I've got a Multia (166MHz Alpha CPU, 32 Mb memory), firmware version
3.5-7 according to the "ARC" thing, I think that SRM said something
similar.  Currently, the Multia runs Red Hat 5.0 (Linux kernel 2.0.30),
so I'm pretty sure that all the hardware works.  I booted RH 5.0
after trying to get NetBSD 1.5 going, so I haven't fubared anything too
bad.

Thanks to the NetBSD documentation, and R.C Dowdeswell's web page
that lets you create an appropriate 2nd stage boot file, I can get
the Multia to load a NetBSD 1.5 kernel.  But the kernel stalls during
its own internal start up.  Both the "instkernel" and the regular,
GENERIC 1.5 kernel give the same sort of message and behavior.

Both kernels say "stray isa irq 4" and then appear to lock up.

How do I fix this?

The last few lines (from the serial port I was using to get the Multia to
netboot) from the NetBSD "instkernel" always look like this:

-------
...
com0 at isa0 port 0x3f8-0x3ff irq 4: ns16550a, working fifo
com0: console
com1 at isa0 port 0x2f8-0x2ff irq 3: ns16550a, working fifo
pckbc0 at isa0 port 0x60-0x64
lpt0 at isa0 port 0x3bc-0x3bf irq 7
fdc0 at isa0 port 0x3f0-0x3f7 irq 6 drq 2
fd0 at fdc0 drive 0: 1.44MB, 80 cyl, 2 head, 18 sec
mcclock0 at isa0 port 0x70-0x71: mc146818 or compatible
stray isa irq 3
stray isa irq 4
scsibus0: waiting 2 seconds for devices to settle...
de0: enabling 10baseT port
md0: internal 4650K image area
root on md0a dumps on md0b
WARNING: clock gained 7506 days -- CHECK AND RESET THE DATE!
root file system type: ffs
stray isa irq 4
Terminal type? [stray isa irq 4
------

The NetBSD 1.5 kernel appears to lock up right when it wants to know what
terminal I have attached to the serial port.

I'm using a SPARCStation 10 to run "bootpd", "tftpd" and serve up "instkernel"
via NFS.  I get much the same behavior from the Multia if I set up the SS-10
with a whole client filesystem. The GENERIC kernel ends up appearing to
lock up in much the same manner:

-------
...
pcmcia0 at pcic0 controller 0 socket 0
pcmcia1 at pcic0 controller 0 socket 1
stray isa irq 3
stray isa irq 4
scsibus0: waiting 2 seconds for devices to settle...
de0: enabling 10baseT port
pcic0: controller 0 detecting irqs with mask 0xdeb8:..5..15
pcic0: using irq 5 for socket events
root on de0
nfs_boot: trying DHCP/BOOTP
nfs_boot: BOOTP server: 10.0.0.2
nfs_boot: my_name=stratigery
nfs_boot: my_addr=10.0.0.5
nfs_boot: my_mask=255.255.255.0
nfs_boot: gateway=10.0.0.1
root on mystic:/mnt/d/boot.alpha
WARNING: clock gained 7304 days -- CHECK AND RESET THE DATE!
root file system type: nfs
stray isa irq 4
/etc/rc.conf is stray isa irq 4
------