ( Step 1 )  attach the miniroot and then we start over
>
> NOTICE: Entering OpenBoot.
> NOTICE: Fetching Guest MD.
> NOTICE: Starting slave cpus.
> NOTICE: Initializing LDCs.
> NOTICE: Probing PCI devices.
> NOTICE: Finished PCI probing.
>
> SPARC S7-2, No Keyboard
> Copyright (c) 1998, 2025, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights 
> reserved.
> OpenBoot 4.43.14, 32.0000 GB memory installed, Serial #83499978.
> Ethernet address 0:14:4f:fa:1b:ca, Host ID: 84fa1bca.
>
>
>
> {0} ok devalias
> miniroot                 /virtual-devices@100/channel-devices@200/disk@1
> vdisk0                   /virtual-devices@100/channel-devices@200/disk@0
> vnet0                    /virtual-devices@100/channel-devices@200/network@0
> net                      /virtual-devices@100/channel-devices@200/network@0
> disk                     /virtual-devices@100/channel-devices@200/disk@0
> virtual-console          /virtual-devices/console@1
> name                     aliases
> {0} ok
> {0} ok boot miniroot
> Boot device: /virtual-devices@100/channel-devices@200/disk@1  File and 
> args:
> WARNING: Unsupported bootblk image, can not extract fcode
>
> WARNING: Bootblk fcode extraction failed
> NetBSD IEEE 1275 Multi-FS Bootblock
> Version $NetBSD: bootblk.fth,v 1.18 2025/02/28 09:07:12 andvar Exp $
>  >> NetBSD/sparc64 OpenFirmware Boot, Revision 1.20 (Sat Oct 24 00:20:24 
> UTC 2026)
> =0xd4ff88
> Loading netbsd: 13958984+516584+330992 [773472+507679]=0x1308530
> [   1.0000000] sun4v_interrupt_init: hv interrupt api major is now: 3
> [   1.0000000] Copyright (c) 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 
> 2003,
> [   1.0000000]     2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 
> 2013,
> [   1.0000000]     2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 
> 2023,
> [   1.0000000]     2024, 2025, 2026
> [   1.0000000]     The NetBSD Foundation, Inc.  All rights reserved.
> [   1.0000000] Copyright (c) 1982, 1986, 1989, 1991, 1993
> [   1.0000000]     The Regents of the University of California.  All 
> rights reserved.
>
> [   1.0000000] NetBSD 11.99.9 (GENERIC) #0: Sat Oct 24 00:20:24 UTC 2026
> [   1.0000000] mkrepro%mkrepro.NetBSD.org@localhost:/usr/src/sys/arch/sparc64/ 
> compile/GENERIC
> [   1.0000000] total memory = 32768 MB
> [   1.0000000] avail memory = 32154 MB
> [   1.0000000] mainbus0 (root): ORCL,SPARC-S7-2 (SPARC S7-2): hostid 
> 84fa1bca
> [   1.0000000] cpu0 at mainbus0: cpu @ 4266.560 MHz, CPU id 0
> [   1.0000000] cpu0: system tick frequency 1000 MHz
> [   1.0000000] cpu0: 16K instruction (64 b/l), 16K data (32 b/l), 256K 
> external (64 b/l)
> [   1.0000000] cpu at mainbus0 not configured
> [   1.0000000] reboot-memory at mainbus0 not configured
> [   1.0000000] vbus0 at mainbus0
> [   1.0000000] "flashprom" at vbus0 not configured
> [   1.0000000] "random-number-generator" at vbus0 not configured
> [   1.0000000] "dax" at vbus0 not configured
> [   1.0000000] "console" at vbus0 not configured
> [   1.0000000] cbus0 at vbus0
> [   1.0000000] vnet0 at cbus0 chan 0x0: ivec 0x0, 0x1, address 
> 00:14:4f:fb:7c:96
> [   1.0000000] vdsk0 at cbus0 chan 0x1: ivec 0x2, 0x3
> [   1.0000000] scsibus0 at vdsk0: 2 targets, 1 lun per target
> [   1.0000000] vdsk1 at cbus0 chan 0x2: ivec 0x4, 0x5
> [   1.0000000] scsibus1 at vdsk1: 2 targets, 1 lun per target
> [   1.0000000] "pciv-communication" at cbus0 not configured
> [   1.0000000] "virtual-domain-service" at cbus0 not configured
> [   1.0000000] vrtc0 at vbus0
> [   1.0000000] pcons0 at mainbus0
> [   1.0000000] WARNING: system needs entropy for security; see entropy(7)
> [   1.0000076] No counter-timer -- using %stick at 1000MHz as system clock.
> [   1.0003935] sd0 at scsibus0 target 1 lun 0: <SUN, Virtual Disk, 1.1> 
> disk fixed
> [   1.0003935] sd0: fabricating a geometry
> [   1.0003935] sd0: 256 GB, 262144 cyl, 64 head, 32 sec, 512 bytes/sect 
> x 536870912 sectors
> [   1.0003935] sd0: fabricating a geometry
> [   1.0003935] sd1 at scsibus1 target 1 lun 0: <SUN, Virtual Disk, 1.1> 
> disk fixed
> [   1.0003935] sd1: fabricating a geometry
> [   1.0003935] sd1: 20480 KB, 20 cyl, 64 head, 32 sec, 512 bytes/sect x 
> 40960 sectors
> [   1.0003935] sd1: fabricating a geometry
> [   1.0003935] swwdog0: software watchdog initialized
> [   1.0003935] root on sd1a dumps on sd1b
> [   1.0003935] root file system type: ffs
> [   1.0003935] kern.module.path=/stand/sparc64/11.99.9/modules
> erase ^?, werase ^W, kill ^U, intr ^C
>
> You are using a serial console, we do not know your terminal emulation.
> Please select one, typical values are:
>
>          vt100
>          ansi
>          xterm
>
> Terminal type (just hit ENTER for 'vt220'): [   5.1403393] entropy: best 
> effort
>
> Well this looks a lot better.
>
> [   8.3302996] /kern/rootdev: file system not clean (fs_clean=0); please 
> fsck(8)
> initscr: No such file or directory
>
> To return to the installer, quit this shell by typing 'exit' or ^D.
> #


Just a follow up. The terminal interface is nearly unusable.
Just horrible. I think my eyes began to bleed.

Seems the installer wants to push out CTRL chars and strange
things even with a trivial VT100 terminal. Perhaps "dumb" type
terminal will work?  Who knows. Regardless I tried to guess
what was happening and let the install process wreck havok with
the main storage disk and things were working find until :

 The following are the values you entered.

 NS Domain:             bw.genunix.com                   : 

 Host Name:              nyx;27H
 Nameserver:             192.168.2.42 interfaces    │
 Primary Interface:      vnet0
 Media type:             autoselect
 Host IP:                192.168.2.15
 Netmask:                0xffffff00
 IPv4 Gateway:           192.168.2.1
 IPv6 autoconf:
                              ┌─────────────────┐
                              x Are they OK?    │
                              │                 │
                              │[1]   Segmentation fault (core dumped) 
sysinst
                              │ b: No           │
To return to the installer, quit this shell by typing 'exit' or ^D.
#                 [K[20;19H
                             21;27H

                          [K[2;45H──────────────────┘

So there is the sysinst segfault I was told about.

Perhaps the only way forwards is to create a whole disk image elsewhere
and then somehow present that to the LDOM. Far far more work than should
be required at this point. Let's just say that something boots and then
the installer is a horror show and maybe there is a way forwards. Maybe.

--
--
Dennis Clarke
RISC-V/SPARC/PPC/ARM/CISC
UNIX and Linux spoken