PowerPC Installation Guide -- PReP ---------------------------------- Matt Porter v1.1, 15 October 1999 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Abstract -------- This document describes the installation of Debian GNU/Linux on PowerPC PowerPC PReP Systems. Copyright Notice ---------------- This document may be distributed and modified under the terms of the GNU General Public License. (C) Copyright 1999, Matt Porter ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contents -------- 1. Installing Debian GNU/Linux on a PowerPC PReP machine 1.1. Intro 1.2. Setup for Installation 1.3. Debian Installation 1.4. Debian Base System Boot 1.5. Debian Final Installation 1.6. How to Contact ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Installing Debian GNU/Linux on a PowerPC PReP machine -------------------------------------------------------- 1.1. Intro ---------- IBM and Motorola both make or have made PReP architecture machines. At this point, the PReP support has only been tested on Motorola legacy PowerStack(tm) (Blackhawk, Comet, Utah motherboard) systems and the current embedded solutions in the PowerPlus(tm) family. These include the MTX, MTX+, MVME2300(SC)/24xx/26xx/27xx/36xx/46xx, and MCP(N)750. IBM has produced a variety of desktop workstations that are PowerPC PReP compliant. These include the RS/6000 40P, 43P, 830, 850, 860, 6015, and 6030. 1.1.1. Known Problems --------------------- MTX+ (7 PCI slot MTX system) cannot boot this kernel, it hangs on the IDE driver initialization. This is a known problem and will be fixed in an upcoming kernel patch. All Motorola PowerPlus systems have broken IDE support in the kernel. This problem has been identified and fixed. Changes will soon be available as a Debian kernel patch package and will be rolled into the kernel source. 1.1.2. Firmware --------------- Depending on the age and/or maker of your PReP system you will have either PPCBUG (Motorola), Open Firmware (IBM or Motorola), or IBM's PReP firmware. The boot commands are slightly different but all of these systems implement the PReP standard so the same kernel can be booted on all platforms. A complete explanation of firmware commands is out of the scope of this guide, but some information will be provided where necessary. 1.2. Setup for Installation --------------------------- 1.2.1. Installation Options --------------------------- 1.2.1.1. Floppy Based Install ----------------------------- Write the `boot1440.bin', `root1440.bin', `resc1440.bin', `drv14-*.bin', and `base14-*.bin' images to floppy disks. `dd' can be used on a Linux/Unix system or `rawrite' can be used on a DOS/Windows system. 1.2.1.2. Network Based Install ------------------------------ Place `resc1440.bin', `drivers.tgz', and `base2_2.tgz' files into an exported NFS filesystem on your NFS server. It is best to place the files as follows: `/[mountpoint]/debian/[installfiles]' . Place the `boot.bin' file in the tftp directory on your TFTP server. 1.2.2. Console Options ---------------------- On Motorola PPCBUG systems you may boot and install using either VGA console or serial console. PPCBUG and Linux will fall back to serial console mode if no VGA or keyboard is detected. In order to properly view the installation on a serial console, some terminal emulation capabilities are necessary. In order to see the installation in color, it is necessary to have a terminal emulator with support for ANSI color. The standard color xterm included with most Linux distribution is sufficient, as are most terminal programs on Windows (TeraTerm Pro). In order to view the line drawing characters that make the GUI boxes, it is essential that a font containing the IBM extended line art character be used. Under Linux, the "linux8x8" font can be used and under Windows one can select the MSLineDraw font. 1.2.3. Booting the Installation Image ------------------------------------- 1.2.3.1. PPCBUG --------------- Use the `ENV' command and turn on the "Network PReP boot enable" option. Use the `NIOT' command to configure the client, server, and optional gateway IP addr that will be used to tftp the kernel. If it is a brand new board, be sure to `SET ' to start the hwclock or networking and other things will not function. Use the following command to tftpboot an image: NBO 0 0 ,,, boot.bin 1.2.3.2. OpenFirmware --------------------- Use the following command to tftpboot an image: boot net:,, 1.2.3.3. IBM Firmware --------------------- Waiting for someone to write this. 1.3. Debian Installation ------------------------ 1.3.1. Configure the Keyboard ----------------------------- On a serial console, the configure keyboard step is skipped. 1.3.2. Partition the Harddrive ------------------------------ Create a primary partition of 2MB and change its type to PPC PReP boot (type 41). OF PReP machines may have trouble booting if the PPC PReP boot partition is anywhere other than primary partition 1. Although all the Motorola PPCBUG systems can have PPC PReP boot located on any primary partition, it is general practice to make the PPC PReP boot partition on sda1 or hda1. After the PPC PReP boot partition is created, follow the normal Linux conventions for partitioning. At least a root and swap partition should be created and they may be on either primary or logical partitions. 1.3.3. Install Rescue and Driver Disks -------------------------------------- 1.3.3.1. Floppy based install ----------------------------- Installing from floppy is straightforward, insert the rescue and driver disks as you are prompted for them. 1.3.3.2. Network based install ------------------------------ Choose the NFS option and you will be prompted to configure networking. When it prompts for the NFS server to utilize, enter the NFS server and directory that you set up earlier. Choose the defaults for the rest of the questions. 1.3.4. Configure Driver Modules ------------------------------- If there are any modules that are needed in order to complete the installation, they may be selected in this dialog. For PReP systems, all common onboard Ethernet and SCSI devices are built into the kernel so normally this step can be skipped. 1.3.5. Install Base System -------------------------- 1.3.5.1. Floppy Based Install ----------------------------- If a floppy install is selected, simply insert the base disks as requested. 1.3.5.2. Network Based Install ------------------------------ If NFS install is selected, enter the NFS server and directory in which the base system is located and choose the defaults to install the Debian base system. 1.3.6. Configure Base System ---------------------------- Answer prompts. 1.3.7. Make Bootable from Harddrive ----------------------------------- Makes the system bootable from the PPC PReP boot partition that was created earlier. If that partition is missing, an error will be displayed. 1.3.8. Make Boot Floppy ----------------------- Writes a bootable image to a disk in the floppy drive. 1.3.9. Reboot ------------- Choose this to reboot and continue installation. 1.4. Debian Base System Boot ---------------------------- A type 41 PReP boot partition has been configured and the installation program made the system bootable from the hard drive. A firmware boot command can be issued to boot from hard disk. Note: to force the kernel to root from the correct partition, it may be necessary to write to the PReP Global Environment variable, "bootargs". In the case of a Motorola PReP installation which will default to root from sda1 and where the root filesystem is actually on sda2, one must set `bootargs=/dev/sda2' . 1.4.1. PPCBUG ------------- Set the bootargs parameter: PPCBUG>GEVEDIT bootargs PPCBUG>bootargs=root=/dev/sda2 Perform a boot (assumes SCSI disk on controller 0, SCSI ID 0): PPCBUG>PBOOT 0 Perform a boot (assumes SCSI disk on controller 0, SCSI ID x): PPCBUG>PBOOT 0x0 1.4.2. OpenFirmware ------------------- Perform a boot (for installed IDE/SCSI disk aliased to disk0) >boot disk0 Perform a boot (for installed IDE/SCSI disk aliased to hdisk0) >boot hdisk0 1.5. Debian Final Installation ------------------------------ Answer remaining final install questions. 1.5.1. Profile/Tasks -------------------- The profiles/tasks feature is not yet available in this pre-release build. When prompted to start the profile/task selection program, answer no. 1.5.2. Adding Packages ---------------------- After skipping the profile/task selection step, the install program will enter dselect. Choose [A]ccess and select the apt method. Keep the default URI to the master debian site, change the distribution to "unstable", and keep the default sections. Choose [U]pdate to retrieve the latest package list from the Debian master site. Choose [S]elect to individually select the packages you would like installed to your system. Note that it is useful to read the dselect manual because the interface is quite nonintuitive. Choose [I]nstall and all of the selected packages will be installed. You will be required to answer a good number of questions when it goes through the configuration phase. After this completes, you may quit the deslect program and a login prompt will appear. The installation is complete. 1.6. How to Contact ------------------- Please email with any suggestions/complaints/problems with the installation and this documentation to: Matt Porter ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PowerPC Installation Guide -- PReP Matt Porter v1.1, 15 October 1999