Trying to boot Gentoo /alpha on an Alphaserver ES47 / ES80

[pierre982]

Hello everybody,

I am new to this forum and gentoo linux. So far, I only used openVMS on my VAX and alpha systems.
On my Alphaserver ES80 (single-node configuration, so technically the same as an ES47) already running openVMS, I would really like to additionally install a linux derivate that supports the ES-series Alphaservers to use it for some data processing works.
So I downloaded the latest version of gentoo /alpha and launched it from CD.
However, regarless of the boot options to be chosen in the boot menu of "aboot", the boot process gets stuck.
The system comes with 6GB of RAM and with no graphics card.
I suspect that there might be an issue with the console output, but this is pure guessing.
Does anybody has experience with booting gentoo on ES-series Alphaservers? Did anybody successfully tried it?
I am happy to do any debugging steps and/or follow any advises and tests on my machine or compilation to make it work, in case somebody can point me into the good direction.

Here is the console output of the machine after power-up, followed by booting the gentoo installer from the CD.


~PCO-I-(pco_04) Resetting partition. HP: Default_HP
[2017/06/27 16:16:19]
~PCO-I-(pco_04) Preparing to reset partition. HP: Default_HP
[2017/06/27 16:16:19]
~PCO-I-(pco_04)

Configuring for 2 CPUs for HP:0 Default_HP

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F
................................................
0 .P..............................................
.|.............................................. P Processor
.|.............................................. F Filler
1 .P.............................................. | connection
................................................ - connection
................................................
2 ................................................ W <----------> E
................................................ N ^ (0,0)
................................................ | .
3 ................................................ | .
................................................ | .
................................................ S v (ns,ew)
4 ................................................
................................................
................................................
5 ................................................
................................................
................................................
6 ................................................
................................................
................................................
7 ................................................
................................................
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F
[2017/06/27 16:16:23]
~PCO-I-(pco_04) Running diagnostics on HP: Default_HP
Running test 10, Initialize RAMBUS ... on 2 EV7s
Running test 11, Initialize Memory ... on 2 EV7s
Running test 12, Data Pattern March read/write ... on 2 EV7s
Running test 13, RAID channel Test ... on 0 EV7s
Running test 14, Single Bit Error ... on 2 EV7s
Running test 15, Double Bit Error ... on 2 EV7s
Running test 20, Init IO7 and Start Clocks ... on 1 EV7s
Running test 21, IO7 Data Path (Scratch CSR) ... on 1 EV7s
Running test 22, IO Single Bit Error checkers ... on 1 EV7s
Running test 23, IO Double Bit Error checkers ... on 1 EV7s
Running test 24, IO Timer Expirations ... on 1 EV7s
Running test 25, IO up-hose SBE checkers ... on 1 EV7s
Running test 26, IO up-hose DBE checkers ... on 1 EV7s
Running test 27, IO7 pass2 data mover test ... on 1 EV7s
Running test 30, Configure RBOX Routes ... on 2 EV7s
Running test 31, Clear Errors / Enable Routes ... on 2 EV7s
Running test 32, Route Test: N S E W ... on 2 EV7s (North)
Running test 32, Route Test: N S E W ... on 2 EV7s (South)
Running test 32, Route Test: N S E W ... on 2 EV7s (East )
Running test 32, Route Test: N S E W ... on 2 EV7s (West )
Running test 33, Inverse Route Setup ... on 2 EV7s
Running test 32, Route Test: N S E W ... on 2 EV7s (North)
Running test 32, Route Test: N S E W ... on 2 EV7s (South)
Running test 32, Route Test: N S E W ... on 2 EV7s (East )
Running test 32, Route Test: N S E W ... on 2 EV7s (West )
Running test 33, Inverse Route Setup ... on 2 EV7s
Running test 34, Single Bit Error checker ... on 2 EV7s
Running test 35, Double Bit Error checker ... on 2 EV7s
Running test 31, Clear Errors / Enable Routes ... on 2 EV7s
Running test 16, Interprocessor Memory Access ... on 2 EV7s
Running test 40, Local I/O Device Interrupts ... on 2 EV7s
Running test 41, Local Interval Timer Interrupts ... on 2 EV7s
Running test 42, Local Interprocess Interrupts ... on 2 EV7s
Running test 43, Software Alerts ... on 1 EV7s
Running test 46, Other Local Interrupt Bits ... on 2 EV7s
[2017/06/27 16:17:25]
~PCO-I-(pco_04) Diagnostics completed on HP: Default_HP
[2017/06/27 16:17:25]
~PCO-I-(pco_04) HP:Default_HP SP:Default_SP Primary is NS:0 EW:0 which is cab:00 drw:0 cpu:0
Running test 50, Loop on Secondary Routine ... on 1 EV7s (SP:Default_SP)
[2017/06/27 16:17:25]
~PCO-I-(pco_04) Loading SRM on Primary for HP: Default_HP, SP: Default_SP.
Running test 50, Loop on Secondary Routine ... on 0 EV7s (SP:Free_Pool)
starting console on CPU 0
initialized idle PCB
initializing semaphores
initializing heap
initial heap 700c0
memory low limit = 556000 heap = 700c0, 1fffc0
initializing driver structures
initializing idle process PID
initializing file system
initializing timer data structures
lowering IPL
CPU 0 speed is 1000 MHz
create dead_eater
create poll
create timer
create powerup
entering idle loop
access NVRAM
Get Partition DB
hpcount = 1, spcount = 2, ev7_count = 2, io7_count = 1
hard_partition = 0
IO7-100 (Pass 3) at PID 0
IO7 North port speed is 166 MHz
Hose 0 - 33 MHz PCI
Hose 1 - 33 MHz PCI
Hose 2 - 33 MHz PCI
Hose 3 - 4X AGP
0 sub-partition 0: start:00000000 00000000 size:00000001 00000000
PID 0 console memory base: 0, 4 GB
1 sub-partition 0: start:00000004 00000000 size:00000000 80000000
PID 1 memory: 400000000, 2 GB
total memory, 6 GB
probe I/O subsystem
probing hose 0, PCI
probing hose 1, PCI
bus 0, slot 2 -- ega -- DEGXA-SA Gigabit Ethernet
probing hose 2, PCI
do not use secondary IDE channel on CMD controller
bus 0, slot 1 -- pka -- Adaptec AIC-7892
bus 0, slot 2 -- dqa -- CMD 649 PCI-IDE
bus 0, slot 3, function 0 -- usba -- USB
bus 0, slot 3, function 1 -- usbb -- USB
bus 0, slot 3, function 2 -- usbc -- USB
bus 0, slot 3, function 3 -- usbd -- USB
probing hose 3, PCI
starting drivers
Starting secondary CPU 1 at address 400030000
initializing GCT/FRU.... at 556000
Initializing dqa pka ega
AlphaServer Console V7.3-1, built on Feb 27 2007 at 12:48:34
P00>>>
P00>>>boot dqa0
(boot dqa0.0.0.2.2 -flags a)
block 0 of dqa0.0.0.2.2 is a valid boot block
reading 158 blocks from dqa0.0.0.2.2
bootstrap code read in
base = f80000, image_start = 0, image_bytes = 13c00(80896)
initializing HWRPB at 10000
GCT base = 556000
initializing page table at f6a000
initializing machine state
setting affinity to the primary CPU
jumping to bootstrap code
aboot: Linux/Alpha SRM bootloader version 1.0_pre20040408
aboot: switching to OSF/1 PALcode version 2.8
aboot: booting from device 'IDE 2 2 0 0 0 0 0'
aboot: no disklabel found.
iso: Max size:109700 Log zone size:2048
iso: First datazone:28 Root inode number 57344
aboot: could not find default config `a'
Welcome to aboot 1.0_pre20040408
Commands:
h, ? Display this message
q Halt the system and return to SRM
p 1-8 Look in partition <num> for configuration/kernel
l List preconfigured kernels
d <dir> List directory <dir> in current filesystem
b <file> <args> Boot kernel in <file> (- for raw boot)
i <file> Use <file> as initial ramdisk
with arguments <args>
0-9 Boot preconfiguration 0-9 (list with 'l')
aboot> l
# Option 0, for generic systems, boots the default kernel with the graphics console.
# Option 1, the same, but boots a kernel without legacy start address (see below)
# Option 2, the same as 0, but serial console on the first port (ttyS0, at 9600bps)
# Option 3, the same as 1, but serial console on the first port (ttyS0, at 9600bps)
#
# Some later alphas need a special kernel without legacy start address, most
# notably the DS15A and DS25 workstations as well as the ES45, ES47 and GS
# series of servers. If your machine does not boot with the generic kernels
# of option 0 and 2, try option 1 or 3, respectively
#
# If you want to add/change parameters, boot from the CD with -flags x
# and enter "b", a space and the kernel name and command line you want to use
# In aboot "menu mode" you can use several keys to look at partitions and
# preconfigured command lines.
#
# For more information, consult the Gentoo alpha installation handbook.
0:/boot/gentoo initrd=/boot/gentoo.igz root=/dev/ram0 init=/linuxrc dokeymap looptype=squashfs loop=/image.squashfs cdroot
1:/boot/gentoo_nolsa initrd=/boot/gentoo_nolsa.igz root=/dev/ram0 init=/linuxrc dokeymap looptype=squashfs loop=/image.squashfs cdroot
2:/boot/gentoo initrd=/boot/gentoo.igz root=/dev/ram0 init=/linuxrc dokeymap looptype=squashfs loop=/image.squashfs console=ttyS0 cdroot
3:/boot/gentoo_nolsa initrd=/boot/gentoo_nolsa.igz root=/dev/ram0 init=/linuxrc dokeymap looptype=squashfs loop=/image.squashfs console=ttyS0 cdroot
aboot> 3
aboot: loading uncompressed /boot/gentoo_nolsa...
aboot: loading compressed /boot/gentoo_nolsa...
aboot: PHDR 0 vaddr 0xfffffc0001010000 offset 0x2000 size 0xfd8138
aboot: bss at 0xfffffc0001fe8138, size 0x2e810
aboot: zero-filling 190480 bytes at 0xfffffc0001fe8138
aboot: loading initrd (5095328 bytes/4975 blocks) at 0xfffffc047f8c2000
aboot: starting kernel /boot/gentoo_nolsa with arguments root=/dev/ram0 init=/linuxrc dokeymap looptype=squashfs loop=/image.squashfs console=ttyS0 cdroot

-> At this point, no further screen output is done.

Thank you very much for any advices and help!

All the best,
Pierre
_________________
Pierre's collection of classic computers and peripherals: http://www.digitalheritage.de

[chithanh]

You don't need a Gentoo live CD to install Gentoo. Any linux terminal is enough, see you can get some other distro live media to boot.

As you will probably not find many Gentoo alpha folks around here, try also contacting the mailing list or IRC channel in case of problems.

[mattst88]

Please join us on IRC in #gentoo-alpha. I would have seen your question much earlier there! I might be the only person who can actually answer your question

The serial console your output is from is the MBM console. The live cd specifies "console=ttyS0", which is one of the other serial ports. The MBM serial console is special (since it can access the MBM that you use to configure and boot the "partitions"). To direct output to it once the kernel starts, use "console=srm"

I had a lot of trouble with this until relatively recently. I'd try "console=srm" and if that doesn't work, let it use ttyS0 and move the serial cable to that port when it boots.