| When I first started the machine, it booted (Ultrix) from its ST506, but
| since then, it has completely failed to access the disk. Question: can I
| assume that only the old drive has died, and that I can still expect to
| be able to run the machine diskless? The startup test reports
| 
| 	??  7  0090  7720.7720

When you first power the box up, do you hear the disk spin up, reach
what sounds like operating speed, then after a few seconds, spin down,
then spin up, ditto, then spin down and stay down?  If so or similar,
that is likely the dreaded RD53 spin-up-spin-down disease.  There have
been a variety of suggestions as to why this happens - but given HDC
is not currently enabled, why not just consider it dead for now?

I don't off hand know whether you need it as a load - I do know expansion
boxes without a CPU board do need additional load on +5V to keep the
switching PS doing its thing.  It may be the same for the +12V rail.

| Next question: for the ethernet, "T 50" and "T 0" report
| 
| 	NI   0000.0001  V1.1
| 	1 C000  NI   0000.0001    5  0
| 
| when connected to a thin segment. Is there anything about this that
| should make me give up now?

I don't see any question marks, so I believe the self-test passed.

| Finally, I understand that NetBSD 1.3.2 doesn't support the attached
| monitor/keyboard, but uses the DE-9 serial port for its console. Can I
| use a conventional serial cable, assuming I initiate booting from the
| attached monitor/keyboard, or do I still need to build a "console" cable?
| (Or does this port not use the common DE-9 pinout at all?)  I intend to
| use as a console a serial port on a DECstation 5000/25 with 1.3.2 (the
| same machine I'll use for disk service); any problems there?

I've not tried it but I vaguely thought Ragge had added console support
via the monitor/keyboard.  I only use the DB-9 port with a glass tty.

The console (i.e. DB-9) is special.  In order for the PROM to think
the otherwise printer port is instead the console, you need to have
a cable that shorts pin-8 and 9 I believe.  It has been mentioned before
on the list - you may need to hunt back though via the vax-port mailing
list on www.netbsd.org.

I've used the DB-9 console cable that comes with uVAX-II's as my vs2000
console cable (it does the right pin shorting magic).  I've used kermit
via a NetBSD/i386 box so I don't know why you can't use a 5000/25.

Cheers,

-- Ken