Re: [alpha] Debian 9.0 NETINST fails

(Dyslexia-related failure on original copy to Michael)

On Fri, Nov 02, 2018 at 01:41:51PM -0500, Bob Tracy wrote:
> Quick background info: I'm having to do a "from scratch" install on my
> PWS 433au (miata) due to a SCSI disk failure.
> 
> The Debian 9.0 NETINST image (from
> "http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/ports/9.0/alpha/iso-cd/") seems to
> boot ok from SRM (>>> b dka[device_spec]) and takes me to the usual
> "aboot" menu.  Typing "l" to get a list of pre-configured kernels gets
> me three items, all of which are designated "n" rather than the expected
> "0", "1", "2".  The first kernel seems to be the desired one, as the
> other two expect a serial console on ttyS0 and ttyS1 respectively.
> 
> Typing "0" at the "aboot" prompt seems to do the right thing as far as
> selecting the first item in the list.  The "initrd" loads, and at the
> point where a message gets printed out to the effect it's booting the
> kernel with the expected options (as listed for the first kernel in the
> aboot menu), I get a halt with code 5 (CPU 0 halted), and I'm back at
> the SRM prompt.  Completely repeatable.
> 
> Before I try the 8.0 NETINST image, if anyone has noticed anything
> fundamentally wrong with how I'm trying to boot the 9.0 image, kindly
> let me know.
> 
> Possibly relevant: I'm using the Radeon video card that was in the
> machine when the disk failed.  I have the original TGA video card if the
> NETINST kernel can't handle the Radeon, but would rather not have to
> swap out the video card if I don't absolutely have to.

Additional info...  Frank Scheiner reported similar badness on his PWS
back in March of 2017.  See the "debian-alpha" archive link:

https://lists.debian.org/debian-alpha/2017/03/msg00007.html

Executive summary: SMP 4.x kernels work fine, but the generic Debian
kernel does *not* (or at least didn't at that time).

--Bob