[Debian-ppc64-devel] Successful installation in an OpenPower 720 Express

[Sven Luther]

On Wed, Sep 14, 2005 at 01:50:34PM +0200, Roberto Suarez Soto wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> 	after finishing with a pSeries 6E4 (Power4), we've been lucky to
> have an OpenPower 720 Express to test Debian on it. I'm attaching the dmesg
> output with this message (file "dmesg-marduk.txt"). Thanks to all involved
> for your efforts in making this work :-)

Would you be so kind, and test also :

  http://people.debian.org/~luther/d-i/images/daily/powerpc64/

well, no CD isos yet, need to fix them, but you can easily enough use the
netboot install.

> 	Notes about the installation:
> 
> 	I used the ISO at
> http://ftp.uni-augsburg.de/pub/tuxppc/test/Debian-Installer-CD/. It
> installed correctly, but when I booted it crashed. I think it was the
> problem addressed by Harald Görl (the creator of the CD) relative to Matrox
> support in the kernel (message of 09 Jun 2005). The installation kernel
> worked perfectly, but the kernel that is installed (though it has the
> option CONFIG_FB_MATROX=y, which IIRC was the issue) crashed. I'm attaching
> the output of the kernel until the crashing (file "dmesg-kaboom.txt").
> 
> 	I used the installation CD to mount the installed system and
> retrieve the latest kernel in Sven's website
> (http://people.debian.org/~luther/ppc64/),
> kernel-image-2.6.12-sven64_1_powerpc.deb. I installed it, and voila, it
> booted. The differences relative to Matrox between those two kernels are
> these ("diff 2.6.11-pseries 2.6.12-sven64"):

Ah, these are no more to be used, i will remove that link. The etch/sid
linux-image-2.6.12-1-powerpc64 kernels are the ones you need.

> > CONFIG_W1_MATROX=m
> 4,6c5,8
> < # CONFIG_FB_MATROX_G is not set
> < # CONFIG_FB_MATROX_I2C is not set
> < # CONFIG_FB_MATROX_MULTIHEAD is not set
> ---
> > CONFIG_FB_MATROX_G=y
> > CONFIG_FB_MATROX_I2C=m
> > CONFIG_FB_MATROX_MAVEN=m
> > CONFIG_FB_MATROX_MULTIHEAD=y
> 
> 	So any of those options has something to do with the crash. I don't
> know if the difference between initrds is also implicated. You tell me :-)

Well, the sven64 kernels are also 2.6.12 kernels, while the previous ones
where 2.6.11 ones, but please test the new official kernels.

> 	I used Cajus' mirror. I don't know if I could have used the
> official one (I was in a hurry and wanted to play safe). Could I?  I'm
> willing to try another install, I've done nothing yet with this
> installation and  don't mind wiping it all now that I know it can be
> installed :-)

Official debian/etch should be just fine, you will also get the biarch
toolchain that way, and the newer glibc with NPTLS support.

> 	And in a slightly related note ... does anyone know how to
> configure the RAID controller in these things? I realized it had one when I
> did a dmesg (we didn't receive any tech specs with the OP), and I like to
> configure it properly. Any pointer to documentation will be greatly
> appreciated. Thanks in advance :-)

Can you provide lspci for this one ? Is it the same as the IBM serverraid ? If
so, i didn't see any tool for them available, not sure though.

Friendly,

Sven Luther