System Startup
Caveat: System startup is very machine dependent, consult your
system manual for exact details.
Below is an outline of the steps that go into bringing Unix up on a
machine:
- Bootstrapping Unix into memory
and Initializing the Kernel's data structure.
- Hardware probing and
configuration for SCSI
- Machine independent initialization.
- Operator intervention
(Single User Mode) .
- Execution of initialization Scripts.
- Multi-user operation.
Problems that can keep keep the system from booting fall into the
following categories:
- Hardware problems.
- Boot problems such as defective media or a broken network.
- Damaged filesystems.
- Improperly configured kernel.
- Errors in the startup scripts.
For more information, click on boot problems .
Lab exercises.
- Power down the NeXT stations in the IFSM lab and observe the boot
process, what SCSI ID is used to boot the machine.
- What SCSI devices are on the system.
- Boot the NeXT in single user mode and observe the boot process.
- Boot the NeXT in multi-user mode and observe the boot process.
- Boot the Sun machine and observe the boot process.
References:
- Unix System Administration Handbook, Nemeth, Synder, and Bass,
Prentice Hall.
- The Design and Implementation of the 4.3BSD Unix Operating System,
Leffler, McKusick, Karels, and Quarterman, Addison Wesley.