🚀 go-pugleaf

Hi everyone,

I have succeeded in getting an OS restore CD for my Cobalt Raq 4 to 
net-boot my currently-offline Raq4 via a net-connected PC, and I solved 
one problem surrounding a disk drive for which the net-booted kernel would 
not accept the parameters of when the drive was probed for it's specs. I 
have a console connection to my SB1000 so I can log all the console 
messages that the Raq4 produces.

However there's still a problem I am not able to figure out yet and that 
is that when the setup script runs to create the partitions on the 
replacement disk, 'mke2fs' appears to give errors about unknown drive 
specifications each time it's run and the partitions don't mount 
read/write when the script gets set up to start trying to copy over 
software packages from the host PC.

Also, I noticed in the logs some messages about incorrect kernel version 
but that might be a result of the disk partitions not mounting read/write.

Has anyone come across this sort of problem when attempting to do a new OS 
installation for a Cobalt x86-based web server appliance, and how did you 
solve it?

The first disk I tried to use is a brand new Seagate ST380215A (Barracuda 
7200.10 - 80 gb), and the drive I'm trying at the moment is a used Western 
Digital 80 gb ide drive that I found in some spare parts boxes. The 
Seagate disk gives invalid (according to the kernel) parameters when the 
net-loaded kernel first boots up to run the install process. The WD drive 
gives good parameters. Both disks appear to give the same problems though 
later on in the process so I suspect there's something else going on that 
I haven't worked out yet.

The particular OS restore CD I'm using is an upgraded one produced by 
Zeffie, so I wonder if that is the problem? Perhaps there is some 
un-tested condition that is resulting in my particular Raq4 to not do the 
install steps properly. If anyone has tried OS restoration using restore 
CD's from other vendors (Raqport, CobaltSupport, the original Sun/Cobalt 
one, etc.) have you seen the problem when using those?

One thing I will do to be absolutely sure is re-burn the iso image for 
Zeffie's OS restore CD onto another new CD-R later today and give that a 
go just in case something didn't work right when I burnt the first CD-R.

Craig.

-- 
SUN RIPENED KERNELS - Surplus Sun Microsystems Equipment, Parts + Accessories
Location: Sydney, Australia - Web: http://www.sunrk.com.au - Get back on track
at the SunShack - Web: http://www.sunshack.org - Cobalt Users mailing list
Web: http://lios.apana.org.au/mailman/listinfo/cobalt_users