From 3a96085b999220c4da0c5ef7d1f7ba26b9ddfb98 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Waldemar Brodkorb Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2017 18:47:16 +0100 Subject: dec-multia: make netboot possible, add aboot bootloader --- package/aboot/src/sdisklabel/README | 105 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 105 insertions(+) create mode 100644 package/aboot/src/sdisklabel/README (limited to 'package/aboot/src/sdisklabel/README') diff --git a/package/aboot/src/sdisklabel/README b/package/aboot/src/sdisklabel/README new file mode 100644 index 000000000..45b4636d0 --- /dev/null +++ b/package/aboot/src/sdisklabel/README @@ -0,0 +1,105 @@ +These are sources and binaries for a Linux/Alpha boot file installer +and disk partitioner. They're horrible, and should be destroyed. +We're going to assume you don't have OSF/1, but want to use your hard +drive. If you have OSF/1, what are you doing in here??!?!?!!? + +The program also assumes you have a SCSI disk with 512-byte sectors, +tho it should work fine on an IDE drive as well. All sizes are +specified on the command line in sectors. + +There are 8 partitions in total, and are numbered from 0 to 7. +Partitions have to be added sequentially, as this program won't let +you leave empty partitions unlike many BSD disklabel programs. + +First off, if you have an invalid disk label (you've never run this +program before) you get to do + + sdisklabel /dev/sda zero + +(/dev/sda is the device you're partitioning, substitute as +appropriate). + +This zeros out your disk label. Only do this if you really want to +zero your disk label. It just does it; it doesn't ask, or warn, or +anything. + +The program also probably printed out the size of your disk in K. If +it was wrong, you now get to use the "size xxx" option along with the +rest of these commands. The size isn't critical, it's just used to try +and make sure you don't go past the end of the disk. + +Next, add your first partition. This *doesn't* start from 0, as you +have to leave room for the boot loader and other stuff. 256K (or 512 +sectors) will be enough. + +Let's pretend that you want to make a 250000K partition starting +from sector offset 512: + + sdisklabel /dev/sda 0 512 500000 8 print + +The last number is the filesystem type, and is currently 8 for ext2fs +filesystems. (A different number would be used to specify an OSF/1 +partition, for example). + +If all was successful, the program should print out the partition (the +last keyword, "print", specifies that it should print the partition +after modifying it with the previous command), and you should see +something like +---------------------------------------------------------------- +I think your disk is 528870K total size. +If I'm wrong, override the size with the 'size num' option + +partition 0: type 8, starts sector 512, size 500000 +---------------------------------------------------------------- + +We can then add the next partition, which would be partition 1. +To add a second partition that is 200000K long, we'd run + sdisklabel /dev/sda 1 512256 400000 8 print +And both partitions would then be printed out. + +If for some reason the size got determined incorrectly, we'd do +instead + + sdisklabel /dev/sda size 528870 0 512 400000 8 print + +The size option should come immediately after the device name, and the +size is the total # of sectors on the drive. + +That wasn't too bad, was it? The program doesn't do enough error +checking, but it should work OK if you don't try to abuse it. + +!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! + +Adding a bootstrap to the HD + +This isn't exactly trivial, and should be done immediately after +setting up the partitions (but not before...). I can't be held +responsible if the bootstrap writer wipes your drive-it does hardly +any error checking, tho it tries to make sure that you're not going to +wipe out any partitions before it starts writing. + +The program basically writes a raw binary image (*not* an a.out format file) +to the disk starting from sector 2. This can be generated from an executable +by using the arch/alpha/linux/tools/build program found in the kernel +distribution, or the similar program in the aboot distributiion. So to +install the bootloader in bootlx, assuming you've partitioned your disk (and +left enough blank space between the start of the disk and the first +partition to hold the bootloader): + + swriteboot /dev/sda bootlx + +When using aboot, you can also append a kernel image by using + + swriteboot /dev/sda bootlx vmlinux.gz + +If you invoke swriteboot with the '-v' option, it will be a bit more +verbose. + +If you have to partition your disk with a program that does not allow to +leave a blank (unpartitiones) space at the beginning for the bootloader, +create a partition of the desired size instead. swriteboot will complain +that the desired boot area overlaps with that partition, so you must use + + swriteboot -f# ... + +where # is the partition number to force overwriting this area. -- cgit v1.2.3