[Info-vax] Trying to boot a MicroVAX II with VMS 7.3

[Robert Jarratt]

<VAXman- @SendSpamHere.ORG> wrote in message 
news:00A8936C.563F3CE8 at SendSpamHere.ORG...
> In article <Lwxzl.125722$C87.27817 at newsfe30.ams2>, "Robert Jarratt" 
> <nospam at nosp.am> writes:
>>
>>"Richard B. Gilbert" <rgilbert88 at comcast.net> wrote in message
>>news:P9adnSydZrhJ91PUnZ2dnUVZ_jaWnZ2d at giganews.com...
>>> johnwallace4 at yahoo.co.uk wrote:
>>>> On Mar 28, 2:44 pm, "Robert Jarratt" <nos... at nosp.am> wrote:
>>>>> I am trying various ways to boot my MicroVAX II. I am currently unable
>>>>> to do
>>>>> this using MOP because 7.3 does not support DEQNA. So I am now trying
>>>>> standalone backup using TK50. I created the kit on another machine
>>>>> running
>>>>> 7.3 and put it into the MicroVAX II. After a while I got:
>>>>>
>>>>> %SYSBOOT-F-PFN allocation overwrites CI ucode.
>>>>>
>>>>> This seems to be related to SYSGEN parameters essentially requesting 
>>>>> too
>>>>> much memory. Is there a way to generate a standalone backup kit on
>>>>> another
>>>>> machine such that I can avoid this issue?
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks
>>>>>
>>>>> Rob
>>>>
>>>> [interim answer till the usual - more reliable - oldtimers turn up]
>>>>
>>>> The ideal solution (since your VAX is actually networked) might be to
>>>> find a DELQA from somewhere and junk the DEQNA, so that you are not
>>>> later caught out by the DEQNA lockup "quality improvement
>>>> opportunity" (it's not a problem, it's not an issue, it's a QIO). They
>>>> might be expensive for a hobbyist machine though.
>>>>
>>>> Why is a MicroVAX worrying about CI microcode anyway?Is there a CI
>>>> interface in this MicroVAX (it's unlikely but not impossible in a Qbus
>>>> system)? Or is the error message misleading?  Did that error message
>>>> get printed as you seem to say, or did you look it up based on a
>>>> numeric error status value? If numeric, are you confident you got the
>>>> decimal/hex thing right (I can't remember the details or check right
>>>> now but I can remember being caught out by the difference between $
>>>> exit 910 and $exit %X910 etc).
>>>>
>>>> I have a very vague recollection that the DEQNA check could at one
>>>> time be overridden by boot flags but can't currently find any evidence
>>>> of this (and would be very surprised if it lasted as late as VMS 7.3
>>>> anyway).
>>>>
>>>> If you are worried about SYSGEN parameters, have you tried booting
>>>> conversationally and then the usual conversational boot options are
>>>> available to you?
>>>>
>>>> Whatever happened to VAXrsm (Remote System Manager) anyway... netboot
>>>> a VAX and install VMS over the LAN without actually needing to be
>>>> clustered (plus many other useful things which I have mostly
>>>> forgotten). It might even not have a DEQNA check in it.
>>>>
>>>> Good luck.
>>>
>>>
>>> I don't think I've seen or heard of RSM in the last ten years or so!  It
>>> may have become a casualty of the acquisition by Compaq and then HP.  I
>>> used to use it at McGraw-Hill to handle the VAX Clusters at about 100
>>> field offices.
>>
>>The error message is exactly as printed. I don't know what CI interface 
>>is,
>>can someone tell me?
>>
>>I would love to get hold of a DELQA, but eBay prices are, as you surmise,
>>prohibitive for a hobbyist. I am looking instead at getting hold of an 
>>older
>>version of VMS.
>
> Does this box have a TK50?  If so, I will put an early version of VMS on
> a TK50 (V5.x or V6.X) and send it to you.  Let me know.  You can use the
> address in the .sig.  Put this "[PASS:VAXman]" in the subject field to be
> guaranteed that my SPAM filter doesn't reject you.  I think I can still
> write a TK50.
>
> -- 
> VAXman- A Bored Certified VMS Kernel Mode Hacker 
> VAXman(at)TMESIS(dot)ORG
>
>  http://www.quirkfactory.com/popart/asskey/eqn2.png
>
>  "Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?"

I may already have found someone who can let me have an older version, if 
that does not work out I will get back in touch.

Thanks

Rob