Subject: Re: Porting Progress

From: Marcelo Magallon <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 26 Jul 1996 12:11:21 -0600 (CST)

On Thu, 25 Jul 1996, Bruce Perens wrote:

> CALL FOR DEVELOPERS ON DEC ALPHA, 68K, AND INTEL 386 PLATFORMS
> 
> Make your presence known by sending e-mail to the list once you have
> subscribed.

Hi, I guess we're going to see some activity arround :)

I'm insterested in the AXP Debian port. We've got a AXP system: 150 MHz,
32 RAM, #9 Video board, bus mouse, EISA SCSI controller, SCSI floppy, 3
SCSI HD's... 

What I'd really like to know is how to start installing Linux/Debian on
this system. What I've read from Digital is to raw write the system/kernel
to the HD, and start building from there up, but HOW!!!??? Any
suggestions? 

I'd love to dump this Windows NT crap... the machine is running @ 150 MHz,
and it looks like an old 486! I know, I know, "add memory", but that's a
no-no right now. 

-Marcelo <[email-masked]>

---

From: Michael Schwingen <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 29 Jul 1996 18:29:06 +0200 (MET DST)

> 32 RAM, #9 Video board, bus mouse, EISA SCSI controller, SCSI floppy, 3

That sounds like a Jensen - runs nice with 32MB and Linux 2.0.* on it, I am
typing this message on one :-)

> to the HD, and start building from there up, but HOW!!!??? Any

You must have *old* documentation. The Linux/Alpha FAQ can be fount at 

http://www.azstarnet.com/~axplinux/

and describes an alternative method: use minlabel and copyboot from the WNT
ARC console to bootstrap the system, then install from NFS or CD.

If this fails, you need to attach a SCSI disk to a working Linux system
(Alpha or Intel), and use sdisklabel/swriteboot from the aboot-0.2 package
on ftp.azstarnet.com.

Note that you can not install Linux and NT on the *same* disk. And: NT 3.51
will overwrite your Linux bootblock during installation, even on a different
SCSI disk, so be sure to pull the plug if you ever need to re-install NT.

cu
Michael
-- 
Michael Schwingen                       <[email-masked]>
Institut fuer Statistik und Wirtschaftsmathematik, | In the beginning there was
Wuellnerstr. 3, 52056 Aachen                       | nothing, which exploded.