Hello,
I have several Sparcclassic boxes but all the HDs are dead. I have a Sparc
IPX that a few years ago I was able to install OpenDSB, copy the HD
contents to my Debian file server, and then run the IPX diskless with the
file system mounted via NFS. That HD since went bad but the IPX has been
running fine on NFS for years now.
Either this was much easier to do with OpenBSD or I'm not nearly as smart
as I was a few years ago. I don't remember what I had to do to get OpenBSD
to boot off a NFS share like that, I don't remember having to compile a
special kernel or anything.
I do remember the hard part being getting the server configured correctly.
Bottom line is the server pieces are in place and I can netboot the Etch
installer just fine.
I have found many posts, blogs, and web pages that have information on how
to do this, but none seem to be complete and each seems to be different
from the next. Many do not indicate which version of Debian, or even linux
they were written for/about. It doesn't help that some of these
instructions rely on, and link to, other pages that no longer exist.
Therefore I am at a loss as to what I need to do to get this to work.
Can Etch be installed directly to a NFS share from the Etch Sparc
installer? I have seen information that there should be an option to
install to a NFS share but I don't see it when I run the installer. I also
netbooted the Woody installer but same thing.
If I have to install to a HD, what do I have to do to the installation
after copying everything over to the share to get it to boot from NFS? Is
there some special kernel build I need to do?
Any help of any kind pointing me in the right direction would be greatly
appreciated!
Thanks,
DJ
