[9fans] Plan9 Installation

[mark_otto@mail.fws.gov mark_otto@mail.fws.gov]

I am trying to install the initial 4 PC disk that I downloaded from 
plan9.bell-labs.com/plan9/pcdist.  I have done the first boot from a: but I 
get the following error when I do the file system installation from 
c:\plan9\b:

hd0: LBA 63463668 sectors, -1045626880 bytes 
.bad magic 0xb7600 not a plan9 executable 
Boot devices: hd!0 h!0
boot from:

When I type in hd!0, the boot from message returns.  When I type h!0 or 
h!0!/plan9/9dos, I get the ".bad magic 0xb7600 not a plan9 executable" 
message again.

I get the same error message with the basic plan9.ini in the "Read this 
section if you have trouble installing on the PC" section and with 
vgasize=1024x768x8 and ata1=irq=15.  The following is my basic plan9.ini:

mouseport=ps2
monitor=vga
vgasize=640x480x1
bootfile=hd!0!/plan9/9dos
rootdir=/plan9
bootdisk=#H/hd0disk:63

I know I have an unsupported PC, a Micon PC with a 199MHz Pentium using a 
Stealth 3D 2000 Pro, Diamond Multimedia Systems, Inc. video card.  I also 
know from the 9fans listserve digest and the /plan9/update directory at 
bell-labs that there are boddles for the S3 Virge Chipset if I can get the 
system running on another PC.  I am willing to find one of our older 486 
PCs with the [E]ISA bus, but I thought since I got this far in the 
installation that the bus and the video card were not the problem.  I want 
to see if I can use the basic system, connect to the network and our Sun 
unix boxes, and use our HPIIsi printer before I buy the CD rom and face our 
head of computer support who rather we only use Windows.

Should I give up and try this on supported PC or is there a way around this 
problem.  I am enclosing information on my PC below.  Thank you in advance 
for your help.

Mark Otto, Biological Statistician         work:    301-497-5872     
Population and Habitat Assessment Section  fax:     301-497-5871     
Office of Migratory Bird Management        e-mail:  Mark_Otto@FWS.Gov
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Department of the Interior
11500 American Holly Drive
Laurel, Maryland  20708-4016

---------------------------------------
Here is the set up I have:

Motherboard:   Micron
CPU:           Intel 199mhz Pentium
Memory:        32MB
Disks:         2GB IDE Hard Drive partitioned into c: and d: drives, 1GB
               each (d: is empty in order to hold plan9) If this works, 
               I will get a SCSI drive for the fileserver.  The primary 
               IDE is IRQ=14 Port=01f0h and the secondary is IRQ=15 
               Port=01f0h  
Zip Drive:     IOmega Zip 100, ATAPI
CDROM:         Hitachi CRR-8330 Standard CD-ROM Device 
Sound Board:   Yamaha OPL3-SAx, ATAPI
Network:       3c905 Fast EtherLink card, IRQ=10 Port=0180h 
Mouse:         PS2 IRQ=10
Keyboard:      MS Natural Keyboard, IRQ=01 Port=0060h
Monitor:       Micron 700 FGx, Horizotal refresh=30-69KHz and vertical=50-160KHz
Video Card:    Stealth 3D 2000 Pro, Diamond Multimedia Systems, Inc, S3 Virge, 
               4MB video memory, IRQ=09 Port=03B0h