> On Sat, 23 Oct 1999, Anders Magnusson wrote:
> 
> > ftp://ftp.netbsd.org/pub/NetBSD/arch/vax/kernels/
> 
> These all work very well on my VAXstation 3100/M76.  I've not gotten
> around to testing them out on the M38 or M30, but so far so good.

I have a uVAX 3100 (M30 I think... the double high case with the dual
scsi controllers) with 8M ram and half a dozen HD's hung off it.  I also
have a TK50 with some spare tapes, and a pmax NBSD box up on the home net,
so tape or network installs should be possible.  The terminal is a VT420.

HD0 is unused, and Ultrix boots off HD1.  I picked up a spare RZ25 that
I want to put NetBSD on, for starters at HD0.  HD2-HD6 are now on Ultrix,
but, I really did want to get a NetBSD up on it, if possible.

With all the talk and buzz going on about the new VAX scsi capability,
I think I want to bite the bullet again, and try a VAX install (my last
one was problematic and I gave that VAX 3500 away recently).  The current
uVAX 3100 has enough space and capability (although only 8M ram) that
I could build from Ultrix, or netboot, or tapeboot, perhaps.

Anyway, with a machine such as my uVAX 3100(M30?), and that many drives,
what would be the best way to bring up NetBSD?  I have generally had
poor luck on netboots, only getting a couple out of about 10 to work
on my pmax boxes.  But, since tape and Ultrix already is running well
on the VAX, I am expecting that is a better way to get it going.
So, from folks experiences, what would be the 10 line synopsis of how
best to bring up vaxbaby.net (on the home net) on NetBSD rather than
the aging Ultrix 4.2A.  The RZ25 target drive is coming from an existing
DS5000/25 box, running Ultrix, so I am expecting should it be fine to hang
on the uVAX.

I am expecting the scenario to run something like:

1.  ftp over the bits to Ultrix.

2.  create a TK50 boot tape from Ultrix.

    dd if=boot.fs of=/dev/rmt0h

3.  create a TK50 install tape from Ultrix.

    tar -cvf /dev/nrmt0h kern.tgz base.tgz etc.tgz comp.tgz man.tgz misc.tgz

(is the tape order important or does it matter?)

(CAN A COMBINED TAPE be made with bootfs then the tarballs?  Will the
install scripts handle that?  It looks like the install will, but I have
not heard anyone mention that specifically.  I would prefer to set up a
single tape for booting and installing.)

4.  boot off the boot tape.

    b dkb6           (TK50 off second scsi port ID 6? confirm with show dev?)

5.  continue install off boot tape or second tape.  Go for coffee or a
    movie or whatever because of speedy TK50....(:+}}...

6.  If things got this far, the rest is easy.....(:+}}.....

That would cover a tape install.

For an install directly from Ultrix, how would/could that be done?
I am assuming it can be done by unrolling off the file systems and
tarballs off /mnt, and installing boot blocks (does Ultrix newfs
already do that?), but I am not sure.

I could boot off tape and ftp install, although that would require
running a hundred feet or so of coax around the house to the shop.
That might be the fasted method of installing, although tapes are
comfy.

How much space should be allocated for a non-X uVAX 3100 for /usr,
assuming full sources are wanted, for kernel play?  I was assuming
the sources and such would fit on the RZ25 where 400mb was left for
the /usr fs.  Is that sufficient to install, and to build in?

Once I get the beast up and to my satisfaction, I will load up as
many HD's as it can handle, and use it for a source build play box.
Leaving space for a couple of tapes and a cd, how many HD's can be
hung on the dual controller uVAX 3100 (9?).  That would make a mean
little VAXbaby, for sure!

> Thanks to the shared libs under 1.4.1, I was able to fit a modest install
> onto a 50Meg RZ22.  With 42Megs in a filesystem for my NetBSD/vax install,
> and 8Megs of swap; installing only the base.tgz, etc.tgz, and misc.tgz
> distribution sets takes up around 35Megs.
> 
> My VAX is so slim and zippy.

Gee, mebbie there is still some use for those tiny little RZ23's....(:+}}...
``VAX 'em''.  I want to make my uVAX one of those Wagnerian Valkyrie types
that aren't so slim.....(:+}}...  I kindo' like that rich robust bellowing
of a Valkyrie maiden at full steam ahead, battleaxe in tow.  What would
really be fun would be some kind of a 9 track reel-reel tape transport
for VAXbaby....  Now, that would be classy!  Can that be done?  I would
expect so, with the right transport and a good scsi interface.  Does
the NetBSD scsi driver support such things?  Move over Wagner!  VAXbaby
on stage!

Thanks  (chuckling considerably!)

Bob