127 lines
5.2 KiB
HTML
127 lines
5.2 KiB
HTML
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2 Final//EN">
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<HTML>
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<HEAD>
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<META NAME="GENERATOR" CONTENT="SGML-Tools 1.0.9">
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<TITLE>SPARC-HOWTO.: Working with the Openboot.</TITLE>
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<LINK HREF="SPARC-HOWTO-15.html" REL=next>
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<LINK HREF="SPARC-HOWTO-13.html" REL=previous>
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<LINK HREF="SPARC-HOWTO.html#toc14" REL=contents>
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<BODY>
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<A HREF="SPARC-HOWTO-15.html">Next</A>
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<A HREF="SPARC-HOWTO-13.html">Previous</A>
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<A HREF="SPARC-HOWTO.html#toc14">Contents</A>
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<HR>
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<H2><A NAME="s14">14. Working with the Openboot.</A></H2>
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<P>In this section, you will be given an overview of what is the OpenBoot,
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and
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you will be given the main commands you need to know in order to test
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your hardware and to install Linux.
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<H2><A NAME="ss14.1">14.1 What is the OpenBoot?</A>
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</H2>
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<P>
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<P>If you are used to PC hardware, you are used to interact with
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its BIOS. SPARC computers have an Openboot, it may seem to be like
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your BIOS, but it is actually far more powerfull.
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The Openboot performs the following tasks:
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<UL>
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<LI>Testing and initializing the hardware.</LI>
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<LI>Starting the operating System.</LI>
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<LI>Giving you acces to a set of tools to program and to debug it.</LI>
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</UL>
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The programming language is FCode, if you can program the Forth
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langage, you can program it.
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<P>In this section, we will juste use a small set of the OpenBoot's
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capabilities, in order to test hardware and to boot the system.
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First you have to enter in the OpenBoot, just hit the <CODE>stop</CODE>
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and <CODE>a</CODE> keys simultaneously. Then you should see a <CODE>ok</CODE>
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prompt, if instead you see the <CODE>></CODE> prompt then type
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<CODE>n</CODE>. Now you can proceed to the next section.
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<P>
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<H2><A NAME="ss14.2">14.2 Diagnostics commands.</A>
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</H2>
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<P>The OpenBoot, gives you a lot of commands to test
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and to gather information about your hardware.
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<UL>
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<LI><CODE>.version</CODE> Displays version and date of the startup PROM.</LI>
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<LI><CODE>banner</CODE> You will see the banner, that is displayed at
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power-on. It is useful to gather some data about CPUs.</LI>
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<LI><CODE>pcia-probe-list</CODE> Test PCI on computers that have a PCI bus.</LI>
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<LI><CODE>module-info</CODE> This will display the Buses clockspeed,
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and processors frequency and amount of cache. </LI>
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<LI><CODE>probe-scsi</CODE> This will test all devices connected to the on board
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SCSI controler. </LI>
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<LI><CODE>probe-scsi-all</CODE> This will test all devices connected to all
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the SCSI controlers.</LI>
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<LI><CODE>show-devs</CODE> This displays all installed and probed devices.</LI>
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<LI><CODE>show-sbus</CODE> Use this, if you just want to display a list of
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installed and probed SBus devices.
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</LI>
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<LI><CODE>test-all</CODE> This will test all devices in the
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system that have a self test program.</LI>
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<LI><CODE>test floppy</CODE> If a floppy drive is installed, it will test it
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reminding you to have a formated floppy disk inside.</LI>
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<LI><CODE>test-memory</CODE> If the system <CODE>diag-switch?</CODE> is set to
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<CODE>true</CODE>, this will test the memory.</LI>
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<LI><CODE>test net</CODE> This will test the network interfaces </LI>
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<LI><CODE>watch-aui</CODE> This will test the AUI ethernet link.
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You will see '.' for good packets and 'X" for bad ones. Strike any key
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to abort.</LI>
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<LI><CODE>watch-clock</CODE> This will test the real time clock chip, it
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will tick once a second. To stop this test strike any key.</LI>
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<LI><CODE>watch-net</CODE> This will check the network connection ( both
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AUI and TP ). You will see '.' for good packets and 'X" for bad
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ones. Strike any key to abort.</LI>
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<LI><CODE>watch-net-all</CODE> This will test all Ethernet interfaces.
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You will see '.' for good packets and 'X" for bad ones. Strike any key
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to abort. When you abort one, it will test the next one.</LI>
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<LI><CODE>watch-tpe</CODE> This will check the TPE ethernet interface.
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You will see '.' for good packets and 'X" for bad ones. Strike any key
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to abort.</LI>
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</UL>
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<P>
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<H2><A NAME="ss14.3">14.3 Boot commands.</A>
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</H2>
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<P>The OpenBoot allows you to boot from various devices, the command
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you are the more likely to enter are below.
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<UL>
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<LI><CODE>boot</CODE> Boot kernel from default device.</LI>
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<LI><CODE>boot cdrom</CODE> Boot kernel from CDROM drive.</LI>
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<LI><CODE>boot net-tpe</CODE> Boot kernel from network urnel from CDROM drive, this is the
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command you are the more likely to type when installing Linux.</LI>
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<LI><CODE>boot net</CODE> Boot kernel from network using auto-selected
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interface.</LI>
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<LI><CODE>boot net-aui</CODE> Boot kernel from network using AUI
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interface.</LI>
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<LI><CODE>boot net-tpe</CODE> Boot kernel from network using TPE
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interface.</LI>
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<LI><CODE>boot tape</CODE> Boot default file from tape.</LI>
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</UL>
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<P>
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<P>
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<H2><A NAME="ss14.4">14.4 Misc commands.</A>
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</H2>
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<P>
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<P>
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<UL>
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<LI><CODE>eject-floppy</CODE> Ejects the floppy.</LI>
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<LI><CODE>power-off</CODE> Poweroff the computer.</LI>
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</UL>
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You can poweroff your computer, when you are working with the
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OpenBoot : just type <CODE>power-off</CODE>
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<P>For more informations on the OpenBoot you can read this FAQ at
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<A HREF="http://www.itworld.com/AppDev/616/UIR951001openboot/">http://www.itworld.com/AppDev/616/UIR951001openboot/</A><HR>
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<A HREF="SPARC-HOWTO-15.html">Next</A>
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<A HREF="SPARC-HOWTO-13.html">Previous</A>
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<A HREF="SPARC-HOWTO.html#toc14">Contents</A>
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</HTML>
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