More... Re: VS4000 hardware questions

From: Robert Schaefer <rschaefe_at_gcfn.org>
Date: Mon Dec 24 13:36:58 2001

----- Original Message -----
From: "Doc" <doc_at_mdrconsult.com>
To: <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Monday, December 24, 2001 01:52 PM
Subject: Re: More... Re: VS4000 hardware questions


>
> It looks like you're saying that, having booted NetBSD, I can no longer
> run the VS4000 headless? Right now, set to serial console, it won't even
> post until I power up the serial terminal. And on this box, powering
> down the VT420 is a guaranteed halt. Have I misconfigured something, or
> am I stuck with this?
> The 3100 m38 autoboots NetBSD quite happily with no console attached.
> Since the hardware notes at NetBSD didn't give any warnings, I sort
> ofexpected the same.

>From what I have heard, seen, and possibly mis-remembered or -understood,
having once run NetBSD on a VaxStation 4000-90 (and possibly similar models
such as the -60 an -vlc) you will need to manually enter 'boot' at the >>>
console prompt, as the SYS subsystem fails a minor (possibly checksum) test.
I haven't experimented with this much at all, other than a test-boot of VMS
to see if it would correct whatever might be wrong. I have not attempted to
set any kind of automatic boot/halt/whatever flag to see if it really *does*
halt the boot process. Chuck McManis may have a better idea of what is
going on, ISTR he was looking into it. There are a number of knowlegable
people on port-vax_at_netbsd.org who will have better answers than I.

I'm nearly in a position to bring my VAX cluster online (VAX 6000-320,
VAXstation 4000-90, VAXstation 3100-40, & soon a VAX 4000-200) so I will be
more interested in making the m90 boot headless in the Not Too Distant
future, and I'll probably take a look at the code myself. Not that this is
any indication of my programming skills (or lack thereof!), but more eyes
can't hurt anything.

>
> Doc

Bob
Received on Mon Dec 24 2001 - 13:36:58 GMT