From: markvb@my-deja.com
Sent: Thursday, November 11, 1999 8:25 PM
To: Info-VAX@Mvb.Saic.Com
Subject: Re: WNT Only Alpha now running OpenVMS V7.1

In article <7ugefi$bqh$1@nnrp1.deja.com>,
  elb9@my-deja.com wrote:
> In article <37F1F6AE.3ED02A96@star.enet.dec_nospam.com>,
>   Fred Kleinsorge <kleinsorge@star.enet.dec_nospam.com> wrote:
> > alan fay wrote:
> > >
> >  Fred,
> > >
> > > This machine is not supposed to run VMS at all -- it was
> > > built to only run WNT. What I have done is copy
> > > SYS$CPU_ROUTINES_1B05 to ..._E505 (I think)
> > > anyway this get it to load VMS7.1 but it cannot
> > > autoconfigure (if I try it manually it finds nothing).
> > > Therefore, I have to IO CONNECT.
> > >
> > > Everything works except ewa0?
> > >
> >
> > Note that the following isn't by any means supported, but if you are
> > hacking for Hobbyist use:
> >
> > Dump V7.1, and upgrade to V7.1-2, this should get you SYS$ICBM.EXE.
> > Prior to V7.1-2 (or it may have actually been in V7.1-1H2) in
addition
> > to a per-platform CPU routines, there was a per-platform ICBM
> > (autoconfiguration module).  I changed this so that (with a couple
> > exceptions for old platforms I didn't want to deal with) all the
> current
> > and new hardware will use a common ICBM.
> >
> > Of course you *may* not be able to BOOT from the LAN, since there is
> > some per-CPU cruft that is embedded in APB that determine which LAN
> boot
> > driver to use (disks use a common disk boot driver).  What you
> *reallY*
> > want is to make VMS think it's a supported system type.
> >
> > A *simpler* way to do what you really want, is to at the console
look
> at
> > location 2050, and replace it with the family type.  That is e -p
2050
> > which probably has a negative value in it of FFFFFFFF.FFFFFFE5,
> deposit
> > the positive equivalent 00000000.00001B .  Depending on the
platform,
> > you may be able to automate the blasting of the location by editing
> the
> > NVRAM script from the console.
> >
> > This is the hack that makes the Multia run V6.2 (we nuke it to think
> > it's a AlphaBook 1).  Try EDIT NVRAM at the console, and there is a
> > BASIC-like editor.  On some systems, the NVRAM is automatically
> invoked
> > at POST, but on most, you need to invoke it by simply typing "NVRAM"
-
> > which can also include the boot.
> >
> > So...
> >
> > >>> e -p 2050
> > pmem:            2050 FFFFFFFFFFFFFFE5
> > >>>
> > >>> edit nvram
> > editing 'nvram'
> > * 10 d -p 2050 1B
> > * 20 boot
> > * exit
> > >>>
> > >>> cat nvram
> > 10 d -p 2050 1B
> > 20 boot
> > >>>
> > >>> nvram
> >
> > yada yada -- jumping to bootstrap...
> >
> > The editor commands of interest are LIST, EXIT, QUIT.  You edit like
> an
> > old RSTS basic program... line number, and any console command you
> want
> > to define.  The console "CAT" command will type the contents of the
> > nvram file.
> >
>
> Fred,
>
> I have a similar situation - a WNT only system - Digital Server 3300,
> and I have not yet been able to boot Hobby VMS7.2 from the
distribution
> CDROM. I have tried setting location 2050 to both 1B and its
Complement,
>  but the system still identifies itself as an E5 type system.
> Obviously I can't rename the SYS$CPU_ROUTINES_1B05 to _E505 on the
> CDROM. Where else might the system be identifying itself? Jumpers?
> Another location?  The hardware and firmware seems to resemble the
> Alphaserver 800,  and the documentation refers to VMS in some places
> although it is unsupported.  I hope somebody knows the hack for this.
>
> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> Before you buy.
>

I am in the same boat with a Digital Server 3300.  I know this machine
is the same as an AS 800 except for the $4000 price difference.  I tried
the same adresses and even read the adress it says it halts at on a
freinds alpha workstation.  What we really need is some one with an AS
800 to dump there NVRAM so we can compare that.  Anyone that can help
with that?  Please, I know plenty of people with these machines that
would be gratefull.

Mark Bertolina markb@wpi.edu


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