Booting an older RS6000 off cdrom

From: Vance Dereksen <vance_at_ikickass.org>
Date: Tue Apr 24 14:45:45 2001

Is it possible that you have to boot off of a floppy, then install off of
the CD? I don't know about that version of AIX but some of the older
versions needed that.

Peace... Sridhar

On Tue, 24 Apr 2001, Claude.W wrote:

> Hi all
>
> I am in the process of finishing my spring cleanup and I am giving a RS6000
> 7012 320H powerserver its very last chance to see if I can get it to do
> anything usefull. I think I have mentionned this machine here before, still
> I am looking for some help on this.
>
> The machine is probably all ok. It was booting of the HDs with the original
> AIX when I got it and still will boot with the diags floppy disks for RS6000
> and I can "talk" to it from a terminal connected to the 1st serial
> port....The HDs were taken out a bit later and the machine was left sitting
> in a corner for a long time. Machine has 80 Megs RAM, SCSI card...the
> hardware is acting ok. I dont have the keyboard, graphics card or monitor so
> I am woking this thing from the terminal connected to the serial port.
>
> I have AIX on 2 cd's they say ENTRY SERVERS R4.2.1. I checked on my Linux
> box and the files are there and the cds are readable.
>
> I have connected a Pionner DR-706S drive on the SCSI chain and also added
> one of the original HDs (was flushed of original AIX and used somewhere
> else) with a different ID on the chain. Chain is terminated at the end.
>
> I am trying to get this thing to do something usefull by re-installing AIX.
>
> I cant get it to boot AIX and install off the CDrom.
>
> I tried the CDrom at ids 5 and 6 (suggested in some AIX newsgroup posts for
> similar situations)
>
> The CD is configured for 512 byte block size... its a Pionner. I know that
> some CDROMs will not boot these RS6000 but is the only issue the block size?
> I have heard that Plextors, Pionner and original IBMs will boot these
> Rs6000. I have older toshibas and DEC that should support 512 blocks, should
> l I try these or its hopeless?
>
> I did put the machine in service mode...I did try to disconnect the battery
> to reset the bootlist.
>
> What is happenning now with HD and CDROM connected is machine goes through
> post and displays 253 then looks like it goes into a never ending loop of
> resetting the SCSI bus about every 2 or 3 minute or so.
>
> I can see the leds on both the HD and the cdrom flicker (cdrom also spins up
> and led flashes briefly every 2 -3 minutes or so) so I am suspecting that
> the RS6000 is seeing something on the SCSI bus and the machine is looking
> for something to boot with.
>
> I suspect it sees the devices because without the HD connected, it will go
> through post and then the floppy led will flash every few seconds waiting
> for the boot/diag floppies. I suppose it does not see any SCSI devices so it
> abandons booting from those and expects some floppies...
>
> The Pionner CDROM alone on the SCSI chain will result in the machine
> expecting floppies...so now I wonder if the CDROM is being seen at all...
>
> Ideas anyone?
>
> Thanks
> Claude
> http://computer_collector.tripod.com
>
>
>
>
>
Received on Tue Apr 24 2001 - 14:45:45 BST

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