How-to boot server with no CDROM via serial connection to laptop
I have an x86 Sun server, with no CDROM drive and no OS currently loaded on it. I need to install CentOS on it... trying to figure out how to do that.
I've heard there are ways to connect to the serial management port, and mount a laptop's CDROM drive as a drive the server will recognize to install the OS from. Any ideas on how to do this? I have a serial management port on the server where I can get to OK prompt, and SC prompt.
I don't have a linux kickstart server to use, so that option is out. And I'm not sure if I can mount NFS volumes from OK and SC prompts. I don't think there is anything I can use on either prompt to configure/plumb the NIC to set that up anyway.
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
hi:)
i can't boot my sun server by iso solaris 10 sparc dvd that i did download from oracle site.
my hardware is sun T5220.
i receive these after running boot cdrom -s :
can't read disk lable
can't open disk lable package
ERROR: boot-read fail
whould u help me?
Please use CODE... (1 Reply)
Good Afternoon,
I'm trying to boot from cdrom so I:
bash-2.05# init 0
{1} ok boot cdrom -s and I get:
Rebooting with command: boot cdrom -s
Boot Device: /pci@1e,600000/ide@d/cdrom@2,0:f File and args: -s
Can't read disk label.
Can't open disk label package
Evaluating:
Can't open boot... (13 Replies)
hi
i cant recovery root passwd through serial console mode by using CDROM.. i tried following step but no luck
in ok prompt :
ok boot cdrom -s it comes single user mode
i check format cmd it showing disk
c1t0d0
c1t2d0 then
#mount /dev/dsk/c1t0d0s0 /a
#cd /a
# vi /etc/shadow ( it... (13 Replies)
I have a server with a scsi raid controller (for hard drives) and a scsi controller (for tape drive and cd-rom). I am trying to boot from the cd-rom but can't. During boot up, bootable media is detected in the cd-rom but the system will not boot from it. BIOS for the raid controller installs but... (1 Reply)
iam traying to install o/s in spark machine it showing error
ok >boot cdrom
is showing error
short disk read
failed to read superblock
the file just loaded does not appear to excutable
how to solve this can u help me (6 Replies)
Hi all am trying to boot the system from cdrom in single user mode , however when i am giving command boot cdrom -s i am getting below error
Boot Device: /pci@1f,0/pci@1,1/ide@3/cdrom@2,0: f file and args:
Can't read disk label
Can't open disk label package
can,t open boot device
... (17 Replies)
Well...I hope I am in the right forum to post this question. Here is what I am trying to do.
I have a laptop (Dell I believe) running Windows. I am trying to connect this laptop to a V240 serial port (the port with l0l0l). Here lies the problem, I am not sure if I have the correct cable. I do... (6 Replies)
i am having a problem when trying to boot from cdrom. I received the below message
system is not bootable, boot command is disabledfound
how can i fix this.
also what is the key combination on ordinary keyboard for STOP+A. Is it ctrl+break? (2 Replies)
I want to install Solaris 9 on SUN ULTRA 10. The cdrom is attached to an ide controller. The server is currently running Solaris 2.6
I insert Solaris cd 1 of 2 and at the ok prompt I type boot cdrom i get the error below
Boot device: /pci@1f,0/pci@1,1/ide@3/cdrom@2,0:f file and args:... (11 Replies)
I'm running solaris 2.5.1. My main development server is DEAD, i can't even boot off the cdrom, it powers up, acts like it is starting the boot process but then says cannot find boot device. I've done the search here on this site and saw the other posts, but at the ok prompt it won't even let me... (3 Replies)
BOOT(8) System Manager's Manual BOOT(8)NAME
boot - connect to the root file server
SYNOPSIS
/boot [ -fkm ] [ -uusername ] [ method!fs-addr ]
DESCRIPTION
Boot is the first program run after a kernel has been loaded. It connects to the file server that will serve the root, performs any
authentication needed to connect to that server, and exec(2)'s the init(8) program. It is started by the kernel, never run directly by the
user. See booting(8) for information about the process of loading the kernel (and boot) into memory.
Once loaded, the kernel initializes its data structures and devices. It sets the two environment variables /env/cputype and /env/terminal
to describe the processor. It then binds a place-holder file server, root(3), onto / and crafts an initial process whose sole function is
to exec(2) /boot, a binary which is compiled into root(3).
The command line passed depends on the information passed from boot ROM to kernel. On the MIPS Magnum and SGI Power Series the command
line passed to boot is the same as that given to the ROM monitor.
On AT&T Gnots the command line is
/68020/9gnot method!server
On the Nextstation , no information is passed from the boot ROM or program. The command line is
/68020/9nextstation
On the PC, each line in the DOS file plan9.ini of the form name=value is passed to the boot program as an environment variable with the
same name and value. The command line is
/386/9pc method!server
Boot must determine the file server to use and a method with which to connect to it. It must also set a user name to be used as the owner
of devices and all console processes and an encryption key to be used when challenged. Boot will prompt for these.
Method and address are prompted for first. The prompt lists all valid methods, with the default in brackets.
root is from (il, tcp, hs, local)[il]:
A newline picks the default. Other possible responses are method or method!address. To aid in automatic reboot, the default is automati-
cally taken on CPU servers if nothing is typed within 15 seconds.
The other interactions depend on whether the system is a terminal or a CPU server.
Terminal
The terminal must have a username to set. If none is specified with the -u option, boot will prompt for one on the console:
user:
The user will also be prompted for a password to be used as an encryption key on each attach(5):
password:
With most methods boot can now connect to the file server. However, with the serial line methods 9600 and 19200, the actual mechanics of
setting up the complete connection are too varied to put into the boot program. Instead boot lets the user set up the connection. It
prints a prompt on the console and then simulates a dumb terminal between the user and the serial line:
Connect to file system now, type ctrl-d when done.
(Use the view or down arrow key to send a break)
The user can now type at a modem or a Datakit destination please: interface to set up the connection to a TSM8 card. At Murray Hill, a
user would type nj/astro/plan85 at this point. When the user types a control-D, boot stops simulating a terminal and starts the file sys-
tem protocol over the serial line.
Once connected, boot mounts the root file system before / and makes the connection available as #s/boot for subsequent processes to mount
(see bind(2)). Boot completes by exec(2)'ing /$objtype/init -t. If the -m option is given it is also passed as an option to init.
If the kernel has been built with the cache file system, cfs(4), the local disk partition /dev/[sh]d[01]cache exists, and the root file
system is from a remote server, then the kernel will insert a user level cache process between the remote server and the local namespace
that caches all remote accesses on the local partition. The -f flag commands cfs to reformat the cache partition.
CPU Servers
The user owning devices and console processes on CPU servers and that user's domain and encryption key are read from NVRAM on all machines
except PC's. PC's keep the information in the disk partition /dev/[sh]d[01]nvram. If a -k option is given or if no stored information is
found boot will prompt for all three items and store them.
password:
authid: bootes
authdom: research.att.com
The key is used for mutual authentication of the server and its clients. The domain and id identify the owner of the key.
Once connected, boot behaves as on the terminal except for exec(2)'ing /$objtype/init -c.
Booting Methods
The methods available to any system depend on what was compiled into the kernel. The complete list of booting methods are listed below.
cyc connect via a point-to-point fiber link using Cyclone boards. If specified, the address must be the number of the Cyclone board to
be used, default 0.
il connect via Ethernet using the IL protocol.
tcp connect via Ethernet using the TCP protocol. This method is used only if the initial file server is on a Unix system.
hs connect via Datakit using the high speed Datakit card.
incon connect via Datakit using the Incon interface.
9600 connect via Datakit using the serial interface at 9600 baud.
19200 connect via Datakit using the serial interface at 19200 baud.
local connect to the local file system.
For the il and tcp methods, the address must be a numeric IP address. If no address is specified, a file server address will be found from
another system on the network using the BOOTP protocol and the Plan 9 vendor-specific fields. For the Datakit methods, hs, 9600, 19200,
and incon, the address must be specified and must be a relative path name to the file server. If no address is specified, the address Nfs
is used.
FILES
#s/boot
SOURCE
/sys/src/9/boot
SEE ALSO root(3), bootp(8), init(8)BOOT(8)