Build nfs root for Woodcrest

[Steffen Grunewald]

On Wed, Sep 13, 2006 at 04:30:22PM +0200, Thomas Lange wrote:
> >>>>> On Wed, 13 Sep 2006 15:55:52 +0200, Steffen Grunewald <steffen.grunewald at aei.mpg.de> said:
> 
>     > - a new kernel has to be used (for support of newer e1000 chips, and
>     > 	Areca RAID controllers)
> fai-kernels 1.12 includes the 2.6.17 kernel. It that ok for you?

Since I need the arcmsr module, almost every kernel will do if if can be
patched. If the 2.6.17 source is available, I'm fine...

>     > - it has to be a complete x86_64 installation
> 
>     > - etch for x86_64 is still incomplete
> I know. Since today I only tested the FAI packages (even FAI 3 beta20)
> on sarge machines. I will start with etch support tomorrow but it will
> take some days to find all quirks in etch.

What about another idea:
- use an (old) installation from a i386 nfsroot, copy to a x86_64 machine
	and make-fai-nfsroot -k to use a 64bit kernel (tailor made)
- copy to fai server as nfsroot.64bit
- tweak some config files (which ones? to be investigated)
- if possible, use another file space for additions

Since x86_64 machines can run a 32bit userspace with a 64bit kernel
(I successfully ran sysinfo yesterday with only the first two items of
the list above) we're in a better situation here than with Alpha or PPC:
debootstrap might be able to setup a full 64-bit sarge or etch system,
based on a tweaked 32bit sarge nfsroot.
Right?
Wrong?
Any suggestions?

Of course I might wait for FAI to come up with a complete solution, but
I somewhat need it now...


Cheers,
 Steffen

-- 
Steffen Grunewald * MPI Grav.Phys.(AEI) * Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Potsdam
Cluster Admin * http://pandora.aei.mpg.de/merlin/ * http://www.aei.mpg.de/
* e-mail: steffen.grunewald(*)aei.mpg.de * +49-331-567-{fon:7233,fax:7298}
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