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'''Workaround''': it appears that you can use the backslash key as the Enter to get to the keyboard layout selection screen and choose "Sun" there, after it everything works as expected. Also, the serial console installations are not affected by this problem. Note that the netboot images linked from the bug trail boot up with correct keyboard but fail later since the modules in the archive are no longer compatible with the kernel used.

Debian on Sparc

This page is supposed to help in tracking various Sparc-related issues, including current critical bugs (with relevant links and work arounds), installer issues and the like.

Current open problems for the port:

CMD64x IDE driver

This driver appears not to function properly with 2.4 kernels. When it is compiled as a module, it breaks the boot. When compiled in, it seems to work, but still issues some error messages during boot (about not being able to read the partition table). The workaround so far is to compile the module in or use 2.6 kernels, where it seems to work fine.

SILO/kernel hang

There is a bug either in kernel or SILO, which, when tripped, prevents the machines from booting. Symptoms: kernel hangs or machine returns to the PROM 'ok' prompt immediately after messages Remapping the kernel... FP Disabled. There is an old RC bug [http://bugs.debian.org/267428 #267428]. Common workarounds are to use older version of SILO (1.2.5 version from woody), or to build the new SILO with gcc-2.95 instead of the current compiler. This does not, however, eliminate the problem in all cases, as demonstrated in [http://lists.debian.org/debian-sparc/2005/01/msg00000.html this message]. The message about remapping the kernel really comes from the kernel, so it might be a kernel problem after all.

One possible reason for that is that the floating-point instruction is encountered somewhere in the execution path of the inherit_prom_mappings() function. I have [http://lists.debian.org/debian-sparc/2005/01/msg00026.html asked ] for more debugging information.

Keyboard problems on sparc32

Keyboard is non-functional (wrong keymap) when booting the DebianInstaller on sparc32 machines. [http://bugs.debian.org/288140 Bug #288140] has been filed. Works fine with 2.6 kernels, however currently 2.6 is available on netboot images only.

Followup with the bug analysis and a proposed solution (disabling the CONFIG_PCI option in kernel) is posted to the bug. Looks like [http://lists.debian.org/debian-sparc/2005/01/msg00022.html there are] some pretty exotic sparc32 machines out there, which have a PCI bus, but they do not seem to be supported by stock Debian kernel anyway.

Workaround: it appears that you can use the backslash key as the Enter to get to the keyboard layout selection screen and choose "Sun" there, after it everything works as expected. Also, the serial console installations are not affected by this problem. Note that the netboot images linked from the bug trail boot up with correct keyboard but fail later since the modules in the archive are no longer compatible with the kernel used.