hi,
i bought this machine because i needed a machine where i could install windows nt 4.0/powerpc, which was no problem.
but i can't install aix (5.3).
i followed the guide How to install AIX 5L.
but it won't boot from the cd, regardless what f-button i press and which boot device order i have chosen.
does anybody know what i do wrong?
thanks in advance for the help.
alex
IIRC the latest level that you can install on that workstation is AIX 5.1. However, this is likely to make machine quite slow and for getting acquainted with AIX you might go for oslevel 4.3.3.
thanks for your answer. but are you sure that it does not even boot?
You can download .iso copies of the bootable diag CD at various levels as far back as 5.1 to see what it will boot from here:
https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/diags/download/home.html
As there is no LED display on your machine it will be hard to spot where the problem might be.
I think 5.1 will be your limit.
Does the CD light flicker when booting from CD?
Can you boot other media to check the CD drive and boot list selection are working properly?
i was wondering about that too.
the installation of winnt went over a boot floppy.
the light is flickering, but imo not in the right moment.
i will try the iso's though.
thx for the help so far.
.......yes
Oh yeah, as shockneck said, no way will any 5.3 media boot on your system.
When you boot AIX it loads a mini install kernel and then tries to configure devices.
No way will the 5.3 even load the config / install kernel on a 7248.
5.3 requires at least a chrp system with firmware late anough to support 5.3 and the 7248 is not a chrp system.
Get it booting a 5.1 diag CD and then go find a copy of AIX 5.1 install media to install AIX - if it will even support 5.1!
I cannot find any docs for the 7248 any more so 4.3.3 could be your limit.
i tried the diag cd's version 5.1 and 5.2. neither of them boot.
there is a lot of activity on the cdrom drive when i either hit F5 or set the boot device to the cdrom, but no boot. does that mean that all the 5.x versions of aix do not like my 7248? i can only hardly believe this, because i believe in the company where i work there are such machines with aix 5.
any more suggestions?
If at all it will boot 5.1 only with one of the latest microcodes for that workstation, perhaps only the last one IBM made available.
Starting point for your search: http://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/firmware/gjsn
With an old firmware you might be stuck with some 4.x oslevel.
I don't think the F5 thing works on the 7248, too old.
Do you have the SMS diskette?
now i tried installing 4.1.3, unfortunately with the same result.
no booting off the cd.
what else can i try?
Do you have the SMS diskette?
yes, i have.
"no booting off the cd.
what else can i try?"
Another set of media - diag CD and 4.1.3 media don't work.
Another CD drive - just about any old scsi CD drive should be OK.
If you can still boot the system, does the CD drive work OK?
When it fails to boot from CD what do you get on the console?
What sort of console do you have, LFT / Graphics / Serial - if so then what type, win pc with hyper term, etc. If serial what settings do you have on the software / emulator, baud, bits, parity, stop bits?
I'll try to remember to look out some 7248 books for you but don't hold your breath, I may not be able to find any these days.
You will find that a 7248 will not boot off the CDROM. As DUKESSD has said you should use the SMS diskette and check the boot devices. I believe you will not even see the CDROM listed! I have been trying for ages to setup a NIMOL server for exactly this reason without much success! I have a 7248-120 and it has exactly the same problem! One thing I have not tried is to build LINUX on the machine. Google installing Linux on 7248 and it will show you how. Keep us posted on your success or otherwise, good luck!