I have here a Sparc IPX I am trying to install Debian linux on it. The
installation proceeds (seemgly) correct until the time to make the HD
bootable.
It does not seem to be able to do that:
"SILO wasn't able to install. You'll still be able to boot your system
if you
create a boot floppy, but it won't be able to boot without a floppy."
So, I ask in the debian sparc mailing list for suggestions and am told to
go to the shell while running the installation and do the following:
cd /target
mv etc/silo.conf boot/
ln -s . boot/etc
ln -s . boot/boot
ln -s ../boot/silo.conf etc/silo.conf
cd /
silo -r /target -f
After doing that, I decided to check how things look in my 4.5GB HD:
# df
Filesystem 1k-blocks Used Available Use% Mounted on
/dev/ram0 3524 3151 373 89% /
/dev/sda1 3974908 76032 3696960 2% /target
/dev/sda4 125779 30874 88411 26% /target/var
# cd target
# ls
bin etc lib proc usr
boot floppy lost+found root var
cdrom home mnt sbin vmlinuz
dev initrd opt tmp
# ls -l boot
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 321829 Dec 1 19:08
System.map-2.2.20-sun4cd
m
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 1 Dec 1 19:39 boot -> .
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1024 Aug 15 2002 cd.b
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2982 Dec 1 19:08
config-2.2.20-sun4cdm
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 1 Dec 1 19:39 etc -> .
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1024 Aug 15 2002 fd.b
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 512 Aug 15 2002 first.b
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1024 Aug 15 2002 generic.b
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 784 Aug 15 2002 ieee32.b
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 7680 Dec 1 19:35 old.b
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 59904 Dec 1 19:43 second.b
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2350 Aug 15 2002 silo.conf
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 57512 Aug 15 2002 silotftp.b
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 512 Aug 15 2002 ultra.b
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 890942 Dec 1 19:08
vmlinuz-2.2.20-sun4cdm
#
/vmlinuz (or, currently, /target/vmlinuz) is defined as:
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 27 Dec 1 19:08
vmlinuz -> boot/vmlinuz-2.2.20-sun4cdm
/etc/silo.conf is defined as
# ls -l etc
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2091 Dec 1 19:33 adduser.conf
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 44 Dec 1 19:25 adjtime
[...]
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 17 Dec 1 19:40 silo.conf ->
.../boot/silo.conf
#
Why is Silo complaining it cannot find /etc/silo.conf?
Boot device: /sbus/esp@0,800000/sd@3,0 File and args:
SILO Buggy old PROMs don't allow reading past 1GB from start of the disk.
Send complains to SMCC
Read error on block 360452 (tried 4096, got -1)
Cannot find /etc/silo.conf (Unknown ext2 error)
Couldn't load /etc/silo.conf
No config file loaded, you can boot just from this command line
Type [prompath;]part/path_to_image [parameters] on the prompt
E.g. /iommu/sbus/espdma/esp/sd@3,0;4/vmlinux root=/dev/sda4
or 2/vmlinux.live (to load vmlinux.live from 2nd partition of boot disk)
boot:
--
Mauricio raub-kudria-com
(if you need to email me, use this address =)
If you have provided the same information to the Debian Sparc mailing
list, you would have gotten your answer. You did not provide your
partition layout to the Sparc mailing list.
Anyway, the root of your problem is your "/" partition too big.
That is what SILO is trying to tell you. This is very similar to
the 1024 cylinder in the i386 world. You have 2 options. You need
to make your "/" partition lesser than 1G and it has to be at the
beginning of the disk. Or you can make a small partition "/boot"
at the beginning of your disk.
Once you have done either one of the above. You'll be fine.
Mauricio (uce@ftc.gov) wrote:
: I have here a Sparc IPX I am trying to install Debian linux on it. The
: installation proceeds (seemgly) correct until the time to make the HD
: bootable.
: It does not seem to be able to do that:
: "SILO wasn't able to install. You'll still be able to boot your system
: if you
: create a boot floppy, but it won't be able to boot without a floppy."
: So, I ask in the debian sparc mailing list for suggestions and am told to
: go to the shell while running the installation and do the following:
: cd /target
: mv etc/silo.conf boot/
: ln -s . boot/etc
: ln -s . boot/boot
: ln -s ../boot/silo.conf etc/silo.conf
: cd /
: silo -r /target -f
: After doing that, I decided to check how things look in my 4.5GB HD:
: # df
: Filesystem 1k-blocks Used Available Use% Mounted on
: /dev/ram0 3524 3151 373 89% /
: /dev/sda1 3974908 76032 3696960 2% /target
: /dev/sda4 125779 30874 88411 26% /target/var
[snip]
: Why is Silo complaining it cannot find /etc/silo.conf?
: Boot device: /sbus/esp@0,800000/sd@3,0 File and args:
: SILO Buggy old PROMs don't allow reading past 1GB from start of the disk.
: Send complains to SMCC
: Read error on block 360452 (tried 4096, got -1)
: Cannot find /etc/silo.conf (Unknown ext2 error)
: Couldn't load /etc/silo.conf
: No config file loaded, you can boot just from this command line
: Type [prompath;]part/path_to_image [parameters] on the prompt
: E.g. /iommu/sbus/espdma/esp/sd@3,0;4/vmlinux root=/dev/sda4
: or 2/vmlinux.live (to load vmlinux.live from 2nd partition of boot disk)
: boot:
: --
: Mauricio raub-kudria-com
