path: root/greek/ports/powerpc/inst/prep.wml

#use wml::debian::template title="PowerPC Port (PReP)" NOHEADER="yes"
#include "$(ENGLISHDIR)/ports/powerpc/inst/menu.inc"
#use wml::debian::translation-check translation="baca2cc9eb45158bf723feec7aa48e19ee745253" maintainer="galaxico"

<h1>Debian GNU/Linux PowerPC PReP Page</h1>
 
<h3>Intro</h3>
<p>

 IBM and Motorola both make or have made PReP architecture
 machines. At this point, the PReP support has only been tested on
 Motorola legacy PowerStack(tm) (Blackhawk, Comet, Utah motherboard)
 systems and the current embedded solution in the PowerPlus(tm)
 family. These include the MTX, MTX+,
 MVME2300(sc)/2400/2600/2700/3600/4600, and MCP(n)750.  IBM produces a
 variety of desktop workstation that are PowerPC PReP compliant. These
 include the RS/6000 40P, 43P, 830, 850, 860, 6015, and 6030.

</p>

<h3>Known Problems</h3>
<p>
MTX+ (7 PCI slot MTX system) cannot boot the 2.2 kernel, it hangs on the IDE
driver initialization. This is a known problem and will be fixed in an
upcoming kernel patch.
</p>
<p>
All Motorola PowerPlus systems have broken IDE support in the kernel.
This problem has been identified and fixed.  Changes will soon be available
as a Debian kernel patch package and will be rolled into the kernel
source.
</p>

<h3>Firmware</h3>
<p>

Depending on the age and/or maker of your PReP system you will have
either PPCBUG (Motorola), Open Firmware (IBM or Motorola), or IBM's
PReP firmware.  The boot commands are slightly different but all of
these systems implement the PReP standard so the same kernel can be
booted on all platforms. A complete explanation of firmware commands
is out of the scope of this document but some information will be
provided where necessary.

</p>

<h3>Setup for Installation</h3>

<h4>Floppy Based Install</h4>

<p>
Write the <code>boot1440.bin</code>, <code>root1440.bin</code>,
<code>resc1440.bin</code>, <code>drv14-*.bin</code>, and
images to floppy disks.  <code>dd</code> can
be used on a Linux/Unix system or <code>rawrite</code> can be used on
a DOS/Windows system.
</p>

<h4>Network Based Install</H4>
<p>

Place <code>resc1440.bin</code> and <code>drivers.tgz</code> files
into an exported NFS filesystem on your NFS server.  It is best to
place the files as follows:
<code>/[mountpoint]/debian/[installfiles]</code> .
</p>

<p>
Place the <code>boot.bin</code> file in the tftp directory on your TFTP server.
</p>

<h4>Console Options</h4>
<p>
On Motorola PPCBUG systems you may boot and install using 
 either VGA console or serial console. PPCBUG and Linux will fall back to serial console 
 mode if no VGA or keyboard is detected.
</p>

<p>
In order to properly view the installation on a serial console, some
terminal emulation capabilities are necessary.  In order to see the
installation in color, it is necessary to have a terminal emulator with
support for ANSI color.  The standard color xterm included with most
Linux distribution is sufficient, as are most terminal programs on
Windows (for example, <a
href="http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/">PuTTY</a>).
In order to view the line drawing characters
that make the GUI boxes, it is essential that a font containing the IBM
extended line art character be used.  Under Linux, the "linux8x8" font
can be used and under Windows one can select the MSLineDraw font.
</p>


<h3>Booting</h3>
<dl>
<dt> PPCBUG
<dd> Use the "ENV" command and turn on the "Network PReP boot enable" option.
<dd> Use the "NIOT" command to configure the client, server, and optional gateway IP addr
     that will be used to tftp the kernel. If it is a brand new board, be sure to
     <tt>SET <var>&lt;date/time&gt;</var></tt> to start the hwclock or networking and other things will not function.
<dt> Boot the image with 
<dd> PPCBUG&gt;NBO 0 0 ,,, bootprep.bin
<dt> OpenFirmware
<dt> Use the following command to tftp boot a PReP image:
<dd> &gt;boot &lsaquo;server_ipaddr&rsaquo;,&lsaquo;file&rsaquo;,&lsaquo;client_ipaddr&rsaquo;
</dl>



<h2>Debian Installation</h2>
<ol>
<li> Configure the keyboard
<p>
 If on serial console, the configure keyboard step is skipped.
</p>

<li> Partition the Harddrive
<p>
Create a primary partition of 2MB and change its type to PPC PReP boot 
(type 41).  OF PReP machines may have trouble booting if the PPC PReP boot
partition is anywhere other than primary partition 1.  Although all the
Motorola PPCBUG systems can have PPC PReP boot located on any primary
partition, it is general practice to make the PPC PReP boot partition on
sda1 or hda1.
</p>
<p>
After the PPC PReP boot partition is created, follow the normal Linux
conventions for partitioning.  At least a root and swap partition should
be created and they may be on either primary or logical partitions.
</p>

<li> Install Rescue and Driver disks
<p>
Installing from floppy is straightforward, insert the rescue and driver
disks as you are prompted for them.
</p>
<p>
For a network based install, choose the NFS option and you will be
prompted to configure networking.  When it prompts for the NFS server
to utilize, enter the NFS server and directory that you set up
earlier.  Choose the defaults for the rest of the questions.
</p>

<li> Configure Driver modules
<p>
 For now, important modules are built in the kernel so just choose "Exit".
</p>

<li> Install Base System
<p>
If a floppy install is selected, simply insert the base disks as requested.
If NFS install is selected, enter the NFS server and directory in
which the base system is located and choose the defaults to install
the Debian base system.
</p>

<li> Make Bootable from Harddrive
<p>
Makes the system bootable from the PPC PReP boot partition that was
created earlier.  If that partition is missing, an error will be displayed.
</p>

<li> Make Boot Floppy
<p>
Writes a bootable image to a disk in the floppy drive.
</p>

</ol>

<h2>Debian Base System Boot</h2>
<p>
 If you configured a type 41 PReP boot partition and had the installation
 program make the system bootable from the hard drive then you can simply
 issue a firmware boot command to have it boot from hard disk (PPCBUG and
 OF both have autoboot options you may also turn on).
</p>
<p>
Note: to force the kernel to root from the correct partition, it may be
necessary to write to the PReP Global Environment variable, "bootargs".
In the case of a Motorola PReP installation which will default to root from
sda1 and where the root filesystem is actually on sda2, one must set
<tt>bootargs=/dev/sda2</tt> .
</p>

<p>PPCBUG</p>

<dl>
<dt>Set the bootargs parameter
<dd>PPCBUG&gt;GEVEDIT bootargs
<dd>PPCBUG&gt;bootargs=root=/dev/sda2
<dt>Perform a boot (assumes SCSI disk on controller 0, SCSI ID 0):
<dd>PPCBUG&gt;PBOOT 0 
<dt>Perform a boot (assumes SCSI disk on controller 0, SCSI ID x) 
<dd>PPCBUG&gt;PBOOT 0 x0 
</dl>
<dl>
<dt>Openfirmware
<dt>Perform a boot (for installed IDE/SCSI disk aliased to disk0)
<dd>&gt;boot disk0
<dt>Perform a boot (for installed IDE/SCSI disk aliased to hdisk0)
<dd>&gt;boot hdisk0 
</dl>
<p>
 Now the kernel boots from the hard disk.
</p>

<hr>
Please email with any suggestions/complaints/problems with the installation
on PReP and this documentation to <a href="mailto:porter@debian.org">Matt Porter</a>