[PARPORT] RH 6.0 install images via backpack cdrom?


Art Wildman (wildman@mediaone.net)
Fri, 27 Aug 1999 05:12:44 -0400


I'm trying to Upgrade a Dell LX486 laptop with 20mbRAM and 800mbHD & RH5.2
installed. I was reluctant to use DOS to upgrade Linux -but what the hey, even a
Farrari needs a jump from a VW once in a great while... I'll give it a try. I
tried this method, but ran into same problem I had with boot.img floppies.

I can get the proper path set in the DOS AUTOBOOT.BAT file
 ---
REM autoboot.bat ... where c: is my cdrom drive
c:\dosutils\loadlin c:\dosutils\autoboot\vmlinuz
initrd=c:\misc\src\trees\initrd-l.img
 ---
loadlin boots the image fine, but during the RH install process you load a new
linux kernel apparently with problems finding bpcd cdrom modules.
??? Would it be posible to pass a boot option to load the paride & bpck
modules...

insmod paride
insmod bpck
pcd.drive0=0x378,0,69

...option via a boot script???

After a few basic settings the install asks you to chose an installation method
CDROM, chose device BACKPACK, AUTOPROBE fails & so does SPECIFY OPTIONS if I
enter pcd=0x378,0,69 (address,protocol,unit#) or even pcd=0x378,7 (address,irq)
-not sure which is correct?
[F1] main install screen I get "error finding device", [F3] screen produces
* picked driver Backpack CDROM
* running: /bin/insmod /bin/insmod /modules/bpcd.o
* insmod failed
[F5} screen reads "can't find archive member bpcd.o: file does not exist"

interesting... I rebooted back to RH5.2 and tried "modprobe bpcd" it also failed
with strange message like
bpcd.o: Autoprobe failed
/lib/modules/prefered/cdrom/bpcd.o: init_module: Device or resource busy

*** "Amazing powers of observation" ***
It's very easy to substitute a bpcd for a bpck ! ...
modeprobe bpck.o
paride: version 1.02 installed
paride: bpck registered as protocol 0

...Could the RH install script be looking for the wrong one "bpcd"? It would be
very nice if you could break out of the RH install script and load the modules
on the command line to test this, then return to the script. -It would be one of
those powerful/freindly features -kinda like going <back> in the some of the
older install menus <grin>.

with a rh6 install linux kernel loaded, but errors recognizing the parport
backpack RH6 cdrom I cannot continue the install process. Thanks anyway for
reminding me of this install method Kevin. Hope you don't mind me posting it so
others may benefit.

   Art Wildman - wildman@mediaone.net "Insanity is...
repeating the same mistakes, while expecting different results." -Anon

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [PARPORT] RH 6.0 images backpack
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 1999 10:16:54 -0400
From: kevin <kjsisson@bellsouth.net>
To: wildman@mediaone.net

I don't know if this will help, but there is a DOSUTILS subdirectory on
the RH CD. In this directory is a file called "autoboot.bat", which
allows you to start the install from DOS without a boot floppy. If you
have or can get a DOS boot floppy, add the backpack drivers to this, and
access the CD from DOS (I use this method all the time, but I have a
multi-OS system (DOS, WIN9x, etc). There is one problem. In RH 6.0 the
autoboot.bat file points to the wrong directory for the boot image. It
is in a subdirectory of DOSUTILS, I think (read the .bat file and search
for the file it wants). I ended up copying the autoboot.bat file to my
hard drive (floppy in your case) and editing it to point to the correct
directory on the CD. Apparently nobody at RedHat checked this out; they
had a similar problem with an earlier release (5.1??). I used this
method to upgrade from 5.2 to 6.0. Good Luck,

        Kevin

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This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0b3 on Fri 27 Aug 1999 - 05:11:56 EDT