Re: "Converting" LinuxPPC to YDL?


Subject: Re: "Converting" LinuxPPC to YDL?
From: Marc Stergionis (stermarc@home.com)
Date: Tue Feb 06 2001 - 08:43:10 MST


At 2/5/01 10:11 PM, Hollis R Blanchard from the digital address
hollis+@andrew.cmu.edu typed these wise words:

>On Mon, 5 Feb 2001, Marc Stergionis wrote:
>
>> After some fits and starts, I was able to get LinuxPPC2000 on a Power
>> Computing 8100 clone. This setup uses the 2.4 kernel ported by the
>> nubus-pmac team. (Never could get CS1.2.1 to install on this machine
>> using the sourceforge install kernel.)
>
>Why exactly?
***Environment changed slightly -- see below *******
(note-- as you may know, only the 2.40 kernel is available/will work for
the nubus port)

At first, installing with the nubus-YDL Kernel at the sourceforge.net
site, install would choke at "gnumeric" (this was installing most
everything, except engineering and foreign-language stuff). Remove
"gnumeric" from install, chokes on "usermode", remove that, chokes on
"usernet" remove that, chokes on "utempter" which I could never find to
uncheck.

Then tried minimal install, (which of course, installs *all four* of
those) and once in a while I could coax it to the end, ie. manually input
mousetype, password etc. It wouldn't self-reboot. After manual reboot, I
would get:

Checking root filesystem
WARNING: couldn't open /etc/fstab: No such file or directory (null):
The superblock could not be read or does not describe a correct ext2
filesystem. If the device is valid and it really contains an ext2
filesystem and not swap or ufs or something else), then the superblock is
corrupt, and you might try running e2fsck with an alternate superblock:
e2fsck -b 8193 <device>

ext2fs_check_if_mount: No such file or directory while determining whther
/ is mounted
fsck.ext2: Is a directory while trying to open / [FAILED]

then dropping you to a shell etc.

So when I run e2fsck -b 8193 /dev/sdb7

and "y" to all repairs it says filesystem modified. I reboot and I get
the *exact* same errors, ie. no fstab and superblock not read!!

So it was kind of in a loop of appearing to fix the fs, but then again
not finding it. HEY---Just thinking .... could the YDL Rescue CD repair
this???????

After using instructions from the nubus-linuxppc list to try to create
/fstab, it would again not find it and/or once i got:

module dependencies failed
/etc/"something"/syinit: awk; command not found

In both of these instances, often it would not take a login, ie.
inputting password would result in "command not found"

This is on two different Power Computing clones:

Office-- Power 120 (8100 clone) 80MB ram, 1.8G /root, 128MB swap, install
attempt via downloaded/burned CD.

Home-- Power 100 (8100 clone) 200MB ram, 150 /root, 50 swap, 520 /usr,
300 /opt 3.8G /home (default Drive Setup partitions for LinuxPPC setup)
plus 128MB swap on a different drive, Purchased YDL CD.

 
>> I have purchased the CS1.2.1 CD set and would like to run YDL on all my
>> machines. Is there a way to "convert/upgrade/improve" this LinuxPPC
>> install to YDL? When I try to use the installer to "upgrade" it tells me
>> "no rpm database exists" and rpm -rebuilddb didn't seem to change that.
>>
>> Can I just install yup to accomplish this? (The X installer warns of a
>> dependency for lib.gmp that doesn't appear to be on the CS1.2.1 CD)
>
>I don't think yup can handle a job like that... LPPC installs many broken
>dependancies, and there have been enough package reorganizations etc to cause
>problems.
>
>I don't know of any clean way to do it aside from mass-installing a bunch of
>rpms. Your best bet is the installer.
********** I now have stepped back a littlet and put MkLinux on both
these machines, successfully. One a DR3 minimal install, one an Pre-R1
full install.

Are these more amenable to a YDL convert/crossgrade? Will YDL installer
recognize this install to the extent that I can use the install kernel
and CD to just select an "upgrade" for this system, instead of an install?

-----------------
"Just because it's your job don't make it right"
--Paul Newman, being thrown in solitary yet again, in "Cool Hand Luke"
-----------------
Marc Stergionis
Community Relations & website author
Benefis Healthcare www.benefis.org
"Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of my employer."



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