Gentoo Forums
Gentoo Forums
Gentoo Forums
Quick Search: in
OpenBoot Update under Linux?
View unanswered posts
View posts from last 24 hours

 
Reply to topic    Gentoo Forums Forum Index Gentoo on Sparc
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
smiffy
Apprentice
Apprentice


Joined: 28 Jun 2006
Posts: 259
Location: SA.AU.AP.EARTH

PostPosted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 3:35 am    Post subject: OpenBoot Update under Linux? Reply with quote

Anyone know if it is possible to update the OpenBoot PROM from within Linux? I've got a buggy version where the normal fix for the 3e error doesn't work (gives another error).

Thought it would be worth a go, but I can only find reference to updating this under Solaris.
_________________
Matthew Smith
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Weeve
Retired Dev
Retired Dev


Joined: 30 Oct 2002
Posts: 641

PostPosted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 4:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Currently there is no support for doing this under Linux. However, you can probably netboot the OBP for your model of SPARC if that's an option that's available to you. I've done this for multiple SPARC64 workstations of various flavors without a problem.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
smiffy
Apprentice
Apprentice


Joined: 28 Jun 2006
Posts: 259
Location: SA.AU.AP.EARTH

PostPosted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 5:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks. Whilst I was looking up how to do the netboot stuff, I found that OBP can actually be update from - OBP!

If the patch directory is placed on the root partition of a disc, it looks like I can work that way.

However, how do I specify its location on partition 1?

Something like:
Code:
ok flash-update /pci@1f,0/pci@1/scsi@1/disk@0,0/part@1/AXi.OBP.3.10.13


Have to say, working with OpenBoot makes me realise just what a heap of ---- PC type BIOS is! Being able to stop the OS and get a boot prompt at any time - so cool...
_________________
Matthew Smith
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Weeve
Retired Dev
Retired Dev


Joined: 30 Oct 2002
Posts: 641

PostPosted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 6:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That method only works if the filesystem on the hard disk is UFS. OBP doesn't know how to read any of the Linux filesystems.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
smiffy
Apprentice
Apprentice


Joined: 28 Jun 2006
Posts: 259
Location: SA.AU.AP.EARTH

PostPosted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 9:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ah, what a shame!

I think, for now, I'll just accept that I have to type "boot disk0" twice to get it to boot...

This box might end up with Solaris at some point, when I lay my hands on a reasonably priced Blade, which will be my performance Sparc/Linux box. (This AXi box is slow and clunky, but handy for getting to know the architecture.)

Thanks for your help.
_________________
Matthew Smith
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Weeve
Retired Dev
Retired Dev


Joined: 30 Oct 2002
Posts: 641

PostPosted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 9:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Assuming this isn't related to your OBP problems, you should be able to set your boot-device to disk0 rather than whatever it is set to now (probably "disk"). That way you only have to do it once. Though normally the disk and disk0 device aliases in OBP are the same.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
ThorstenHirsch
Tux's lil' helper
Tux's lil' helper


Joined: 25 Sep 2003
Posts: 111

PostPosted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 12:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What about creating a UFS file system? There's experimental write support for UFS in kernel 2.6.17.x (see also Documentation/filesystems/ufs.txt).
_________________
alias bauerbob
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
gust4voz
Retired Dev
Retired Dev


Joined: 09 Sep 2003
Posts: 373
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina

PostPosted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 2:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

But there's no ufs-utils or anything similar to mkfs it.
_________________
Gustavo Zacarias
Gentoo/SPARC monkey
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Gentoo Forums Forum Index Gentoo on Sparc All times are GMT
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum