Installation Guide
January 2000
ECG513/0100, revision 1.2.10
Linux Installation and
Configuration Guide
for AlphaServer DS10,
DS20, DS20E, ES40,
and AlphaStation
Compaq Computer Corporation
Contents:
EXTENDED TABLE OF CONTENTS........ 2
INTRODUCTION....................................... 7
OVERVIEW OF INSTALLATION .............. 8
COMPAQ ALPHASERVER DS10............. 9
COMPAQ ALPHASERVER DS20........... 23
COMPAQ ALPHASERVER DS20E ........ 36
COMPAQ ALPHASERVER ES40........... 49
COMPAQ ALPHASTATION XP1000...... 64
APPENDIX A .......................................... 77
APPENDIX B .......................................... 78
APPENDIX C .......................................... 79
GLOSSARY ............................................ 81
XP1000 Computers
Abstract: The purpose of this guide is to
provide the basic installation and
configuration guidelines for the Linux
operating system on AlphaServer DS10,
DS20, DS20E, ES40 and AlphaStation
XP1000 computers.
This guide limits its testing to two prominent
Linux distributions, Red Hat version 6.0
and SuSE version 6.1 Much of the
information contained in this document
should be applicable to most other Linux
distributions for AlphaServer and
AlphaStation computers too.
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Software Installation........................................................................................................................... 26
Disk Partitioning............................................................................................................................. 26
Post-Installation.................................................................................................................................. 28
System Resource Manager Configuration........................................................................................ 28
SuSE Version 6.1 Distribution.............................................................................................................. 29
Pre-Installation ................................................................................................................................... 29
Creating The BOOT and RAMDISK Floppies................................................................................. 29
Firmware Inspection and Upgrade................................................................................................... 30
System Resource Manager Configuration........................................................................................ 30
Software Installation........................................................................................................................... 32
Disk Partitioning............................................................................................................................. 32
Post-Installation.................................................................................................................................. 34
System Resource Manager Configuration........................................................................................ 34
COMPAQ ALPHASERVER DS20E ...................................................................36
Hardware Options................................................................................................................................ 36
Tested Saleable Hardware Options...................................................................................................... 36
Red Hat Version 6.0 Distribution......................................................................................................... 36
Pre-Installation ................................................................................................................................... 37
Creating The BOOT Floppy............................................................................................................ 37
Firmware Inspection and Upgrade................................................................................................... 38
System Resource Manager Configuration........................................................................................ 38
Software Installation........................................................................................................................... 39
Disk Partitioning............................................................................................................................. 39
Post-Installation.................................................................................................................................. 41
System Resource Manager Configuration........................................................................................ 41
SuSE Version 6.1 Distribution.............................................................................................................. 42
Pre-Installation ................................................................................................................................... 42
Creating The BOOT and RAMDISK Floppies................................................................................. 42
Firmware Inspection and Upgrade................................................................................................... 43
System Resource Manager Configuration........................................................................................ 44
Software Installation........................................................................................................................... 45
Disk Partitioning............................................................................................................................. 45
Post-Installation.................................................................................................................................. 47
System Resource Manager Configuration........................................................................................ 47
COMPAQ ALPHASERVER ES40......................................................................49
Hardware Options................................................................................................................................ 49
Tested Saleable Hardware Options...................................................................................................... 49
Red Hat Version 6.0 Distribution......................................................................................................... 50
Pre-Installation ................................................................................................................................... 50
Creating The BOOT Floppy............................................................................................................ 50
Firmware Inspection and Upgrade................................................................................................... 51
System Resource Manager Configuration........................................................................................ 51
Software Installation........................................................................................................................... 53
Disk Partitioning............................................................................................................................. 53
Post-Installation.................................................................................................................................. 55
System Resource Manager Configuration........................................................................................ 55
SuSE Version 6.1 Distribution.............................................................................................................. 56
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Pre-Installation ................................................................................................................................... 56
Creating The BOOT and RAMDISK Floppies................................................................................. 56
Firmware Inspection and Upgrade................................................................................................... 57
System Resource Manager Configuration........................................................................................ 57
Software Installation........................................................................................................................... 59
Disk Partitioning............................................................................................................................. 60
Post-Installation.................................................................................................................................. 62
System Resource Manager Configuration........................................................................................ 62
COMPAQ ALPHASTATION XP1000.................................................................64
Hardware Options................................................................................................................................ 64
Tested Saleable Hardware Options...................................................................................................... 64
Red Hat Version 6.0 Distribution......................................................................................................... 65
Pre-Installation ................................................................................................................................... 65
Creating The BOOT Floppy............................................................................................................ 65
Firmware Inspection and Upgrade................................................................................................... 66
System Resource Manager Configuration........................................................................................ 66
Software Installation........................................................................................................................... 67
Disk Partitioning............................................................................................................................. 67
Post-Installation.................................................................................................................................. 69
System Resource Manager Configuration........................................................................................ 69
SuSE Version 6.1 Distribution.............................................................................................................. 70
Pre-Installation ................................................................................................................................... 70
Creating The BOOT and RAMDISK Floppies................................................................................. 70
Firmware Inspection and Upgrade................................................................................................... 71
System Resource Manager Configuration........................................................................................ 71
Software Installation........................................................................................................................... 72
Disk Partitioning............................................................................................................................. 73
Post-Installation.................................................................................................................................. 75
System Resource Manager Configuration........................................................................................ 75
APPENDIX A......................................................................................................77
Linux Links........................................................................................................................................... 77
APPENDIX B......................................................................................................78
AlphaServer Configurations ................................................................................................................ 78
Compaq AlphaServer DS10 ................................................................................................................ 78
Compaq AlphaServer DS20 ................................................................................................................ 78
Compaq AlphaServer ES40................................................................................................................. 78
Compaq AlphaStation XP1000............................................................................................................ 78
APPENDIX C......................................................................................................79
SCSI and IDE Configurations.............................................................................................................. 79
SCSI Only.......................................................................................................................................... 79
Mixed - IDE and SCSI........................................................................................................................ 79
Adding a second drive to your system.................................................................................................. 79
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Reusing a previously installed hard drive............................................................................................ 80
TLZ07 and TLZ09 Errata.................................................................................................................... 80
GLOSSARY........................................................................................................81
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Notice
The information in this publication is subject to change without notice and is provided “AS IS” WITHOUT
WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. THE ENTIRE RISK ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF THIS
INFORMATION REMAINS WITH RECIPIENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL COMPAQ BE LIABLE FOR
ANY DIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE OR OTHER DAMAGES
WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS
PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION OR LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION), EVEN IF
COMPAQ HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
The limited warranties for Compaq products are exclusively set forth in the documentation accompanying
such products. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting a further or additional warranty.
This publication does not constitute an endorsement of the product or products that were tested. The
configuration or configurations tested or described may or may not be the only available solution. This test
is not a determination of product quality or correctness, nor does it ensure compliance with any federal,
state or local requirements.
Compaq, ActiveAnswers, Deskpro, Fastart, Compaq Insight Manager, Systempro, Systempro/LT, ProLiant,
ROMPaq, QVision, SmartStart, NetFlex, QuickFind, PaqFax and Prosignia are registered with the United
States Patent and Trademark Office.
Netelligent, Systempro/XL, SoftPaq, QuickBlank, QuickLock are trademarks and/or service marks of
Compaq Computer Corporation.
Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds
Alpha, AlphaStation and AlphaServer are registered trademarks of Compaq Computer Corporation.
Other product names mentioned herein may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective
companies.
©1999 Compaq Computer Corporation. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
Installation and Configuration Guide for Linux and Apache Web Server on Intel
Installation Guide prepared by Internet and E-Commerce Business Unit
Third Edition (January 2000)
Document Number ECG513/0100
Special thanks to Anthony Ronghi and Norberto Collado for their time and effort in creating the
original Linux document on which this is largely based on.
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Introduction
The purpose of this guide is to discuss the basics of installation and configuration of the Linux
operating system on the Compaq AlphaServer DS10, DS20, DS20E, ES40 and AlphaStation
XP1000 computers. Numerous references to external sources and materials are used in this guide,
and Compaq recommends that you refer to these sources where additional detail is needed. You
can find an extensive list of these in Appendix A of this document.
Management Summary
Each distribution vendor includes operating system and application management tools that form a
common base across one or more distributions. Red Hat’s Package Management (RPM) format,
for instance, is a commonly used software distribution mechanism. Other tools, such as each
vendor’s setup program, are specific to a particular distribution. This guide does not provide
discussion of the Operating System Management (OSM). For detailed information on the OSM,
you should refer to the particular distribution vendor.
Document Structure
The structure of this document is intended to be convenient for users to follow when installing
Linux software on the AlphaServer and AlphaStation computers. There is a major section
dedicated to each platform, with subsections, which discuss hardware options, software
distributions, and software installation procedures. At the end of the document readers will find
an extensive list of external sources of information and a glossary of terms.
Distributions Overview
The discussion in this document focuses on the following two Linux distributions:
·
·
Red Hat Software, Inc., version 6.0 only
SuSE, Inc., version 6.1 only
All of these distributions include large amounts of software that can run in conjunction with
Linux. This guide will not analyze the available software by distribution nor give a comparison of
the software from one distribution to another. The focus of the guide is exclusively on the base
Linux operating system and the process required configuring and installing the software.
Red Hat
Red Hat is one of the most popular distributions of Linux in the United States. It is created by
Red Hat Software, Inc. and is available through its website located at http://www.Red Hat.com.
The distribution used in the creation of this document was 6.0. This document does not
accurately reflect proceedures and requirements for any other Red Hat software version!
SuSE
SuSE is one of the most popular distributions of Linux in Europe and is gaining in popularity in
the United States. It is maintained by SuSE, Inc. and is available through its website located at
document does not accurately reflect proceedures and requirements for any other SuSE
software version!
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Overview of Installation
The process of installing Linux on your Compaq AlphaServer or AlphaStation follows these
general steps:
1. Creation of BOOT and RAMDISK floppies.
2. Firmware revision inspection and upgrade.
3. SRM configuration for installation.
4. Linux software installation and configuration.
5. SRM reconfiguration for booting the installed software.
6. Post installation configuration.
The sections that follow discuss each of the above steps in more detail, specific to each platform
and distribution vendor.
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Compaq AlphaServer DS10
Hardware Options
Tested Saleable Hardware Options
Tested saleable hardware options for the DS10 is outlined in Table 1. All of the systems used
come equipped with standard bus-interface devices for which drivers already exist for Linux. All
bus-interface devices detailed use the PCI bus. Detailed information on each particular bus-
interface device can be founds in a subsection of the appropriate software. Only the installation
and configuration details that are necessary to clarify the hardware explanation are provided in
this table. Unless otherwise specified, the Linux kernel version used in qualifying each
component is version 2.2.5.
Table 1. Tested Saleable Options List
Compaq PN
Description
Comments
3X-MS310-BA
3X-MS310-CA
3X-MS310-DA
DE500-BA
DS10 128MB Memory Option
DS10 256MB Memory Option
DS10 512MB Memory Option
PCI 1 CH 10/100 Ethernet
Red Hat - Use DE4*5 or Tulip driver
Red Hat - Use DE4*5 or Tulip driver
DE504-BA
PCI 4 CH 10/100 Ethernet
DS-RZ1DA-VW
DS-RZ1DD-WA
DS-RZ1DD-VW
DS-RZ2DA-WA
3X-RE56A-AA
DS-RZ1EA-VW
DS-RZ1ED-VW
DS-RZ2EA-WA
DS-RZ1FB-VW
9.1 GB UltraSCSI 7200RPM
9.1 GB UltraSCSI 10000 RPM
9.1 GB UltraSCSI 10000 RPM
9.1 GB UltraSCSI 7200 RPM
10 GB IDE, 10000 RPM
18.2 GB UltraSCSI 7200 RPM
18.2 GB UltraSCSI 10000 RPM
18.2GB UltraSCSI 7200 RPM
36.4 GB UltraSCSI 7200 RPM
KZPCM-DA
KZPBA-CA
KZPBA-CB
PBXGK-BB
3X-AVH10-01
UltraSCSI, 2 CH, SE, 1 CH 10/100
Ethernet
Need the 2.2.12 kernel from ftp site to perform install.
UltraSCSI, 1 CH, SE
UltraSCSI, 1CH, Diff.
Elsa Gloria 8MB
Must be installed in slots 15 or 16 if not using 2.2.12
kernel
Must be installed in slots 15 or 16 if not using 2.2.12
kernel
use XF86_3Dlabs; Must be installed in slot 14 or 15 on
bus 00
Ensonic Sound Adapter
Needs 2.2.12 kernel to work.
For up-to-date information about configuration options, you should refer to the following web
sites, which are updated regularly with the latest information:
For Alpha Systems QuickSpecs:
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For Alpha Systems Supported Options List:
Red Hat Version 6.0 Distribution
Pre-Installation
Creating The BOOT Floppy
Before you can begin to install the Linux software on your AlphaServer or AlphaStation, you will
need to create a BOOT floppy. This floppy contains the information required to initiate the
installation of Linux. The process varies depending upon what software distribution you are
using.
An important note: Our experience has shown that the vendor supplied floppy images sometimes
do not work properly. You are therefore encouraged to create your own BOOT floppy using the
images available over the Internet, as described in the sections that follow.
Creating floppies using a MS/Windows system
To create the BOOT floppy, you will need to make use of a PC, which has Internet access. The
instructions below detail the process:
1. Create a directory on the PC into which you will copy files for Linux, for example \Linux.
containing the boot floppy image files.
3. Copy the generic-up.2.2.12.img file to your PC.
4. Rename the file to generic.img (DOS has an 8.3 file name limitation)
5. Insert the Linux CD-ROM into the PC.
6. Copy the file "\dosutils\rawrite.exe" from the CD-ROM to the \Linux directory on the PC.
7. Insert a blank, formatted floppy into the PC.
8. Run the following command from the DOS command shell:
C:\Linux> rawrite
Enter source file name: generic.img
Enter destination drive: a
Label this floppy "AlphaServer Linux BOOT Floppy".
With this floppy in hand, you are now prepared to begin the installation process on your
AlphaServer or AlphaStation.
Creating floppies using an Unix system
To create the BOOT floppy, you will need to make use of a computer, which has Internet access.
The instructions below detail the process. Note that depending upon what version of unix and
vendor computer you are using to perform this process, some minor variations in the process may
be required. The exact commands shown here are for Digital Unix, and should be similar to most
other popular unix systems.
1. Copy the generic kernel images from the Internet to your computer:
$ mkdir /var/tmp/Linux
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$ cd /var/tmp/Linux
$ ftp ftp.digital.com
login: ftp
Password: user@
ftp> bin
ftp> cd /pub/DEC/Linux-Alpha/Images/
ftp> get generic-up-2.2.12.img
ftp> quit
2. Insert a blank, formatted floppy into the computer, and copy the BOOT kernel to it:
$ dd if=generic-up-2.2.12.img of=/dev/fd0
With this floppy in hand, you are now prepared to begin the installation process on your
AlphaServer or AlphaStation.
Firmware Inspection and Upgrade
After powering up your AlphaServer or AlphaStation computer, type the command "show
version". Check that the version string printed is "V5.4-2 May 19 1999 14:25:16" or newer, and
that the first letter of the version string is a "V". If this is not the case, you should upgrade your
firmware. Instructions on how to do this can be found at
http://ftp.digital.com/pub/Digital/Alpha/firmware/ along with the latest firmware images.
System Resource Manager Configuration
There are several pieces of information that you need to configure in the SRM subsystem, as well
as device identifiers that you should make note of, prior to beginning the installation process. The
steps that follow take you through that process.
1. Power up your system. After several diagnostics are completed, you will be presented an
SRM prompt ">>>", as shown here:
1024 Meg of system memory
probing hose 0, PCI
probing PCI-to-ISA bridge, bus 1
probing PCI-to-PCI bridge, bus 2
probing PCI-to-PCI bridge, bus 3
bus 0, slot 9 -- ewa -- DE500-BA Network Controller
bus 0, slot 11 -- ewb -- DE500-BA Network Controller
bus 0, slot 13 -- dqa -- Acer Labs M1543C IDE
bus 0, slot 13 -- dqb -- Acer Labs M1543C IDE
bus 0, slot 14 -- vga -- ELSA GLoria Synergy
bus 2, slot 4 -- eia -- Intel 82558 Ethernet
bus 2, slot 5 -- eib -- Intel 82558 Ethernet
bus 2, slot 6 -- eic -- Intel 82558 Ethernet
bus 2, slot 7 -- eid -- Intel 82558 Ethernet
bus 3, slot 0 -- pka -- NCR 53C875
bus 3, slot 1 -- pkb -- NCR 53C875
bus 3, slot 2 -- ewc -- DE500-AA Network Controller
System Temperature is 31 degrees C
AlphaServer DS 10 466 MHz Console V5.4-2, May 19 1999 14:25:16
>>>
2. Determine what devices your system has installed. In particular you will need to note your
installation device (a floppy and/or CD-ROM), and your target disk drive. Entering the
command "show devices" as shown below will print out the information about your system:
>>>show device
dka0.0.0.3000.0
DKA0
RZ1CF-CF 1614
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dka100.1.0.3000.0
dka200.2.0.3000.0
dka300.3.0.3000.0
dqa0.0.0.13.0
DKA100
DKA200
DKA300
DQA0
RZ1CF-CF 1614
COMPAQ BB00911CA0 3B05
COMPAQ BB00911CA0 3B05
TOSHIBA CD-ROM XM-6302B 1017
dva0.0.0.0.0
DVA0
eia0.0.0.2004.0
eib0.0.0.2005.0
eic0.0.0.2006.0
eid0.0.0.2007.0
ewa0.0.0.9.0
EIA0
EIB0
EIC0
EID0
EWA0
EWB0
EWC0
PKA0
00-50-8B-6F-62-AA
00-50-8B-6F-62-AB
00-50-8B-6F-38-84
00-50-8B-6F-38-85
08-00-2B-86-1F-64
08-00-2B-86-1F-63
00-06-2B-00-0A-5C
SCSI Bus ID 7
ewb0.0.0.11.0
ewc0.0.0.3002.0
pka0.7.0.3000.0
pkb0.7.0.3001.0
PKB0
SCSI Bus ID 7
In the output above, the first line shows that DKA0 is a hard disk, DQA0 is a CD-ROM, and
DVA0 is a floppy drive.
Also useful for inspecting the computer configuration is the "show config" command, as
shown here:
>>>show config | more
3. Configure the system SRM parameters to boot from your installation device. A table
providing cross-referenced device names is located in Appendix C, for your convenience.
Example commands for configuring to boot from the floppy device are shown here:
>>>set bootdef_dev dva0
>>>set boot_file vmlinux.gz
>>>set boot_osflags "root=/dev/hda"
>>>show boot*
boot_dev
boot_file
dva0.0.0.0.0
vmlinux.gz
root=/dev/hda
OFF
boot_osflags
boot_reset
bootdef_dev
booted_dev
booted_file
booted_osflags
dva0.0.0.0.0
4. Insert the boot floppy into the drive.
5. Boot the system using the "boot" command. The result should be that the system boots from
the floppy.
If during this process you encounter a problem, such as due to a typographic error in the setting of
the SRM parameters, you will probably be stopped with an "aboot>" prompt. The best way to
deal with this situation is to reset the system using the reset button on the front panel. Then using
the SRM commands, correct the mistake, and repeat the "boot" process.
Software Installation
The Red Hat version used in the testing for this guide has a simple installation program. Most of
the devices available with the AlphaServers can be correctly autodetected by Red Hat. Testing for
this Solutions Guide was performed using Red Hat Linux version 6.0.
During the boot process, you may see messages about "IDE STO" errors. These can be safely
ignored.
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When configuring "Timezones", do not select "Hardware clock set to GMT", nor "Startup
through ARC console". Instead select "EST" for the timezone, or the value that is appropriate for
your location.
Disk Partitioning
The process of partitioning your boot disk for Linux on your AlphaServer can be somewhat
involved. This section provides an example of how perform the partitioning process using fdisk.
Note, the partition recommendations used in steps 14-27 are based on a RZ1DD-AA disk
geometry. If your disk has a different geometry you will need to use different starting/ending
cylinder numbers for each partition. The correct starting/ending cylinder numbers can be
computed by using these size recommendations and the number of bytes/cylinder for the disk that
you are using (this figure is reported by fdisk). The disk used for this example is a 4.3GB drive
(DS-RZ1CF) which fdisk shows as having 1023 cylinders:
4 partitions:
#
size offset
fstype [fsize bsize cpg]
a:
16368
0
boot
ext2
swap
ext2
# (Cyl.
# (Cyl.
# (Cyl. 29 - 550)
# (Cyl. 551 - 1023)
1 - 2)
3 - 28)
b: 212784
c: 4272048 229152
d: 3871032 4501200
16368
We strongly recommend the following multi-partition layout:
A boot partition – A boot partition is used to reserved the first 2 cylinders (1-2) to write the
bootloader in order to boot the disk from SRM.
A root partition – The root partition is where the / (root directory) resides. Always starts at
cylinder 3. We recommend creating a root partition of 300Mb minimum and 900Mb maximum.
A swap partition – A swap partition is used to support virtual memory. We commend creating a
swap partition of 2 times the computer RAM.
A /usr partition – The /usr partition is where the software of the system resides. This partition
should use all of the space left on the hard drive.
To perform the partitioning operation on the disk, when prompted, follow these steps:
1. Arrow to the drive you will be installing the software to and press the ENTER key. You will
now be in the fdisk command line
2. Type “m” for help.
3. Type “p” to print the partition table.
4. If there is partition information already configured for the disk, you will need to delete it
using the “d” option. Please be sure that you want to zero out this drive. All data will be lost
on the drive doing this.
5. Type “b” to edit the BSD disklabel.
6. If you completed the last step correctly, you should see the following: “/tmp/sda contains no
disklabel. Do you want to create a disklabel? (y/n)” – Answer Y.
7. Type “m” for more help.
8. Type “p” to print the partition table. You should see a “c” partition that takes up the whole
disk. This will have to be removed to install Linux correctly
9. Type “d” to delete a BSD partition
10. Type “c” to delete the c partition
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11. Type “p” to print the partition table and verify no partitions exist
12. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the boot partition in this case
13. Type “a” for partition a.
14. First cylinder:
15. Last cylinder:
Type “1”.
Type “2”.
16. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the / (root) partition in this case.
17. Type “b” for partition b.
18. First cylinder:
19. Last cylinder:
Type “3”.
Type “28”.
20. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the swap partition in this case.
21. Type “c” for partition c.
22. First cylinder:
23. Last cylinder:
Type “29”.
Type “550”.
24. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the /usr partition in this case.
25. Type “d” for partition d.
26. First cylinder:
Type “551”.
27. Last cylinder:
Type “1023” ; last cylinder - one. Do NOT accept the program
generated default of "1024" here, because of possible disk corruption.
28. Type “p” to print the partition table. You should notice that the fstype is set to unused for
each of the partitions. This will have to be changed via “toggle” – see next step.
29. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
30. Type “a” for partition a – boot partitions use a “boot” code.
31. Type “L” to list the codes you can use.
32. Enter “d” for boot type.
33. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
34. Type “b” for partition b – / (root) partitions use a “ext2” code.
35. Enter “8” for ext2 type.
36. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
37. Type “c” for partition c – swap partitions use a “swap” code.
38. Enter “1” for swap type.
39. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
40. Type “d” for partition d – /usr partitions use a “ext2” code.
41. Enter “8” for ext2 type.
42. Type “p” to print the partition table – Please verify all your settings.
43. Type “w” to write the disklabel to the disk.
44. Type “q” to quit.
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45. Tab to DONE and press ENTER.
For further information on creating partitions please refer to the Installation Guide provided by
the software distribution vendor.
Post-Installation
System Resource Manager Configuration
After the software has been loaded to the disk, the system will attempt to reboot. Before it begins
the bootup process, press the front panel reset button. This will stop the bootup process, and
allow you to make the final configuration changes to be able to boot directly from the disk,
instead of the floppy or CD-ROM. You should now be at the SRM prompt, ">>>". Enter the
following commands to finalize the configuration.
You need to enter these commands, such that the drive reference on the second line needs to refer
to the drive which you installed to:
>>>set boot_file 2/boot/vmlinux.gz
>>>set bootdef_dev dka0
(or whatever device you installed on. It could also be dqa0 for an
IDE drive. See Appendix C for further information on systems with
IDE controllers.)
>>>set boot_osflags "root=/dev/sda2"
>>>boot dva0 -fi vmlinux.gz
Note - When the system boots, you may see a series of warnings similar to the following:
system.map - incorrect version
This warning indicates that the kernel version that you installed (i.e. the latest version that you
copied from Compaq's ftp site) was not built at the same time as the rest of the kernel. This will
not impact your use of Linux in any way. This warning can be eliminated by installing the kernel
sources, all currently recommended patches and rebuilding the kernel.
Once the system is up, login and do the following:
1. Type: swriteboot –f1 /dev/TdZ /boot/bootlx(where T is the type of drive, s
for SCSI or h for IDE; and Z is the letter of the drive you are booting; ex: dqa0=hda,
dka0=sda).
2. Mount the floppy disk to copy the kernel from the floppy to the /boot/ directory on the system
disk. Type: mount /dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy
3. Now go to the /boot directory. Type: cd /boot
4. Copy the kernel. Type: cp /mnt/floppy/vmlinux.gz .
5. Unmount the floppy. Type: umount /dev/fd0
6. Reboot the system. Type: shutdown -h now
The system may or may not hang here. This is a known issue and is being worked on. Please
reset or power cycled the system to continue with installation.
At the SRM prompt, you can now boot directly from the hard drive.
>>>boot
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SuSE Version 6.1 Distribution
Pre-Installation
Creating The BOOT and RAMDISK Floppies
Before you can begin to install the Linux software on your AlphaServer, you will need to create a
BOOT floppy and RAMDISK. These floppies contain the information required to initiate the
installation of Linux. The process varies depending upon what software distribution you are
using.
Creating floppies using a MS/Windows system
To create the BOOT and RAMDISK floppies, you will need to make use of a PC, which has
Internet access. The instructions below detail the process:
1. Create a directory on the PC into which you will copy files for Linux, for example \Linux.
2. Insert the Linux CD-ROM into the PC.
the PC. This utility is required to build the floppies.
Alpha/Images/ to the \Linux directory on the PC and rename the file to aboot.
5. Copy the file "\disks\install" from the CD-ROM to the \Linux directory on the PC.
6. Insert a blank, formatted floppy into the PC.
7. Run the following command from the DOS command shell:
C:\Linux> rawrite
Enter source file name: aboot
Enter destination drive: a
Label this floppy "AlphaServer Linux BOOT Floppy".
8. Run the following command from the DOS command shell:
C:\Linux> rawrite
Enter source file name: install
Enter destination drive: a
9. Label this floppy "AlphaServer Linux RAMDISK Floppy".
With those two floppies in hand, you are now prepared to begin the installation process on your
AlphaServer.
Creating floppies using an UNIX system
To create the BOOT and RAMDISK floppies, you will need to make use of a computer, which
has Internet access. The instructions below detail the process. Note that depending upon what
version of unix and vendor computer you are using to perform this process, some minor
variations in the process may be required. The exact commands shown here are for Digital UNIX,
and should be similar to most other popular UNIX systems.
1. Insert the Linux CD-ROM into the computer, and mount it:
$ mount /cdrom
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2. Insert a blank, formatted floppy into the computer, and copy the BOOT kernel to it:
$ dd if=/cdrom/disks/aboot of=/dev/fd0
3. Insert a blank, formatted floppy into the computer, and copy the RAMDISK to it:
$ dd if=/cdrom/disks/install of=/dev/fd0
With those two floppies in hand, and the CD-ROM removed from the computer, you are now
prepared to begin the installation process on your AlphaServer.
Firmware Inspection and Upgrade
After powering up your AlphaServer computer, type the command "show version". Check that
the version string printed is "V5.4-2 May 19 1999 14:25:16" or newer, and that the first letter of
the version string is a "V". If this is not the case, you should upgrade your firmware. Instructions
the latest firmware images.
System Resource Manager Configuration
There are several pieces of information that you need to configure in the SRM subsystem, as well
as device identifiers that you should make note of, prior to beginning the installation process. The
steps that follow take you through that process.
1. Power up your system. After several diagnostics are completed, you will be presented an
SRM prompt ">>>", as shown here:
1024 Meg of system memory
probing hose 0, PCI
probing PCI-to-ISA bridge, bus 1
probing PCI-to-PCI bridge, bus 2
probing PCI-to-PCI bridge, bus 3
bus 0, slot 9 -- ewa -- DE500-BA Network Controller
bus 0, slot 11 -- ewb -- DE500-BA Network Controller
bus 0, slot 13 -- dqa -- Acer Labs M1543C IDE
bus 0, slot 13 -- dqb -- Acer Labs M1543C IDE
bus 0, slot 14 -- vga -- ELSA GLoria Synergy
bus 2, slot 4 -- eia -- Intel 82558 Ethernet
bus 2, slot 5 -- eib -- Intel 82558 Ethernet
bus 2, slot 6 -- eic -- Intel 82558 Ethernet
bus 2, slot 7 -- eid -- Intel 82558 Ethernet
bus 3, slot 0 -- pka -- NCR 53C875
bus 3, slot 1 -- pkb -- NCR 53C875
bus 3, slot 2 -- ewc -- DE500-AA Network Controller
System Temperature is 31 degrees C
AlphaServer DS 10 466 MHz Console V5.4-2, May 19 1999 14:25:16
>>>
2. Determine what devices your system has installed. In particular you will need to note your
installation device (a floppy and/or CD-ROM), and your target disk drive. Entering the
command "show devices" as shown below will print out the information about your system:
>>>show device
dka0.0.0.3000.0
dka100.1.0.3000.0
dka200.2.0.3000.0
dka300.3.0.3000.0
dqa0.0.0.13.0
DKA0
RZ1CF-CF 1614
RZ1CF-CF 1614
COMPAQ BB00911CA0 3B05
COMPAQ BB00911CA0 3B05
TOSHIBA CD-ROM XM-6302B 1017
DKA100
DKA200
DKA300
DQA0
dva0.0.0.0.0
DVA0
EIA0
EIB0
EIC0
eia0.0.0.2004.0
eib0.0.0.2005.0
eic0.0.0.2006.0
00-50-8B-6F-62-AA
00-50-8B-6F-62-AB
00-50-8B-6F-38-84
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eid0.0.0.2007.0
ewa0.0.0.9.0
ewb0.0.0.11.0
ewc0.0.0.3002.0
pka0.7.0.3000.0
pkb0.7.0.3001.0
EID0
EWA0
EWB0
EWC0
PKA0
PKB0
00-50-8B-6F-38-85
08-00-2B-86-1F-64
08-00-2B-86-1F-63
00-06-2B-00-0A-5C
SCSI Bus ID 7
SCSI Bus ID 7
In the output above, the first line shows that DKA0 is a hard disk, DQA0 is a CD-ROM, and
DVA0 is a floppy drive.
Also useful for inspecting the computer configuration is the "show config" command, as
shown here:
>>>show config | more
3. Configure the system SRM parameters to boot from your installation device. A table
providing cross referenced device names is located in Appendix C, for your convenience.
Example commands for configuring to boot from the floppy device are shown here:
>>>set bootdef_dev dva0
>>>set boot_file vmlinux.gz
>>>set boot_osflags "root=/dev/fd0 load_ramdisk=1"
>>>show boot*
boot_dev
boot_file
dva0.0.0.0.0
vmlinux.gz
boot_osflags
boot_reset
bootdef_dev
booted_dev
booted_file
booted_osflags
root=/dev/fd0 load_ramdisk=1
OFF
dva0.0.0.0.0
4. Insert the boot floppy into the drive.
5. Boot the system using the "boot" command. The result should be that the system boots from
the floppy. You will eventually be prompted to replace the BOOT floppy with the RAMDISK
floppy.
If during this process you encounter a problem, such as due to a typographic error in the setting of
the SRM parameters, you will probably be stopped with an "aboot>" prompt. The best way to
deal with this situation is to reset the system using the reset button on the front panel. Then using
the SRM commands, correct the mistake, and repeat the "boot" process.
Software Installation
SuSE’s installation program is flexible. While it allows for autodetection of devices and autoload
of device drivers, it allows you to override the automatically configured parameters. Compaq’s
testing this Solutions Guide was performed using SuSE Version 6.1.
The software installation process requires that the system be rebooted at two critical places in the
process. The first time is just after completing the partitioning of the disk, and the second happens
automatically after all of the software components are installed on the disk. Be certain not to skip
the reboot after the disk partition process is completed.
Disk Partitioning
In preparation to partition your disk, you should boot your AlphaServer via the BOOT floppy and
following the process for selecting a language, display color, keyboard type, and installation
media. At this stage, you should select the "Install From Scratch" menu option, and proceed to the
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window titled "Partition Hard Drives". At this point, press the ALT+F2 keys, which will change
the display to show a shell-command prompt. At this prompt, type the command "fdisk" followed
by the enter key.
The process of partitioning your boot disk for Linux on your AlphaServer can be somewhat
involved. This section provides an example of how perform the partitioning process using fdisk.
Note, the partition recommendations used in steps 14-27 are based on a RZ1DD-AA disk
geometry. If your disk has a different geometry you will need to use different starting/ending
cylinder numbers for each partition. The correct starting/ending cylinder numbers can be
computed by using these size recommendations and the number of bytes/cylinder for the disk that
you are using (this figure is reported by fdisk). The disk used for this example is a 4.3GB drive
(DS-RZ1CF) which fdisk shows as having 1023 cylinders:
4 partitions:
#
size offset
fstype [fsize bsize cpg]
a:
16368
0
boot
ext2
swap
ext2
# (Cyl.
# (Cyl.
# (Cyl. 29 - 550)
# (Cyl. 551 - 1023)
1 - 2)
3 - 28)
b: 212784
c: 4272048 229152
d: 3871032 4501200
16368
We strongly recommend the following multi-partition layout:
A boot partition – A boot partition is used to reserved the first 2 cylinders (1-2) to write the
bootloader in order to boot the disk from SRM.
A root partition – The root partition is where the / (root directory) resides. Always starts at
cylinder 3. We recommend creating a root partition of 300Mb minimum and 900Mb maximum.
A swap partition – A swap partition is used to support virtual memory. We commend creating a
swap partition of 2 times the computer RAM.
A /usr partition – The /usr partition is where the software of the system resides. This partition
should use all of the space left on the hard drive.
To perform the partitioning operation on the disk, when prompted, follow these steps:
1. Now you are at the fdisk command line
2. Type “m” for help.
3. Type “p” to print the partition table.
4. If there is partition information already configured for the disk, you will need to delete it
using the “d” option. Please be sure that you want to zero out this drive. All data will be lost
on the drive doing this.
5. Type “b” to edit the BSD disklabel.
6. If you completed the last step correctly, you should see the following: “/tmp/sda contains no
disklabel. Do you want to create a disklabel? (y/n)” – Answer Y.
7. Type “m” for more help.
8. Type “p” to print the partition table. You should see a “c” partition that takes up the whole
disk. This will have to be removed to install Linux correctly
9. Type “d” to delete a BSD partition
10. Type “c” to delete the c partition
11. Type “p” to print the partition table and verify no partitions exist
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12. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the boot partition in this case
13. Type “a” for partition a.
14. First cylinder:
15. Last cylinder:
Type “1”.
Type “2”.
16. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the / (root) partition in this case.
17. Type “b” for partition b.
18. First cylinder:
19. Last cylinder:
Type “3”.
Type “28”.
20. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the swap partition in this case.
21. Type “c” for partition c.
22. First cylinder:
23. Last cylinder:
Type “29”.
Type “550”.
24. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the /usr partition in this case.
25. Type “d” for partition d.
26. First cylinder:
Type “551”.
27. Last cylinder:
Type “1023” ; last cylinder - one. Do NOT accept the program
generated default of "1024" here, because of possible disk corruption.
28. Type “p” to print the partition table. You should notice that the fstype is set to unused for
each of the partitions. This will have to be changed via “toggle” – see next step.
29. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
30. Type “a” for partition a – boot partitions use a “boot” code.
31. Type “L” to list the codes you can use.
32. Enter “d” for boot type.
33. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
34. Type “b” for partition b – / (root) partitions use a “ext2” code.
35. Enter “8” for ext2 type.
36. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
37. Type “c” for partition c – swap partitions use a “swap” code.
38. Enter “1” for swap type.
39. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
40. Type “d” for partition d – /usr partitions use a “ext2” code.
41. Enter “8” for ext2 type.
42. Type “p” to print the partition table – Please verify all your settings.
43. Type “w” to write the disklabel to the disk.
44. Type “q” to quit.
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For further information on creating partitions please refer to the Installation Guide provided by
the software distribution vendor.
At this point, the partitions have been created, and the system must be rebooted. You can reboot
by either pressing the RESET or POWER buttons on the front of the AlphaServer system. Once
the system returns to the SRM prompt, follow the preceeding instructions to return to the
"Partition Hard Drives" window. Select the "Do Not Partition" option at this screen.
You will now be presented a window that allows you to select and format the disk for the
software to be installed, entitled "Creating Filesystems". You should use the F4 key to define the
mount point of "/" for sda2 and “/usr” for sda4. Use the F6 key to select the "Normal" formatting
of the drive for both partitions. Once those steps are complete, press enter to continue.
When the window "Change/Create Configuration" is presented we recommend that you make
certain to select the "aboot" package from the "a: Linux Base System" group, and the "xglint"
package from the "xsrv: X Server Software" group. Ensure that you depress the F10 key after
each selection to add it to the installation. If you forget to select these packages, you will not be
able to boot directly from the hard drive, nor be able to run the X Window System software. Once
these are selected, and you have selected any other software options that you require, begin the
installation. If you encounter a message indicating that the xglint software depends upon other
packages, select "Continue", which will ignore that situation.
Post-Installation
System Resource Manager Configuration
After the software has been loaded to the disk, the system will attempt to reboot. Before it begins
the bootup process, press the front panel reset button. This will stop the bootup process, and allow
you to make the final configuration changes to be able to boot directly from the disk, instead of
the floppy or CD-ROM. You should now be at the SRM prompt, ">>>". Enter the following
commands to finalize the configuration.
You need to enter these commands, such that the drive reference on the second line needs to refer
to the drive which you installed to:
>>>set boot_file 2/boot/vmlinux.gz
>>>set bootdef_dev dka0
>>>set boot_osflags "root=/dev/sda2"
>>>boot dva0 -fi vmlinux.gz
Note - When the system boots, you may see a series of warnings similar to the following:
system.map - incorrect version
This warning indicates that the kernel version that you installed (i.e. the latest version that you
copied from Compaq's ftp site) was not built at the same time as the rest of the kernel. This will
not impact your use of Linux in any way. This warning can be eliminated by installing the kernel
sources, all currently recommended patches and rebuilding the kernel.
Once the system is up, login and do the following:
1. Type:
swriteboot –f1 /dev/TdZ /boot/bootlx (where T is the type of
drive, s for SCSI or h for IDE; and Z is the letter of the drive you are booting; ex: dka0=sda,
dqa0=hda)
2. Type: mkswap /dev/TdZW (where T is the type of drive, s for SCSI or h for IDE; Z is the
letter of the drive you are booting; ex: dka0=sda, dqa0=hda); and W is the swap partition
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number (I.e. mkswap /dev/sda3 or mkswap /dev/hda3.) This is required to work around a
problem of the swap.
3. Mount the floppy disk to copy the kernel from the floppy to the /boot/ directory on the system
disk. Type: mount /dev/fd0 /floppy
4. Now go to the /boot directory. Type: cd /boot
5. Copy the kernel. Type: cp /floppy/vmlinux.gz .
6. Unmount the floppy. Type: umount /dev/fd0
7. Type:
shutdown -h now
The system may or may not hang here. This is a known issue and is being worked on. Please
reset or power cycled the system to continue with installation.
At the SRM prompt, you can now boot directly from the hard drive:
>>>boot
The system should now boot and prompt you to login. Upon logging in, you will probably want
to configure the X Window System. To do so, login as the user "root", and then run the command
"xf86config". Following the prompts answering the questions appropriately for your system. In
most cases, you will need to select "3Dlabs Oxygen GMX" as the graphics adapter, which is
usually configured with 8192K bytes of memory. Once this process is completed, you should be
able to run the command "startx" to make use of the graphical interface.
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Compaq AlphaServer DS20
Hardware Options
Tested Saleable Hardware Options
Tested saleable hardware options for the DS20 is outlined in Table 1. All of the systems used
come equipped with standard bus-interface devices for which drivers already exist for Linux. All
bus-interface devices detailed use the PCI bus. Detailed information on each particular bus-
interface device can be founds in a subsection of the appropriate software. Only the installation
and configuration details that are necessary to clarify the hardware explanation are provided in
this table. Unless otherwise specified, the Linux kernel version used in qualifying each
component is version 2.2.5.
Table 2. Tested Saleable Options List
Compaq PN
Description
Comments
H7899-AA
DS20 Power Supply
3X-KN310-AD
MS340-BA
MS340-CA
MS340-DA
MS340-EA
DE500-BA
DE504-BA
RZ1DA-VW
RZ1DD-VW
RZ1EA-VW
RZ1ED-VW
KZPCM-DA
DS20 6/500 SMP UPG Linux only
DS20 128MB Memory Option
DS20 256MB Memory Option
DS20 512MB Memory Option
DS20 1GB Memory Option
PCI 1 CH 10/100 Ethernet
Red Hat - Use DE4*5 or Tulip driver
Red Hat - Use DE4*5 or Tulip driver
PCI 4 CH 10/100 Ethernet
9.1 GB UltraSCSI 7200RPM
9.1 GB UltraSCSI 10000 RPM
18.2 GB UltraSCSI 7200 RPM
18.2 GB UltraSCSI 10000 RPM
UltraSCSI, 2 CH, SE, 1 CH 10/100
Ethernet
Need the 2.2.12 kernel from ftp site to perform install.
KZPBA-CA
KZPBA-CB
PBXGK-BB
UltraSCSI, 1 CH, SE
UltraSCSI, 1CH, Diff.
Elsa Gloria 8MB
use XF86_3DLabs
For up-to-date information about configuration options, you should refer to the following web
sites, which are updated regularly with the latest information:
For Alpha Systems QuickSpecs:
For Alpha Systems Supported Options List:
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Red Hat Version 6.0 Distribution
Pre-Installation
Creating The BOOT Floppy
Before you can begin to install the Linux software on your AlphaServer or AlphaStation, you will
need to create a BOOT floppy. This floppy contains the information required to initiate the
installation of Linux. The process varies depending upon what software distribution you are
using.
An important note: Our experience has shown that the vendor supplied floppy images sometimes
do not work properly. You are therefore encouraged to create your own BOOT floppy using the
images available over the Internet, as described in the sections that follow.
Creating floppies using a MS/Windows system
To create the BOOT floppy, you will need to make use of a PC, which has Internet access. The
instructions below detail the process:
1. Create a directory on the PC into which you will copy files for Linux, for example \Linux.
containing the boot floppy image files.
3. Copy the generic-smp-2.2.12.img file to your PC.
4. Rename the file to generic.img (DOS has an 8.3 file name limitation)
5. Insert the Linux CD-ROM into the PC.
6. Copy the file "\dosutils\rawrite.exe" from the CD-ROM to the \Linux directory on the PC.
7. Insert a blank, formatted floppy into the PC.
8. Run the following command from the DOS command shell:
C:\Linux> rawrite
Enter source file name: generic.img
Enter destination drive: a
Label this floppy "AlphaServer Linux BOOT Floppy".
With this floppy in hand, you are now prepared to begin the installation process on your
AlphaServer or AlphaStation.
Creating floppies using an Unix system
To create the BOOT floppy, you will need to make use of a computer, which has Internet access.
The instructions below detail the process. Note that depending upon what version of unix and
vendor computer you are using to perform this process, some minor variations in the process may
be required. The exact commands shown here are for Digital Unix, and should be similar to most
other popular unix systems.
1. Copy the generic kernel images from the Internet to your computer:
$ mkdir /var/tmp/Linux
$ cd /var/tmp/Linux
$ ftp ftp.digital.com
login: ftp
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Password: user@
ftp> bin
ftp> cd /pub/DEC/Linux-Alpha/Images/
ftp> get generic-smp-2.2.12.img
ftp> quit
2. Insert a blank, formatted floppy into the computer, and copy the BOOT kernel to it:
$ dd if=generic-smp-2.2.12.img of=/dev/fd0
With this floppy in hand, you are now prepared to begin the installation process on your
AlphaServer or AlphaStation.
Firmware Inspection and Upgrade
After powering up your AlphaServer or AlphaStation computer, type the command "show
version". Check that the version string printed is "V5.4-2 May 19 1999 14:25:16" or newer, and
that the first letter of the version string is a "V". If this is not the case, you should upgrade your
firmware. Instructions on how to do this can be found at
http://ftp.digital.com/pub/Digital/Alpha/firmware/ along with the latest firmware images.
System Resource Manager Configuration
There are several pieces of information that you need to configure in the SRM subsystem, as well
as device identifiers that you should make note of, prior to beginning the installation process. The
steps that follow take you through that process.
1. Power up your system. After several diagnostics are completed, you will be presented an
SRM prompt "P00>>>", as shown here:
1024 Meg of system memory
probing hose 1, PCI
bus 0, slot 7 -- ewa -- DE500-AA Network Controller
bus 0, slot 8 -- pka -- QLogic ISP1020
probing hose 0, PCI
probing PCI-to-ISA bridge, bus 1
bus 0, slot 5, function 1 -- dqa -- Cypress 82C693 IDE
bus 0, slot 5, function 2 -- dqb -- Cypress 82C693 IDE
bus 0, slot 8 -- pkb -- QLogic ISP1020
bus 0, slot 9 -- vga -- ELSA GLoria Synergy
System Temperature is 24 degrees C
initializing GCT/FRU at offset 1d0000
AlphaServer DS 20 Console V5.4-2, May 19 1999 14:25:16
P00>>>
2. Determine what devices your system has installed. In particular you will need to note your
installation device (a floppy and/or CD-ROM), and your target disk drive. Entering the
command "show devices" as shown below will print out the information about your system:
P00>>>show device
dka0.0.0.8.1
dkb500.5.0.8.0
dva0.0.0.0.0
ewa0.0.0.7.1
pka0.7.0.8.1
pkb0.7.0.8.0
DKA0
DKB500
DVA0
EWA0
PKA0
PKB0
RZ1DF-CB 0371
RRD46 1337
00-00-F8-10-AE-C5
SCSI Bus ID 7 5.57
SCSI Bus ID 7 5.57
In the output above, the first line shows that DKA0 is a hard disk, DKB500 is a CD-ROM,
and DVA0 is a floppy drive.
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Also useful for inspecting the computer configuration is the "show config" command, as
shown here:
P00>>>show config | more
3. Configure the system SRM parameters to boot from your installation device. A table
providing cross-referenced device names is located in Appendix C, for your convenience.
Example commands for configuring to boot from the floppy device are shown here:
P00>>>set bootdef_dev dva0
P00>>>set boot_file vmlinux.gz
P00>>>set boot_osflags "root=/dev/scd0"
P00>>>show boot*
boot_dev
boot_file
dva0.0.0.0.0
vmlinux.gz
root=/dev/scd0
OFF
boot_osflags
boot_reset
bootdef_dev
booted_dev
booted_file
booted_osflags
dva0.0.0.0.0
4. Insert the boot floppy into the drive.
5. Boot the system using the "boot" command. The result should be that the system boots from
the floppy.
If during this process you encounter a problem, such as due to a typographic error in the setting of
the SRM parameters, you will probably be stopped with an "aboot>" prompt. The best way to
deal with this situation is to reset the system using the reset button on the front panel. Then using
the SRM commands, correct the mistake, and repeat the "boot" process.
Software Installation
The Red Hat version used in the testing for this guide has a simple installation program. Most of
the devices available with the AlphaServers can be correctly autodetected by Red Hat. Testing for
this Solutions Guide was performed using Red Hat Linux version 6.0.
During the boot process, you may see messages about "IDE STO" errors. These can be safely
ignored.
When configuring "Timezones", do not select "Hardware clock set to GMT", nor "Startup
through ARC console". Instead select "EST" for the timezone, or the value that is appropriate for
your location.
Disk Partitioning
The process of partitioning your boot disk for Linux on your AlphaServer can be somewhat
involved. This section provides an example of how perform the partitioning process using fdisk.
Note, the partition recommendations used in steps 14-27 are based on a RZ1DD-AA disk
geometry. If your disk has a different geometry you will need to use different starting/ending
cylinder numbers for each partition. The correct starting/ending cylinder numbers can be
computed by using these size recommendations and the number of bytes/cylinder for the disk that
you are using (this figure is reported by fdisk). The disk used for this example is a 4.3GB drive
(DS-RZ1CF) which fdisk shows as having 1023 cylinders:
4 partitions:
#
size offset
fstype [fsize bsize cpg]
a:
16368
0
boot
ext2
# (Cyl.
# (Cyl.
1 - 2)
3 - 28)
b: 212784
16368
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c: 4272048 229152
d: 3871032 4501200
swap
ext2
# (Cyl. 29 - 550)
# (Cyl. 551 - 1023)
We strongly recommend the following multi-partition layout:
A boot partition – A boot partition is used to reserved the first 2 cylinders (1-2) to write the
bootloader in order to boot the disk from SRM.
A root partition – The root partition is where the / (root directory) resides. Always starts at
cylinder 3. We recommend creating a root partition of 300Mb minimum and 900Mb maximum.
A swap partition – A swap partition is used to support virtual memory. We commend creating a
swap partition of 2 times the computer RAM.
A /usr partition – The /usr partition is where the software of the system resides. This partition
should use all of the space left on the hard drive.
To perform the partitioning operation on the disk, when prompted, follow these steps:
1. Arrow to the drive you will be installing the software to and press the ENTER key. You will
now be in the fdisk command line
2. Type “m” for help.
3. Type “p” to print the partition table.
4. If there is partition information already configured for the disk, you will need to delete it
using the “d” option. Please be sure that you want to zero out this drive. All data will be lost
on the drive doing this.
5. Type “b” to edit the BSD disklabel.
6. If you completed the last step correctly, you should see the following: “/tmp/sda contains no
disklabel. Do you want to create a disklabel? (y/n)” – Answer Y.
7. Type “m” for more help.
8. Type “p” to print the partition table. You should see a “c” partition that takes up the whole
disk. This will have to be removed to install Linux correctly
9. Type “d” to delete a BSD partition
10. Type “c” to delete the c partition
11. Type “p” to print the partition table and verify no partitions exist
12. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the boot partition in this case
13. Type “a” for partition a.
14. First cylinder:
15. Last cylinder:
Type “1”.
Type “2”.
16. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the / (root) partition in this case.
17. Type “b” for partition b.
18. First cylinder:
19. Last cylinder:
Type “3”.
Type “28”.
20. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the swap partition in this case.
21. Type “c” for partition c.
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22. First cylinder:
23. Last cylinder:
Type “29”.
Type “550”.
24. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the /usr partition in this case.
25. Type “d” for partition d.
26. First cylinder:
Type “551”.
27. Last cylinder:
Type “1023” ; last cylinder - one. Do NOT accept the program
generated default of "1024" here, because of possible disk corruption.
28. Type “p” to print the partition table. You should notice that the fstype is set to unused for
each of the partitions. This will have to be changed via “toggle” – see next step.
29. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
30. Type “a” for partition a – boot partitions use a “boot” code.
31. Type “L” to list the codes you can use.
32. Enter “d” for boot type.
33. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
34. Type “b” for partition b – / (root) partitions use a “ext2” code.
35. Enter “8” for ext2 type.
36. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
37. Type “c” for partition c – swap partitions use a “swap” code.
38. Enter “1” for swap type.
39. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
40. Type “d” for partition d – /usr partitions use a “ext2” code.
41. Enter “8” for ext2 type.
42. Type “p” to print the partition table – Please verify all your settings.
43. Type “w” to write the disklabel to the disk.
44. Type “q” to quit.
45. Tab to DONE and press ENTER.
For further information on creating partitions please refer to the Installation Guide provided by
the software distribution vendor.
Post-Installation
System Resource Manager Configuration
After the software has been loaded to the disk, the system will attempt to reboot. Before it begins
the bootup process, press the front panel reset button. This will stop the bootup process, and
allow you to make the final configuration changes to be able to boot directly from the disk,
instead of the floppy or CD-ROM. You should now be at the SRM prompt, "P00>>>". Enter the
following commands to finalize the configuration.
You need to enter these commands, such that the drive reference on the second line needs to refer
to the drive which you installed to:
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P00>>>set boot_file 2/boot/vmlinux.gz
P00>>>set bootdef_dev dka0
P00>>>set boot_osflags "root=/dev/sda2"
P00>>>boot dva0 -fi vmlinux.gz
Note - When the system boots, you may see a series of warnings similar to the following:
system.map - incorrect version
This warning indicates that the kernel version that you installed (i.e. the latest version that you
copied from Compaq's ftp site) was not built at the same time as the rest of the kernel. This will
not impact your use of Linux in any way. This warning can be eliminated by installing the kernel
sources, all currently recommended patches and rebuilding the kernel.
Once the system is up, login and do the following:
1. Type: swriteboot –f1 /dev/sdZ /boot/bootlx(where Z is the letter of the
drive you are booting; ex: dka0=sda, dka100=sdb).
2. Mount the floppy disk to copy the kernel from the floppy to the /boot/ directory on the system
disk. Type: mount /dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy
3. Now go to the /boot directory. Type: cd /boot
4. Copy the kernel. Type: cp /mnt/floppy/vmlinux.gz .
5. Unmount the floppy. Type: umount /dev/fd0
6. Reboot the system. Type: shutdown -h now
The system may or may not hang here. This is a known issue and is being worked on. Please
reset or power cycled the system to continue with installation.
At the SRM prompt, you can now boot directly from the hard drive:
P00>>>boot
SuSE Version 6.1 Distribution
Pre-Installation
Creating The BOOT and RAMDISK Floppies
Before you can begin to install the Linux software on your AlphaServer, you will need to create a
BOOT floppy and RAMDISK. These floppies contain the information required to initiate the
installation of Linux. The process varies depending upon what software distribution you are
using.
Creating floppies using a MS/Windows system
To create the BOOT and RAMDISK floppies, you will need to make use of a PC, which has
Internet access. The instructions below detail the process:
1. Create a directory on the PC into which you will copy files for Linux, for example \Linux.
2. Insert the Linux CD-ROM into the PC.
the PC. This utility is required to build the floppies.
Alpha/Images/ to the \Linux directory on the PC and rename the file to aboot.
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4. Copy the file "\disks\install" from the CD-ROM to the \Linux directory on the PC.
5. Insert a blank, formatted floppy into the PC.
6. Run the following command from the DOS command shell:
C:\Linux> rawrite
Enter source file name: aboot
Enter destination drive: a
Label this floppy "AlphaServer Linux BOOT Floppy".
7. Run the following command from the DOS command shell:
C:\Linux> rawrite
Enter source file name: install
Enter destination drive: a
8. Label this floppy "AlphaServer Linux RAMDISK Floppy".
With those two floppies in hand, you are now prepared to begin the installation process on your
AlphaServer.
Creating floppies using an UNIX system
To create the BOOT and RAMDISK floppies, you will need to make use of a computer, which
has Internet access. The instructions below detail the process. Note that depending upon what
version of unix and vendor computer you are using to perform this process, some minor
variations in the process may be required. The exact commands shown here are for Digital UNIX,
and should be similar to most other popular UNIX systems.
1. Insert the Linux CD-ROM into the computer, and mount it:
$ mount /cdrom
2. Insert a blank, formatted floppy into the computer, and copy the BOOT kernel to it:
$ dd if=/cdrom/disks/aboot of=/dev/fd0
3. Insert a blank, formatted floppy into the computer, and copy the RAMDISK to it:
$ dd if=/cdrom/disks/install of=/dev/fd0
With those two floppies in hand, and the CD-ROM removed from the computer, you are now
prepared to begin the installation process on your AlphaServer.
Firmware Inspection and Upgrade
After powering up your AlphaServer computer, type the command "show version". Check that
the version string printed is "V5.4-2 May 19 1999 14:25:16" or newer, and that the first letter of
the version string is a "V". If this is not the case, you should upgrade your firmware. Instructions
the latest firmware images.
System Resource Manager Configuration
There are several pieces of information that you need to configure in the SRM subsystem, as well
as device identifiers that you should make note of, prior to beginning the installation process. The
steps that follow take you through that process.
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Power up your system. After several diagnostics are completed, you will be presented an SRM
prompt "P00>>>", as shown here:
1024 Meg of system memory
probing hose 1, PCI
bus 0, slot 7 -- ewa -- DE500-AA Network Controller
bus 0, slot 8 -- pka -- QLogic ISP1020
probing hose 0, PCI
probing PCI-to-ISA bridge, bus 1
bus 0, slot 5, function 1 -- dqa -- Cypress 82C693 IDE
bus 0, slot 5, function 2 -- dqb -- Cypress 82C693 IDE
bus 0, slot 8 -- pkb -- QLogic ISP1020
bus 0, slot 9 -- vga -- ELSA GLoria Synergy
System Temperature is 24 degrees C
initializing GCT/FRU at offset 1d0000
AlphaServer DS 20 Console V5.4-2, May 19 1999 14:25:16
P00>>>
Determine what devices your system has installed. In particular you will need to note your
installation device (a floppy and/or CD-ROM), and your target disk drive. Entering the command
"show devices" as shown below will print out the information about your system:
P00>>>show device
dka0.0.0.8.1
dkb500.5.0.8.0
dva0.0.0.0.0
ewa0.0.0.7.1
pka0.7.0.8.1
pkb0.7.0.8.0
DKA0
DKB500
DVA0
EWA0
PKA0
PKB0
RZ1DF-CB 0371
RRD46 1337
00-00-F8-10-AE-C5
SCSI Bus ID 7 5.57
SCSI Bus ID 7 5.57
In the output above, the first line shows that DKA0 is a hard disk, DKB500 is a CD-ROM, and
DVA0 is a floppy drive.
Also useful for inspecting the computer configuration is the "show config" command, as shown
here:
P00>>>show config | more
Configure the system SRM parameters to boot from your installation device. The commands for
configuring to boot from the floppy device are shown here:
P00>>>set bootdef_dev dva0
P00>>>set boot_file vmlinux.gz
P00>>>set boot_osflags "root=/dev/fd0 load_ramdisk=1"
P00>>>show boot*
boot_dev
boot_file
dva0.0.0.0.0
vmlinux.gz
boot_osflags
boot_reset
bootdef_dev
booted_dev
booted_file
booted_osflags
root=/dev/fd0 load_ramdisk=1
OFF
dva0.0.0.0.0
Insert the boot floppy into the drive.
Boot the system using the "boot" command. The result should be that the system boots from the
floppy. You will eventually be prompted to replace the BOOT floppy with the RAMDISK floppy.
If during this process you encounter a problem, such as due to a typographic error in the setting of
the SRM parameters, you will probably be stopped with an "aboot>" prompt. The best way to
deal with this situation is to reset the system using the reset button on the front panel. Then using
the SRM commands, correct the mistake, and repeat the "boot" process.
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Software Installation
SuSE’s installation program is flexible. While it allows for autodetection of devices and autoload
of device drivers, it allows you to override the automatically configured parameters. Compaq’s
testing this Solutions Guide was performed using SuSE Version 6.1.
The software installation process requires that the system be rebooted at two critical places in the
process. The first time is just after completing the partitioning of the disk, and the second happens
automatically after all of the software components are installed on the disk. Be certain not to skip
the reboot after the disk partition process is completed.
Disk Partitioning
In preparation to partition your disk, you should boot your AlphaServer via the BOOT floppy and
following the process for selecting a language, display color, keyboard type, and installation
media. At this stage, you should select the "Install From Scratch" menu option, and proceed to the
window titled "Partition Hard Drives". At this point, press the ALT+F2 keys, which will change
the display to show a shell-command prompt. At this prompt, type the command "fdisk" followed
by the enter key.
The process of partitioning your boot disk for Linux on your AlphaServer can be somewhat
involved. This section provides an example of how perform the partitioning process using fdisk.
Note, the partition recommendations used in steps 14-27 are based on a RZ1DD-AA disk
geometry. If your disk has a different geometry you will need to use different starting/ending
cylinder numbers for each partition. The correct starting/ending cylinder numbers can be
computed by using these size recommendations and the number of bytes/cylinder for the disk that
you are using (this figure is reported by fdisk). The disk used for this example is a 4.3GB drive
(DS-RZ1CF) which fdisk shows as having 1023 cylinders:
4 partitions:
#
size offset
fstype [fsize bsize cpg]
a:
16368
0
boot
ext2
swap
ext2
# (Cyl.
# (Cyl.
# (Cyl. 29 - 550)
# (Cyl. 551 - 1023)
1 - 2)
3 - 28)
b: 212784
c: 4272048 229152
d: 3871032 4501200
16368
We strongly recommend the following multi-partition layout:
A boot partition – A boot partition is used to reserved the first 2 cylinders (1-2) to write the
bootloader in order to boot the disk from SRM.
A root partition – The root partition is where the / (root directory) resides. Always starts at
cylinder 3. We recommend creating a root partition of 300Mb minimum and 900Mb maximum.
A swap partition – A swap partition is used to support virtual memory. We commend creating a
swap partition of 2 times the computer RAM.
A /usr partition – The /usr partition is where the software of the system resides. This partition
should use all of the space left on the hard drive.
To perform the partitioning operation on the disk, when prompted, follow these steps:
1. Now you are at the fdisk command line
2. Type “m” for help.
3. Type “p” to print the partition table.
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4. If there is partition information already configured for the disk, you will need to delete it
using the “d” option. Please be sure that you want to zero out this drive. All data will be lost
on the drive doing this.
5. Type “b” to edit the BSD disklabel.
6. If you completed the last step correctly, you should see the following: “/tmp/sda contains no
disklabel. Do you want to create a disklabel? (y/n)” – Answer Y.
7. Type “m” for more help.
8. Type “p” to print the partition table. You should see a “c” partition that takes up the whole
disk. This will have to be removed to install Linux correctly
9. Type “d” to delete a BSD partition
10. Type “c” to delete the c partition
11. Type “p” to print the partition table and verify no partitions exist
12. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the boot partition in this case
13. Type “a” for partition a.
14. First cylinder:
15. Last cylinder:
Type “1”.
Type “2”.
16. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the / (root) partition in this case.
17. Type “b” for partition b.
18. First cylinder:
19. Last cylinder:
Type “3”.
Type “28”.
20. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the swap partition in this case.
21. Type “c” for partition c.
22. First cylinder:
23. Last cylinder:
Type “29”.
Type “550”.
24. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the /usr partition in this case.
25. Type “d” for partition d.
26. First cylinder:
Type “551”.
27. Last cylinder:
Type “1023” ; last cylinder - one. Do NOT accept the program
generated default of "1024" here, because of possible disk corruption.
28. Type “p” to print the partition table. You should notice that the fstype is set to unused for
each of the partitions. This will have to be changed via “toggle” – see next step.
29. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
30. Type “a” for partition a – boot partitions use a “boot” code.
31. Type “L” to list the codes you can use.
32. Enter “d” for boot type.
33. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
34. Type “b” for partition b – / (root) partitions use a “ext2” code.
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35. Enter “8” for ext2 type.
36. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
37. Type “c” for partition c – swap partitions use a “swap” code.
38. Enter “1” for swap type.
39. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
40. Type “d” for partition d – /usr partitions use a “ext2” code.
41. Enter “8” for ext2 type.
42. Type “p” to print the partition table – Please verify all your settings.
43. Type “w” to write the disklabel to the disk.
44. Type “q” to quit.
For further information on creating partitions please refer to the Installation Guide provided by
the software distribution vendor.
At this point, the partitions have been created, and the system must be rebooted. You can reboot
by either pressing the RESET or POWER buttons on the front of the AlphaServer system. Once
the system returns to the SRM prompt, follow the preceeding instructions to return to the
"Partition Hard Drives" window. Select the "Do Not Partition" option at this screen.
You will now be presented a window that allows you to select and format the disk for the
software to be installed, entitled "Creating Filesystems". You should use the F4 key to define the
mount point of "/" for sda2 and “/usr” for sda4. Use the F6 key to select the "Normal" formatting
of the drive for both partitions. Once those steps are complete, press enter to continue.
When the window "Change/Create Configuration" is presented we recommend that you make
certain to select the "aboot" package from the "a: Linux Base System" group, and the "xglint"
package from the "xsrv: X Server Software" group. Ensure that you depress the F10 key after
each selection to add it to the installation. If you forget to select these packages, you will not be
able to boot directly from the hard drive, nor be able to run the X Window System software. Once
these are selected, and you have selected any other software options that you require, begin the
installation. If you encounter a message indicating that the xglint software depends upon other
packages, select "Continue", which will ignore that situation.
Post-Installation
System Resource Manager Configuration
After the software has been loaded to the disk, the system will attempt to reboot. Before it begins
the bootup process, press the front panel reset button. This will stop the bootup process, and allow
you to make the final configuration changes to be able to boot directly from the disk, instead of
the floppy or CD-ROM. You should now be at the SRM prompt, "P00>>>". Enter the following
commands to finalize the configuration.
You need to enter these commands, such that the drive reference on the second line needs to refer
to the drive which you installed to:
P00>>>set boot_file 2/boot/vmlinux.gz
P00>>>set bootdef_dev dka0
P00>>>set boot_osflags "root=/dev/sda2"
P00>>>boot dva0 -fi vmlinux.gz
Note - When the system boots, you may see a series of warnings similar to the following:
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system.map - incorrect version
This warning indicates that the kernel version that you installed (i.e. the latest version that you
copied from Compaq's ftp site) was not built at the same time as the rest of the kernel. This will
not impact your use of Linux in any way. This warning can be eliminated by installing the kernel
sources, all currently recommended patches and rebuilding the kernel.
Once the system is up, login and do the following:
1. Type swriteboot –f1 /dev/TdZ /boot/bootlx(where T is the type of drive, s
for SCSI or h for IDE; and Z is the letter of the drive you are booting; ex: dka0=sda,
dqa0=hda)
2. Type: mkswap /dev/TdZW (where T is the type of drive, s for SCSI or h for IDE; Z is the
letter of the drive you are booting; ex: dka0=sda, dqa0=hda); and W is the swap partition
number (I.e. mkswap /dev/sda3 or mkswap /dev/hda3.) This is required to work around a
problem of the swap.
3. Mount the floppy disk to copy the kernel from the floppy to the /boot/ directory on the system
disk. Type: mount /dev/fd0 /floppy
4. Now go to the /boot directory. Type: cd /boot
5. Copy the kernel. Type: cp /floppy/vmlinux.gz .
6. Unmount the floppy. Type: umount /dev/fd0
7. Type shutdown –h now
The system may or may not hang here. This is a known issue and is being worked on. Please
reset or power cycled the system to continue with installation.
At the SRM prompt, you can now boot directly from the hard drive:
P00>>>boot
The system should now boot and prompt you to login. Upon logging in, you will probably want
to configure the X Window System. To do so, login as the user "root", and then run the command
"xf86config". Following the prompts answering the questions appropriately for your system. In
most cases, you will need to select "3Dlabs Oxygen GMX" as the graphics adapter, which is
usually configured with 8192K bytes of memory. Once this process is completed, you should be
able to run the command "startx" to make use of the graphical interface.
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Compaq AlphaServer DS20E
Hardware Options
Tested Saleable Hardware Options
Tested saleable hardware options for the DS20E is outlined in Table 1. All of the systems used
come equipped with standard bus-interface devices for which drivers already exist for Linux. All
bus-interface devices detailed use the PCI bus. Detailed information on each particular bus-
interface device can be founds in a subsection of the appropriate software. Only the installation
and configuration details that are necessary to clarify the hardware explanation are provided in
this table. Unless otherwise specified, the Linux kernel version used in qualifying each
component is version 2.2.5.
Table 3. Tested Saleable Options List
Compaq PN
Description
Comments
H7899-AA
DS20E Power Supply
3X-KN310-AD
MS340-BA
MS340-CA
MS340-DA
MS340-EA
DE500-BA
DE504-BA
RZ1DA-VW
RZ1DD-VW
RZ1EA-VW
RZ1ED-VW
KZPCM-DA
DS20E 6/500 SMP UPG Linux only
DS20E 128MB Memory Option
DS20E 256MB Memory Option
DS20E 512MB Memory Option
DS20E 1GB Memory Option
PCI 1 CH 10/100 Ethernet
Red Hat - Use DE4*5 or Tulip driver
Red Hat - Use DE4*5 or Tulip driver
PCI 4 CH 10/100 Ethernet
9.1 GB UltraSCSI 7200RPM
9.1 GB UltraSCSI 10000 RPM
18.2 GB UltraSCSI 7200 RPM
18.2 GB UltraSCSI 10000 RPM
UltraSCSI, 2 CH, SE, 1 CH 10/100
Ethernet
Need the 2.2.12 kernel from ftp site to perform install.
KZPBA-CA
KZPBA-CB
PBXGK-BB
UltraSCSI, 1 CH, SE
UltraSCSI, 1CH, Diff.
Elsa Gloria 8MB
Use XF86_3DLabs
For up-to-date information about configuration options, you should refer to the following web
sites, which are updated regularly with the latest information:
For Alpha Systems QuickSpecs:
For Alpha Systems Supported Options List:
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Red Hat Version 6.0 Distribution
Pre-Installation
Creating The BOOT Floppy
Before you can begin to install the Linux software on your AlphaServer or AlphaStation, you will
need to create a BOOT floppy. This floppy contains the information required to initiate the
installation of Linux. The process varies depending upon what software distribution you are
using.
An important note: Our experience has shown that the vendor supplied floppy images sometimes
do not work properly. You are therefore encouraged to create your own BOOT floppy using the
images available over the Internet, as described in the sections that follow.
Creating floppies using a MS/Windows system
To create the BOOT floppy, you will need to make use of a PC, which has Internet access. The
instructions below detail the process:
1. Create a directory on the PC into which you will copy files for Linux, for example \Linux.
containing the boot floppy image files.
3. Copy the generic-smp-2.2.12.img file to your PC.
4. Rename the file to generic.img (DOS has an 8.3 file name limitation)
5. Insert the Linux CD-ROM into the PC.
6. Copy the file "\dosutils\rawrite.exe" from the CD-ROM to the \Linux directory on the PC.
7. Insert a blank, formatted floppy into the PC.
8. Run the following command from the DOS command shell:
C:\Linux> rawrite
Enter source file name: generic.img
Enter destination drive: a
Label this floppy "AlphaServer Linux BOOT Floppy".
With this floppy in hand, you are now prepared to begin the installation process on your
AlphaServer or AlphaStation.
Creating floppies using an Unix system
To create the BOOT floppy, you will need to make use of a computer, which has Internet access.
The instructions below detail the process. Note that depending upon what version of UNIX and
vendor computer you are using to perform this process, some minor variations in the process may
be required. The exact commands shown here are for Digital UNIX, and should be similar to
most other popular UNIX systems.
1. Copy the generic kernel images from the Internet to your computer:
$ mkdir /var/tmp/Linux
$ cd /var/tmp/Linux
$ ftp ftp.digital.com
login: ftp
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Password: user@
ftp> bin
ftp> cd /pub/DEC/Linux-Alpha/Images/
ftp> get generic-smp-2.2.12.img
ftp> quit
2. Insert a blank, formatted floppy into the computer, and copy the BOOT kernel to it:
$ dd if=generic-smp-2.2.12.img of=/dev/fd0
With this floppy in hand, you are now prepared to begin the installation process on your
AlphaServer or AlphaStation.
Firmware Inspection and Upgrade
After powering up your AlphaServer or AlphaStation computer, type the command "show
version". Check that the version string printed is "V5.4-2 May 19 1999 14:25:16" or newer, and
that the first letter of the version string is a "V". If this is not the case, you should upgrade your
firmware. Instructions on how to do this can be found at
http://ftp.digital.com/pub/Digital/Alpha/firmware/ along with the latest firmware images.
System Resource Manager Configuration
There are several pieces of information that you need to configure in the SRM subsystem, as well
as device identifiers that you should make note of, prior to beginning the installation process. The
steps that follow take you through that process.
1. Power up your system. After several diagnostics are completed, you will be presented an
SRM prompt "P00>>>", as shown here:
256 Meg of system memory
probing hose 1, PCI
bus 0, slot 9 -- ewa -- DE500-AA Network Controller
probing hose 0, PCI
probing PCI-to-ISA bridge, bus 1
bus 0, slot 5, function 1 -- dqa -- Cypress 82C693 IDE
bus 0, slot 5, function 2 -- dqb -- Cypress 82C693 IDE
bus 0, slot 6, function 0 -- pka -- Adaptec AIC-7895
bus 0, slot 6, function 1 -- pkb -- Adaptec AIC-7895
bus 0, slot 7 -- vga -- ELSA GLoria Synergy
os_type: UNIX - console CIPCA driver not started
System Temperature is 30 degrees C
initializing GCT/FRU at 1ec000
COMPAQ AlphaServer DS20E 500 MHz Console V5.5-21, Oct 18 1999 13:33:24
P00>>>
2. Determine what devices your system has installed. In particular you will need to note your
installation device (a floppy and/or CD-ROM), and your target disk drive. Entering the
command "show devices" as shown below will print out the information about your system:
P00>>>show device
dka0.0.0.6.0
dka100.1.0.6.0
dka200.2.0.6.0
dqa0.0.0.105.0
dva0.0.0.0.0
ewa0.0.0.9.1
pka0.7.0.6.0
pkb0.7.0.106.0
DKA0
COMPAQ BA03611C9B 3B05
COMPAQ BB01811C9C 3B05
COMPAQ BB01811C9C 3B05
CD-224E 9.5B
DKA100
DKA200
DQA0
DVA0
EWA0
PKA0
PKB0
00-00-F8-01-F5-DA
SCSI Bus ID 7
SCSI Bus ID 7
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In the output above, the first line shows that DKA0 is a hard disk, DQA0 is a CD-ROM, and
DVA0 is a floppy drive.
Also useful for inspecting the computer configuration is the "show config" command, as
shown here:
P00>>>show config | more
3. Configure the system SRM parameters to boot from your installation device. A table
providing cross-referenced device names is located in Appendix C, for your convenience.
Example commands for configuring to boot from the floppy device are shown here:
P00>>>set bootdef_dev dva0
P00>>>set boot_file vmlinux.gz
P00>>>set boot_osflags "root=/dev/hda"
P00>>>show boot*
boot_dev
boot_file
dva0.0.0.0.0
vmlinux.gz
root=/dev/hda
OFF
boot_osflags
boot_reset
bootdef_dev
booted_dev
booted_file
booted_osflags
dva0.0.0.0.0
4. Insert the boot floppy into the drive.
5. Boot the system using the "boot" command. The result should be that the system boots from
the floppy.
If during this process you encounter a problem, such as due to a typographic error in the setting of
the SRM parameters, you will probably be stopped with an "aboot>" prompt. The best way to
deal with this situation is to reset the system using the reset button on the front panel. Then using
the SRM commands, correct the mistake, and repeat the "boot" process.
Software Installation
The Red Hat version used in the testing for this guide has a simple installation program. Most of
the devices available with the AlphaServers can be correctly autodetected by Red Hat. Testing for
this Solutions Guide was performed using Red Hat Linux version 6.0.
During the boot process, you may see messages about "IDE STO" errors. These can be safely
ignored.
When configuring "Timezones", do not select "Hardware clock set to GMT", nor "Startup
through ARC console". Instead select "EST" for the timezone, or the value that is appropriate for
your location.
Disk Partitioning
The process of partitioning your boot disk for Linux on your AlphaServer can be somewhat
involved. This section provides an example of how perform the partitioning process using fdisk.
Note, the partition recommendations used in steps 14-27 are based on a RZ1DD-AA disk
geometry. If your disk has a different geometry you will need to use different starting/ending
cylinder numbers for each partition. The correct starting/ending cylinder numbers can be
computed by using these size recommendations and the number of bytes/cylinder for the disk that
you are using (this figure is reported by fdisk). The disk used for this example is a 4.3GB drive
(DS-RZ1CF) which fdisk shows as having 1023 cylinders:
4 partitions:
#
size offset
16368
fstype [fsize bsize cpg]
boot # (Cyl. 1 - 2)
a:
0
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b: 212784
c: 4272048 229152
d: 3871032 4501200
16368
ext2
swap
ext2
# (Cyl.
# (Cyl. 29 - 550)
# (Cyl. 551 - 1023)
3 - 28)
We strongly recommend the following multi-partition layout:
A boot partition – A boot partition is used to reserved the first 2 cylinders (1-2) to write the
bootloader in order to boot the disk from SRM.
A root partition – The root partition is where the / (root directory) resides. Always starts at
cylinder 3. We recommend creating a root partition of 300MB minimum and a maximum of 900
MB.
A swap partition – A swap partition is used to support virtual memory. We commend creating a
swap partition of 2 times the computer RAM.
A /usr partition – The /usr partition is where the software of the system resides. This partition
should use all of the space left on the hard drive.
To perform the partitioning operation on the disk, when prompted, follow these steps:
1. Arrow to the drive you will be installing the software to and press the ENTER key. You will
now be in the fdisk command line
2. Type “m” for help.
3. Type “p” to print the partition table.
4. If there is partition information already configured for the disk, you will need to delete it
using the “d” option. Please be sure that you want to zero out this drive. All data will be lost
on the drive doing this.
5. Type “b” to edit the BSD disklabel.
6. If you completed the last step correctly, you should see the following: “/tmp/sda contains no
disklabel. Do you want to create a disklabel? (y/n)” – Answer Y.
7. Type “m” for more help.
8. Type “p” to print the partition table. You should see a “c” partition that takes up the whole
disk. This will have to be removed to install Linux correctly
9. Type “d” to delete a BSD partition
10. Type “c” to delete the c partition
11. Type “p” to print the partition table and verify no partitions exist
12. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the boot partition in this case
13. Type “a” for partition a.
14. First cylinder:
15. Last cylinder:
Type “1”.
Type “2”.
16. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the / (root) partition in this case.
17. Type “b” for partition b.
18. First cylinder:
19. Last cylinder:
Type “3”.
Type “28”.
20. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the swap partition in this case.
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21. Type “c” for partition c.
22. First cylinder:
23. Last cylinder:
Type “29”.
Type “550”.
24. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the /usr partition in this case.
25. Type “d” for partition d.
26. First cylinder:
Type “551”.
27. Last cylinder:
Type “1023” ; last cylinder - one. Do NOT accept the program
generated default of "1024" here, because of possible disk corruption.
28. Type “p” to print the partition table. You should notice that the fstype is set to unused for
each of the partitions. This will have to be changed via “toggle” – see next step.
29. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
30. Type “a” for partition a – boot partitions use a “boot” code.
31. Type “L” to list the codes you can use.
32. Enter “d” for boot type.
33. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
34. Type “b” for partition b – / (root) partitions use a “ext2” code.
35. Enter “8” for ext2 type.
36. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
37. Type “c” for partition c – swap partitions use a “swap” code.
38. Enter “1” for swap type.
39. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
40. Type “d” for partition d – /usr partitions use a “ext2” code.
41. Enter “8” for ext2 type.
42. Type “p” to print the partition table – Please verify all your settings.
43. Type “w” to write the disklabel to the disk.
44. Type “q” to quit.
45. Tab to DONE and press ENTER.
For further information on creating partitions please refer to the Installation Guide provided by
the software distribution vendor.
Post-Installation
System Resource Manager Configuration
After the software has been loaded to the disk, the system will attempt to reboot. Before it begins
the bootup process, press the front panel reset button. This will stop the bootup process, and
allow you to make the final configuration changes to be able to boot directly from the disk,
instead of the floppy or CD-ROM. You should now be at the SRM prompt, "P00>>>". Enter the
following commands to finalize the configuration.
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You need to enter these commands, such that the drive reference on the second line needs to refer
to the drive which you installed to:
P00>>>set boot_file 2/boot/vmlinux.gz
P00>>>set bootdef_dev dka0
P00>>>set boot_osflags "root=/dev/sda2"
P00>>>boot dva0 -fi vmlinux.gz
Note - When the system boots, you may see a series of warnings similar to the following:
system.map - incorrect version
This warning indicates that the kernel version that you installed (i.e. the latest version that you
copied from Compaq's ftp site) was not built at the same time as the rest of the kernel. This will
not impact your use of Linux in any way. This warning can be eliminated by installing the kernel
sources, all currently recommended patches and rebuilding the kernel.
Once the system is up, login and do the following:
1. Type: swriteboot –f1 /dev/sdZ /boot/bootlx(where Z is the letter of the
drive you are booting; ex: dka0=sda, dka100=sdb).
2. Mount the floppy disk to copy the kernel from the floppy to the /boot/ directory on the system
disk. Type: mount /dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy
3. Now go to the /boot directory. Type: cd /boot
4. Copy the kernel. Type: cp /mnt/floppy/vmlinux.gz .
5. Unmount the floppy. Type: umount /dev/fd0
6. Reboot the system. Type: shutdown -h now
The system may or may not hang here. This is a known issue and is being worked on. Please
reset or power cycled the system to continue with installation.
At the SRM prompt, you can now boot directly from the hard drive:
P00>>>boot
SuSE Version 6.1 Distribution
Pre-Installation
Creating The BOOT and RAMDISK Floppies
Before you can begin to install the Linux software on your AlphaServer, you will need to create a
BOOT floppy and RAMDISK. These floppies contain the information required to initiate the
installation of Linux. The process varies depending upon what software distribution you are
using.
Creating floppies using a MS/Windows system
To create the BOOT and RAMDISK floppies, you will need to make use of a PC, which has
Internet access. The instructions below detail the process:
1. Create a directory on the PC into which you will copy files for Linux, for example \Linux.
2. Insert the Linux CD-ROM into the PC.
the PC. This utility is required to build the floppies.
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Alpha/Images/ to the \Linux directory on the PC and rename the file to aboot.
5. Copy the file "\disks\install" from the CD-ROM to the \Linux directory on the PC.
6. Insert a blank, formatted floppy into the PC.
7. Run the following command from the DOS command shell:
C:\Linux> rawrite
Enter source file name: aboot
Enter destination drive: a
Label this floppy "AlphaServer Linux BOOT Floppy".
8. Run the following command from the DOS command shell:
C:\Linux> rawrite
Enter source file name: install
Enter destination drive: a
9. Label this floppy "AlphaServer Linux RAMDISK Floppy".
With those two floppies in hand, you are now prepared to begin the installation process on your
AlphaServer.
Creating floppies using an UNIX system
To create the BOOT and RAMDISK floppies, you will need to make use of a computer, which
has Internet access. The instructions below detail the process. Note that depending upon what
version of unix and vendor computer you are using to perform this process, some minor
variations in the process may be required. The exact commands shown here are for Digital UNIX,
and should be similar to most other popular UNIX systems.
1. Insert the Linux CD-ROM into the computer, and mount it:
$ mount /cdrom
2. Insert a blank, formatted floppy into the computer, and copy the BOOT kernel to it:
$ dd if=/cdrom/disks/aboot of=/dev/fd0
3. Insert a blank, formatted floppy into the computer, and copy the RAMDISK to it:
$ dd if=/cdrom/disks/install of=/dev/fd0
With those two floppies in hand, and the CD-ROM removed from the computer, you are now
prepared to begin the installation process on your AlphaServer.
Firmware Inspection and Upgrade
After powering up your AlphaServer computer, type the command "show version". Check that
the version string printed is "V5.4-2 May 19 1999 14:25:16" or newer, and that the first letter of
the version string is a "V". If this is not the case, you should upgrade your firmware. Instructions
the latest firmware images.
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System Resource Manager Configuration
There are several pieces of information that you need to configure in the SRM subsystem, as well
as device identifiers that you should make note of, prior to beginning the installation process. The
steps that follow take you through that process.
Power up your system. After several diagnostics are completed, you will be presented an SRM
prompt "P00>>>", as shown here:
256 Meg of system memory
probing hose 1, PCI
bus 0, slot 9 -- ewa -- DE500-AA Network Controller
probing hose 0, PCI
probing PCI-to-ISA bridge, bus 1
bus 0, slot 5, function 1 -- dqa -- Cypress 82C693 IDE
bus 0, slot 5, function 2 -- dqb -- Cypress 82C693 IDE
bus 0, slot 6, function 0 -- pka -- Adaptec AIC-7895
bus 0, slot 6, function 1 -- pkb -- Adaptec AIC-7895
bus 0, slot 7 -- vga -- ELSA GLoria Synergy
os_type: UNIX - console CIPCA driver not started
System Temperature is 30 degrees C
initializing GCT/FRU at 1ec000
COMPAQ AlphaServer DS20E 500 MHz Console V5.5-21, Oct 18 1999 13:33:24
P00>>>
Determine what devices your system has installed. In particular you will need to note your
installation device (a floppy and/or CD-ROM), and your target disk drive. Entering the command
"show devices" as shown below will print out the information about your system:
P00>>>show device
dka0.0.0.6.0
dka100.1.0.6.0
dka200.2.0.6.0
dqa0.0.0.105.0
dva0.0.0.0.0
ewa0.0.0.9.1
pka0.7.0.6.0
pkb0.7.0.106.0
DKA0
COMPAQ BA03611C9B 3B05
COMPAQ BB01811C9C 3B05
COMPAQ BB01811C9C 3B05
CD-224E 9.5B
DKA100
DKA200
DQA0
DVA0
EWA0
PKA0
PKB0
00-00-F8-01-F5-DA
SCSI Bus ID 7
SCSI Bus ID 7
In the output above, the first line shows that DKA0 is a hard disk, DQA0 is a CD-ROM, and
DVA0 is a floppy drive.
Also useful for inspecting the computer configuration is the "show config" command, as shown
here:
P00>>>show config | more
Configure the system SRM parameters to boot from your installation device. The commands for
configuring to boot from the floppy device are shown here:
P00>>>set bootdef_dev dva0
P00>>>set boot_file vmlinux.gz
P00>>>set boot_osflags "root=/dev/fd0 load_ramdisk=1"
P00>>>show boot*
boot_dev
boot_file
dva0.0.0.0.0
vmlinux.gz
boot_osflags
boot_reset
bootdef_dev
booted_dev
booted_file
booted_osflags
root=/dev/fd0 load_ramdisk=1
OFF
dva0.0.0.0.0
Insert the boot floppy into the drive.
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Boot the system using the "boot" command. The result should be that the system boots from the
floppy. You will eventually be prompted to replace the BOOT floppy with the RAMDISK floppy.
If during this process you encounter a problem, such as due to a typographic error in the setting of
the SRM parameters, you will probably be stopped with an "aboot>" prompt. The best way to
deal with this situation is to reset the system using the reset button on the front panel. Then using
the SRM commands, correct the mistake, and repeat the "boot" process.
Software Installation
SuSE’s installation program is flexible. While it allows for autodetection of devices and autoload
of device drivers, it allows you to override the automatically configured parameters. Compaq’s
testing this Solutions Guide was performed using SuSE Version 6.1.
The software installation process requires that the system be rebooted at two critical places in the
process. The first time is just after completing the partitioning of the disk, and the second happens
automatically after all of the software components are installed on the disk. Be certain not to skip
the reboot after the disk partition process is completed.
Disk Partitioning
In preparation to partition your disk, you should boot your AlphaServer via the BOOT floppy and
following the process for selecting a language, display color, keyboard type, and installation
media. At this stage, you should select the "Install From Scratch" menu option, and proceed to the
window titled "Partition Hard Drives". At this point, press the ALT+F2 keys, which will change
the display to show a shell-command prompt. At this prompt, type the command "fdisk" followed
by the enter key.
The process of partitioning your boot disk for Linux on your AlphaServer can be somewhat
involved. This section provides an example of how perform the partitioning process using fdisk.
Note, the partition recommendations used in steps 14-27 are based on a RZ1DD-AA disk
geometry. If your disk has a different geometry you will need to use different starting/ending
cylinder numbers for each partition. The correct starting/ending cylinder numbers can be
computed by using these size recommendations and the number of bytes/cylinder for the disk that
you are using (this figure is reported by fdisk). The disk used for this example is a 4.3GB drive
(DS-RZ1CF) which fdisk shows as having 1023 cylinders:
4 partitions:
#
size offset
fstype [fsize bsize cpg]
a:
16368
0
boot
ext2
swap
ext2
# (Cyl.
# (Cyl.
# (Cyl. 29 - 550)
# (Cyl. 551 - 1023)
1 - 2)
3 - 28)
b: 212784
c: 4272048 229152
d: 3871032 4501200
16368
We strongly recommend the following multi-partition layout:
A boot partition – A boot partition is used to reserved the first 2 cylinders (1-2) to write the
bootloader in order to boot the disk from SRM.
A root partition – The root partition is where the / (root directory) resides. Always starts at
cylinder 3. We recommend creating a root partition of 300MB minimum and a maximum of
900MB.
A swap partition – A swap partition is used to support virtual memory. We commend creating a
swap partition of 2 times the computer RAM.
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A /usr partition – The /usr partition is where the software of the system resides. This partition
should use all of the space left on the hard drive.
To perform the partitioning operation on the disk, when prompted, follow these steps:
1. Now you are at the fdisk command line
2. Type “m” for help.
3. Type “p” to print the partition table.
4. If there is partition information already configured for the disk, you will need to delete it
using the “d” option. Please be sure that you want to zero out this drive. All data will be lost
on the drive doing this.
5. Type “b” to edit the BSD disklabel.
6. If you completed the last step correctly, you should see the following: “/tmp/sda contains no
disklabel. Do you want to create a disklabel? (y/n)” – Answer Y.
7. Type “m” for more help.
8. Type “p” to print the partition table. You should see a “c” partition that takes up the whole
disk. This will have to be removed to install Linux correctly
9. Type “d” to delete a BSD partition
10. Type “c” to delete the c partition
11. Type “p” to print the partition table and verify no partitions exist
12. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the boot partition in this case
13. Type “a” for partition a.
14. First cylinder:
15. Last cylinder:
Type “1”.
Type “2”.
16. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the / (root) partition in this case.
17. Type “b” for partition b.
18. First cylinder:
19. Last cylinder:
Type “3”.
Type “28”.
20. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the swap partition in this case.
21. Type “c” for partition c.
22. First cylinder:
23. Last cylinder:
Type “29”.
Type “550”.
24. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the /usr partition in this case.
25. Type “d” for partition d.
26. First cylinder:
Type “551”.
27. Last cylinder:
Type “1023” ; last cylinder - one. Do NOT accept the program
generated default of "1024" here, because of possible disk corruption.
28. Type “p” to print the partition table. You should notice that the fstype is set to unused for
each of the partitions. This will have to be changed via “toggle” – see next step.
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29. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
30. Type “a” for partition a – boot partitions use a “boot” code.
31. Type “L” to list the codes you can use.
32. Enter “d” for boot type.
33. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
34. Type “b” for partition b – / (root) partitions use a “ext2” code.
35. Enter “8” for ext2 type.
36. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
37. Type “c” for partition c – swap partitions use a “swap” code.
38. Enter “1” for swap type.
39. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
40. Type “d” for partition d – /usr partitions use a “ext2” code.
41. Enter “8” for ext2 type.
42. Type “p” to print the partition table – Please verify all your settings.
43. Type “w” to write the disklabel to the disk.
44. Type “q” to quit.
For further information on creating partitions please refer to the Installation Guide provided by
the software distribution vendor.
At this point, the partitions have been created, and the system must be rebooted. You can reboot
by either pressing the RESET or POWER buttons on the front of the AlphaServer system. Once
the system returns to the SRM prompt, follow the preceeding instructions to return to the
"Partition Hard Drives" window. Select the "Do Not Partition" option at this screen.
You will now be presented a window that allows you to select and format the disk for the
software to be installed, entitled "Creating Filesystems". You should use the F4 key to define the
mount point of "/" for sda2 and “/usr” for sda4. Use the F6 key to select the "Normal"
formatting of the drive for both partitions. Once those steps are complete, press enter to continue.
When the window "Change/Create Configuration" is presented we recommend that you make
certain to select the "aboot" package from the "a: Linux Base System" group, and the "xglint"
package from the "xsrv: X Server Software" group. Ensure that you depress the F10 key after
each selection to add it to the installation. If you forget to select these packages, you will not be
able to boot directly from the hard drive, nor be able to run the X Window System software. Once
these are selected, and you have selected any other software options that you require, begin the
installation. If you encounter a message indicating that the xglint software depends upon other
packages, select "Continue", which will ignore that situation.
Post-Installation
System Resource Manager Configuration
After the software has been loaded to the disk, the system will attempt to reboot. Before it begins
the bootup process, press the front panel reset button. This will stop the bootup process, and allow
you to make the final configuration changes to be able to boot directly from the disk, instead of
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the floppy or CD-ROM. You should now be at the SRM prompt, "P00>>>". Enter the following
commands to finalize the configuration.
You need to enter these commands, such that the drive reference on the second line needs to refer
to the drive which you installed to:
P00>>>set boot_file 2/boot/vmlinux.gz
P00>>>set bootdef_dev dka0
P00>>>set boot_osflags "root=/dev/sda2"
P00>>>boot dva0 -fi vmlinux.gz
Note - When the system boots, you may see a series of warnings similar to the following:
system.map - incorrect version
This warning indicates that the kernel version that you installed (i.e. the latest version that you
copied from Compaq's ftp site) was not built at the same time as the rest of the kernel. This will
not impact your use of Linux in any way. This warning can be eliminated by installing the kernel
sources, all currently recommended patches and rebuilding the kernel.
Once the system is up, login and do the following:
1. Type:
swriteboot -f1 /dev/TdZ /boot/bootlx(where T is the type of
drive, s for SCSI or h for IDE; and Z is the letter of the drive you are booting; ex: dka0=sda,
dqa0=hda)
2. Type: mkswap /dev/TdZW (where T is the type of drive, s for SCSI or h for IDE; Z is the
letter of the drive you are booting; ex: dka0=sda, dqa0=hda); and W is the swap partition
number (I.e. mkswap /dev/sda3 or mkswap /dev/hda3.) This is required to work around a
problem of the swap.
3. Mount the floppy disk to copy the kernel from the floppy to the /boot/ directory on the system
disk. Type: mount /dev/fd0 /floppy
4. Now go to the /boot directory. Type: cd /boot
5. Copy the kernel. Type: cp /floppy/vmlinux.gz .
6. Unmount the floppy. Type: umount /dev/fd0
7. Type:
shutdown -h now
The system may or may not hang here. This is a known issue and is being worked on. Please
reset or power cycled the system to continue with installation.
At the SRM prompt, you can now boot directly from the hard drive:
P00>>>boot
The system should now boot and prompt you to login. Upon logging in, you will probably want
to configure the X Window System. To do so, login as the user "root", and then run the command
"xf86config". Following the prompts answering the questions appropriately for your system. In
most cases, you will need to select "3Dlabs Oxygen GMX" as the graphics adapter, which is
usually configured with 8192K bytes of memory. Once this process is completed, you should be
able to run the command "startx" to make use of the graphical interface.
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Compaq AlphaServer ES40
Hardware Options
Tested Saleable Hardware Options
Tested saleable hardware options for the ES40 is outlined in Table 1. All of the systems used
come equipped with standard bus-interface devices for which drivers already exist for Linux. All
bus-interface devices detailed use the PCI bus. Detailed information on each particular bus-
interface device can be founds in a subsection of the appropriate software. Only the installation
and configuration details that are necessary to clarify the hardware explanation are provided in
this table. Unless otherwise specified, the Linux kernel version used in qualifying each
component is version 2.2.5.
Table 4. Tested Saleable Options List
Compaq PN
Description
Comments
BA610-4D
H7906-A9
KN610-AA
MS610-CA
ES40 4 Bay Drive Cage
ES40 Power Supply
ES40 SMP CPU, 500MHz
ES40 512MB Memory Option,100
MHz
MS610-DA
MS610-EA
ES40 1GB Memory Option, 100
MHz
ES40 2GB Memory Option, 100
MHz
DE500-BA
DE504-BA
RZ1DA-VW
RZ1DD-VW
RZ2DD-16
RZ1EA-VW
RZ1ED-VW
RZ2ED-16
RZ1FB-VW
KZPCM-DA
PCI 1 CH 10/100 Ethernet
Red Hat - Use DE4*5 or Tulip driver
Red Hat - Use DE4*5 or Tulip driver
PCI 4 CH 10/100 Ethernet
9.1 GB UltraSCSI 7200RPM
9.1 GB UltraSCSI 10000 RPM
9.1 GB Ultra2 SCSI 10000 RPM
18.2 GB UltraSCSI 7200 RPM
18.2 GB UltraSCSI 10000 RPM
18.2 GB Ultra2 SCSI 10000 RPM
36.4 GB UltraSCSI 10000 RPM
UltraSCSI, 2 CH, SE, 1 CH 10/100
Ethernet
Need the 2.2.12 kernel from ftp site to perform install.
KZPBA-CA
KZPBA-CB
PBXGK-BB
UltraSCSI, 1 CH, SE
UltraSCSI, 1CH, Diff.
Elsa Gloria 8MB
use XF86_3DLabs
For up-to-date information about configuration options, you should refer to the following web
sites, which are updated regularly with the latest information:
For Alpha Systems QuickSpecs:
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For Alpha Systems Supported Options List:
Red Hat Version 6.0 Distribution
Pre-Installation
Creating The BOOT Floppy
Before you can begin to install the Linux software on your AlphaServer or AlphaStation, you will
need to create a BOOT floppy. This floppy contains the information required to initiate the
installation of Linux. The process varies depending upon what software distribution you are
using.
An important note: Our experience has shown that the vendor supplied floppy images sometimes
do not work properly. You are therefore encouraged to create your own BOOT floppy using the
images available over the Internet, as described in the sections that follow.
Creating floppies using a MS/Windows system
To create the BOOT floppy, you will need to make use of a PC, which has Internet access. The
instructions below detail the process:
1. Create a directory on the PC into which you will copy files for Linux, for example \Linux.
containing the distribution boot floppy image files.
3. Copy the generic-smp-2.2.12.img file to your PC.
4. Rename the file to generic.img (DOS has an 8.3 file name limitation)
5. Insert the Linux CD-ROM into the PC.
6. Copy the file "\dosutils\rawrite.exe" from the CD-ROM to the \Linux directory on the PC.
7. Insert a blank, formatted floppy into the PC.
8. Run the following command from the DOS command shell:
C:\Linux> rawrite
Enter source file name: generic.img
Enter destination drive: a
Label this floppy "AlphaServer Linux BOOT Floppy".
With this floppy in hand, you are now prepared to begin the installation process on your
AlphaServer or AlphaStation.
Creating floppies using an UNIX system
To create the BOOT floppy, you will need to make use of a computer, which has Internet access.
The instructions below detail the process. Note that depending upon what version of UNIX and
vendor computer you are using to perform this process, some minor variations in the process may
be required. The exact commands shown here are for Digital UNIX, and should be similar to
most other popular UNIX systems.
1. Copy the generic kernel images from the Internet to your computer:
$ mkdir /var/tmp/Linux
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$ cd /var/tmp/Linux
$ ftp ftp.digital.com
login: ftp
Password: user@
ftp> bin
ftp> cd /pub/DEC/Linux-Alpha/Images/
ftp> get generic-smp-2.2.12.img
ftp> quit
2. Insert a blank, formatted floppy into the computer, and copy the BOOT kernel to it:
$ dd if=generic-smp-2.2.12.img of=/dev/fd0
With this floppy in hand, you are now prepared to begin the installation process on your
AlphaServer or AlphaStation.
Firmware Inspection and Upgrade
After powering up your AlphaServer or AlphaStation computer, type the command "show
version". Check that the version string printed is "V5.4-2 May 19 1999 14:25:16" or newer, and
that the first letter of the version string is a "V". If this is not the case, you should upgrade your
firmware. Instructions on how to do this can be found at
http://ftp.digital.com/pub/Digital/Alpha/firmware/ along with the latest firmware images.
System Resource Manager Configuration
There are several pieces of information that you need to configure in the SRM subsystem, as well
as device identifiers that you should make note of, prior to beginning the installation process. The
steps that follow take you through that process.
1. Power up your system. After several diagnostics are completed, you will be presented an
SRM prompt "P00>>>", as shown here:
OpenVMS PALcode V1.61-2, Tru64 UNIX PALcode V1.54-2
starting console on CPU 0
initialized idle PCB
initializing semaphores
initializing heap
initial heap 200c0
memory low limit = 166000
heap = 200c0, 17fc0
initializing driver structures
initializing idle process PID
initializing file system
initializing hardware
initializing timer data structures
lowering IPL
CPU 0 speed is 500 MHz
create dead_eater
create poll
create timer
create powerup
access NVRAM
Memory size 4608 MB
testing memory
...
probe I/O subsystem
probing hose 1, PCI
bus 0, slot 4 -- pka -- NCR 53C895
bus 0, slot 6 -- ewa -- DE500-BA Network Controller
probing hose 0, PCI
probing PCI-to-ISA bridge, bus 1
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bus 0, slot 1 -- vga -- ELSA GLoria Synergy
bus 0, slot 15 -- dqa -- Acer Labs M1543C IDE
bus 0, slot 15 -- dqb -- Acer Labs M1543C IDE
starting drivers
entering idle loop
initializing keyboard
starting console on CPU 1
initialized idle PCB
initializing idle process PID
lowering IPL
CPU 1 speed is 500 MHz
create powerup
starting console on CPU 2
initialized idle PCB
initializing idle process PID
lowering IPL
CPU 2 speed is 500 MHz
create powerup
starting console on CPU 3
initialized idle PCB
initializing idle process PID
lowering IPL
CPU 3 speed is 500 MHz
create powerup
Memory Testing and Configuration Status
Array
Size
Base Address
--------- ---------- ----------------
0
1
2
3
512Mb
2048Mb
1024Mb
1024Mb
0000000100000000
0000000000000000
0000000080000000
00000000c0000000
4608 MB of System Memory
Testing the System
Testing the Disks (read only)
Testing the Network
Partition 0, Memory base: 000000000, size: 120000000
initializing GCT/FRU at 1a2000
AlphaServer ES40 Console V5.5-68, built on Jul 21 1999 at 17:02:39
P00>>>
2. Determine what devices your system has installed. In particular you will need to note your
installation device (a floppy and/or CD-ROM), and your target disk drive. Entering the
command "show devices" as shown below will print out the information about your system:
P00>>>show dev
dka0.0.0.4.1
DKA0
RZ2ED-LS 0306
RZ2DD-LS 0306
RZ2DD-LS 0306
dka100.1.0.4.1
dka200.2.0.4.1
dka300.3.0.4.1
dqa0.0.0.15.0
dva0.0.0.1000.0
ewa0.0.0.6.1
DKA100
DKA200
DKA300
DQA0
DVA0
EWA0
RZ2DD-LS 0306
COMPAQ CDR-8435 0013
08-00-2B-C4-56-8E
SCSI Bus ID 7
pka0.7.0.4.1
PKA0
In the output above, the first line shows that DKA0 is a hard disk, DQA0 is a CD-ROM, and
DVA0 is a floppy drive.
Also useful for inspecting the computer configuration is the "show config" command, as
shown here:
P00>>>show config | more
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3. Configure the system SRM parameters to boot from your installation device. A table
providing cross-referenced device names is located in Appendix C, for your convenience.
Example commands for configuring to boot from the floppy device are shown here:
P00>>>set bootdef_dev dva0
P00>>>set boot_file vmlinux.gz
P00>>>set boot_osflags "root=/dev/hda"
P00>>>show boot*
boot_dev
boot_file
dva0.0.0.0.0
vmlinux.gz
root=/dev/hda
OFF
boot_osflags
boot_reset
bootdef_dev
booted_dev
booted_file
booted_osflags
dva0.0.0.0.0
4. Insert the boot floppy into the drive.
5. Boot the system using the "boot" command. The result should be that the system boots from
the floppy.
If during this process you encounter a problem, such as due to a typographic error in the setting of
the SRM parameters, you will probably be stopped with an "aboot>" prompt. The best way to
deal with this situation is to reset the system using the reset button on the front panel. Then using
the SRM commands, correct the mistake, and repeat the "boot" process.
Software Installation
The Red Hat version used in the testing for this guide has a simple installation program. Most of
the devices available with the AlphaServers can be correctly autodetected by Red Hat. Testing for
this Solutions Guide was performed using Red Hat Linux version 6.0.
During the boot process, you may see messages about "IDE STO" errors. These can be safely
ignored.
When configuring "Timezones", do not select "Hardware clock set to GMT", nor "Startup
through ARC console". Instead select "EST" for the timezone, or the value that is appropriate for
your location.
Disk Partitioning
The process of partitioning your boot disk for Linux on your AlphaServer can be somewhat
involved. This section provides an example of how perform the partitioning process using fdisk.
Note, the partition recommendations used in steps 14-27 are based on a RZ1DD-AA disk
geometry. If your disk has a different geometry you will need to use different starting/ending
cylinder numbers for each partition. The correct starting/ending cylinder numbers can be
computed by using these size recommendations and the number of bytes/cylinder for the disk that
you are using (this figure is reported by fdisk). This section provides an example of how perform
the partitioning process using fdisk. The disk used for this example is an 18.2GB drive (RZ2ED-
LS) which fdisk shows as having 17365 cylinders:
4 partitions:
#
size offset
fstype [fsize bsize cpg]
a:
4096
0
boot
ext2
swap
ext2
# (Cyl.
# (Cyl.
# (Cyl. 121 - 8200)
# (Cyl. 8201 - 17365)
1 - 2)
3 - 120)
b: 241664
c: 16547840 245760
d: 18769920 16793600
4096
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We strongly recommend the following multi-partition layout:
A boot partition – A boot partition is used to reserved the first 2 cylinders (1-2) to write the
bootloader in order to boot the disk from SRM.
A root partition – The root partition is where the / (root directory) resides. Always starts at
cylinder 3. We recommend creating a root partition of 300Mb minimum and 900Mb maximum.
A swap partition – A swap partition is used to support virtual memory. We commend creating a
swap partition of 2 times the computer RAM.
A /usr partition – The /usr partition is where the software of the system resides. This partition
should use all of the space left on the hard drive.
To perform the partitioning operation on the disk, when prompted, follow these steps:
1. Arrow to the drive you will be installing the software to and press the ENTER key. You will
now be in the fdisk command line
2. Type “m” for help.
3. Type “p” to print the partition table.
4. If there is partition information already configured for the disk, you will need to delete it
using the “d” option. Please be sure that you want to zero out this drive. All data will be lost
on the drive doing this.
5. Type “b” to edit the BSD disklabel.
6. If you completed the last step correctly, you should see the following: “/tmp/sda contains no
disklabel. Do you want to create a disklabel? (y/n)” – Answer Y.
7. Type “m” for more help.
8. Type “p” to print the partition table. You should see a “c” partition that takes up the whole
disk. This will have to be removed to install Linux correctly
9. Type “d” to delete a BSD partition
10. Type “c” to delete the c partition
11. Type “p” to print the partition table and verify no partitions exist
12. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the boot partition in this case
13. Type “a” for partition a.
14. First cylinder:
15. Last cylinder:
Type “1”.
Type “2”.
16. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the / (root) partition in this case.
17. Type “b” for partition b.
18. First cylinder:
19. Last cylinder:
Type “3”.
Type “120”.
20. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the swap partition in this case.
21. Type “c” for partition c.
22. First cylinder:
23. Last cylinder:
Type “121”.
Type “8200”.
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24. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the /usr partition in this case.
25. Type “d” for partition d.
26. First cylinder:
Type “8201”.
Type “17365” ; last cylinder - one. Do NOT accept the program
27. Last cylinder:
generated default of "17366" here, because of possible disk corruption).
28. Type “p” to print the partition table. You should notice that the fstype is set to unused for
each of the partitions. This will have to be changed via “toggle” – see next step.
29. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
30. Type “a” for partition a – boot partitions use a “boot” code.
31. Type “L” to list the codes you can use.
32. Enter “d” for boot type.
33. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
34. Type “b” for partition b – / (root) partitions use a “ext2” code.
35. Enter “8” for ext2 type.
36. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
37. Type “c” for partition c – swap partitions use a “swap” code.
38. Enter “1” for swap type.
39. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
40. Type “d” for partition d – /usr partitions use a “ext2” code.
41. Enter “8” for ext2 type.
42. Type “p” to print the partition table – Please verify all your settings.
43. Type “w” to write the disklabel to the disk.
44. Type “q” to quit.
45. Tab to DONE and press ENTER.
For further information on creating partitions please refer to the Installation Guide provided by
the software distribution vendor.
Post-Installation
System Resource Manager Configuration
After the software has been loaded to the disk, the system will attempt to reboot. Before it begins
the bootup process, press the front panel reset button. This will stop the bootup process, and
allow you to make the final configuration changes to be able to boot directly from the disk,
instead of the floppy or CD-ROM. You should now be at the SRM prompt, ">>>". Enter the
following commands to finalize the configuration.
You need to enter these commands, such that the drive reference on the second line needs to refer
to the drive which you installed to:
P00>>>set boot_file 2/boot/vmlinux.gz
P00>>>set bootdef_dev dka0
P00>>>set boot_osflags "root=/dev/sda2"
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P00>>>boot dva0 –fi vmlinux.gz
Note - When the system boots, you may see a series of warnings similar to the following:
system.map - incorrect version
This warning indicates that the kernel version that you installed (i.e. the latest version that you
copied from Compaq's ftp site) was not built at the same time as the rest of the kernel. This will
not impact your use of Linux in any way. This warning can be eliminated by installing the kernel
sources, all currently recommended patches and rebuilding the kernel.
Once the system is up, login and do the following:
1. Type: swriteboot –f1 /dev/sdZ /boot/bootlx(where Z is the letter of the
drive you are booting; ex: dka0=sda, dka100=sdb).
2. Mount the floppy disk to copy the kernel from the floppy to the /boot/ directory on the system
disk. Type: mount /dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy
3. Now go to the /boot directory. Type: cd /boot
4. Copy the kernel. Type: cp /mnt/floppy/vmlinux.gz .
5. Unmount the floppy. Type: umount /dev/fd0
6. Reboot the system. Type: shutdown -h now
The system may or may not hang here. This is a known issue and is being worked on. Please
reset or power cycled the system to continue with installation.
At the SRM prompt, you can now boot directly from the hard drive:
P00>>>boot
SuSE Version 6.1 Distribution
Pre-Installation
Creating The BOOT and RAMDISK Floppies
Before you can begin to install the Linux software on your AlphaServer, you will need to create a
BOOT floppy and RAMDISK. These floppies contain the information required to initiate the
installation of Linux. The process varies depending upon what software distribution you are
using.
Creating floppies using a MS/Windows system
To create the BOOT and RAMDISK floppies, you will need to make use of a PC, which has
Internet access. The instructions below detail the process:
1. Create a directory on the PC into which you will copy files for Linux, for example \Linux.
2. Insert the Linux CD-ROM into the PC.
the PC. This utility is required to build the floppies.
Alpha/Images/ to the \Linux directory on the PC and rename the file to aboot.
5. Copy the file "\disks\install" from the CD-ROM to the \Linux directory on the PC.
6. Insert a blank, formatted floppy into the PC.
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7. Run the following command from the DOS command shell:
C:\Linux> rawrite
Enter source file name: aboot
Enter destination drive: a
Label this floppy "AlphaServer Linux BOOT Floppy".
8. Run the following command from the DOS command shell:
C:\Linux> rawrite
Enter source file name: install
Enter destination drive: a
9. Label this floppy "AlphaServer Linux RAMDISK Floppy".
With those two floppies in hand, you are now prepared to begin the installation process on your
AlphaServer.
Creating floppies using an UNIX system
To create the BOOT and RAMDISK floppies, you will need to make use of a computer, which
has Internet access. The instructions below detail the process. Note that depending upon what
version of unix and vendor computer you are using to perform this process, some minor
variations in the process may be required. The exact commands shown here are for Digital UNIX,
and should be similar to most other popular UNIX systems.
1. Insert the Linux CD-ROM into the computer, and mount it:
$ mount /cdrom
2. Insert a blank, formatted floppy into the computer, and copy the BOOT kernel to it:
$ dd if=/cdrom/disks/aboot of=/dev/fd0
3. Insert a blank, formatted floppy into the computer, and copy the RAMDISK to it:
$ dd if=/cdrom/disks/install of=/dev/fd0
With those two floppies in hand, and the CD-ROM removed from the computer, you are now
prepared to begin the installation process on your AlphaServer.
Firmware Inspection and Upgrade
After powering up your AlphaServer computer, type the command "show version". Check that
the version string printed is "V5.4-2 May 19 1999 14:25:16" or newer, and that the first letter of
the version string is a "V". If this is not the case, you should upgrade your firmware. Instructions
the latest firmware images.
System Resource Manager Configuration
There are several pieces of information that you need to configure in the SRM subsystem, as well
as device identifiers that you should make note of, prior to beginning the installation process. The
steps that follow take you through that process.
1. Power up your system. After several diagnostics are completed, you will be presented an
SRM prompt ">>>", as shown here:
OpenVMS PALcode V1.61-2, Tru64 UNIX PALcode V1.54-2
starting console on CPU 0
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initialized idle PCB
initializing semaphores
initializing heap
initial heap 200c0
memory low limit = 166000
heap = 200c0, 17fc0
initializing driver structures
initializing idle process PID
initializing file system
initializing hardware
initializing timer data structures
lowering IPL
CPU 0 speed is 500 MHz
create dead_eater
create poll
create timer
create powerup
access NVRAM
Memory size 4608 MB
testing memory
...
probe I/O subsystem
probing hose 1, PCI
bus 0, slot 4 -- pka -- NCR 53C895
bus 0, slot 6 -- ewa -- DE500-BA Network Controller
probing hose 0, PCI
probing PCI-to-ISA bridge, bus 1
bus 0, slot 1 -- vga -- ELSA GLoria Synergy
bus 0, slot 15 -- dqa -- Acer Labs M1543C IDE
bus 0, slot 15 -- dqb -- Acer Labs M1543C IDE
starting drivers
entering idle loop
initializing keyboard
starting console on CPU 1
initialized idle PCB
initializing idle process PID
lowering IPL
CPU 1 speed is 500 MHz
create powerup
starting console on CPU 2
initialized idle PCB
initializing idle process PID
lowering IPL
CPU 2 speed is 500 MHz
create powerup
starting console on CPU 3
initialized idle PCB
initializing idle process PID
lowering IPL
CPU 3 speed is 500 MHz
create powerup
Memory Testing and Configuration Status
Array
Size
Base Address
--------- ---------- ----------------
0
1
2
3
512Mb
2048Mb
1024Mb
1024Mb
0000000100000000
0000000000000000
0000000080000000
00000000c0000000
4608 MB of System Memory
Testing the System
Testing the Disks (read only)
Testing the Network
Partition 0, Memory base: 000000000, size: 120000000
initializing GCT/FRU at 1a2000
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AlphaServer ES40 Console V5.5-68, built on Jul 21 1999 at 17:02:39
P00>>>
2. Determine what devices your system has installed. In particular you will need to note your
installation device (a floppy and/or CD-ROM), and your target disk drive. Entering the
command "show devices" as shown below will print out the information about your system:
P00>>>show dev
dka0.0.0.4.1
DKA0
RZ2ED-LS 0306
RZ2DD-LS 0306
RZ2DD-LS 0306
dka100.1.0.4.1
dka200.2.0.4.1
dka300.3.0.4.1
dqa0.0.0.15.0
dva0.0.0.1000.0
ewa0.0.0.6.1
DKA100
DKA200
DKA300
DQA0
DVA0
EWA0
RZ2DD-LS 0306
COMPAQ CDR-8435 0013
08-00-2B-C4-56-8E
SCSI Bus ID 7
pka0.7.0.4.1
PKA0
In the output above, the first line shows that DKA0 is a hard disk, DQA0 is a CD-ROM, and
DVA0 is a floppy drive.
Also useful for inspecting the computer configuration is the "show config" command, as
shown here:
P00>>>show config | more
3. Configure the system SRM parameters to boot from your installation device. The commands
for configuring to boot from the floppy device are shown here:
P00>>>set bootdef_dev dva0
P00>>>set boot_file vmlinux.gz
P00>>>set boot_osflags "root=/dev/fd0 load_ramdisk=1"
P00>>>show boot*
boot_dev
boot_file
dva0.0.0.0.0
vmlinux.gz
boot_osflags
boot_reset
bootdef_dev
booted_dev
booted_file
booted_osflags
root=/dev/fd0 load_ramdisk=1
OFF
dva0.0.0.0.0
4. Insert the boot floppy into the drive.
5. Boot the system using the "boot" command. The result should be that the system boots from
the floppy. You will eventually be prompted to replace the BOOT floppy with the RAMDISK
floppy.
If during this process you encounter a problem, such as due to a typographic error in the setting of
the SRM parameters, you will probably be stopped with an "aboot>" prompt. The best way to
deal with this situation is to reset the system using the reset button on the front panel. Then using
the SRM commands, correct the mistake, and repeat the "boot" process.
Software Installation
SuSE’s installation program is flexible. While it allows for autodetection of devices and autoload
of device drivers, it allows you to override the automatically configured parameters. Compaq’s
testing this Solutions Guide was performed using SuSE Version 6.1.
The software installation process requires that the system be rebooted at two critical places in the
process. The first time is just after completing the partitioning of the disk, and the second happens
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automatically after all of the software components are installed on the disk. Be certain not to skip
the reboot after the disk partition process is completed.
Disk Partitioning
In preparation to partition your disk, you should boot your AlphaServer via the BOOT floppy and
following the process for selecting a language, display color, keyboard type, and installation
media. At this stage, you should select the "Install From Scratch" menu option, and proceed to the
window titled "Partition Hard Drives". At this point, press the ALT+F2 keys, which will change
the display to show a shell-command prompt. At this prompt, type the command "fdisk" followed
by the enter key.
The process of partitioning your boot disk for Linux on your AlphaServer can be somewhat
involved. This section provides an example of how perform the partitioning process using fdisk.
Note, the partition recommendations used in steps 14-27 are based on a RZ1DD-AA disk
geometry. If your disk has a different geometry you will need to use different starting/ending
cylinder numbers for each partition. The correct starting/ending cylinder numbers can be
computed by using these size recommendations and the number of bytes/cylinder for the disk that
you are using (this figure is reported by fdisk). The disk used for this example is an 18.2GB drive
(RZ2ED-LS) which fdisk shows as having 17365 cylinders:
4 partitions:
#
size offset
fstype [fsize bsize cpg]
a:
16368
0
boot
ext2
swap
ext2
# (Cyl.
# (Cyl.
# (Cyl. 29 - 550)
# (Cyl. 551 - 1023)
1 - 2)
3 - 28)
b: 212784
c: 4272048 229152
d: 3871032 4501200
16368
We strongly recommend the following multi-partition layout:
A boot partition – A boot partition is used to reserved the first 2 cylinders (1-2) to write the
bootloader in order to boot the disk from SRM.
A root partition – The root partition is where the / (root directory) resides. Always starts at
cylinder 3. We recommend creating a root partition of 300Mb minimum and 900Mb maximum.
A swap partition – A swap partition is used to support virtual memory. We commend creating a
swap partition of 2 times the computer RAM.
A /usr partition – The /usr partition is where the software of the system resides. This partition
should use all of the space left on the hard drive.
To perform the partitioning operation on the disk, when prompted, follow these steps:
1. Now you are at the fdisk command line
2. Type “m” for help.
3. Type “p” to print the partition table.
4. If there is partition information already configured for the disk, you will need to delete it
using the “d” option. Please be sure that you want to zero out this drive. All data will be lost
on the drive doing this.
5. Type “b” to edit the BSD disklabel.
6. If you completed the last step correctly, you should see the following: “/tmp/sda contains no
disklabel. Do you want to create a disklabel? (y/n)” – Answer Y.
7. Type “m” for more help.
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8. Type “p” to print the partition table. You should see a “c” partition that takes up the whole
disk. This will have to be removed to install Linux correctly
9. Type “d” to delete a BSD partition
10. Type “c” to delete the c partition
11. Type “p” to print the partition table and verify no partitions exist
12. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the boot partition in this case
13. Type “a” for partition a.
14. First cylinder:
15. Last cylinder:
Type “1”.
Type “2”.
16. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the / (root) partition in this case.
17. Type “b” for partition b.
18. First cylinder:
19. Last cylinder:
Type “3”.
Type “120”.
20. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the swap partition in this case.
21. Type “c” for partition c.
22. First cylinder:
23. Last cylinder:
Type “121”.
Type “8200”.
24. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the /usr partition in this case.
25. Type “d” for partition d.
26. First cylinder:
Type “8201”.
27. Last cylinder:
Type “17365” ; last cylinder - one. Do NOT accept the program
generated default of "17366" here, because of possible disk corruption.
28. Type “p” to print the partition table. You should notice that the fstype is set to unused for
each of the partitions. This will have to be changed via “toggle” – see next step.
29. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
30. Type “a” for partition a – boot partitions use a “boot” code.
31. Type “L” to list the codes you can use.
32. Enter “d” for boot type.
33. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
34. Type “b” for partition b – / (root) partitions use a “ext2” code.
35. Enter “8” for ext2 type.
36. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
37. Type “c” for partition c – swap partitions use a “swap” code.
38. Enter “1” for swap type.
39. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
40. Type “d” for partition d – /usr partitions use a “ext2” code.
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41. Enter “8” for ext2 type.
42. Type “p” to print the partition table – Please verify all your settings.
43. Type “w” to write the disklabel to the disk.
44. Type “q” to quit.
For further information on creating partitions please refer to the Installation Guide provided by
the software distribution vendor.
At this point, the partitions have been created, and the system must be rebooted. You can reboot
by either pressing the RESET or POWER buttons on the front of the AlphaServer system. Once
the system returns to the SRM prompt, follow the preceeding instructions to return to the
"Partition Hard Drives" window. Select the "Do Not Partition" option at this screen.
You will now be presented a window that allows you to select and format the disk for the
software to be installed, entitled "Creating Filesystems". You should use the F4 key to define the
mount point of "/" for sda2 and “/usr” for sda4. Use the F6 key to select the "Normal" formatting
of the drive for both partitions. Once those steps are complete, press enter to continue.
When the window "Change/Create Configuration" is presented we recommend that you make
certain to select the "aboot" package from the "a: Linux Base System" group, and the "xglint"
package from the "xsrv: X Server Software" group. Ensure that you depress the F10 key after
each selection to add it to the installation. If you forget to select these packages, you will not be
able to boot directly from the hard drive, nor be able to run the X Window System software. Once
these are selected, and you have selected any other software options that you require, begin the
installation. If you encounter a message indicating that the xglint software depends upon other
packages, select "Continue", which will ignore that situation.
Post-Installation
System Resource Manager Configuration
After the software has been loaded to the disk, the system will attempt to reboot. Before it begins
the bootup process, press the front panel reset button. This will stop the bootup process, and allow
you to make the final configuration changes to be able to boot directly from the disk, instead of
the floppy or CD-ROM. You should now be at the SRM prompt, "P00>>>". Enter the following
commands to finalize the configuration.
You need to enter these commands, such that the drive reference on the second line needs to refer
to the drive which you installed to:
P00>>>set boot_file 2/boot/vmlinux.gz
P00>>>set bootdef_dev dka0
P00>>>set boot_osflags "root=/dev/sda2"
P00>>>boot dva0 -fi vmlinux.gz
Note - When the system boots, you may see a series of warnings similar to the following:
system.map - incorrect version
This warning indicates that the kernel version that you installed (i.e. the latest version that you
copied from Compaq's ftp site) was not built at the same time as the rest of the kernel. This will
not impact your use of Linux in any way. This warning can be eliminated by installing the kernel
sources, all currently recommended patches and rebuilding the kernel.
Once the system is up, login and do the following:
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1. Type:
swriteboot -f1 /dev/TdZ /boot/bootlx(where T is the type of
drive, s for SCSI or h for IDE; and Z is the letter of the drive you are booting; ex: dka0=sda,
dqa0=hda)
2. Type: mkswap /dev/TdZW (where T is the type of drive, s for SCSI or h for IDE; Z is the
letter of the drive you are booting; ex: dka0=sda, dqa0=hda); and W is the swap partition
number (I.e. mkswap /dev/sda3 or mkswap /dev/hda3.) This is required to work around a
problem of the swap.
3. Mount the floppy disk to copy the kernel from the floppy to the /boot/ directory on the system
disk. Type: mount /dev/fd0 /floppy
4. Now go to the /boot directory. Type: cd /boot
5. Copy the kernel. Type: cp /floppy/vmlinux.gz .
6. Unmount the floppy. Type: umount /dev/fd0
7. Type:
shutdown -h now
The system may or may not hang here. This is a known issue and is being worked on. Please
reset or power cycled the system to continue with installation.
At the SRM prompt, you can now boot directly from the hard drive:
P00>>>boot
The system should now boot and prompt you to login. Upon logging in, you will probably want
to configure the X Window System. To do so, login as the user "root", and then run the command
"xf86config". Following the prompts answering the questions appropriately for your system. In
most cases, you will need to select "3Dlabs Oxygen GMX" as the graphics adapter, which is
usually configured with 8192K bytes of memory. Once this process is completed, you should be
able to run the command "startx" to make use of the graphical interface.
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Compaq AlphaStation XP1000
Hardware Options
Tested Saleable Hardware Options
Tested saleable hardware options for the XP1000 is outlined in Table 1. All of the systems used
come equipped with standard bus-interface devices for which drivers already exist for Linux. All
bus-interface devices detailed use the PCI bus. Detailed information on each particular bus-
interface device can be founds in a subsection of the appropriate software. Only the installation
and configuration details that are necessary to clarify the hardware explanation are provided in
this table. Unless otherwise specified, the Linux kernel version used in qualifying each
component is version 2.2.5.
Table 5. Tested Saleable Options List
Compaq PN
Description
Comments
SN-MSP01-KA
SN-MSP01-KB
SN-MSP01-KC
SN-MSP01-KD
SN-DE500-BA
DE504-BA
XP1000 128MB SDRAM (4x32)
XP1000 256MB SDRAM (4x64)
XP1000 512MB SDRAM (4x128)
XP1000 1024MB SDRAM (4x256)
PCI 1 CH 10/100 Ethernet
Red Hat - Use DE4*5 or Tulip driver
Red Hat - Use DE4*5 or Tulip driver
PCI 4 CH 10/100 Ethernet
SN-PBXRW-RB
DS-RZ1DA-VW
DS-RZ1DD-VW
SN-PBXRW-SB
DS-RZ1EA-VW
DS-RZ1ED-VW
SN-PBXRW-TA
KZPCM-DA
4.3 GB Ultra Wide 10000 RPM
9.1 GB UltraSCSI 7200RPM
9.1 GB UltraSCSI 10000 RPM
9.1 GBUltra Wide 7200 RPM
18.2 GB UltraSCSI 7200 RPM
18.2 GB UltraSCSI 10000 RPM
18.2 GB UltraSCSI 7200 RPM
UltraSCSI, 2 CH, SE, 1 CH 10/100
Ethernet
Need the 2.2.12 kernel from ftp site to perform install.
SN-KZPBA-CA
SN-KZPBA-CB
SN-PBXGK-BB
SN-VRQP7-23
UltraSCSI, 1 CH, SE
UltraSCSI, 1CH, Diff.
Elsa Gloria 8MB
use XF86_3DLabs
COMPAQ P75 17" CLR Monitor,SH
SN-VRQP7-24
SN-VRQP1-23
COMPAQ P75 17" CLR Monitor,NH
COMPAQ P110 21" CLR
Monitor,SH
SN-VRQP1-24
COMPAQ P110 21" CLR
Monitor,NH
For up-to-date information about configuration options, you should refer to the following web
sites, which are updated regularly with the latest information:
For Alpha Systems QuickSpecs:
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For Alpha Systems Supported Options List:
Red Hat Version 6.0 Distribution
Pre-Installation
Creating The BOOT Floppy
Before you can begin to install the Linux software on your AlphaServer or AlphaStation, you will
need to create a BOOT floppy. This floppy contains the information required to initiate the
installation of Linux. The process varies depending upon what software distribution you are
using.
An important note: Our experience has shown that the vendor supplied floppy images sometimes
do not work properly. You are therefore encouraged to create your own BOOT floppy using the
images available over the Internet, as described in the sections that follow.
Creating floppies using a MS/Windows system
To create the BOOT floppy, you will need to make use of a PC, which has Internet access. The
instructions below detail the process:
1. Create a directory on the PC into which you will copy files for Linux, for example \Linux.
containing the distribution boot floppy image files.
3. Copy the generic-up.2.2.12.img file to your PC.
4. Rename the file to generic.img (DOS has an 8.3 file name limitation)
5. Insert the Linux CD-ROM into the PC.
6. Copy the file "\dosutils\rawrite.exe" from the CD-ROM to the \Linux directory on the PC.
7. Insert a blank, formatted floppy into the PC.
8. Run the following command from the DOS command shell:
C:\Linux> rawrite
Enter source file name: generic.img
Enter destination drive: a
Label this floppy "AlphaStation Linux BOOT Floppy".
With this floppy in hand, you are now prepared to begin the installation process on your
AlphaServer or AlphaStation.
Creating floppies using an UNIX system
To create the BOOT floppy, you will need to make use of a computer, which has Internet access.
The instructions below detail the process. Note that depending upon what version of UNIX and
vendor computer you are using to perform this process, some minor variations in the process may
be required. The exact commands shown here are for Digital UNIX, and should be similar to
most other popular UNIX systems.
1. Copy the generic kernel images from the Internet to your computer:
$ mkdir /var/tmp/Linux
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$ cd /var/tmp/Linux
$ ftp ftp.digital.com
login: ftp
Password: user@
ftp> bin
ftp> cd /pub/DEC/Linux-Alpha/Images/
ftp> get generic-up-2.2.12.img
ftp> quit
2. Insert a blank, formatted floppy into the computer, and copy the BOOT kernel to it:
$ dd if=generic-up-2.2.12.img of=/dev/fd0
With this floppy in hand, you are now prepared to begin the installation process on your
AlphaServer or AlphaStation.
Firmware Inspection and Upgrade
After powering up your AlphaServer or AlphaStation computer, type the command "show
version". Check that the version string printed is "V5.4-2 May 19 1999 14:25:16" or newer, and
that the first letter of the version string is a "V". If this is not the case, you should upgrade your
firmware. Instructions on how to do this can be found at
http://ftp.digital.com/pub/Digital/Alpha/firmware/ along with the latest firmware images.
System Resource Manager Configuration
There are several pieces of information that you need to configure in the SRM subsystem, as well
as device identifiers that you should make note of, prior to beginning the installation process. The
steps that follow take you through that process.
1. Power up your system. After several diagnostics are completed, you will be presented an
SRM prompt ">>>", as shown here:
OpenVMS PALcode V1.61-22, Digital UNIX PALcode V1.54-20
FF.FE.FD.FC.FB.FA.F9.F8.F7.F6.F5.F3.F2.F1.F0.EF.EE.ED.EC.EB.EA.E9.F4.E8.E
7.E6.E5.E4.
COMPAQ Professional Workstation XP1000 Console V5.5-7
built on Jul 22 1999 at 11:10:07
>>>
2. Determine what devices your system has installed. In particular you will need to note your
installation device (a floppy and/or CD-ROM), and your target disk drive. Entering the
command "show devices" as shown below will print out the information about your system:
>>>show device
dka0.0.0.6.1
dka100.1.0.6.1
dqa0.0.0.107.0
dva0.0.0.0.0
ewa0.0.0.3.1
ewb0.0.0.12.0
pka0.7.0.6.1
pkb0.7.0.2009.1
DKA0
DKA100
DQA0
DVA0
EWA0
EWB0
PKA0
PKB0
RZ2CC-KA 5520
RZ2CC-KA 5520
TOSHIBA CD-ROM XM-6202B 1110
00-00-F8-71-53-F5
00-00-F8-1E-86-8F
SCSI Bus ID 7 5.57
SCSI Bus ID 7 5.57
In the output above, the first line shows that DKA0 is a hard disk, DQA0 is a CD-ROM, and
DVA0 is a floppy drive.
Also useful for inspecting the computer configuration is the "show config" command, as
shown here:
>>>show config | more
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3. Configure the system SRM parameters to boot from your installation device. A table
providing cross-referenced device names is located in Appendix C, for your convenience.
Example commands for configuring to boot from the floppy device are shown here:
>>>set bootdef_dev dva0
>>>set boot_file vmlinux.gz
>>>set boot_osflags "root=/dev/hda"
>>>show boot*
boot_dev
boot_file
dva0.0.0.0.0
vmlinux.gz
root=/dev/hda
OFF
boot_osflags
boot_reset
bootdef_dev
booted_dev
booted_file
booted_osflags
dva0.0.0.0.0
4. Insert the boot floppy into the drive.
5. Boot the system using the "boot" command. The result should be that the system boots from
the floppy.
If during this process you encounter a problem, such as due to a typographic error in the setting of
the SRM parameters, you will probably be stopped with an "aboot>" prompt. The best way to
deal with this situation is to reset the system using the reset button on the front panel. Then using
the SRM commands, correct the mistake, and repeat the "boot" process.
Software Installation
The Red Hat version used in the testing for this guide has a simple installation program. Most of
the devices available with the AlphaStations can be correctly autodetected by Red Hat. Testing
for this Solutions Guide was performed using Red Hat Linux version 6.0.
During the boot process, you may see messages about "IDE STO" errors. These can be safely
ignored.
When configuring "Timezones", do not select "Hardware clock set to GMT", nor "Startup
through ARC console". Instead select "EST" for the timezone, or the value that is appropriate for
your location.
Disk Partitioning
The process of partitioning your boot disk for Linux on your AlphaServer can be somewhat
involved. This section provides an example of how perform the partitioning process using fdisk.
Note, the partition recommendations used in steps 14-27 are based on a RZ1DD-AA (or
whatever) disk geometry. If your disk has a different geometry you will need to use different
starting/ending cylinder numbers for each partition. The correct starting/ending cylinder numbers
can be computed by using these size recommendations and the number of bytes/cylinder for the
disk that you are using (this figure is reported by fdisk). The disk used for this example is a
4.3GB drive (DS-RZ1CF) which fdisk shows as having 1023 cylinders:
4 partitions:
#
size offset
fstype [fsize bsize cpg]
a:
16368
0
boot
ext2
swap
ext2
# (Cyl.
# (Cyl.
# (Cyl. 29 - 550)
# (Cyl. 551 - 1023)
1 - 2)
3 - 28)
b: 212784
c: 4272048 229152
d: 3871032 4501200
16368
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We strongly recommend the following multi-partition layout:
A boot partition – A boot partition is used to reserved the first 2 cylinders (1-2) to write the
bootloader in order to boot the disk from SRM.
A root partition – The root partition is where the / (root directory) resides. Always starts at
cylinder 3. We recommend creating a root partition of 300Mb minimum and 900Mb maximum.
A swap partition – A swap partition is used to support virtual memory. We commend creating a
swap partition of 2 times the computer RAM.
A /usr partition – The /usr partition is where the software of the system resides. This partition
should use all of the space left on the hard drive.
To perform the partitioning operation on the disk, when prompted, follow these steps:
1. Arrow to the drive you will be installing the software to and press the ENTER key. You will
now be in the fdisk command line
2. Type “m” for help.
3. Type “p” to print the partition table.
4. If there is partition information already configured for the disk, you will need to delete it
using the “d” option. Please be sure that you want to zero out this drive. All data will be lost
on the drive doing this.
5. Type “b” to edit the BSD disklabel.
6. If you completed the last step correctly, you should see the following: “/tmp/sda contains no
disklabel. Do you want to create a disklabel? (y/n)” – Answer Y.
7. Type “m” for more help.
8. Type “p” to print the partition table. You should see a “c” partition that takes up the whole
disk. This will have to be removed to install Linux correctly
9. Type “d” to delete a BSD partition
10. Type “c” to delete the c partition
11. Type “p” to print the partition table and verify no partitions exist
12. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the boot partition in this case
13. Type “a” for partition a.
14. First cylinder:
15. Last cylinder:
Type “1”.
Type “2”.
16. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the / (root) partition in this case.
17. Type “b” for partition b.
18. First cylinder:
19. Last cylinder:
Type “3”.
Type “28”.
20. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the swap partition in this case.
21. Type “c” for partition c.
22. First cylinder:
23. Last cylinder:
Type “29”.
Type “550”.
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24. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the /usr partition in this case.
25. Type “d” for partition d.
26. First cylinder:
Type “551”.
Type “1023” ; last cylinder - one. Do NOT accept the program
27. Last cylinder:
generated default of "1024" here, because of possible disk corruption.
28. Type “p” to print the partition table. You should notice that the fstype is set to unused for
each of the partitions. This will have to be changed via “toggle” – see next step.
29. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
30. Type “a” for partition a – boot partitions use a “boot” code.
31. Type “L” to list the codes you can use.
32. Enter “d” for boot type.
33. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
34. Type “b” for partition b – / (root) partitions use a “ext2” code.
35. Enter “8” for ext2 type.
36. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
37. Type “c” for partition c – swap partitions use a “swap” code.
38. Enter “1” for swap type.
39. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
40. Type “d” for partition d – /usr partitions use a “ext2” code.
41. Enter “8” for ext2 type.
42. Type “p” to print the partition table – Please verify all your settings.
43. Type “w” to write the disklabel to the disk.
44. Type “q” to quit.
45. Tab to DONE and press ENTER.
For further information on creating partitions please refer to the Installation Guide provided by
the software distribution vendor.
Post-Installation
System Resource Manager Configuration
After the software has been loaded to the disk, the system will attempt to reboot. Before it begins
the bootup process, press the front panel reset button. This will stop the bootup process, and
allow you to make the final configuration changes to be able to boot directly from the disk,
instead of the floppy or CD-ROM. You should now be at the SRM prompt, ">>>". Enter the
following commands to finalize the configuration.
You need to enter these commands, such that the drive reference on the second line needs to refer
to the drive which you installed to:
>>>set boot_file 2/boot/vmlinux.gz
>>>set bootdef_dev dka0
>>>set boot_osflags "root=/dev/sda2"
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>>>boot dva0 -fi vmlinux.gz
Note - When the system boots, you may see a series of warnings similar to the following:
system.map - incorrect version
This warning indicates that the kernel version that you installed (i.e. the latest version that you
copied from Compaq's ftp site) was not built at the same time as the rest of the kernel. This will
not impact your use of Linux in any way. This warning can be eliminated by installing the kernel
sources, all currently recommended patches and rebuilding the kernel.
Once the system is up, login and do the following:
1. Type: swriteboot –f1 /dev/sdZ /boot/bootlx(where Z is the letter of the
drive you are booting; ex: dka0=sda, dka100=sdb).
2. Mount the floppy disk to copy the kernel from the floppy to the /boot/ directory on the system
disk. Type: mount /dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy
3. Now go to the /boot directory. Type: cd /boot
4. Copy the kernel. Type: cp /mnt/floppy/vmlinux.gz .
5. Unmount the floppy. Type: umount /dev/fd0
6. Reboot the system. Type: shutdown -h now
The system may or may not hang here. This is a known issue and is being worked on. Please
reset or power cycled the system to continue with installation.
At the SRM prompt, you can now boot directly from the hard drive:
>>>boot
SuSE Version 6.1 Distribution
Pre-Installation
Creating The BOOT and RAMDISK Floppies
Before you can begin to install the Linux software on your AlphaStation, you will need to create a
BOOT floppy and RAMDISK. These floppies contain the information required to initiate the
installation of Linux. The process varies depending upon what software distribution you are
using.
Creating floppies using a MS/Windows system
To create the BOOT and RAMDISK floppies, you will need to make use of a PC, which has
Internet access. The instructions below detail the process:
1. Create a directory on the PC into which you will copy files for Linux, for example \Linux.
2. Insert the Linux CD-ROM into the PC.
the PC. This utility is required to build the floppies.
Alpha/Images/ to the \Linux directory on the PC and rename the file to aboot.
5. Copy the file "\disks\install" from the CD-ROM to the \Linux directory on the PC.
6. Insert a blank, formatted floppy into the PC.
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7. Run the following command from the DOS command shell:
C:\Linux> rawrite
Enter source file name: aboot
Enter destination drive: a
Label this floppy "AlphaStation Linux BOOT Floppy".
8. Run the following command from the DOS command shell:
C:\Linux> rawrite
Enter source file name: install
Enter destination drive: a
9. Label this floppy "AlphaStation Linux RAMDISK Floppy".
With those two floppies in hand, you are now prepared to begin the installation process on your
AlphaStation.
Creating floppies using an UNIX system
To create the BOOT and RAMDISK floppies, you will need to make use of a computer, which
has Internet access. The instructions below detail the process. Note that depending upon what
version of unix and vendor computer you are using to perform this process, some minor
variations in the process may be required. The exact commands shown here are for Digital UNIX,
and should be similar to most other popular UNIX systems.
1. Insert the Linux CD-ROM into the computer, and mount it:
$ mount /cdrom
2. Insert a blank, formatted floppy into the computer, and copy the BOOT kernel to it:
$ dd if=/cdrom/disks/aboot of=/dev/fd0
3. Insert a blank, formatted floppy into the computer, and copy the RAMDISK to it:
$ dd if=/cdrom/disks/install of=/dev/fd0
With those two floppies in hand, and the CD-ROM removed from the computer, you are now
prepared to begin the installation process on your AlphaStation.
Firmware Inspection and Upgrade
After powering up your AlphaStation computer, type the command "show version". Check that
the version string printed is "V5.4-2 May 19 1999 14:25:16" or newer, and that the first letter of
the version string is a "V". If this is not the case, you should upgrade your firmware. Instructions
the latest firmware images.
System Resource Manager Configuration
There are several pieces of information that you need to configure in the SRM subsystem, as well
as device identifiers that you should make note of, prior to beginning the installation process. The
steps that follow take you through that process.
1. Power up your system. After several diagnostics are completed, you will be presented an
SRM prompt ">>>", as shown here:
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72
OpenVMS PALcode V1.61-22, Digital UNIX PALcode V1.54-20
FF.FE.FD.FC.FB.FA.F9.F8.F7.F6.F5.F3.F2.F1.F0.EF.EE.ED.EC.EB.EA.E9.F4.E8.E
7.E6.E5.E4.
COMPAQ Professional Workstation XP1000 Console V5.5-7
built on Jul 22 1999 at 11:10:07
>>>
2. Determine what devices your system has installed. In particular you will need to note your
installation device (a floppy and/or CD-ROM), and your target disk drive. Entering the
command "show devices" as shown below will print out the information about your system:
>>>show device
dka0.0.0.6.1
dka100.1.0.6.1
dqa0.0.0.107.0
dva0.0.0.0.0
ewa0.0.0.3.1
ewb0.0.0.12.0
pka0.7.0.6.1
pkb0.7.0.2009.1
DKA0
DKA100
DQA0
DVA0
EWA0
EWB0
PKA0
PKB0
RZ2CC-KA 5520
RZ2CC-KA 5520
TOSHIBA CD-ROM XM-6202B 1110
00-00-F8-71-53-F5
00-00-F8-1E-86-8F
SCSI Bus ID 7 5.57
SCSI Bus ID 7 5.57
In the output above, the first line shows that DKA0 is a hard disk, DQA0 is a CD-ROM, and
DVA0 is a floppy drive.
Also useful for inspecting the computer configuration is the "show config" command, as
shown here:
>>>show config | more
3. Configure the system SRM parameters to boot from your installation device. The commands
for configuring to boot from the floppy device are shown here:
>>>set bootdef_dev dva0
>>>set boot_file vmlinux.gz
>>>set boot_osflags "root=/dev/fd0 load_ramdisk=1"
>>>show boot*
boot_dev
boot_file
dva0.0.0.0.0
vmlinux.gz
boot_osflags
boot_reset
bootdef_dev
booted_dev
booted_file
booted_osflags
root=/dev/fd0 load_ramdisk=1
OFF
dva0.0.0.0.0
4. Insert the boot floppy into the drive.
5. Boot the system using the "boot" command. The result should be that the system boots from
the floppy. You will eventually be prompted to replace the BOOT floppy with the RAMDISK
floppy.
If during this process you encounter a problem, such as due to a typographic error in the setting of
the SRM parameters, you will probably be stopped with an "aboot>" prompt. The best way to
deal with this situation is to reset the system using the reset button on the front panel. Then using
the SRM commands, correct the mistake, and repeat the "boot" process.
Software Installation
SuSE’s installation program is flexible. While it allows for autodetection of devices and autoload
of device drivers, it allows you to override the automatically configured parameters. Compaq’s
testing this Solutions Guide was performed using SuSE Version 6.1.
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The software installation process requires that the system be rebooted at two critical places in the
process. The first time is just after completing the partitioning of the disk, and the second happens
automatically after all of the software components are installed on the disk. Be certain not to skip
the reboot after the disk partition process is completed.
Disk Partitioning
In preparation to partition your disk, you should boot your AlphaStation via the BOOT floppy
and following the process for selecting a language, display color, keyboard type, and installation
media. At this stage, you should select the "Install From Scratch" menu option, and proceed to the
window titled "Partition Hard Drives". At this point, press the ALT+F2 keys, which will change
the display to show a shell-command prompt. At this prompt, type the command "fdisk" followed
by the enter key.
The process of partitioning your boot disk for Linux on your AlphaServer can be somewhat
involved. This section provides an example of how perform the partitioning process using fdisk.
Note, the partition recommendations used in steps 14-27 are based on a RZ1DD-AA disk
geometry. If your disk has a different geometry you will need to use different starting/ending
cylinder numbers for each partition. The correct starting/ending cylinder numbers can be
computed by using these size recommendations and the number of bytes/cylinder for the disk that
you are using (this figure is reported by fdisk). The disk used for this example is a 4.3GB drive
(DS-RZ1CF) which fdisk shows as having 1023 cylinders:
4 partitions:
#
size offset
fstype [fsize bsize cpg]
a:
16368
0
boot
ext2
swap
ext2
# (Cyl.
# (Cyl.
# (Cyl. 29 - 550)
# (Cyl. 551 - 1023)
1 - 2)
3 - 28)
b: 212784
c: 4272048 229152
d: 3871032 4501200
16368
We strongly recommend the following multi-partition layout:
A boot partition – A boot partition is used to reserved the first 2 cylinders (1-2) to write the
bootloader in order to boot the disk from SRM.
A root partition – The root partition is where the / (root directory) resides. Always starts at
cylinder 3. We recommend creating a root partition of 300Mb minimum and 900Mb maximum.
A swap partition – A swap partition is used to support virtual memory. We commend creating a
swap partition of 2 times the computer RAM.
A /usr partition – The /usr partition is where the software of the system resides. This partition
should use all of the space left on the hard drive.
To perform the partitioning operation on the disk, when prompted, follow these steps:
1. Now you are at the fdisk command line
2. Type “m” for help.
3. Type “p” to print the partition table.
4. If there is partition information already configured for the disk, you will need to delete it
using the “d” option. Please be sure that you want to zero out this drive. All data will be lost
on the drive doing this.
5. Type “b” to edit the BSD disklabel.
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6. If you completed the last step correctly, you should see the following: “/tmp/sda contains no
disklabel. Do you want to create a disklabel? (y/n)” – Answer Y.
7. Type “m” for more help.
8. Type “p” to print the partition table. You should see a “c” partition that takes up the whole
disk. This will have to be removed to install Linux correctly
9. Type “d” to delete a BSD partition
10. Type “c” to delete the c partition
11. Type “p” to print the partition table and verify no partitions exist
12. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the boot partition in this case
13. Type “a” for partition a.
14. First cylinder:
15. Last cylinder:
Type “1”.
Type “2”.
16. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the / (root) partition in this case.
17. Type “b” for partition b.
18. First cylinder:
19. Last cylinder:
Type “3”.
Type “28”.
20. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the swap partition in this case.
21. Type “c” for partition c.
22. First cylinder:
23. Last cylinder:
Type “29”.
Type “550”.
24. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition – the /usr partition in this case.
25. Type “d” for partition d.
26. First cylinder:
Type “551”.
27. Last cylinder:
Type “1023” ; last cylinder - one. Do NOT accept the program
generated default of "1024" here, because of possible disk corruption.
28. Type “p” to print the partition table. You should notice that the fstype is set to unused for
each of the partitions. This will have to be changed via “toggle” – see next step.
29. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
30. Type “a” for partition a – boot partitions use a “boot” code.
31. Type “L” to list the codes you can use.
32. Enter “d” for boot type.
33. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
34. Type “b” for partition b – / (root) partitions use a “ext2” code.
35. Enter “8” for ext2 type.
36. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
37. Type “c” for partition c – swap partitions use a “swap” code.
38. Enter “1” for swap type.
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39. Type “t” to change the partitions filesystem id.
40. Type “d” for partition d – /usr partitions use a “ext2” code.
41. Enter “8” for ext2 type.
42. Type “p” to print the partition table – Please verify all your settings.
43. Type “w” to write the disklabel to the disk.
44. Type “q” to quit.
For further information on creating partitions please refer to the Installation Guide provided by
the software distribution vendor.
At this point, the partitions have been created, and the system must be rebooted. You can reboot
by either pressing the RESET or POWER buttons on the front of the AlphaServer system. Once
the system returns to the SRM prompt, follow the preceeding instructions to return to the
"Partition Hard Drives" window. Select the "Do Not Partition" option at this screen.
You will now be presented a window that allows you to select and format the disk for the
software to be installed, entitled "Creating Filesystems". You should use the F4 key to define the
mount point of "/" for sda2 and “/usr” for sda4. Use the F6 key to select the "Normal" formatting
of the drive for both partitions. Once those steps are complete, press enter to continue.
When the window "Change/Create Configuration" is presented we recommend that you make
certain to select the "aboot" package from the "a: Linux Base System" group, and the "xglint"
package from the "xsrv: X Server Software" group. Ensure that you depress the F10 key after
each selection to add it to the installation. If you forget to select these packages, you will not be
able to boot directly from the hard drive, nor be able to run the X Window System software. Once
these are selected, and you have selected any other software options that you require, begin the
installation. If you encounter a message indicating that the xglint software depends upon other
packages, select "Continue", which will ignore that situation.
Post-Installation
System Resource Manager Configuration
After the software has been loaded to the disk, the system will attempt to reboot. Before it begins
the bootup process, press the front panel reset button. This will stop the bootup process, and allow
you to make the final configuration changes to be able to boot directly from the disk, instead of
the floppy or CD-ROM. You should now be at the SRM prompt, ">>>". Enter the following
commands to finalize the configuration.
You need to enter these commands, such that the drive reference on the second line needs to refer
to the drive which you installed to:
>>>set boot_file 2/boot/vmlinux.gz
>>>set bootdef_dev dka0
>>>set boot_osflags "root=/dev/sda2"
>>>boot dva0 -fi vmlinux.gz
Note - When the system boots, you may see a series of warnings similar to the following:
system.map - incorrect version
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This warning indicates that the kernel version that you installed (i.e. the latest version that you
copied from Compaq's ftp site) was not built at the same time as the rest of the kernel. This will
not impact your use of Linux in any way. This warning can be eliminated by installing the kernel
sources, all currently recommended patches and rebuilding the kernel.
Once the system is up, login and do the following:
1. Type:
swriteboot -f1 /dev/TdZ /boot/bootlx(where T is the type of
drive, s for SCSI or h for IDE; and Z is the letter of the drive you are booting; ex: dka0=sda,
dqa0=hda)
2. Type: mkswap /dev/TdZW (where T is the type of drive, s for SCSI or h for IDE; Z is the
letter of the drive you are booting; ex: dka0=sda, dqa0=hda); and W is the swap partition
number (I.e. mkswap /dev/sda3 or mkswap /dev/hda3.) This is required to work around a
problem of the swap.
3. Mount the floppy disk to copy the kernel from the floppy to the /boot/ directory on the system
disk. Type: mount /dev/fd0 /floppy
4. Now go to the /boot directory. Type: cd /boot
5. Copy the kernel. Type: cp /floppy/vmlinux.gz .
6. Unmount the floppy. Type: umount /dev/fd0
7. Type:
shutdown -h now
The system may or may not hang here. This is a known issue and is being worked on.
At the SRM prompt, you can now boot directly from the hard drive:
>>>boot
The system should now boot and prompt you to login. Upon logging in, you will probably want
to configure the X Window System. To do so, login as the user "root", and then run the command
"xf86config". Following the prompts answering the questions appropriately for your system. In
most cases, you will need to select "3Dlabs Oxygen GMX" as the graphics adapter, which is
usually configured with 8192K bytes of memory. Once this process is completed, you should be
able to run the command "startx" to make use of the graphical interface.
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Appendix A
Linux Links
This is a partial list of available links. If you would like to submit additional sites, please e-mail
in future document revisions.
·
·
·
http://compaq.com/alphaserver/Linux : Compaq's AlphaServer information page.
ftp://ftp.digital.com/pub/DEC/Linux-Alpha/Images; Compaq’s Alpha kernel images site
http://ftp.digital.com/pub/Digital/Alpha/firmware/ : Compaq's AlphaServer firmware
information page
·
based computer systems.
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
http://www.fsf.org : The web site of the Free Software Foundation.
http://metalab.unc.edu/LDP : The web site of the Linux Documentation Project.
device driver site.
·
·
Processing under Linux.
·
·
site. You can obtain the Andrew EZ program for viewing Andrew EZ format documents
·
·
·
SuSE and Red Hat) include the free X server developed by this organization.
http://www.kde.org/ : The K Desktop Environment web site, one of the more popular desktop
software packages available for Linux.
If you are looking for a particular utility or program, try looking here first.
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Appendix B
AlphaServer Configurations
Compaq AlphaServer DS10
·
·
·
·
·
·
Uni Processor Alpha 21264 6/466MHz
2MB L2 Cache
2GB Max Memory
2 Integrated 10/100 Ethernet Ports
4 PCI slots
IDE or SCSI Disk Support
Compaq AlphaServer DS20
·
·
·
·
·
·
Dual Processor Capable Alpha 21264 6/500MHz
4MB L2 Cache
4GB max memory capable
NIC PCI Interface
6 PCI Slots
SCSI Storage
Compaq AlphaServer ES40
·
·
·
·
·
·
Quad Processor Capable Alpha 21264 6/500MHz
4MB L2 Cache
16GB max memory capable
NIC PCI Interface
6 PCI Slots
SCSI Storage
Compaq AlphaStation XP1000
·
·
·
·
·
·
Uni Processor Alpha 21264 6/500MHz
4MB L2 Cache
2GB max memory
Integrated 10/100 Ethernet Port
5 PCI Slots
SCSI Storage
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Appendix C
SCSI and IDE Configurations
SCSI Only
Depending on the configuration, your internal drives may be either dkax or dkbx - where x is the
value assigned by the SRM console (i.e. dkb100). Usually, the SCSI CDROM is on its own
controller/channel, so the SRM will usually report it as dka500 or dkb500. Disks will be on the
other controller (for exmaple dka500 is an RRD46 - a SCSI CDROM, then dkb0 would be the
first SCSI harddrive - possibly RZ2DD-xx).
Mixed - IDE and SCSI
On the AlphaServer DS10, ES40 and AlphaStation XP1000, the CDROM is IDE based, so the
device information passed in the "root=/dev/devicename" has several possibilities. If you check
the configuration under SRM console prompt (>>>show config | more), you should find the IDE
devices under dqa and dqb device names. The following table is useful to map IDE SRM device
names to the Linux device name used for the same device.
SRM console Linux device
dqa0
dqa1
dqb0
dqb1
hda
hdb
hdc
hdd
Adding a second drive to your system
This section provides an example of how perform the partitioning process using fdisk in order to
add a second drive to the system. The disk used for this example is an 18.2GB drive (RZ2ED-LS)
which fdisk shows as having 17365 cylinders:
To perform the partitioning operation on the second disk, follow these steps:
1. Open a terminal window and issue the following command; # fdisk /dev/TdZ (where T is
the type of drive, s for SCSI or h for IDE; and Z is the letter of the drive you are booting; ex:
dka0=sda, dqa0=hda)
2. Type “m” for help.
3. Type “p” to print the partition table.
4. If there is partition information already configured for the disk, you will need to delete it
using the “d” option. Please be sure that you want to zero out this drive. All data will be lost
on the drive doing this.
5. Type “b” to edit the BSD disklabel.
6. If you completed the last step correctly, you should see the following: “/tmp/TdZ contains no
disklabel. Do you want to create a disklabel? (y/n)” – Answer Y.
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7. Type “m” for more help.
8. Type “p” to print the partition table. You should see a “c” partition that takes up the whole
disk. This will have to be removed to install Linux correctly
9. Type “d” to delete a BSD partition
10. Type “c” to delete the c partition
11. Type “p” to print the partition table and verify no partitions exist
12. Type “n” to add a new BSD partition
13. Type “a” for partition a.
14. First cylinder:
15. Last cylinder:
Type “3”.
Type “17365” ; last cylinder - one. Do NOT accept the program
generated default of "17366" here, because of possible disk corruption).
16. Type “w” to write the disklabel to the disk.
17. Type “q” to quit.
18. Please shutdown the system in order to recognize the new partition on a second drive.
19. Once the system as rebooted and the user has log in, open a terminal window and issue the
following command; # mkfs /dev/TdZ1 (where T is the type of drive, s for SCSI or h
for IDE; and Z is the letter of the drive you are booting; ex: dka0=sda, dqa0=hda)
20. The device is now ready to be mounted by the OS.
Reusing a previously installed hard drive
In some rare cases, you may find yourself needing to install onto a disk drive that has previously
been installed to. It is important that you re-create the boot records on the drive. If you followed
the rest of the instructions in this manual, you will have allocated the first three sectors of the
drive for this purpose. Assuming that is the case, you can destroy the contents of those sectors
prior to installing, using this command:
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/TdZ count=2 bs=512
where T is the type of drive, s for SCSI or h for IDE; and Z is the letter of the drive you are using;
ex: dka0=sda, dqa0=hda.
TLZ07 and TLZ09 Errata
Problems have been observed when trying to install to systems that have TLZ07 and TLZ09 tape
devices installed. Specifically, when booting from the floppy, the system will hang during the
SCSI probe phase of the boot process. The suggested work around is to power down the system,
remove the power plug from the tape device, and then repower and boot the system. After the
system has been installed, you can reconnect the tape device.
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Glossary
A
Availability - Refers to the amount of time that an application is available to perform
work, typically measured in percentage of uptime.
B
C
Bootstrap – The act of passing control over a computer to an operating system following
system power-up.
CPU – Central Processing Unit
D
E
F
G
GB – Gigabytes
H
I
IDE – Integrated Development Environment
IP – Internet Protocol – The part of TCP/IP Protocol set that provides the routing mechanism.
J
K
L
M
Man pages - Manual pages
MIB – Management Information Base – Set of monitored items that management application and
management agents use to monitor, analyze, and control the operation of managed devices.
MB - Megabytes
N
NIC – Network Interface Card
O
P
Q
R
RAID – Redundant Array of Independent Disks
S
SRM – System Resource Manager, used to configure the bootup parameters of Compaq
AlphaServers.
System Partition – The name of the bootable partition used to configure Compaq
AlphaServers.
Switch – A switch is a network device that selects a path or circuit for sending a unit of
data to its next destination.
T
U
TCP/IP – Protocol that manages the transmission of packets on a network and checks for
errors.
URL – Universal Resource Locator – the name of a specific resource on the Internet.
V
W
XYZ
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YaST – The setup and configuration utility provided by SuSE for their Linux
distribution.
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