Installing RedHat 5

Installing RedHat 5.2 Linux on PL1850R

I haven't had the time to comb this document for any errors or even for errors during install. I do know there are some errors in here, so be careful of what you get from this document. For example, I chose to use Disk Druid here instead of Fdisk, I also chose to put LILO in the MBR instead of the /boot partition. I don't make these mistakes in my other documents. Please rely on my other documents for better answers.

This document is really just my scratch notes I took while I installed to a PL1850R, not all steps here are correct. Check out my document on the PL1600R, that one is more recent and is more correct.

The reason I am putting this document out is because some people have been asking about configuring the NIC and configuring Xwindows. That information is somewhat OK in this document.

System Firmware 12/30/98

1 1.05GB HDD in hot plug area on embedded controller port 1

System Erase

Manual install with SS4.21

Choose SCO Unixware 7.0.1

Check that embedded scsi controller port 1 is set for controller order first.

Continue with SmartStart

Boot to RedHat 5.2 CD

Local CD Rom

Custom Install

The NCR53C8XX PCI SCSI Bus is Autodetected

No other SCSI adapters

Disk Druid

Add /boot 15MB (/dev/sda5)

Add swap 127MB (/dev/sda6)

Add / 900 Growable (/dev/sda7)

The Eisa partition will show up as type 0x12 with 31MB as /dev/sda3

Select OK

Select Save

You may want to choose to install the kernel sources and kernel headers and the C++ compiler

Generic Mouse PS/2

Emulate 3 buttons

Unlisted Video card

SVGA server

Custom Monitor, unless yours is listed.

Non-Interlaced SVGA 1024x768 @ 60 Hz, 800x600 @ 72Hz (Monitor)

50-70

do Probe

2MB video memory on PL1850R

Skip Probe

Checked all video modes

No network configuration

No printer

Do Make a Boot Disk. (This will have necessary scsi drivers to access the system if you need to repair it)

Make sure the disk you use for the boot disk has been formatted under dos/windows and has no bad blocks

Boot Loader choices:

Use /dev/sda which is the master boot record if this system will have linux only, or if you will be using LILO as your boot manager.

Use /dev/sda5 which is your /boot partition, if this will be used in a dual boot system with a boot manager other than LILO.

LILO Installation

No special options, Don’t use Linear Mode

If you wish to access the System Configuration Utilities from the LILO boot manager, then you may wish to edit the line /dev/sda3 to have a label of "scu"or "setup".

/dev/sda5 should have a label of "linux"

Remove the floppy and cdrom.

Reboot.

If the system doesn’t come up, you can use the boot floppy you created to boot the system.

If you altered the master boot record /dev/sda, then the system will come up. If you altered the /dev/sda5 which is the /boot partition, then you will need to use the boot disk or alter your other boot manager to add linux to the list.

To use NT as the boot manager (boot.ini) you will need to search the web for bootpart.zip. You can use http://ftpsearch.ntnu.no to find it. This will capture the boot sector of the /boot partition and allow you to add it to the boot.ini and choose that when NT shows the boot loader.

Note: SS4.21 creates the EISA partition as /dev/sda3. If you use NT Disk Administrator, NT will adjust this back to /dev/sda1 which is the proper setting. You will need to adjust /etc/fstab and possibly /etc/mtab if this happens. You may even need the boot disk to fix this.

Networking

How to set up the NIC in the PL1850R:

Run "netconf"

Choose Basic Host info.

Optional components are optional

Net Device is "eth0"

Kernel Module is "tlan"

Once you save your settings and exit from "netconf" you can then start the network by typing "/etc/rc.d/rc3.d/S10network start"

To test the network you can run "ifconfig", try to ping the network, or run "tcpdump"

X Windows

"cp /etc/X11/XF86Config /etc/X11/XF86Config.bak"

"xf86config"

enter

4 - PS/2 Mouse

y - Do emulate 3 buttons

enter - use default mouse device /dev/mouse

y - Do use XKB

enter

1 - Standard 101-key, US encoding

enter

6 - 31.5-48.5; Non-Interlaced SVGA 1024x768 @ 60Hz, 800x600 @ 72Hz or choose your monitor

1 - 50-70

enter, enter, enter -> description of monitor description

enter when prompted to look at card DB

3 – SVGA Server

y – Set Symbolic Link

4 – 2MB for PL1850R

enter, enter, enter -> video card description

q – no RAMDAC

enter – No Clock Chip

y – run ‘X –probeonly’ now

enter – to begin

( running X –probeonly –pn –xf86config /tmp/XF86Config.tmp

grep failed

cannot find clocks in server output)

enter

1 – Change video modes for 8bpp

432 – Set video modes

n – Screen / Virtual Screen Size

2 – Change video modes

432

3 – Change video modes

4 – Change video modes

5 – Done

y – write the config file