Re: [9fans] setting up a file server

[Lucio De Re <lucio@proxima.alt.za>]

On Fri, Aug 18, 2000 at 05:21:10PM -0700, James A. Robinson wrote:
> 
> I'm unclear about how to go about setting up a 3rd edition Plan 9 file
> server. With the 2nd edition one set up a small auth server (no install
> on the local disk) and then booted a fs server. The auth server would
> then dump the contents of the cd to the fs server.
> 
_I_ cheated.  I do think there is enough information scattered
between the new documents and the man pages (wrap(8), specially,
but also prep(8), I would guess) to do it, specially for those with
some 2ed experience in doing it.

> I've read the directions "Installing the Plan 9 Distribution" and "Getting
> Started with Plan 9" (Configuring a standalone cpu/authentication server),
> as well as the fs and fsconfig man pages. In those, I could not find any
> mention of how to unwrap the packages into the fs server. Are instructions
> available?
> 
My cheating consisted of using a fresh terminal and the existing 2ed
infrastructure to install (wrap/inst) the new edition archive onto a
newly-created "partition" on the old file server.  I then (ab)use the
parameter passing of the bootstrap loader (it's hard to remember all
these bits without documents) to select the "other" filesystem when
booting my 3ed workstation.  I also still use a 2ed authentication
server, just in case.  That's a bit of superstition.  I have a running
3ed CPU server that accepts the 2ed authentication as well.  Scary,
when I think about it.

This leads me to think that the 2ed instructions for setting up
the file server can be followed largely unchanged, whereas one
needs to understand authentication better and one must be familiar
with wrap(8) and a few new things to populate the server.  Nothing
earth shattering, though.

And you _do_ need to build your own fileserver kernel.  There have
been a few postings pertinent to that on the mailing list, it may be
expedient to consult the archives to avoid blunders and havoc.

++L