INSTALLATION NOTES for NetBSD/sparc 1.3.3
....(omitted)...
Installing NetBSD by using a diskless setup.
First, you must setup a diskless client configuration on a server. If
you are using a NetBSD system as the boot-server, have a look at the
diskless(8) manual page for guidelines on how to proceed with this.
If the server runs another operating system, you'll have to consult
documentation that came with it (on SunOS systems, add_client(8) is a
good start).
Your Sparcstation expects to be able to download a second stage bootstrap
program via TFTP after having acquired its IP address through RevARP when
instructed to boot "over the net". It will look for a filename composed of
the machine's IP address followed by the machine's architecture, separated
by a period. For example, a sun4c machine which has been assigned IP
address 130.115.144.11, will make an TFTP request for `8273900B.SUN4C'.
Normally, this file is a symbolic link to an appropriate second-stage
boot program, which should be located in a place where the TFTP daemon
can find it (remember, many TFTP daemons run in a chroot'ed environment).
You can find the boot program in `/usr/mdec/boot.net' in the NetBSD/sparc
distribution.
[ Note that the only difference between `/usr/mdec/boot.net' and
`/usr/mdec/boot' is in the a.out header, which has been magically
transformed in a way that makes it usable on all versions of
Sparc PROMs.
]
After the boot program has been loaded into memory and given control by
the PROM, it starts locating the machine's remote root directory through
the BOOTPARAM protocol. First a BOOTPARAM WHOAMI request is broadcast
on the local net. The answer to this request (if it comes in) contains
the client's name. This name is used in next step, a BOOTPARAM GETFILE
request -- sent to the server that responded to the WHOAMI request --
requesting the name and address of the machine that will serve the client's
root directory, as well as the path of the client's root on that server.
Finally, this information (if it comes in) is used to issue a REMOTE MOUNT
request to the client's root filesystem server, asking for an NFS file
handle corresponding to the root filesystem. If successful, the boot
program starts reading from the remote root filesystem in search of the
kernel which is then read into memory.
As noted above in the section `Preparing your System for NetBSD Installation',
you have several options when choosing a location to store the installation
filesets. However, the easiest way is to put the *.tar.gz files you want
to install into the root directory for your client on the server.
Next, unpack `base.tar.gz' and `etc.tar.gz' on the server in the root
directory for your machine. If you elect to use a separately NFS-mounted
filesystem for `/usr' with your diskless setup, make sure the "./usr" base
files in base.tar.gz end up in the correct location. One way to do this is
to temporarily use a loopback mount on the server, re-routing /usr to
your server's exported NetBSD "/usr" directory. Also put the kernel and the
install/upgrade scripts into the root directory.
A few configuration files need to be edited:
/etc/hosts
Add the IP addresses of both server and client.
/etc/myname
This files contains the client's hostname; use the same
name as in /etc/hosts.
/etc/fstab
Enter the entries for the remotely mounted filesystems.
For example:
server:/export/root/client / nfs rw 0 0
server:/export/exec/sun4.netbsd /usr nfs rw 0 0
Now you must populate the the `/dev' directory for your client. If you server
runs SunOS 4.x, you can simply change your working directory to `/dev'
and run the MAKEDEV script: `sh MAKEDEV all'.
On SunOS 5.x systems, MAKEDEV can also be used, but there'll be error
messages about unknown user and groups. These errors are inconsequential
for the purpose of installing NetBSD. However, you may want to correct them
if you plan to use the diskless setup regularly. In that case, you may re-run
MAKEDEV on your NetBSD machine once it has booted.
Boot your workstation from the server by entering the appropriate `boot'
command at the monitor prompt. Depending on the PROM version in your machine,
this command takes one of the following forms:
> b le()netbsd -s # for sun4 monitors
ok boot le()netbsd -s # for version 1 OpenBOOT ROMs
ok boot net netbsd -s # for version 2 OpenBOOT ROMs
This will boot the NetBSD kernel in single-user mode.
[[
NOTE: the latter two examples assume you operate the OpenBOOT ROM in
"new command mode". If your machine comes up and gives you a `>' prompt
instead of `ok', type:
>n # enter native OpenBOOT mode
ok setenv sunmon-compat? false # make it permanent
ok
]]
If you use a diskless setup with a separately NFS-mounted /usr filesystem,
mount /usr by hand now:
netbsd# mount /usr
At this point, it's worth checking the disk label and partition sizes on
the disk you want to install NetBSD onto. NetBSD understands SunOS-style
disklabels, so if your disk was previously used by SunOS there will be
a usable label on it. Use `disklabel -e ' (where is the
device name assigned by the NetBSD kernel, e.g. `sd0') to view and
modify the partition sizes. See the section `Preparing your System for
NetBSD Installation' above for suggestions about disk partition sizes.
If you are installing on a SCSI disk that does *not* have a SunOS or
NetBSD label on it, you may still be able to use disklabel(8) but you'll
have to create all partitions from scratch. If your disk is listed in
`/etc/disktab', you may use the entry (which in most cases only defines
a `c' partition to describe the whole disk) to put an initial label on
the disk. Then proceed with `disklabel -e ' to create a partition
layout that suits your needs.
NOTE: Because of the built-in compatibility with SunOS-style labels,
ALWAYS MAKE SURE ALL YOUR PARTITIONS START AND END ON CYLINDER BOUNDARIES.
Here follows an example of what you'll see while in the dislabel editor.
Do not touch any of the parameters except for the `label: ' entry and
the actual partition size information at the bottom (the lines starting
with `a:', `b:', ...).
The size and offset fields are given in sector units. Be sure to make
these numbers multiples of the of the number of sectors per cylinder:
the kernel might be picky about these things, but aside from this you'll
have the least chance of wasting disk space.
Partitions on which you intend to have a mountable filesystem, should
be given fstype `4.2BSD'. Remember, the `c' partition should describe
the whole disk.
The `(Cyl. x - y)' info that appears after the hash (`#') character is
treated as a comment and need not be filled in when altering partitions.
Special note: the line containing `8 partitions:' is best left alone,
even if you define less then eight partitions. If this line displays
a different number and the program complains about it (after you leave
the editor), then try setting it to `8 partitions:'.
netbsd# disklabel sd2
# /dev/rsd2c:
type: SCSI
disk: SCSI disk
label: Hold Your Breath
flags:
bytes/sector: 512
sectors/track: 64
tracks/cylinder: 7
sectors/cylinder: 448
cylinders: 1429
rpm: 3600
interleave: 1
trackskew: 0
cylinderskew: 0
headswitch: 0 # milliseconds
track-to-track seek: 0 # milliseconds
drivedata: 0
8 partitions:
#size offset fstype [fsize bsize cpg]
a: 50176 0 4.2BSD 0 0 0 # (Cyl. 0 - 111)
b: 64512 50176 swap # (Cyl. 112 - 255)
c: 640192 0 unknown # (Cyl. 0 - 1428)
d: 525504 114688 4.2BSD 0 0 0 # (Cyl. 256 - 1428)
If you are upgrading a NetBSD installation, start the upgrade script:
netbsd# sh upgrade.sh
else, start the installation script:
netbsd# sh install.sh
Running the installation scripts.
The installation scripts will do most of the work of transferring the
system from the distribution sets onto your disk. You will frequently be
asked for confirmation before the script proceeds with each phase of the
installation process.
Occasionally, you'll have to provide a piece of information such as the
name of the disk you want to install on or IP addresses and domain names
you want to assign. If your system has more than one disk, you may want
to look at the output of the dmesg(8) command to see how your disks
have been identified by the kernel.
The installation script goes through the following phases:
- determination of the disk to install NetBSD on
- checking of the partition information on the disk
- creating and mounting the NetBSD filesystems
- setup of IP configuration
- extraction of the distribution tar files
- installation of boot programs
Now try a reboot. Initially I'd suggest you "boot sd()netbsd -bs", then
try multiuser after that. If you boot single-user the NetBSD incantation
to make the root filesystem writable is
netbsd# mount -u /dev/sd0a /
The Sun monitor might have been setup to instruct the boot program to load
a file called "vmunix". On OpenBOOT ROM systems you can change it to load
"netbsd" instead using the following commands:
On version 1 OpenBOOT ROMs:
>n
ok setenv boot-from sd(0,0,0)netbsd
ok
On version 2 OpenBOOT ROMs:
ok setenv boot-file netbsd
ok setenv boot-device /sbus/esp/sd@0,0
Congratulations, you have successfully installed NetBSD 1.3.3. When you
reboot into NetBSD, you should log in as "root" at the login prompt.
There is no initial password, but if you're using the machine in a
networked environment, you should create yourself an account and
protect it and the "root" account with good passwords.
Some of the files in the NetBSD 1.3.3 distribution might need to be
tailored for your site. In particular, the /etc/sendmail.cf file will
almost definitely need to be adjusted, and other files in /etc will
probably need to be modified. If you are unfamiliar with UN*X-like
system administration, it's recommended that you buy a book that
discusses it.