RIS...

[Mike Marshall]

SITUATION: I want to install ULTRIX on a DECstaion 3100 using ris(8).
           My server is a VAX 8810 running ULTRIX 3.0.
           I am using "Guide to Server Setup for RISC and VAX processors",
           chapter 3, "Setting Up for Remote Installation Service" as
           a reference to help me set up my 8810 as a server.

PROBLEM: Several things look screwy when I try to do the install:

         * When I type "boot -f mop()" on the DECstation I get...

               reject, source: 08-00-2b-0b-cd-90, server: aa-00-04-00-04-04
               Ultrixload - V3.0....
                  (wait 30 seconds or so... )
               read I/O error: retries execeeded
               Host server is ''
               Loading operating system image...
               reject, source: aa-00-04-00-04-04, server: 08-00-2b-0b-cd-90
                  (normal looking ULTRIX boot spooge...)


               Obviously these "reject" messages are trying to tell me 
               something... 

               08-00-2b-0b-cd-90 is the tcp/ip flavored ethernet address of 
                                 the 8810 I am using as a server (ni0).
               aa-00-04-00-04-04 is the DECnet flavored ethernet address of
                                 the 8810 (ni1).

        
         * The install script bombs out at the following point:
        
               The installation procedure is now restoring the root file
               system to partition 'a' of the system disk, rz3 RZ55.
               -l: unknown host

               I looked into the install script at this point, and it
               has just made a new filesystem on the RZ55's a partition, 
               and is attempting to use rsh to suck down the ROOT file
               from the server. I'm not surprised it failed since it thinks
               " Host server is '' ". BUT... I'm not sure how this would 
               ever work, since rsh is hardwired into /usr/ucb/rlogin, 
               WHICH DOESN'T EXIST ON THE WORKSTATION's "miniroot".

DEC support can't offer any solutions. They gave me the impression that
they think the installation should be so easy that any idiot should be able
to do it, and that I must be doing something wrong. Maybe I am doing 
something wrong... so what? Their job is to set me straight. I don't
know what they expect me to do now... I guess they think I'm going to
just shove the DECstation aside and forget about it.

At any rate, now I am asking the NET to do DEC's job... if anyone thinks
they know what I might be doing wrong, or has any suggestions that might
help me get this thing running, please drop me a line.

-Mike Marshall     hubcap at clemson.edu         803.656.3155