[rescue] Sparc OS Install over serial

[Dan Williams]

Scott Newell wrote:

>>I'm looking for a way to bootstrap and install any modern OS (preferably
>>some flavor of linux) to a SS or Ultra class sparc, but only use the
>>serial port - no floppy, cd, network, or hard disk to bootstrap from. My
>>console does _not_ need to be on the serial port. Googling has only turned
>>up ways of using the serial port as concole during install. I was hoping
>>there's a way to pull this off from the prom - does anyone know if this is
>>possible?
>>    
>>
>
>Sure, why not?  You might do it by first writing a small bootstrap program
>in forth to (very slowly!) dump incoming data from the serial port to a
>disk partition.  Load one partition with a miniroot install image, and
>another partition with the installation sets.  Boot the miniroot and
>install into a third partition.
>
>I guess you'd have to code up a filesystem to copy the installation sets
>into a partition so that the install program could recognize 'em, right?
>
>
>newell
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>  
>
How techinically minded is your boss, it would be easier to write a 
program that looks like it's installing from the serial port...

Dan