Install GRUB on SCO Unixware 7.1.1

UNIX SCO
1

Hi,

I am trying to install the linux boot loader (GRUB) on a non-linux machine (Unixware 7.1.1). The thing is I want to boot the linux kernel (vmlinuz) and the linux ram disk (initrd.img) from unixware and boot the machine with it. Does anyone have a good way to do this?

2

I don't have access to a Unixware system, but I am reasonably sure that you can do this by indicating which partition you want to boot at the initial "Boot:" prompt.
Look at the man page for boot.
Also check the documentation about LKP (Linux Kernel Personality), as it allows Linux binaries to run

3

Hi jgt,
thanks for your reply. as checked with the man boot page one has to edit the BOOTPROG parameter and point it to the kernel file.

This is how i did,

  • Copied the linux's vmlinuz and the initrd.img files into the /stand directory
  • Edited the /stand/boot file and gave, BOOTPROG=vmlinuz

At the time of booting i receive the error "vmlinuz: not a bootable kernel" and it gets back to the [boot] prompt.

LKP works after the unixware kernel is loaded and it helps the applications to run in a Linux like environment. hmmm interesting... Could you let me know how this can help. do you say it helps to install GRUB?

I have a way to put the GRUB Stage1 into MBR using "dd" command. But how can we reference Stage2 and where they need to be put?

4

Are you intending to install grub (and Linux) on the (same) primary unixware partition?

5

yes. that is right. the linux kernel (vmlinuz) which i am using is the linux installer kernel. I need to find out a way to put this on the unixware machine, such that the next time when the machine boots i want it to load this kernel and go to the linux install screen.

Once the above is done, i can install the machine via NFS. I have a lot of unixware machines that needs to be installed to linux, but the thing is i cannot use a installation media on the unixware machines.

6

So, is it your intent to install Linux on these machines on the same partition that Unixware is currently installed on without any loss of data?

7

No, the idea is to scratch the machine and install linux on the same hard drive as the SCO unixware. It is just the GRUB i need to install and i also need to edit the grub.conf file so that it boots into the linux kernel during the next boot.

8

What about running fdisk, and setting the Unixware partition to not active.
Can you then remotely change the CMOS so that the boot order is disk, network card, removable device.
On the next re-boot, the machine will boot from where ever the network card is connected to.

9

Thanks for that. Could you tell me how can i remotely change the CMOS. I have only a linux machine that is connected to this unixware machine and moreover i cannot get the Xwindow loaded. do we have command line tools on linux to do this??

10

Remotely changing the CMOS will depend upon whether the system board will permit it.
Are all the remote unixware systems reasonably identical?
I have assumed that you have a point of sale application with one unixware system per location connected to a central management system, with the store systems not having either diskette drive or CD drive.

1 Like
11

Hi jgt,

thanks for your continuous inputs, i really appreciate your help. after a wild thought i ended up performing the task like this,

  1. wipe out the mbr -> dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/dsk/c0b0t0d0p0 bs=512 count=1
  2. reboot the machine -> init 6
  3. the system does not recognize the disk to boot from and it goes in the bios boot sequence and finally tries to boot from network
  4. i have setup a pxe boot server which responds to this pxe request and install linux from there.

I could not use editing BIOS remotely as we have different kinds of boards and so i automated the above from pxe boot server into each and every machine.

thanks..