#UNIX Setup .. Help
14 messages in this thread
Anyone,
I am attempting to set up NetBSD on my A3000 and have a question – I am having
trouble getting NetBSD to recognize my Unix partitions on the Harddrive. I am
sure that the partitions have not had their filesystems set up correctly.
HDToolBox
wants a filename to define a new dostype but this is not provided in the
NetBSD distribution. I cannot simply change the dostype in HDToolBox as the
NetBSD "INSTALL" document recommends. The result of all this is when I try to
boot from "loadbsd netbsd" we seem to not recognize the the SCSI device.
Any Ideas Anyone?
Thanks Rick Barrett
Been there, done that, can't remember how I got around it, sorry. Keep working
at it, you'll figure it out. The hints are in the docs somewhere, but I had a
heck of a time figuring it out.
Robb
Thanks for the encouragement… I haven't given up yet!
Rick
Rick,
yeah, setting up the partitions is great fun <blech!>. However, I haven't
encountered the system prompting me for a filename for a new dostype. That
only occurs here if I click on the Add/Update filesystems button itself. What
version of HDToolBox are you using? I'm using 2.22 here which came with
AmigaDOS 2.1.
Brian J. Bartlett
"Build a better mousetrap, you'll catch a better mouse."
Brian, You are, of course, correct. I am only prompted for the filename when I
attempt to add a filesystem, which I now figure is not required (see Dieter's
reply below). I gather that I need only change "identifier" to the values
given in the "INSTALL" document. Still things aren't going well – loadbsd -b
netbsd.a3000-1.0 hangs the machine when we go to look at the SCSI devices.
Thanks, Rick
Rick,
consult the installation docs:-) < HDToolBox wants a filename to define a new
dostype> You _don't_ need a dostype (i.e. AmigaOS filesystem) on NetBSD
partitions when You don't want to access them by AmigaOS. Even that is done by
bffs in the NetBSD distribution. The changes in HDToolbox restrict to:
[Partition Drive], create your partitions /root, swap and /usr, give them _any_
name (the slash is not accepted). For EVERY partition click [advanced options]
and file system [change…]. There seelct [Custom File System], enter the
correct identifier (_this_ is essential!! for NetBSD to recognize the
partition), select NO [Automount], Block Size [512], reserved block **0** at
beginning and end, use NO [custom Boot code]. Double-check the entries. [Save
changes to Drive]. [Exit].(will require a reboot).
The partitions identifiers are listed in the docs. They depend on the Version
You want to install. If You're unsure, here they are:
root 0x4e425207 (in Ascii: NBR\7)
swap 0x4e425301 ( NBS\1)
other (/usr,/local…) 0x4e425507 ( NBU\7)
good luck:-)
Dieter Goettmann jetting on AP1.80
from Karlsruhe, Germany
Dieter, Thanks for your detailed reply to my plea for help. It seems I have
done all that you suggest but the boot (loadbsd -b netbsd.a3000-1.0) hangs when
it looks for SCSI devices. Does anyone think that my NetBSD partitions must be
the only partitions on the drive or that they (the partitions) must be the
first partitions on the drive or that the drive must be configured to the
lowest SCSI address? I will double check all settings again…
Not defeated Yet, Rick
Rick,
<hangs when it looks for SCSI devices> 1. My Boot hangs sometimes also. *Try* a
second one… 2. Maybe it is the scsi controller : *Try* the generic kernel.
I've also problems running code from scsi drives 🙁 on an 2091).
a) But: the controller should be recognized. In bootup, the kernel lists
memory and cards it finds (like System Configuration) and then the
drives "at…bus" with size and name.
Hang ups in this early phase may be from interrupts which are possibly
unknown to NetBSD. Mostly initialized and running gfx- and other
cards. *Try* from the _Amiga_ boot menu
[Booting without Startup-Sequence]. Boot NetBSD from that shell.
b) The docs and FaQs say, there is a synch inhibit bit to reset.
binpatch (ungzipped and untared) should do it. Mine doesn't:-(
The actual name of this bit is "_sbit_inhibit_sync".
<NetBSD partitions> may be *anywhere* on Your different drives (I've tried it
out with my combinations of three…) as long as — /root and swap are on the
same (physical!) drive — the partitions are in the first eight of a drive .
Only those are recognized. I _had_to use my A4000-internal IDE drive. I figured
this out by a trial with two 15MB-small partitions and a minimum system (base10
& etc10 archive). And voila, i could go without problems upto X11 🙂
<I will double check all settings again…> the right path is a very small
one…
Not defeated.
Dieter Goettmann jetting on AP1.80
from Karlsruhe, Germany
Dieter, Well, before reading your last message I went ahead and changed the
addresses of my drives so that the NetBSD partitions had the lowest address
number. This change gets me one step further in the boot process – we now
recognize the SCSI drive but still no partitions. I may shuffle partitions so
that the NetBSD partition is first on the drive. Will try the binpatch route
first though…
Thanks Again, Rick
Rick,
first an Erratum: the correct name of the sync inhibit bit is
_sbic_inhibit_sync
^ When Your drives are
recognized, then Your partitions should be also. On startup, only drives are
listed. As mentioned before, the drives will be recognized by name, interface
type, and physical parameters. At the prompt "#" the "disklabel <drive>"command
shows some more or less interesting stuff and partitions. Btw, You don't
fortuitously use a second hd controller?? Then You should use the generic
kernel. The configure files suggest the a3000 kernel to be a very limited
one…if the generic doesn't fit into Your chipmem, try a lite one.
Nevertheless, with recognized drives You should reach the "/root device?"
prompt. Insert the installation floppy and proceed…
Dieter Goettmann jetting on AP1.80
from Karlsruhe, Germany
Dieter,
Ahhhhh, I have had success! I re-examined the hardware and removed the
terminating resistors from the drive having SCSI address 1 (ooops) and used
binpatch as suggested. Things seemed to move pretty smoothly thereafter.
Still the system seems to boot into UNIX more reliably when I power down before
the UNIX boot. I still have some work to do with "Configure" and the
"tweeking" but I think the worst is over. Incidently I _AM_ using the
NetBSD.generic-1.0 kernal now rather than the a3000 kernal. I have access to
some good UNIX System Administration literature so I am feeling confident that
the rest can be figured out shortly.
Thanks again for all your help,
Rick
Rick,
(small) congratulations! I didn't expect a hardware problem :-). Now, You have
to remove the terminating resistors from _all_ drives except the _last_one_ in
the chain! Regardless of their scsi addresses(!). More, it is recommended ( but
not essential neccessary ) to terminate the cable at the controller side too.
With only internal drives, one-end termination with the controller at the other
end is sufficient. With external drives, You should terminate both. You've had
no problems before ? Ok, the A3000 scsi controller is a very sturdy one. Btw
"Configure" has to complain only about "chown", anything more indicates no
successfull configuration.
not defeated. >:-)
Dieter Goettmann jetting on AP1.80
from Karlsruhe, Germany
Dieter,
I am not sure how much having terminating resistors on both of my (internal)
drives really affected things. Under AmigaDOS I was not having any problems at
all. The most important factor (I think) was the _sbic_inhibit_sync thing. If
I power down the machine I can boot up in Unix very reliably. I am not sure
how to Configure the unknown:hostname:domainname stuff because I haven't really
decided where/how to access Internet (PPP thru Compuserve or SLIP thru portal).
I am experiencing a message that says something like: "warning: logged on as
root with dot in Path". I am still a long ways from being done with "tweeking".
not defeated AND having fun 🙂
Rick
Rick,
just one step further…:-)
<<Configure the unknown:hostname:domainname>> Unless You have one of the 2060,
2065 or Ariadne ethernet cards give Configure a(ny) hostname and just a
domain.name and answer any else network question with _NO_! The subject here is
a _permanent_ network configuration. Otherwise , 'cause it won't find a net
card, You'll get configuration errors. Repeated, the _only_ acceptable error
message from Configure is "chown…."(change owner)!
<<"warning: logged on as root with dot in Path">> Just a warning, common in
single user (system administrator) mode or when launching X11 as root. Didn't
cause any problem yet 🙂 But, when You're in single user mode, You should've
passed Configure 😕
<having> lots of <fun>
Dieter Goettmann jetting on AP1.80
from Karlsruhe, Germany