Installation guide

52 Chapter 1:Information Specific to Red Hat Linux/Alpha
In the above command, VAR is the name of the SRM console variable, and the empty
quotes ("") denote a blank value. Some integer values cannot be cleared, but can be
set to 0. Also note that some SRM console variables are integer in value, but boolean
in nature.
Several SRM console variables are worth mentioning:
BOOT_FILE
The BOOT_FILE variable is equivalent to the -file option of the SRM boot
command.
BOOT_OSFLAGS
The BOOT_OSFLAGS SRM console variable is equivalent to the value passed
to the boot command by the -flags option. It can be set to the value that
you would pass to the -flags parameter of an SRM boot command. At the
very least, it is convenient to set the root=/dev/XXX value.
BOOTDEF_DEV
The BOOTDEF_DEV SRM console variable sets the default boot device used
when the boot command is issued.
1.6.3 SRM Disk Images
Some things have changed for the better since the 5.x releases of Red Hat Linux.
Now there is a single, generic kernel for all Alpha machines. This simplifies Al-
pha installation immensely. The recommended method for booting into the Red Hat
Linux installation process is to use a floppy disk to load the kernel and to load the
installer directly from the CD-ROM.
All Alpha installations will need the kernel disk, created from the image file /im-
ages/generic.img on CD 1. However, if you plan to do an NFS installation, you
will also need to use the RAM disk image from /images/ramdisk.img, also on
CD 1. Instructions for creating disk images are located in Section 1.4.1, Writing an
Image File to a Diskette.
SRM can boot directly from the Red Hat Linux CD that is shipped in the boxed set,
as the CD does have a valid aboot block.