GRUB: boot using serial port

Pythagoras1 · Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2002 10:54 am Post subject: GRUB: boot using serial port

I would like to boot a CD-ROM (Gentoo-Setup) on a not-CD-bootable PC 'A'. I've connected him with a Linux-PC 'B' using a null-modem cable. How can I configure GRUB, which I've started on 'A' by boot floppy, so that he boots on 'A' the CD in 'B'?

Until now I entered: "serial --unit=0 --speed=19200"

If anybody knows another possibility to boot over null-modem cable please tell me too! thx!

pjp · Administrator Joined: 16 Apr 2002 Posts: 20067

Just curious... if machine A has a CD drive, why not just use the boot diskette to load the CD in machine A? Or did I misunderstand something?
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Pythagoras1 · Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2002 3:46 pm Post subject:

Unfortunately that old doublespeed drive could not be claimed by any driver. I tried a Slackware-Linux floppy called "old_cd.i" that containes drivers for old drives. I also could not determine which I/O-Port the drive has to use the SmartBootManager (http://btmgr.gnuchina.org/). The only way to install seems to be RS-232. :cry:

Has anybody an idea how to manage this?

pjp · Administrator Joined: 16 Apr 2002 Posts: 20067

Depending on your situation, you could try switching CD drives until after the install. Just a thought.

If you haven't found it yet, you might see if the Grub Manual (v 0.92) has any info. Also Grub Manual (v 0.90).
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Guest · Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2002 7:27 pm Post subject: :,-(

I switched CD drives and saw that that the drive was connected to a 'CD card'. It seems that *this* device could not be detected properly by Linux and SmartBootManager.

Now I managed to boot tomsrtbt. I'll try to transfer CD Data over serial line and dd a hd partition from it. Hope that works...

Pythagoras1 · Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2002 4:07 pm Post subject:

It seems that I'm ready to install but one thing does not work:

When entering 'mount -o bind /proc /mnt/gentoo/proc' I got 'mount: proc is not a block device'

What's wrong - something with tomsrtbt?

pjp · Administrator Joined: 16 Apr 2002 Posts: 20067

The proc part of /mnt/gentoo/proc does exist, correct?
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Pythagoras1 · Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2002 4:27 pm Post subject:

Yep, that's right, /mnt/gentoo/proc does exist.
Sorry, that I mistyped the output. It was exactly: 'mount: /proc is not a block device'

pjp · Administrator Joined: 16 Apr 2002 Posts: 20067

Just making sure...

Found this thread and this one and another. Hopefully they have some information that will help.
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Pythagoras1 · Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2002 6:18 pm Post subject:

thank you.

But now I crashed into another wall: 'Kernel panic: Out of memory and no killable processes...' It seems that ramdisk needs a bit more than 20 MB.

. Do I have any chance to boot the gentoo environment?

pjp · Administrator Joined: 16 Apr 2002 Posts: 20067

Well, it has been done, though I don't think it is easy. Check this thread
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