Installing Linux/PPC on the CHRP LongTrail

This section discusses the basic installation of Linux/PPC on the CHRP LongTrail.

Since the floppy drive isn't working yet under Linux, the easiest installation method is using a root file system on NFS. Make sure you have a second computer available that can act as a RARP/BOOTP and NFS server. Alternatively you can format a hard disk on another machine (msdos partitioning), install the root filesystem and move the disk to your CHRP machine.

Files

You can download the following files from this page:

Note: I removed all binaries, since they are obsolete and waste too much webspace.

Linux kernels

There are two kernels available, one with support for ADB keyboards and mice, and another with support for a PS/2 keyboard and mouse (you can't have both ADB and PS/2 support in the same kernel (yet)). Both kernels support DEC21041 Ethernet and ATI video boards. If you have a different video board, it will still work, as long as Open Firmware knows how to initialize the board.

zImage.adb: Kernel image with support for ADB keyboards and mice
.config.adb: Kernel configuration for the above kernel image
System.map.adb: System.map for the above kernel image
zImage.ps2: Kernel image with support for a PS/2 keyboard and mouse
.config.ps2: Kernel configuration for the above kernel image
System.map.ps2: System.map for the above kernel image

Root filesystem

chrproot.tar.gz: This is a modified version of TAPE_FILE3.gz, which supports the new console device minor.

Extract this archive on your NFS server.

Kernel source patches

chrp-2.1.72-19971223.diff.gz brings your 2.1.72 kernel source tree to the same level as the `bleeding edge' source tree at vger.rutgers.edu (dated December 22, 1997).

Booting Linux

Open Firmware booting is nice: just copy the kernel to a msdos formatted floppy and type

    boot a:<kernel-name> root=/dev/nfs

The kernel has support for both RARP and BOOTP to find out it's IP address (and hostname). It will mount (using NFS)

    /tftpboot/<ip-address>

    /tftpboot/<hostname>

(if BOOTP supplied a hostname) as its root file system. If you want to disable RARP and BOOTP, add `ip=off' to the boot command.

My /etc/bootptab looks like

    callisto:\
            :hn:ht=ethernet:vm=rfc1048:\
            :ha=0080c85af85b:

callisto is the name of my CHRP machine, 0080c85af85b is the hardware address of my Ethernet board.

If Open Firmware doesn't support your video board, you can still boot Linux using a serial terminal, connected to one of the 9 pin D-SUB serial ports, as the console, by adding

    console=ttyS0

    console=ttyS1

to the boot command.

The first things the boot loader says are:

    Boot device: <boot-device> File and args: <file-and-args>
    chrpboot starting
    gunzipping... done
    start address = 0x9000100c
    copying OF device tree... done
    instantiating rtas... done

The copy process takes about 10-15 seconds.

After this you should see the well known Linux penguin logo and the kernel boot messages, and you'll be thrown into a single user shell. Then you can partition your hard disk and copy the root file system to it.

Good luck!

Miscellaneous

If you don't specify a root file system, the default is /dev/sda2.
Of course you can put kernels on hard disk too. Just create a msdos formatted partition (e.g. on /dev/sda1) and copy your kernels to it. I use
```
    boot scsi/disk@6,0:1,zImage ip=off
    
```
to boot from the file zImage on the first partition of the SCSI disk at unit 6 LUN 0.
IDE disks are not yet supported. Besides, IDE sucks! SCSI lives!

This page is maintained by Geert Uytterhoeven.
$Date: 2006-01-25 21:24:49 $