PPC: How to Install SuSE Linux 7.3 PPC on CHRP or PReP Machines

Support knowledgebase (ubrueck_floppyinstall)
Applies to

SuSE Linux PowerPC: Version 7.3

Situation

You want to install SuSE Linux PPC 7.3 on a CHRP-based IBM RS/6000 or on a PReP machine.
The corresponding CD (second CD for the CHRP machine, first CD for the PReP machine) is not bootable.
Because of their size, the files zImage.chrp, zImage.prep, and initdisk.gz located on the CD cannot be written to a floppy disk.

Procedure

Please proceed as follows:
Download the files from our ftp server and save them on a floppy disk.

CHRP machines:

ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/suse/ppc/kernel/BETA/deflt/floppy/zImage.floppy-install.chrp
ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/suse/ppc/kernel/BETA/deflt/floppy/ramdisk.floppy-install.gz

Copy the kernel zImage.floppy-install.chrp to a DOS-formatted floppy disk.
mount /floppy
mcopy zImage.floppy-install.chrp /floppy/zimage
umount /floppy
Copy the file ramdisk.floppy-install.gz with dd to a second floppy disk.
dd if=ramdisk.floppy-install.gz of=/dev/fd0
Reboot your computer, insert the DOS-formatted floppy disk, and enter the following at the OpenFirmware prompt:
boot floppy:,zimage root=0200

PReP machines:

ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/suse/ppc/kernel/BETA/deflt/floppy/zImage.floppy-install.prep>
ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/suse/ppc/kernel/BETA/deflt/floppy/ramdisk.floppy-install.gz

Write both files "raw" to a floppy disk. For this purpose, use dd under Linux and rawwrite, located in the directory /dosutils on CD1, under DOS.
dd if=zImage.floppy-install.prep of=/dev/fd0
dd if=ramdisk.floppy-install.gz of=/dev/fd0
After having installed, download the new kernel along with the modutils:

ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/suse/ppc/kernel/BETA/deflt/k_deflt-2.4.17-12.ppc.rpm
ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/suse/ppc/kernel/modutils.rpm

Both packages can be installed with:

rpm -Uhv package_name.rpm


Keywords: PPC, POWERPC, RS600, PREP, CHRP, IBM

Categories: Power PC

SDB-ubrueck_floppyinstall, Copyright SuSE Linux AG, Nürnberg, Germany - Version: 07. Mar 2003
SuSE Linux AG - Last generated: 07. Mar 2003 by afaber (sdb_gen 1.40.0)