Subject: bootstrap at VAX
To: None <netbsd-ports@sun-lamp.cs.berkeley.edu>
From: Bertram Barth <bertram@ifib4.ifib.uni-karlsruhe.de>
List: netbsd-ports
Date: 12/29/1993 11:20:22
I'm trying to bootstrap my MicroVAX II. Now i ran into a few
problems (missing documentation) and i don't know whom to ask.

If the first block of the boot-device is a boot block, VMB loads this
block in the first page of good memeory and passes control to it.
Q: what makes the first block looking like a boot block ??
   what and where are the magic bytes ??
   BTW: Are they the same for all VAXen ??

This bootblock then loads a few more blocks into memory. For doing this
it uses the i/o-routines in VMB. Then it passes control to loaded code.
Q: where are the entry-points for the i/o-routines in VMB ??
   what are the parameters ?? what are the result/return-values ??
   how are the passed to the routines (i assume in registers, but which) ??

I looked into a few books but couldn't find what i'm looking for:
	VAX/VMS Internals and Data Structures
	VAX Architecture Reference Manual
	VAX Hardware Handbook (~1981)
	VAX Architecture Handbook (~1981)

I hope to find the missing documentation e.g. in:
	KA630 CPU Module Users Guide
Is this book still available ??? (price ??)
Anybody out there who has this ???

BTW: Is there a (email)-adress at DEC where i could ask such questions
     about documentation ?? (info@dec.com didn't work)

Ciao,
	bertram
-----
Bertram Barth, bertram@ifib1.ifib.uni-karlsruhe.de, (++49 721) 608-2168
Universitaet Karlsruhe, Institut fuer Industrielle Bauproduktion
Englerstr. 7, D-76128 Karlsruhe 

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