On Fri, Jun 19, 2009 at 11:00 PM, Michael Robinson <[email protected] > wrote:
> > On Fri, 2009-06-19 at 22:35 -0700, drew wymore wrote: > > On Fri, Jun 19, 2009 at 10:30 PM, Michael Robinson < > [email protected] > > > wrote: > > > > > I can't find instructions on how to install CentOS 4.3 Alpha. > > > > > > I get to MILO and try boot hdc:kernels/vmlinux.gz and I get an > > > error in the decompression stage for the kernel. I'm at a total > > > loss, I burned the DVD image on another Linux system where I'm > > > noticing that there's no MILO directory and the release notes > > > are completely empty. Under the images directory there is > > > boot.iso generic.img netboot.img and ramdisk.img if I'm > > > remembering correctly. > > > > > > I am dumbfounded that there are absolutely no instructions. > > > > > > My Alpha is a PC164 pre USB pre DIMM system. It has 64 megs, > > > 4 16 meg parity 72 pin simms. It has a 366 mhz processor, I > > > think. It currently has a Redhat 6.2 installation, but I > > > want to upgrade that if possible. > > > > > > Has anyone on here ever gotten CentOS to install on an Alpha? > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > PLUG mailing list > > > [email protected] > > > http://lists.pdxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug > > > > > > What specific error does it give you? I always thought it was called > vmlinuz > > not vmlinux > > I get length error - halting > > There are no instructions, so I have no idea why I can't get it to boot. > There are no MILO images, so do I assume that they are expecting SRM > console? My Alpha is ARC based. The release notes say, "if this > doesn't work for you, send me hate mail ;-)" > > Are Alphas even made anymore? > > I have no experience with Alpha, but that kind of error does sound like it is trying to decompress and run the uncompressed kernel (vmlinux), you should try to use vmlinuz (which is the compressed kernel). Alphas were discontinued in 2007. Originally produced by DEC, which was then assimilated by Compaq, then the IP (as in intellectual property, not internet protocol ;) ) for Alphas was sold to Intel, then production continued by HP/Compaq a little longer. HP/Compaq will continue to support them commercially until 2012 supposedly. Until looking it up I thought they had stopped production earlier than that. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_processor Here is the Linux Alpha HOWTO. http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Alpha-HOWTO.html 64bit mass production CPU, a bit ahead of its time, kind of a shame really. However the knowledge from its development no doubt helped further the development of the current crop of x86_64 type CPUs (even though Alpha was RISC). I have in storage somewhere a bunch of old CDs and DVDs from a few Linux events I helped run back when I was in CA, as part of another LUG. I have some retail box copies of SuSE and RedHat for Alpha (v 5.x or 6.x maybe, as in about 8 or more years old)... I may have missed it in an earlier post, what are your plans for this Alpha system? General tinkering, server, ... ? _______________________________________________ PLUG mailing list [email protected] http://lists.pdxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug
