Installing Debian S/390 on Hercules problems.

[Patrick Finnegan]

So, when trying to "boot from tape" on hercules, I get the following
messages:

RAMDISK: Couldn't find valid RAM disk image starting at 0.
Freeing initrd memory: 1k freed
RAMDISK: Couldn't find valid RAM disk image starting at 0.
Freeing initrd memory: 1k freed
cramfs: wrong magic
Kernel panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on 01:00

I can't get any farther than that, and am unsure what's going wrong.
I'm following the directions from this article:

http://sinenomine.net/weblink/goto/336

I downloaded the tape files from:
http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/dists/woody/main/disks-s390/current/tape/

I've got a "tapes" subdir with the kernel.debian, initrd.debian, and
parmline.debian (reblocked to be 1024 bytes), along with the
lintape.tdf file in it, and the "current dir" has a hercules.conf,
linux.120 and linux.121 image files in it. my hercules.conf looks
like:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
CPUSERIAL 000069 # CPU serial number
CPUMODEL 9672 # CPU model number
MAINSIZE 64 # Main storage size in megabytes
XPNDSIZE 0 # Expanded storage size in megabytes
CNSLPORT 3270 # TCP port number to which consoles connect
NUMCPU 1 # Number of CPUs
LOADPARM 0120.... # IPL parameter
OSTAILOR LINUX # OS tailoring
PANRATE FAST # Panel refresh rate

0120 3390 linux.120
0121 3390 linux.121
0400 3088 0401 192.168.3.2 /usr/sbin/vmnet
0401 3088 0400 192.168.3.2 /usr/sbin/vmnet
0581 3480 ./tapes/lintap.tdf
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Pat

[Adam Thornton]

Post by Patrick Finnegan
So, when trying to "boot from tape" on hercules, I get the following
RAMDISK: Couldn't find valid RAM disk image starting at 0.
Freeing initrd memory: 1k freed
RAMDISK: Couldn't find valid RAM disk image starting at 0.
Freeing initrd memory: 1k freed
cramfs: wrong magic
Kernel panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on 01:00
I can't get any farther than that, and am unsure what's going wrong.
http://sinenomine.net/weblink/goto/336

I'm guessing that's the article I did for NASPA? If that's the case:
remove the tapemarks from between the tape file names in the TDF. Tape
handling has changed in Herc since I wrote that article.

Something else I found out that works with Debian-installer...oh,
speaking of which, you don't have to use Debian 3.0! Sarge will be out
pretty soon, and Debian-Installer works great with it. I'll do a d-i
daily rebuild and upload it....

Anyway, if you want, get the daily Sarge build from
http://www.fsf.net/~adam/sarge390

The tape stuff works just like it always did (with no tapemarks between
the files in the TDF), but you can also get the "generic" build images
and put them in the card reader, like:

000C 3595 kernel.debian parmfile.debian initrd.debian autopad eof

And IPL from device 000C.

Also, don't use vmnet anymore. Do something like

0400 3088 CTCI /dev/net/tun 1500 192.168.3.2 192.168.3.1
255.255.255.255
0401 3088 CTCI /dev/net/tun 1500 192.168.3.2 192.168.3.1
255.255.255.255

(where the first and second IP addresses are the address of the Debian
guest and of the end of the vCTC on the host system, respectively)

Adam

[Patrick Finnegan]

Post by Adam Thornton
remove the tapemarks from between the tape file names in the TDF.
Tape handling has changed in Herc since I wrote that article.

Ok, I'm doing that, using the sarge installer images on the debian ftp
site. However, the installer is getting stuck at installing the
kernel; it's trying to install the s390x (zSeries) kernel and failing
the depmod, instead of installing the s390 one. Does your installer
image fix this problem? I have a vague recollection of it being
mentioned on this mailing list, but can't find the reference yet. I
just want to find out, before I embark on the (long) process of
restarting the install again.

Thanks.

Pat

[Patrick Finnegan]

Post by Patrick Finnegan
Ok, I'm doing that, using the sarge installer images on the debian ftp
site. However, the installer is getting stuck at installing the
kernel; it's trying to install the s390x (zSeries) kernel and failing
the depmod, instead of installing the s390 one. Does your installer
image fix this problem? I have a vague recollection of it being
mentioned on this mailing list, but can't find the reference yet. I
just want to find out, before I embark on the (long) process of
restarting the install again.

Using the copy of the installer on your website seems to not work 100%
either... it insists on formatting my first DASD (0120), and when that
is done, asks me to format the DASD again. Saying "No" or "Go Back" in
response to the dialog doesn't send me anywhere else, it just keeps
asking me if I want to format the DASD.

Any ideas?

Pat

[Bastian Blank]

Post by Patrick Finnegan
Any ideas?

Use a new version of the installer.

Bastian