How to add (link program) to SCO Unix boot disk

[surgecomp]

I have sco unix 5.0 & the boot diskette does not have the link program on it. I need the link program in order to add a driver to the kernal for a new adaptec controller. I checked the old hard drive & it has the link program. How can I copy the link program onto the boot disk? I have made a copy of the boot disk (works!) & I made a new boot disk using mkdev fd (this also worked), but still there is no link program on the boot disk. I need instructions since I am reletively new to sco unix.

 

[edfair]

You don't need the link program. At boot you type "link" It will ask what BTLD you want, then at the proper time it will ask for the BTLD disk. It will proceed to load the OS then automatically link in the driver. This for a new install which it appears you are doing.
If it is a controller known to Open Server then you specify the host adapter at boot time and it automatically installs it. Your controller documentation should tell you the controller name to use.

I think I have read between the lines enough to see what you need.

Ed Fair
efair@atlnet.com

Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply.

Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[surgecomp]

Ed, what you said is partially what is happening. What happens, is when I type link at the boot prompt, it asks me for the btld & then starts attempting to run the link program. At this time it stops & says it cannot find the link program & never asks me for the driver disk. I have tried the same proceedure booting from a system with a hard drive that has link on it, & it also asks me for the btld, but then actually runs link & then follows up by asking for the driver disk. I have attempted to make a generic boot disk from that hard drive, but it is crashing & comes up with an error in creating the boot disk. I am able to make a system specific boot disk from the hard drive, but it has the same problem (no link program on the diskette). The new system has a SCSI Adaptec 2100s mirroring controller & the drivers are to new for SCO Unix 5.0 to have them generically there. The controller came with a bootable CD rom which allowed the creation of the driver disks, but I need some way of loading the driver during the kernal build at the boot prompt.

Help if you can - thanks

 

[edfair]

What version 5.0.? I don't remember specifics on the various versions but I have them all available so I'll look at the boot up sequence. Have never dug into the process to get these answers so it will be an education for me too.

Ed Fair
efair@atlnet.com

Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply.

Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[edfair]

And I forgot in previous post to mention that BTLD on floppy install is broken in 5.0.5. The fix is to get 5.0.4 boot and put it on the boot floppy.

Ed Fair
efair@atlnet.com

Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply.

Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[surgecomp]

Ed, The version of SCO on the hard drive is 5.04 & I have already created a system specific boot disk from it, however, it has the problem of not having link & therefore will always say that it is missing the link program and not ask me for the driver disk. I am considering trying to get the driver onto the hard drive & then create another system specific boot disk which should work with the new controller (maybe?). I wonder what would happen if it works & I then restore the system tape. I don't know how to get the new controller's driver into the boot load along with the tape restore, so that when it would reboot, it could recognise the controller & work.

Your thoughts & help please!

 

[edfair]

Without recent experience I am hesitant to say what steps but I believe the creation of a new kernel on the hard drive is the way to go. And then create the new boot floppy. Will look to the manuals Monday AM. A littlelater AM.

Ed Fair
efair@atlnet.com

Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply.

Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[edfair]

Documentation is a little light and process has changed from v3.0 which is last big manual set I have.
This is how I would try it. I don't know if it will work.
from the hard drive boot prompt :link
give it the name of the package
let it regen the kernel but don't shut down. If you do shut down from any glitch the kernel you need on reboot is probably unix.old but check that it exists before you need it.
mount your root floppy and copy the new unix to it.
This should be a kernel with the new controller resident.
On the hard drive you should have unix for the new controller and unix.old for the old controller. Both should be visible in / but they are the linked names really pointing to the /stand files of the same name.
Hope this helps and that it doesn't get you in trouble.

Ed Fair
efair@atlnet.com

Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply.

Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.