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

[Robert Jarratt]

"Robert Jarratt" <nospam at nosp.am> wrote in message 
news:Lwxzl.125722$C87.27817 at newsfe30.ams2...
>
> "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.
>
> Regards
>
> Rob

I may have found a possible cause of my booting problems. I decided to 
remove everything except the CPU, the tape controller and the DEQNA, so that 
included removing the two memory boards (which incidentally look like they 
are 4MB each). When I did this the console software did not come up when I 
switched on the machine. The CPU should have 1MB on board, so I expected it 
to be able to run the console software if nothing else. Have I got that 
wrong? Should I expect it to show some signs of life with only the onboard 
memory?

Regards

Rob