RE: [cobalt-users] Re: Sun Fire V100/V120

["Gavin Nelmes-Crocker" <cobalt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> > OS restore isn't that hard - set up a DHCP, NFS, and DNS server and
> > share out a Linux filesystem.  Then have the init scripts "do the
> > right thing" to do the install.
>
> True... it's just working out the 'right thing(s) to do' that would
> take the most work... but it's definitely very doable.  I don't
> suppose you've got documentation of what you did, in order to get the
> group started...? :)
>
> > You could probably get the Red Hat Linux installer to work in
> > kickstart mode with very little effort
>
> As I recall from my early efforts to understand the os restore
> process, there are two common methods to do network-based installs in
> the linux world: PXE-based systems and a TFTP-based system.  PXE is
> far and away the most common, so of course, Cobalt (or rather the
> contractor they hired to create the os restore process for them)
> chose the less-documented, less-popular method.

I think between the people on this list along with some of the very able
developers on that list plus various resources also available it is more
than possible to put together an OSRCD that does not contain Sun components
but installs Red Hat in a fairly standard form so that it is updateable with
up2date or whatever method you choose.

I know it can be done and the boys to talk to are www.navaho.co.uk - not
much about this on their site as such but maybe Bruce will remember some
time ago they did an OSRCD for me in the UK that installed redhat 7.0 onto a
RaQ well they now have a full OSRCD written from scratch containing no Sun
material using 2.4 kernel (it handles the rom flash for you - testing it
properly before continuing) as well as that it includes the lcd panel and
has similar menus in fact more.  In fact they have even released their lcd
panel utils as open source back to redhat and I'm told they are included in
the distro somewhere.

If you add to this the mail from Steffen Weinreich on 29/12/2002

After upgrading my RaQ3 with a 2.4 linux kernel and installing a stock RH
8.0 on the box (I know, I have voided my warranty :->>) two hardware
questions arises to me:

Look at http://www.gurulabs.com/rhl-cobalt-howto/ and have fun

We know a Red Hat 8 install is possible. Now what we need is any area to put
this all together, some people to put some time into it and off course some
people who can program/ manage this sort of project - I was doing some of
this for www.sphera.com as they also produce a control panel but I ran into
problems as the Navaho cd doesn't use Quota but that can be sorted with the
right knowledge.

Regards

Gavin
ps the Navaho guys have also built their own build server running on the
same principles - well running on a RaQ2 to be precise.  I know have pushed
these guys a lot but they truly probably know more about the 'manufacture'
of a RaQ than anyone else outside of Sun except of course the good people
Sun let go - so sad a dream becomes a reality then the bully boys come and
take it apart no different from the school playground I remember.

pps count me in on this project at any level - I have developer equipment
like Bruce RaQ2,NasRaQ,CacheRaQ,XTR (currently pretending to be a RaQ550
Raid5 works nice too,RaQ4 and of course the lovely Qube