SYSGEN(8)

NAME
sysgen - UNIX system generation from the distribution tape

DESCRIPTION
This section explains how to generate an initial UNIX system from the distribution tape. It assumes that you have some familiarity with the hardware: how to mount and unmount disk packs and magnetic tapes, and how to use the console.

PREREQUISITES
1	VAX-11/780 system with at least 512K bytes of memory
1	RM03 or RP06 disk spindle (unit 0) with controller on MBA 0
1	TE16 magnetic tape drive (unit 0) with TM03 formatter on MBA 1
1	error-free disk pack for use on the RP06 spindle
1	Third Berkeley distribution tape
120	minutes of time

OVERVIEW
The distribution tape is recorded at 1600 bpi and contains three files. The first file is in tp(5) format and contains stand-alone utility programs for handling disks, tapes, and the console. The first file usually contains about 250 blocks of 512 characters each. The second file on the distribution tape is a dump(1) of an initial root file system (see filsys(5)). The third and last file on the tape contains source code, and also object code and miscellaneous data, from the /usr file system. The last file is in tar(1) format, blocked 10240 characters per tape record, and contains several thousand records. The system generation process has three phases, corresponding to the three files on the distribution tape. The first phase formats and verifies the disk pack. The second phase creates the initial root file system on the disk. The third phase establishes the /usr directory.

PROCEDURE

Read and understand this entire description before attempting anything else. Quotation marks ``'' surround literal character strings which you should type on the console. The notation ``\r'' stands for the RETURN key.

Turn on the VAX-11/780 to LOCAL. The POWER and ATTN lights should go on; if not, fix your hardware before proceeding.

Mount an error-free disk pack on the RP06 spindle, unit 0, MBA 0. Start the drive and set read-write (not write protect). The START, CONTROL A, and DOOR LOCKED lights should be on. If the READY light on the drive does not come on within 30 seconds, then fix your hardware before proceeding.

Mount the Berkeley distribution tape on the tape drive, unit 0, MBA 1. All status lights (PWR, BOT, WRL, SELECT, LOAD, ONLINE) should be on. If the WRL light is not on, then remove the write ring from the reel and start again. If the other lights are not on, then fix your hardware before proceeding.

Enter the commands HALT, UNJAM, INITIALIZE on the console. These may usually be abbreviated to ``H\r'', ``U\r'', and ``I\r'', respectively.

Deposit in memory at a high address (e.g. 50000) the absolute tape boot program found in bproc(8). Execute the code you deposited, using the ``START'' console command. One 512-byte bock (the tp boot program) will be read from the tape into VAX-11 memory beginning at location 0.

Give the console command ``START 0\r''. This starts the tp boot program, which relocates itself high in memory, rewinds the tape, and then types an equal sign `=' on the console as a prompt.

If your pack is not formatted, then type ``rp6fmt\r''. The tp boot will load a RM03/RP06 disk formatting program into memory and transfer control to it. Enter the MBA number and unit number (in this case, both ``0\r'') in response to the prompts. The rp6fmt program will then format the disk; this should take approximately 20 minutes. Error messages may appear on the console if bad spots are found on the disk. There should not be any (you mounted an error-free pack, remember). If there are any error messages, sit tight and hope for the best.

When the rp6fmt program finishes, it will ask to format another pack. Type ``-1\r'' to exit. The equal sign prompt `=' of the tp boot should appear again. Type ``rpread\r''. This program verifies that the entire disk can be read. Enter the unit number and starting block number (both ``0\r'') in response to the prompts. Enter ``\r'' when asked for the number of blocks; this will read the whole pack. Reading the disk takes 10 minutes. Messages indicating bad spots may appear on the console. The bad spots should match those found by the rp6fmt program. All ECC errors should be correctible. If there are any errors which are not correctible, you should probably start the whole boot procedure over with a better pack.

After the rpread program finishes, it will prompt for another read. Type ``-1\r'' to exit; another `=' prompt from the tp boot will appear.

Type ``mkfs\r''. This loads a stand-alone version of the mkfs(1) program. It will first ask you for a file system size. The response needed is ``7942\r'', as this is the number of 1024 character file system blocks in the root file system, which occupies 15884 512 byte disk blocks. It will then ask you for a file system, and you should respond ``hp(0,0)\r.'' When this program completes, you should receive another prompt from the tp boot.

Now type ``restor\r''. This load a stand-alone versionof the restor(1) program. It will ask you for a tape name. You should respond ``ht(1,1)\r'', indicating the second file on ``unit 1'', which is a pseudonym for the 1600 bpi version of tape drive unit 0. Restor will then ask you for a disk name; you should respond ``hp(0,0)\r'' (as you did for mkfs.) Restor will finally give you a chance to back out, in case you goofed; if you didn't, hit return (your other alternative is to halt the CPU by hitting a ^P to get back to the LSI-11, and restarting the tape bootstrap.)

When restor finished, you are ready to boot VM/UNIX (yea!). The `=' prompt from tp boot should appear again. Type ``boot\r''. The boot program should then prompt with ``:''. Type ``hp(0,0)vmunix\r''. This loads the operating system from disk and executes it. The system will give its version number and creation date, report the physical memory in your configuration and the memory not used by the operating system. Then it will type ``#''. This is the super-user prompt for single-user operation of the UNIX system.

Set the date and time using the date(1) command.

Check the integrity of the root file system with
	icheck /dev/rrp0a
	dcheck /dev/rrp0a

(The command ``chk'' abbreviates dcheck and icheck, so you can say just ``chk /dev/rrp0a''.) If you have an RP-06, create a /usr file system with
	/etc/mkfs /dev/rp0g 145673
	/etc/mount /dev/rp0g /usr
If you have an RM-03, use ``41040'' here rather than ``145673''. This takes 5 minutes.

Extract the remaining files from the distribution tape with
	cd /usr
	cp /dev/rmt4 /dev/null	;: bypasses tp file
	cp /dev/rmt4 /dev/null	;: bypasses root dump
	tar xbf 20 /dev/rmt0
This takes 20 minutes.

Check the integrity of the /usr file system with
	cd /
	/etc/umount /dev/rp0g
	chk /dev/rrp0g

Establish the desired entries in the password file /etc/passwd, using the text editor ed(1), or ex(1) (see adduser(8))

Set the terminal lines configuration in /etc/ttys using the text editor.

Edit the reconfiguration file /etc/rc as desired.

Type EOT (control-D) to start multi-user operation.