[9fans] Installation on supermicro X9SCAA

[9fans] Installation on supermicro X9SCAA

[Pierre-Jean]

Hello 9fans !

Here is a short review of my attempts to install
some plan9 distribution on a supermicro MBD-X9SCAA-O
motherboard (atom N2800 cpu), followed by some questions.

# 9legacy iso cd
================
With the sata CDR configured as ide, the boot fails after the
following messages:
	Plan9 from Bell Labs
	i8042 kbdinit failed
	pcirouting: ignoring south bridge PCI.0.31.0 8086/27BC
	disk loader
	CPU0 1867MHZ GenuineIntel P6 (cpuid: AX 0x30661 DX 0xBFEBFBFF)
	Elcr 00A0
	497M memory: 497 kernel data, 0M user, 18M swap

It's ashame, because I liked the spirit of 9legacy...

# 9atom iso cd
==============
With the sata CDR configured as ide, the boot fails after the
following messages:
	PBS1... Plan9 from Bell Labs
	ELCR: 00A0
	i8042: kbdinit failed
	cpu0: 1866 Mhz P6 loop 64544
	ether#0: i82574	link down
	ether#1: i82574	link down
	dev A0 port F0C0 config 8SC0 capabilities 0F00 mwdma 0007 udma 203F
	sdata: blind probe 1f0
	sdata: blind probe 170
	aoepnp (<nil>)


# 9front iso cd
===============
With the sata CDR configured as ide, the boot processes
correctly, so that I can log in as glenda and use the
system. I did not try the installation yet.


# 9atom AMD64 usb iso
=====================
I could perform the installation by choosing the AMD64 set,
without needing to configure the sata ports as ide.

But the first time I tried, I failed on what seems to be a
bug: I had choosen to install both AMD64 and i386 sets, but
the installer failed after asking me if I wanted to build
all the binaries, with a typo 'yns' instead of 'yes'. I
tried to answer 'yes', 'y', and 'yns', but none of them were
understood by the script.


# 9atom AMD64 questions
=======================
I'm currently getting some trouble to configure my 9atom
system:

1) I can't figure how to configure plan9.ini to get a menu.
I tried a plan9.ini '[menu]', as explained in plan9.ini(8),
but the bootloader does not seem to understand that syntax.
I also tried, without more result, to write two 'bootfile='
entries, as explained in 9load(8). Which manual page should
I follow ?

2) I had a hard time to figure where were the sources of my
current kernel. I first thought it was a patched pc kernel,
and finally used 'find | grep termf' to learn it was a
nix/k10 kernel. What does k10 means? May I have some hope
to get a working 9atom Plan9 kernel for this board or should
I stay with nix ?

3) I could not compile the nix/k10 cpuf, with the following
errors:
	; cd /sys/src/nix/k10
	; mk 'CONF=cpuf'
	[...]
	6l -o 9cpuf
	kbdputsc: undefined: drawactive
	mk 6c -FVTw '-DKERNDATE='`{date ...: exit status=rc 1124: 6l 1129:error
	; grep DKERNDATE mkfile
	$CC $CFLAGS '-DKERNDATE='`{date -n} $CONF.c

4) Is there any documentation of the build process
somewhere ? I'd like to know how to build binaries for a
custom architecture, and such other things.

5) How should I stay up to date with the 9atom development?
Is there any sources repository that I can mount or should I
use the iso ? Does 9atom plans to synchronize its sources
with the labs ones time to time or does it follow its own
way ?


I'd be happy to receive some tips and help, and I hope this
long message to be usefull.

Cheers,

Pierre-Jean.

Re: [9fans] Installation on supermicro X9SCAA

[cam]

> 2) I had a hard time to figure where were the sources of my
> current kernel. I first thought it was a patched pc kernel,
> and finally used 'find | grep termf' to learn it was a
> nix/k10 kernel. What does k10 means? May I have some hope
> to get a working 9atom Plan9 kernel for this board or should
> I stay with nix ?

nix is integrated as the amd64 kernel of 9atom.  k10 is one
of the generic names amd gave a line of their 64-bit cpus.

if you decide to try 9front, their 64-bit kernel is in
/sys/src/9/pc64.

> 4) Is there any documentation of the build process
> somewhere ? I'd like to know how to build binaries for a
> custom architecture, and such other things.

the bell-labs doc:

http://plan9.bell-labs.com/wiki/plan9/compiling_kernels

9atom should not be much different, except for location of the
64-bit  kernel you already found.

in a nutshell, building for other architectures is as simple as

cd /sys/src
objtype=$arch mk install

where $arch is one of the top-level directories in /.  not all are
up to date or supported though.  386, amd64, and arm are the
only ones i know of that are updated, but there are compilers
for mips, powerpc, and sparc.

> 5) How should I stay up to date with the 9atom development?
> Is there any sources repository that I can mount or should I
> use the iso ?

9fs atom

and the source will be in /n/atom.

the replica pull script in /usr/glenda/bin/rc works the same
as the bell-labs script except it uses /dist/replica/atom to
update the system.

Re: [9fans] Installation on supermicro X9SCAA

[erik quanstrom]

On Sat Aug  2 17:34:08 EDT 2014, plan9@utroff.org wrote:
> # 9legacy iso cd
> ================
> With the sata CDR configured as ide, the boot fails after the
> following messages:
> 	Plan9 from Bell Labs
> 	i8042 kbdinit failed
> 	pcirouting: ignoring south bridge PCI.0.31.0 8086/27BC
> 	disk loader
> 	CPU0 1867MHZ GenuineIntel P6 (cpuid: AX 0x30661 DX 0xBFEBFBFF)
> 	Elcr 00A0
> 	497M memory: 497 kernel data, 0M user, 18M swap

looks like only 512mb of memory are found.  how much memory
is in the machine?

> # 9atom AMD64 usb iso [sic]
> =====================
> I could perform the installation by choosing the AMD64 set,
> without needing to configure the sata ports as ide.
>
> But the first time I tried, I failed on what seems to be a
> bug: I had choosen to install both AMD64 and i386 sets, but
> the installer failed after asking me if I wanted to build
> all the binaries, with a typo 'yns' instead of 'yes'. I
> tried to answer 'yes', 'y', and 'yns', but none of them were
> understood by the script.

sorry about this.  if i get time, i'll look for the bug.  if you
find it first, please submit a patch.

it should work if "y", "n", or "s" is entered the first time.  it
looks like the bug is some trash is floating around for the second
time through the loop.

> # 9atom AMD64 questions
> =======================
> I'm currently getting some trouble to configure my 9atom
> system:
>
> 1) I can't figure how to configure plan9.ini to get a menu.
> I tried a plan9.ini '[menu]', as explained in plan9.ini(8),
> but the bootloader does not seem to understand that syntax.
> I also tried, without more result, to write two 'bootfile='
> entries, as explained in 9load(8). Which manual page should
> I follow ?

sadly, i wasn't clever enough to keep the new loader's menu
format the same as the old while maintaining its tiny footprint.
please see pcipl(8) for details.

> 2) I had a hard time to figure where were the sources of my
> current kernel. I first thought it was a patched pc kernel,
> and finally used 'find | grep termf' to learn it was a
> nix/k10 kernel. What does k10 means? May I have some hope
> to get a working 9atom Plan9 kernel for this board or should
> I stay with nix ?

no plan 9 kernel at this time, i am trying to merge the
kernels.  work is ongoing and slow.  don't read that there is
some fundamental difference by the different name.

k10 was the name of the original targeted arch.  it might
be a good idea to rename the directory "amd64", since it
deals with most intel/amd hardware.  but that
requires some churn i haven't wanted to deal with.

> 3) I could not compile the nix/k10 cpuf, with the following
> errors:
> 	; cd /sys/src/nix/k10
> 	; mk 'CONF=cpuf'
> 	[...]
> 	6l -o 9cpuf
> 	kbdputsc: undefined: drawactive
> 	mk 6c -FVTw '-DKERNDATE='`{date ...: exit status=rc 1124: 6l 1129:error
> 	; grep DKERNDATE mkfile
> 	$CC $CFLAGS '-DKERNDATE='`{date -n} $CONF.c

sorry.  fixed.  nodraw was needed in the cpuf configuration.

> 4) Is there any documentation of the build process
> somewhere ? I'd like to know how to build binaries for a
> custom architecture, and such other things.

could you be more specific about what you mean by "custom arch"?
i am not aware of general documentation of the build process.
the nix build is quite a bit different than the 9 build.

- erik

Re: [9fans] Installation on supermicro X9SCAA

[Pierre-Jean]

cam@9.SQUiSH.org wrote:

> in a nutshell, building for other architectures is as simple as
>
> cd /sys/src
> objtype=$arch mk install
>
> where $arch is one of the top-level directories in /.

objtype is the variable I was looking for, thanks. I should
have look first at mkfiles.ps, since all these variables are
documented here.


And thanks for the others informations, which are very
usefull for me.

Pierre-Jean.

Re: [9fans] Installation on supermicro X9SCAA

[Pierre-Jean]

erik quanstrom <quanstro@quanstro.net> wrote:

> > # 9legacy iso cd
> > ================
> > 	497M memory: 497 kernel data, 0M user, 18M swap
>
> looks like only 512mb of memory are found.  how much memory
> is in the machine?

There are 4G...

> > # 9atom AMD64 usb iso [sic]
> > =====================
> > the installer failed after asking me if I wanted to build
> > all the binaries, with a typo 'yns' instead of 'yes'.
>
> sorry about this.  if i get time, i'll look for the bug.  if you
> find it first, please submit a patch.

I'll try to catch the bug and make a more precise report.
But I'm not sure to be skilled enougth to make a nice patch.

> > # 9atom AMD64 questions
> > =======================
> > 1) I can't figure how to configure plan9.ini
> please see pcipl(8) for details.

Thanks.

> > May I have some hope to get a working 9atom Plan9 kernel
> > for this board or should I stay with nix ?
> no plan 9 kernel at this time, i am trying to merge the
> kernels.  work is ongoing and slow.

I'm happy to read that.

> > 3) I could not compile the nix/k10 cpuf, with the following
> > errors:
>
> sorry.  fixed.  nodraw was needed in the cpuf configuration.

One more thanks !

> > 4) Is there any documentation of the build process
> > somewhere ? I'd like to know how to build binaries for a
> > custom architecture, and such other things.
>
> could you be more specific about what you mean by "custom arch"?
> i am not aware of general documentation of the build process.
> the nix build is quite a bit different than the 9 build.

I was looking for the $objtype variable, to build utilities.
And I found the documentation I neeeded: mkfiles.ps.


Lots of thanks !

Pierre-Jean.

Re: [9fans] Installation on supermicro X9SCAA

[David du Colombier]

> > > 	497M memory: 497 kernel data, 0M user, 18M swap
> >
> > looks like only 512mb of memory are found.  how much memory
> > is in the machine?
>
> There are 4G...

It looks like 9load output. 9load scans memory up to 512 MB.

--
David du Colombier