> 	I've been asked to help someone get a 3000/900 up and
> running NetBSD. Booting off the 1.2 rz25 image, it gets:
> 
> wscons0 at sfb0panic: wscons_emul_attach: bogus location (n: 0/0, c: 0/0
> halted.

Interesting...  more on this below.

> ("set console serial" also does not function with this ROM monitor.
>  There is no keyboard or monitor plugged in, and I'm not sure
>  whether there is a frame buffer.)

As stated in the NetBSD/alpha 'STATUS' readme:

	To configure various Alpha systems to use a serial
	console, do the following depending on the model:
	
	        DEC 3000/[4-9]00's:
	                Flip the appropriate switch on the back of the machine.
	
	        DEC 3000/300 family machines: 
	                Boot the machine with the keyboard/mouse connector
	                unplugged.
	
	        DECpc AXPs, AlphaStations, and AXPpci systems: 
	                Get to the console prompt.  Set the variable
	                "console" to be "serial", and "init" or power cycle
	                the system.

However, it sounds like you're already using the serial console, so...


> sfb0 at tc0 slot 7 offset 0x2000000: 0 x 0, 8bpp
> wscons0 at sfb0panic: wscons_emul_attach: bogus location (n: 0/0, c: 0/0
> halted.

The documentation i have on these boxes is ... a bit inconsistent.

It claims that the 900 (and the 800), like the 500, has a built in
frame buffer.  However, when talking about the frame buffer it only
talks about the 500...


So, I suppose there are a few of questions that you could answer for me:

	(1) does it look like your machine has a port for a frame
	    buffer in the back?
	
	(2) what does it say while booting?

	(3) what does "show conf" at the firmware prompt output?

I figure either:

	the machine doesn't have a frame buffer, and my previous
	heuristic to check for one is inappropriate, or

	the machine does have a frame buffer, but that frame buffer
	isn't configured by the firmware if there's no monitor
	attached.

Either can be fixed, i just need to know which one needs to be.  8-)


chris